Takamine EG-523SC

Finich is flaw flawless, The EQ takes some time to play about with but hey I got the time. Although the JUMBO style was a concearn as I sit when I gig it fits real well and is confortable.

I went into this purchase knowing the Maple gave a slightly tin sound. But I changes the strings to NEW TONE from England and all is well

Machine heads seem a little weird but seem to work OK. They seem to slip. The set up is way to high for my style so that is an easy fix. The rest of the guitar with the natural finish is great.

So far so good. I have three other guitars Parker, Epiphone and a Godin. This TAK seems to be in the same QC level.

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Well with severla years under my belt, and always wishing to have a JUMBO Acc/Elec. Seemed to fit. I looked at EPI, Seagull, and Alverez
EPI, nay,,,,Seagull a little $$ for me...Alverez although close just nevwe felt good on the test drive over the months I tested them all. I took a leap of faith that the NEW TONE strings would give me the smother sound I was looking for....

Mine is seven years old and has reliably played 3-15 gigs per month since I bought it on St. Paddy's Day in 2001. Overall, I have not been more impressed with a guitar in this price category. One quirk I discovered is the onboard tuner seems to be just shy of A=440. Whenever I play with others I am slightly flat. I resolved the issue by purchasing an IntelliTouch tuner that "learns" the "440" from your buddy's instrument. The notch filter is hyperactive between the 11:00 and 13:00 positions, but it really helps cut feedback on busy stages. The neck inlays are stunning. To each his own, I love the pickguard.

This box draws accolades nearly every gig I play. Bastards come up to me all the time and say "that guitar sounds great" instead of YOU sound great playing that guitar. Whatever. It has been my trusty compadre for seven years. My styles include the vast realm of folk-rock, pop, celtic and jazz. This big fatty is not as loud as a Guild or Gibson jumbo, but has just enough unplugged, fingerstyle volume to keep up with my loud mouth. I know my mouth is loud because my dad always told me so :) The moral is, call your kid a loud mouth and he'll grow up a happy, albeit starving artist.

Tone-wise, the sound is well-balanced. No register overpowers another. If you want a richer low-end sound, try mahogany or check out koa wood if you can afford it.

The EG523SC's tone is highly string/pick specific, so keep switching 'til you find the right blend. Blue Steel's Acoustic strings seem lame to my ears, but 11 or 12 gauge Martin SP's suit quite sweetly. Elixirs sound like screechy sopranos. I find the tone from Jim Dunlop "Big Stubby," size 2.0 picks to be fantastic.

In the studio I've gotten the best tone by blending three condenser mics. Two on the body and one centered on the neck. The piezo is run-of-the-mill for live app's (try it amp'd through a 60-watt Crate Gunnison or a big Shenandoah)

The factory action was awfully high. I played one gig with it and had it reset so it plays almost like my Carvin electric. Everyone who picks it up says "wow!"

Woodgrain is matched nearly perfect- I'm anal.

The hardware and finish are still mint. I have a Takamine Santa Fe nylon electric whose bridge began lifting just after the 5-year warranty ran out.

This guitar fits like any jumbo. Its a pig. The cutaway is your basic design.

I have played only this guitar since 2001 without any backup and it has never let me down.

After year number five (when I stored it in a rather cold location) the fretboard started lifting slightly off the top just above the heel on the bass side. Fortunately, it has not gotten worse.

No buzzing as of yet, though the frets are showing wear. Shame on you if your seven-year-old frets look new.

I play a lot of Joni Mitchell songs and the tuners are still mint without tarnishing. Hence, I would have to say Tak's stack up to Grover tuners. However, neither are anywhere near the quality of Carvin's locking tuners.

The jack just started arching two nights ago for the first time.

The E.Q. has been flawless.

My rating might be a bit low considering how much play time this baby has tolerated.

Never contacted Takamine.

I've been gigging since 1996. My amp is a Crate 60-watt Gunnison. PA system is two JBL Eons and a powered Yamaha EMX 5000-20 mixer. Mic is a Crown headset, but I'm looking at the Countryman brand. I also ride a Carvin DC-300 and newly-purchased Carvin B-5 bass.

I compared this jumbo to Gibson and Guild. I found Guild's tone to be inconsistent and the Gibson too expensive to abuse. With this guitar, I've invested $550.00 in original purchase + all maintenance and have earned tens of $thousands$ in return. Every guitar that's properly utilized will show some wear and tear. For the abusive history this instrument has withstood, I couldn't be happier.

Everyone else covers the features, I won't waste your time. The features are plentiful- everything I could use in an acoustic.

This guitar is my third acoustic, and was purchased to replace the others that I wasn't pleased with. The jumbo body gives a huge (loud) sound, and the sound is very clean and crisp. I couldn't be happier with it to be honest.

The action was HORRIBLE from the factory. From the 7th fret and up was just awful. I had it setup and ever since it's been wonderful. I don't know if it was a fluke but that certainly hurts the score. Overall, everything looks good and solid.

Seems solid, can't really find any flaws in the design.

I've never looked at Takamine guitars before and really regret not doing so sooner. This guitar is bright and clean like a Taylor (my other main choice while I was shopping). I got this guitar for a great price and couldn't pass it up. I absolutely love the finish (beautiful back and sides) and the inlays. The strap button is put in a good location unlike some manufacturers. The electronics have alot of control, built in tuner works well. I really can't recommend this guitar enough, the price is incredible for what you get. Plays great when properly set up, the neck feels right, and the sustain just feels good. Open chords ring out like crisp bells- the exact opposite of my Fender acoustic that cost more than this Takamine.

Takamine G Series Jumbo EG523SC
Body Shape: Jumbo C/A
Rosette: Abalone
Top: Solid Spruce
Inlays: Block MOP and Abalone
Back: Flamed Maple
Sides: Flamed Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Electronics: TK40
Tuners: Chrome

The guitar has a huge sound, a "Jumbo" sound. Perfect for almost any style. The sound is very rich, balanced, recordes great in front of a good condenser mic. Plugged, sounds good too, but not for recording, at least for me. Could have a little more bass, but overall its a decent acoustic sound for the price.

My guitar came with the action too high, even for simple chords, it was hard to play for a long period of time. The truss rod was adjusted, but still the action was high! This is the only downside for me, cause I play electric guitar. But even so, I had some other Acoustics, that had a relative low action from factory without loosing any bass, mids or treble. So I had the saddles reshaped and some shims removed to suite my style. Funny thing, the original big sound was still there!

The finish is good, I??ve seen guitars twice the price from renamed brands no better than this one!

No flaws, a good nut, well cuted, good looks. Only the saddles could be shorter (at least for me) and since I play mostly electric, it??s a great sounding guitar.

Only have it for two weeks...there??s not much I can say, but feels very solid.

One email, 4 days, and nothing yet...

The site doesn??t help either...

I??ve been playing for 17years now, most of the time electrics as I said before. But I had a lot of acoustics, and I chose this one for the overall quality and a small price.

Solid Sitka spruce top, Flame maple side and back, rosewood fretboard with abalone and MOP inlays on chunky 20-fret maple neck. Nice sealed tuning keys. Rosewood top loading(Ovation)bridge. Silkscreen headstock logo. Jumbo cutaway body with abalone rosette, fonky vomitshell pickguard (why, takamine?!), and TK40 preamp/tuner. Case was not included on my 2005 model, but I got a TKL later.

Very sparkly yet rich with new strings, gets smoother as strings age. After 2 years, it just keeps getting sweeter everytime I put new strings on it. I use the Martin SP Phosphor Bronze Custom Light (011-.052), since I usually play electric 10s, and the neck is so big on this one. Next time I will use .012's though.

Acoustically, it's plenty loud, and will reveal any flaws in a player's technique, for sure. The maple keeps the lows crisp, while the size makes for an overall broad sound. I can see why people think these ar e bright, especially with new strings. Be patient, play it, and the strings and tone will mellow. Also, hang it in a listening room to absorb the sounds of your favorite music when it's not being played. This makes a HUGE difference in its tonal development.

Electrically, it sounds like another good acoustic that's been molested with piezo pickups, but, hey, I prefer a good micropohone in a nice room. And with an overhead condender in my large bathroom, it recorded GREAT! It works very well for gigging (for over 2 years now), and I've recorded several tracks with it, mixing the ambient signal with the pickup, and getting good results. The notch filter is a geat thing for dialing out feedback inducing frequencies really quickly. Nice output jack/endpin.

Very versatile for alt-folk strumming, fingerstyle, open tunings, etc.
Sides and back are probably laminated, but the flame matches inside and out, so maybe not? Time will tell.

Off the rack, it had some pretty high action, but acoustic purists will tell you that's to get more volume before buzzing, and to live with it.

So I removed all of the synthetic shims, and adjusted the neck for just the slightest amount of relief (to do this, press first fret w/left hand and body fret w/right pinky, measure gap at 7th-9th fret area gap w/right thumb, needs to be very little, but some play there), and it became a joy to play and hear! It also is more accurate after this adjustment. Everyone likes it different, I have fairly small hands and play mostly electric, so there you go. If I was strictly going to bang out 1st posotion chords, I'd leave it higher. The plastic nut was cut properly, although a feaux bone or micarta one would be nice on this guitar. It deserves one. Same goes for saddles, and I will be installing some bone on this big black mamba.

The grain of the solid Sitka spruce top is revealed in the thin, flawless gloss black finish, and the uniform ripples of the flame maple sides and back can be seen as well, when viewed at an angle. Very Nice Finish and all inlay work is clean clean.

Inside, the guitar is very clean, with no blobs of glue, missed cuts or gaps in bracing. Too bad it has a preamp in the side, but at least it's in the right place now, compared to the old ones. All binding is perfectly done, something Gibson can't seem to do consistently on an inflated $3000 guitar .

The only "flaws" I see is the ugliest pickguard known to mankind, the use of plastic nut & saddles and a cheap silkscreen logo. It deserves a nice MOP logo at the headstock and a clear guard. It got abalone and MOP at the fretboard, so finish it out right, Takamine.

Beautifully executed (at any price or ethinicity), just a few nitpicks and it would be perfect.

As stated above, I've been playing mine for two years, and the reason I was drawn to it was the fact that my cousin had already been abusing his regularly in dive bars and clubs for almost that long when I got mine, and the thing just keeps on getting better.

I always have backup guitars available, since I use different tunings and electrics, etc., but this guitar will do it alone if necessary.

Don't know or really care.

Playing/teaching various styles and instruments for over thirty years, professionally for over 15, and have a continually rotating stable of horses. When I was offered to pick out the top acoustic guitar at my friend's store, this was the one that said "take me".

I did my research and had seen the blond version prove itself worthy.

If lost or stolen, I'd be pissed, and see what was available. I like trying new things, but this Black Jumbo is fine, and I hope it stays awhile.

I love the Big Jumbo-ness, the big Blackness and the big big sound.
Big big taste and a big big bite. Classy looks.

Hate the pickguard, logo/headstock, plastic parts, though they work well for now.

I wish it had wood where that stupid preamp is. They should ofer this as a pure acoustic! I guess thats why they're in business, and I'm not. More people plug these in now, but use a non-invasive method, people.

My first jumbo size guitar and I LOVE it. Mine has the black finish but you can see the flames in the right light. The place I bought it from threw in a free gig bag, I'll be geting a case in the near future. The onboard tuner is a nice touch too.

I moved up to this from an Epi EJ160E that I never bonded with. The Takamine was only $100 more but there's no comparison sound-wise. The Takamine blows the Epi away, it's not even close! I'm amazed at how good a $600 guitar can sound! Maybe I got a good one but to me it sounds like a Gibson. Its not the lightest acoustic out there but it's very resonant, I can feel this while playing. My tastes run from the Beatles to Alice In Chains to U2 and beyond. Everything I play sounds great on this guitar!

I've looked it over thoroughly snd I can't find a flaw anywhere. The factory setup is OK not great but not bad. I'm going to change the strings soon, I'd like the action just a hair lower. I read on here that there are shims under the saddles. This should be easy from what I've read on here. This is not a good guitar for a sloppy player, if you're technique is wrong you'll know it right away. It's well worth the effort though, if I concentrate and play correctly the sound is wonderful!

I've only had it about a month but it feels very solid and well made.

I've been playing off and on for 35 years. This is my main acoustic and I believe it'll stay my main one for a long time. I played numerous acoustics at GC and the only one that came close was a Breedlove for several hundred more. I ended up going to a smaller local shop that had two, a natural maple one and the one I bought. The natural maple was GORGEOUS but the black one felt better to me.
I have two other acoustics, a Cort and a Samick 12 string. I also have three Gretsch electrics. The Epi I mentioned earlier is gone, sold on Ebay. If anything happened to this guitar, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. I would however, make it a point to play more than one.

Excellent features. Jumbo body with flamed top maple and nice binding. Nice silver chrome tuners. Some might think the neck is slightly chunky, but I rather like it that way. It suits my hands and playing style well. My husband loves it as well. Built in electronics including a tuner, that I've found to work quite well. The EQ is excellent. In fact, the electronics in this guitar made the Fishman electronics in my Taylor sound weak. Sturdy strap pegs, and lovely abalone/mother of pearl inlays give this guitar a classy look. I'm not wild about the pick guard however. I'm considering removing it or replacing it. The only reason I am giving this a 9 over a 10 is that I feel a guitar in this price range should come with a case. The accompanying case will set you back another $100-$120. The guitar is still an excellent value however.

I have been playing for nearly 22 years. I learned on classical, and then I added Yamaha and Taylor dreadnoughts to the mix. I was happy with both brands, but I've wanted the punch, richness, and fullness of a jumbo for a while. I've played some J-200s and copies and found them quite nice, but with the more recently built ones, something felt like it was missing. I find this guitar is a brilliant anomaly. It's incredibly bright, but it also has a rich full sound. The range of sound is excellent with the bass, mid-range, and treble giving equal punch. If you prefer a different balance, plug in and adjust the sound to your liking. This is an excellent guitar for strumming, and a good guitar for fingerpicking, but the width of the neck could take some getting used to for some. It suits me fine, however. I've always been a Taylor girl, and quite truthfully, outside of the $2000+ models, this Takamine blows them away. My husband and I own 8 guitars between us, and this is by far our favorite. My husband wants to get one for himself.

This is where this guitar's ratings may falter a bit. On the plus side, the bridge is nicely designed, and I've yet to find this model with any flaws in the finish, overall design, or in the craftsmanship itself. The set-up out of the box can be an issue. I went to Guitar Center, and my eyes were drawn to this model immediately. I picked it up, and loved what I heard. When I came back the next day to buy it, the one I'd played had sold. They brought a couple more out, and the difference in sound was quite different. The action, fit and finish was different on the two new ones than the one I'd played, and they were different from each other. I went to another Guitar Center in town, and played two more, and found one that was even better out of the box than the first one I'd played. Once properly set up, these guitars are amazing in quality for the price, but you may need to play a few and/or invest a little money in new strings, and a set up to suit your needs. I've also heard that Takamine's customer support is excellent, and that they can probably talk you through the necessary adjustments to get the fit and sound that suits you. It is well worth the effort.

Only time will really tell, but I susupect this will hold up well. It's solidly built with solid components, and it has a solid feel. I tend to baby my guitars, so I hope I don't have reason to truly find out. I also suspect the wood is going to age beautifully, and that the finish will sort of mellow into a more traditional blonde look. I have yet to gig with this, but my husband and I have played it for hours without the need to retune. I am quite confident this would be an excellent gigging guitar that would hold up with the best of them.

I have not had any need to contact customer support. I've heard nothing, but good comments about Takamine's customer service, however.

As I said before, I've been playing the better part of 22 years. My husband and I have owned or currently own a mid-level Yamaha classical, a 70's Sigma Martin 12 string, Taylor 510, Taylor 310CE, Gibson L6S, Vox Tempest XII, Fender Strat and Tele, Washburn J-9, Washburn HB35, and a Tradition JR Tele Copy. I'm sure I'm leaving something out. And, these are all guitars we've thoroughly enjoyed. Though I intend to get a higher end Taylor when finances allow, I sold my Taylor 310CE after purchasing this Takamine. I wanted a guitar that makes me want to pick it up every time I pass it, and this is it. And, even if I get the Taylor GS I'm aiming for, I'd never part with this Takamine. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definitely replace it. In fact, my husband wants one for himself. Or, maybe I'll just talk him into the 12 string version. Once properly set-up for your liking, this is an incredible guitar for the money. As, I said before, the only complaint is I wish it had come with the case. I love this guitar more and more all the time. It has it all, nice features, a great sound and beautiful looks.

This is a follow-up of my previous review.

I've had the guitar for a year now and have been playing it a lot, at home and on some acoustic gigs.

Actually, I now find the tuner to be more accurate than I initially thought. I just needed to be more patient.

I still feel this is a well made guitar, despite it being a factory second. The only playability issue I've noticed is when I make an E or A chord, I have trouble with all the strings ringing clearly. Sorta like my fingers are too fat or something. I have small hands, and it just feels a bit cramped there on the first fret. But that may be due as much to arthritis and a dog bite that caused my left index finger to be somewhat stiff. Overall, the preamp, notch filter and tuner are awesome features.

Now that I've been playing it more and more, I'm totally in love with the sound. I replaced the stock D'Addario strings with Ernie Ball Earthwood bronze, and that opened up the low mids and bass response a bit. Overall, very balanced sound acoustically, an improvement over the D'Addario strings. I may experiment with other strings later.

I've learned to use the preamp and notch filter. Plugged in, this guitar is amazing sounding. I particularly like it for finger picking stuff...the notes are crisp and defined.

I don't use it for slide any longer...just too bright sounding. I use an old Takamine F-310 with a Duncan Woody pickup for slide...an AWESOME sound for slide.

Overall, a fabulous sounding guitar, both acoustically and when plugged in.

Mine was the factory second. I filed down the side of the nut that was protruding. Still haven't replaced the bridge saddle, but it tunes up well and holds its tuning just fine. Other previous cosmetic issues are of no concern, they are so miniscule.

Very solid guitar. With proper care, it should last a lifetime.

Overall, this is a solid 9. The string spacing is still a bit of an issue for me with some first position chords. But the guitar plays and sounds beautifully. I'd buy another in a heartbeat. In fact, maybe I'll get the 12 string.

Jumbo body guitar with cut-out. Solid spruce top with laminated flamed maple sides. Maple neck with rosewood lamination on headstock. No coloration-all natural. Pinless rosewood bridge with split saddles (plastic as is nut). Pretty abalone inlays at soundhole and in the MOP blocks on the rosewood fretboard. Stock tuners. Built-in preamp and under saddle pickups. Controls include an equalizer along with a built-in tuner which seems to works nicer than my Seiko chromatic. White body binding. Got mine used in a trade for a Guild D4 that was driving me crazy (never could find the right set of strings). Weighs a ton, but rings forever, so it is both durable and musical- a great combination. Mine came with the shims stripped out of the bridge by the previous owner. This is fine. The action is nice without them!

I am a 30 year hobbyist who loves country-rock and folk, and love the resurgence of acoustic instruments. What better time with so much competition out there now in manufacturing? That being said, I really like this guitar. It won't kill you with bass, but you know it's there either picked or finger-style. I got mine used and someone put phosper bronze strings on it. I also heard from the store owner that this would be a good idea to kill some of the brightness. Now I give a lot of shop folks their due, but let's face it: a lot are prejudiced against anything other than rosewood and mahogany. I didn't buy this to sound like Bert Jansch or Doc Watson (not that I could anyway!). I got this because I love the big maple sound as played by Pete Townshend, Leadbelly, the Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash. I put on a set of D'Addario Great American 85/15 lights and now I am totally in love. Maple is a tonewood in it's own fashion-enjoy it, don't mask it!

It was used. The previous owner was something of a knucklehead. There was some liquid (sweat, beer?) that dulled the finish in places, but it polished up pretty well. I have no idea about the brown goo on the bridge (not put there by Takamine though). It cleaned up nicely-a testament to the great finish. The flamed maple is to die for-a lot of Gibsons and Guilds as well as Alvarezes don't bother. The abalone and MOP are great. What truly counts is not cosmetics. The beast is put together well, with no odd protrusions, no glue spots and everything a tight fit. I will leave this to my grandchildren (after my kids have them of course). This came with the older pre-amp, but it sounds great. My only complaint is the plastic saddles and nut. I will have a TUSQ nut added, but the toothed saddles are a challenge. I understand this focuses the string vibration on each individual pick-up, but it also guarantees an expensive replacement job too. Better Takamine makes the upgrade rather than the consumer. The strings are the slightest bit too high at the nut-but only an issue when barring at the first fret-and I haven't missed a chord yet.

Better quality protection than Rummy and company are giving our men and women in Iraq, sad to say. This will last. One tuner was replaced by the previous owner-don't know why. The Tak tuners look OK, but not in the same class as Grovers or other top notch makers. I am eyeing a set of gold Pings with tortoise shell buttons though in the local shop.

I've written to ask a question about replacing the saddles since the previous owner beat them up. I'll get back to you. I traded for this and will see how much I am valued as compared to original owner-a very telling situation.

What a great value for the money. I have owned about 10 acoustics like Guilds, Alvarez, Ibanez Artwoods and Fenders. Unless you're into label-envy or are making music videos for CMT, it would be silly to shell out hundreds more for a fancy label. Besides it's wiser to treat your family better than your guitar rather than vice-versa. That way you can keep both! You can laugh all the way to the bank over your friends still paying off their higher priced gear.

Again, it has what I want from a guitar.

Bloody marvolous sound. Very bright and zingy. This is not a guitar for anyone looking for a very bassy sound. For anyone looking for bright, crystal clean sound, give it a try. I use this one with Elixir Nanoweb's 13-56 which gives a rather good balanced sound but still clearly on the bright side of things which is how I like a guitar.

Perfect action for my taste (pretty low). Got some string buzz on the low E string if I strum REALLY hard but I don't mind at all. Playing at normal volumes cause no problems. This guitar loves my style of playing (mostly arpeggiated playing with the aid of a pick). Perfect beautiful finish. The neck is aweseome as well, very smooth and great looking as well.

Looks solid like a rock but time will tell. Don't really care if something would happen since Takamine has lifetime warranty on these things.

Havn't had to deal with 'em.

Couldn't be happier with this one.