Takamine EF-440C

Clear gloss finish. Solid spruce top. Cutaway. Takamine graph-ex pre amp. Made in Japan 96, I bought it new in early 98.
Great guitar. Fit and finish is top notch and as mentioned below the soundhole rosette is very nice. I've got to give it a 10 for features because there is nothing extra I think it needs.

Nice acoustic sound, have no idea how to describe it, smooth and full perhaps, in any case I've always been happy with it, not as loud as a dreadnought though if you're after volume.
Haven't used it much plugged in but when I have I've always been very happy, soundwise this is probably its strongest area.

This is the area that really makes me love this guitar. The action, finish etc. are perfect. I've had it for 10 years now, it's never been touched and the action is still low and comfortable. Don't know what the frets are made of but somehow there is absolutely no fretwear!?

Tough as nails. Its taken a few tumbles (1 from quite a height)and nothing has broken or stopped working.
I haven't gigged with it but it seems perfect for it.

Never needed them.

I've just started using this a lot again recently (am planning on gigging with it in a duo) and have just remembered how much I love it. I own 13 guitars, mostly electrics, several of them are more valuable than this but this is my desert island/first thing saved in a fire guitar. For the price I haven't played anything that can match it.

Japanese EF 440C Takamine "M"-style dreadnough guitar with cutaway. I don't know the production year, this model has been dicontinued. Probably mid-90's.
Laminated spuce top with nice "bear claw" marks, mahogany back, sides and arm. 20 medium sized frets. "Graph-ex" Takamine piezo pickup system with 3 band equalizer plus an additional "exciter" for the high frequencies. Rosewood unbound neck. Grover-like Takamine tuners.

This guitar has a very good acoustic sound plenty of harmonics, it really sings. Plugged is a killer, plenty of presence and attack. the exciter really does miracles and it's not difficult to setup. I play mostly jazz and bossa nova along with my ibanez gb10.

Being used i cannot say very much. This guitar was in poor condition, full of dust. The action was very high indeed, but I adjusted the truss rod a bit, sanded down the bridge and voila! Now I have a great neck, very comfortable.
Aestethically this is a cool looking, minimalistic guitar. Binding is black with very thin white "checkers" along the body, and simple black on the back. The rosette is a work of art, but seems to be made not to impress the audience, but the owner: taking a close view the sound hole is surrounded by a series of two-colour, tiny wood blocks miraculously dove-tailed to each other. Pure craftsmanship!
The neck is adorned with simple wooden dots. The Takamine logo is gorgeously engraved in mother-of-pearl.
Finishig is eccelent throughout. The venetian cutaway is quite deep, giving access up to the 19th fret. That's a really cool feature.

This guitar is very solid, without being heavy. It's made for the stage and is very reliable. I usually don't bring a backup.

Being an used guitar i never dealt with them.

I have been playing over the last 35 years and used maily (for acoustics) ovations. I had a classical Takamine 132 too.
This guitar, as i said earlier, is a great all-around instrument, it has a raw sincerity that i like very much. I would certainly prefer a solid top, though. I could not replace it 'cause it's a discontinued and rare model, but i would certainly stick to another Takamine; the value for price ratio is enormous.

This baby of mine was made in Japan (1996). I bought it in 1997.
It has 20 frets, spruce top, mahogany body (cutaway) and rosewood fingerboard. Piezo pickups with Takamine GRAPH-EQ pre-amps comes with adjustable volume, bass, mid, treble and exciter for brightness. Electronics are active, non-locking tuners and comes with a hard shell case.
With this kind of price, I'm more than satisfied!

I was trying out Taylors, Martins and Ovations but after considering the price, sound and quality, Takamine stands out the best. It suits any kind of music from gospel, country to rock, whether plugged or unplugged! I don't use amps but I pluck it straight to the PA System with monitors. This is because I prefer the original Takamine sound to be heard by the people down the stage.
The sound is rich and full with body. Very good reverbs and sustain.
Of-course, there are some settings need to be done.
For example, if I strum, I'll cut down the bass because the reverbs can at some time be too much, but when I solo, I'll increase the bass and exciter and the result is fantastic! Many has given their compliments on the sound this baby of mine produced. I'm also doing some recording for my band and I could only say that this baby can produce equivalent and sometimes much better sound than most expensive guitars in the market.
At times when I forgot to change my guitar strings (about 6-12 months of playing) when most guitarist would say the sound will be terrible, but surprisingly Takamine still can produce good sound from it!

Everything's perfect!
When I first bought it up to now, no flaws, no rust on hardware (even with high humidity) and excellent finishing! Tuning stays in tact even after many aggressive playings. Sometimes we need to salute the Japanese when it comes to this matter.
Originally the strings were higher from the fretboard and therefore I did some "sanding" on the bridge. And now it has a good playability feel and my fingers don't hurt like it used to (after long hours of playing).

You must be joking!
My baby looks as young and pretty as when I first bought it.
Doesn't seem to wear off! I think the Japs must have added in antioxidant in the wood and hardware!
I'm 100% confident of its reliability and durability. I don't need any backup guitars (I mean acoustic) but of-course I have my electric guitar with me all the time during live.
The only set back is the battery (alkaline) doesn't seem to last.
After once bitten, I always carry along spare 9V batteries and I always check with a battery meter before playing.

So far I don't need them and hope I don't need them ever!

I've been playing about 10 years and so far this is the best that I've owned. I've got a BOSS AD5 acoustic effects to boost up the sound for my previous acoustic guitars, but now I don't seem to use it at all.
I've tried to look up for the same model in the market but seems like they have already stopped production. So, if my baby is lost or stolen, I think I'll be very-very sad. But I'm very sure I'll get another Takamine model that is better.

This guitar was made in 96. I have no idea in what country. I bought it in early 1997. It has 20 frets. Solid spruce top guitar. It is an acoustic electric with the GRAPH-EQ Takamine preamp. The preamp has adjustments for bass middle treble and "exciter" for more brightness. Mahogony body and neck with a rosewood fret board. Cutaway body. Non locking takamine tuners. Came with a hard shell case. I couldnt have asked for more features for home recording projects.

At the time I bought the guitar, I set my price range around $1500.00 I wanted a great sounding guitar, studio quality. I planned on plugging and playing directly into my recorder or through an effects unit. The store I bought this guitar from specialized in Martin guitars. I played their best Martin acoustic/electric. The Takamine sounded just as good if not better while plugged in. So to save 500 bucks, I bought the Takamine. I write my own songs...this guitar was a great compliment to my style...The sound is rich and full while plugged in. The controls allow you to dial in the exact amount of bass and treble...the exciter brings out tones I had ever heard from a guitar...This guitar sounds absolutely gorgeous played through any and I mean any form of amplification...From a cheap Crate acoustic amp, to a 5000 dollar Mackie PA system. I can't count the number of times the sound has been complimented...However,.......there's always a however...the guitar lacks tonal qulaity when unplugged...especially the lows...this guitar was made to be played with amplification. This is why Im only giving it a 9.

I had the guitar immediately adjusted at the dealer to lower the action. The pickup/preamp/eq will blow your effin' mind. There were no flaws with this guitar when I bought it. The inlays around the sound hole are gorgeous...Ive caught myself admiring the craftsmanship on many occassions. The saddle pegs are very cheaply made however...I have been searching for something new that will compliment the guitar. The finish is professional quality, as would be expected from a 1000 dollar guitar. This guitar as is any, can be subject to humidity controls...baby this guitar as if it were a child...believe me, it will be worth it in the long run...this guitar sounds 10 times better than the day I bought it...and it looks just as good....

I played many lives gigs. It held up as well as can be expected. No problems whatsoever except for a little scratch on the back of the neck...dangit. This guitar is very dependable...but always pack an extra battery for the preamp...just in case. Dont bring a back up guitar when using this guitar...unless you plan on comprimising sound. so...because it needs a battery. I rated this guitar down.

Ive never contacted Takamine. Nothing has broken yet....knock on spruce.

Ive been playing for about 20 years. hell...who keeps track. If it were lost or stolen, I would be riding shotgun with the local cops until I found it. However, I love guitars....Ive always wanted to find that perfect guitar. The guitar for me. Im still searching for the one that can touch my soul...This is a great sounding professional level guitar. Good luck trying to find one....as I'm sure, this is the only review for this guitar...does anyone else own one...????