Takamine EF-425SRC

Features are the same as Tak EF325SRC (solid spruce top, bubinga side & back, rosewood fretboard, built-in electronics, cutaway), except the EF425SRC is the smaller NEX body. I love the red finish on the guitar--it's a beauty to look at. Not sure why the guitar is not listed on Tak website (lawsuit perhaps?), but the guitar is pretty hard to find.

Unplugged, the guitar has a very bright sound, ideal for solos and for picking. I suppose the built-in pick up could be nicer, but it's your run-of-the-mill Tak Graph-EX.

I've had the bridge lowered for after purchase because the set-up was a bit high and had to squeeze quite a bit for bar chords. Lowering the bridge improved the action nicely. Fit and finish was excellent. Again, did I mention that this is a beauty to look at?

This one's a keeper. I'm not taking it outside the house. With proper care, the guitar should have no problems lasting a while.

Very nice intermediate-to-advanced guitar. Unplugged, I actually prefer its sound over a Taylor 310 my bro-in-law has, but I suppose that's just my personal preference.

I bought this beautiful acoustic guitar new in January of 2002. It was manufactured in Japan, has pearl inlays and chrome tuners. It has a solid spruce top, the back and sides are made from a wood called bubinga, and it has a rosewood fingerboard. The finish is a glossy red stain. This guitar is the same as the EF325 model with the difference being that the EF325 is a dreadnought body style while the EF425 is the Takamine NEX body shape. The guitar also has the cutaway feature incorporated in its construction.

This is what always separates a Tak from most others. I spent an afternoon trying about 18 or so guitars prior to purchase and narrowed it down to 2 Taks with the winner being the EF425. Typical of most Japanese made Taks (I also have a 12 string), it has full bodied sound, rich in tone, and that's before plugging it in my amp. Sweet!! Through my Fender Princeton chorus amp, rich bass tones resonate with fluent mid and high tones singing on top. Very nice sound when finger picking.

The workmanship on this instrument is solid. Not only does this acoustic sound great, it looks great as well. The action is very good and I have no buzzing problem. Again, I took my time selecting this guitar and comparing it against others, including some Taylors, and it had the complete package. Hopefully the sound on this guitar will only get sweeter as it ages, just like my 12 string Tak has.

Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. It is a quality instrument that will provide many years of great sound and playing. I have seen other professional musicians use these acoustics as well.

I have not had any service issues whatsover to date, so I don't feel qualified for input on this issue. I did have an email inquiry with Takimine and they responded on the next business day.

I have been playing for about 19 years and as previously mentioned, I strongly recommend that you take your time when spending serious money on equipment. Don't be shy to compare guitars when you're trying to make "the decision". One other piece of equipment that I have been so pleased with is my Fender Princeton Chorus amplifier-very nice!