Takamine EF-417S

specs are the same as listed on takemine website (and described by first reviewer)...but this guitar is stunning in person...., feels like a parlor ...sounds like a handbuilt largebody...I bought this new and you can tell, it really needs to be played to open up the wood. Still..the projection is clean and articulate

master craftmanship...sweet choice of woods

sounds rich, balanced, articulate and woody...picks as well as it strums to my hears, nice rich overtones...but seems like it will get better as it is played more and more...


preamp is the bomb...just plug in and play... no feedback even when cranked through electric amp...sounds clean and acoustic when plugged in..just louder!!

Actually this is limited to 60 guitars, These are the highest grade woods...built by people who take honor in what they are doing... Mine had not a flaw or even a hint of a flaw..

well I am not loaning it to pete townsend...but it seems like it could take it...

60 guitars, built from highest grade woods by people who take honor in what they do...that's pretty much it...

This is a Parlor / New Yorker shape guitar, handmade in Japan in December 2006. Quite small, very balanced physique, lovely to cradle in my arm. Since I played classical guitars most of my life, this is the size I'm most comfortable with. I also find, with a guitar that small, stopping strings at the bridge is a lot easier than with a dreadnought (e.g. my EF341C). It features 14 frets to the body junction, a high gloss finish, an Abalone rosette and gold Takamine tuners.

This an all solid guitar. The top is made from AAA grade bearclaw sitka spruce, its sides and the back are Hawaiian koa wood, both most sought after tone woods. The fingerboard is made from ebony.

It has a Takamine Palathetic Pickup and the new
active TLD class A line driver preamp. This has neither equalizer nor tuner, nor volume control. Just plug it in (the jack is in the strap button) and enjoy the very natural sound of that preamp.

This is a rare instrument, though not a limited model. As most guitar players prefer bigger guitars for their louder voice. Its vocation and price make for a small clientele.

In MHO it has all that a finger picker could ask for, any more electronic gadgetry would necessitate another hole in the body, which would most likely be bad influence on its superb tone. For that I rate it a clean ten.

As I play fingerstyle most of the time (I strum only for effect) on all of my accoustic and classical guitars, I immediately fell for the superb definition of its tone. It has a silky brilliance all over the fretboard. For its size it carries a loud voice and a very balanced tone. It is intended for the parlor vocalist, that accompanies himself - hence its name.

Intonation is perfect all over the neck.

"Bass notes are strong enough, rounded and a little punchy , mids are solid and the trebles are fat and brilliant. When I play a chord and just listen , the sustain is even , yet bottom, mid , and treble sounds are differentiated not muddy at all. This guitar produces some very sweet high mids and trebles. Individial notes have a steady decay rate. When fingerpicking rapidly, notes do not seem to interfere with each other. Overall this is a rewarding guitar to play. Strummed, it sounds good, not muddy.(by Random Works)" I couldn't have said it better, so I copied it!

I have yet to find what I don't like about this instrument - a clear ten.

Well, the action is not quite as low as I like it (5/64, or just under 2 mm at the 12th fret is what I want), but that is just a visit to the luthier away. Technically the guitar will be hard to beat. No rattles, no buzzes, no flaky finish, no glue rims in the bracing - just top level craftsmanship. Excellence excelled here. Since its intonation is perfect, the alignment of the bridge is, too.

Since the action of a guitar is a very personal matter and its previous owner played a different style, I can't really take away a point for its action.

Can't really say

Before and after the purchase I had several questions that were answered very friendly, promptly and with great competence. Thanks to Peter Haeberle, who is the product manager for the german Takamine importer.

I've been playing for 30 years now. I bought this guitar without having it played before. Since it is rare and quite pricey, you don't see that instrument in many music stores. I had heard about its good voice and excellent playability, so I bid for it and won it. I now think, this is going to be my last guitar (in that category). This is to say, I don't think to find its equal sometime else.

I love its sound, its lovely shape, the stunning good looks. I wish I had a woman like that ;-)