Takamine F-349

Mahogany all the way around with Rosewood neck (in my opinion the best wood) Thought it was mid-70s until I heard that this line of dreadnought guitars were introduced in 1979. Using an outboard Baggs equalizer with a Martin Thin line in the bridge produces a great sound.

This guitar is the Road Warrior. I play 3-5 nights a week(Solos,Duos,and full band) The Dark moody sound produced by the Mahogany creates a full-body strength that gives the instrument excellent presence in all applications.

I acquired the instrument in 1989 for $250(I thought it was a deal) and it had the best tone I had ever hear. My other guitar was a Gibson J-160E(Beatles type). I Did have the guitar set-up and electrified by a Master Luthier.

I use this guitar all of the time with out a backup and have not had a problem...knock on...(bad Pun). There was a point where the top had separated from the braces and I could tell something wasn't right by the buzzing. I was ready to retire the instrument in 2005 because this seemed to be something beyond easy repair. Without removing the top, The Luthier used small jacks inside the guitar and reglued the bracing and it has been running strong ever since.

Too old of an instrument to bother the point of origin.

I use Earthwood Mediums and can go from pounding the heck out of it to delicate finger picking. I would be lost without this guitar. I sold my Gibson because it no longer stood up to this guitar. I have been playing for 28 years and this is the best guitar that I have ever owned.

1979 Takamine F-349 dreadnought. A rather obvious copy--and the best copy ever of the Martin D-17 all mahogany ---top and sides and neck. Even the gold-script on the headstock has to be looked at carefully to determine it doesn't say Martin. The shape of the headstock was later changed. Such a close copy that some folks call these models "lawsuit" Takamines, although Dick Boak of Martin says there never was an actual lawsuit. This is a beautiful guitar, a keeper. Completely acoustic---some models were acoustic-electric with the on-board pre-amps that Takamine pioneered. This is otherwise plain-jane. Tuners are grover copies--enclosed that from the front appear to be Grovers buy are obviously not. They do their job well. This axe had sat in an un-airconditioned attic for 10 years before i bought it and it was in perfect relative tune when it came out of the old case. Black binding. Good woods but I believe the top is mahogany laminate. The Japanese craftsmen who designed these viewed the cracked solid top American guitars as "defective" and decided the laminates were of superior quality. They were right in a sense. This 30 year old guitar is perfect. Came with a handshaped bone bridge saddle and nut. I have added bone pins. Just a word on my personal views on rating and this is not intended as a criticism of anyone else. I generally reserve a 10 for a truly stellar guitar, only a few of which i have been privileged to play. A 5 is an average guitar. this guitar is well above average particularly for the price.

This is a well-balanced guitar. Bood trebles and mid-range. If there is a weakness it may be in the bass area which may be a function of the denser mahogany top or the laminate construction. With phosphor bronze strings it is just a tad on the bright side without being too bright like most Taylors, for comparison purposes. I am a singer songwriter who is basically a strummer by nature. Under hard strumming the mid-range takes on the slightest element of muddiness which to me is where the individual notes lose their individual definition. All in all this guitar sounds excellent. It is my guitar of choice for a straight microphone where the song requires a true acoustic sound and also for recording where I don't want a boxy-sound. It has above-average projection and cuts-through the mix very well when playing with others.

I am the second owner. First owner bought it new and assures me they never had anything adjusted. I use lights-.11 If you really crank with heavy pick action you will get just the faintest fret-buzz which to me indicates its set up correctly. Action is low on the treble side and medium on the bass side. Since it came from the factory with a handshaped (you can see the shaping strokes) bone bridge-saddle I would assume this was done quite capably at the factory. This guitar is perfect---not a defect or separation anywhere. High gloss finish on the body and satin finish on neck are still perfect. Although the original owner had stopped playing it they had loaned it out to various folks who had kept it for extended periods. It had been played a bit. It has held up remarkaby---a testament to its manufacturer and construction.

It is 30 years old and to the original owners story and my knowledge has never needed a thing other than new strings. I added the bone pins to enhance the sustain. I don't do gigs at my age. When I do take it out i have never had it fail me. Bear in mind in my old-school fashion a backup would consist of an extra little e string but I wouldn't hesitate to head out with this axe alone.

I did try to contact Takamine/Ovation/Kaman with a question about the specs. They never responded, but hey I was asking them about a very old guitar. Any warranties expired back before my kids were born. Their website does give out info and picture on even their discontinued models which is a lot better than most manufacturers. I'll give them a pass on this one.

I played extensively when I was younger then gave it up when a career and children intervened. Coincidentally it was right about the time this guitar was built that I quit playing. I was looking for a used guitar about 5 years ago and knew the original owner from my earlier years who mentioned that they still had their Takamine. I had visited every store within a 50 mile radius and played every good and bad acoustic I could get my hands on. I stayed on the owner to get theirs out of the attid and finally crawled up there and pulled it out myself. This beautiful brown axe was still in tune and played beautifully. It was my only guitar for years and others have come and gone but this is the best all-around guitar i have that i'm not afraid to leave the house with. It may not see the most playing time of the three I have but its not going anywhere--its a keeper. You will not find a beter guitar for the money and it puts other more expensive guitars to shame.

1979 Takamine F-349 "lawsuit copy" acoustic guitar. All laminate mahogany construction with a rosewood fretboard and bridge. Martin-style headstock and vintage logo with enclosed 14:1 ratio tuners. Cream-bound top (and rosette) with no binding on the neck. Gloss top, back and sides. The gloss neck appears to be soft-V in shape. It fits my hand like a glove.

My particular F-349 (bought used at my local instrument shop) has a bone nut and saddle. The saddle was too low so I bought a new Martin 3/32" compensated bone saddle from elderly.com. I also had my local shop replace the ugly (and scratched) black pickguard with a new Martin-style tortoise one. Man, what a difference! The new pickguard blends perfectly with the reddish-brown top, making the guitar look incredible (especially after a thorough cleaning and polishing).

Rating above takes into consideration the price paid. At the time of purchase, my F-349 was strung with a set of D'Addario .11s due to the low saddle. Even with the .11s, the low E buzzed contantly. After installing the new conpensated bone saddle, I was able to string the guitar with a set of D'Addario phosphor bronze .12s. Although the action is higher, the buzz is now completely gone. The guitar sounds quite balanced and doesn't lack bass. I'm also surprised at how loud the guitar is considering the back and sides are laminate. In terms of sound, the F-349 is vintage Takamine: clear and detailed with a certain delicacy in the midrange and treble. It never seems to sound boxy, no matter what strings you put on it or how hard you play it. And yet the F-349 has more depth and body than any under-$800 acoutsic I've played.

Although unfair, I compared my Takamine with a friend???s expensive Martin DC-16RGTE. Next to the Martin, the Takamine sounds open and clean, with an extended top end. Acoustically, I'm not a fan of my friend's Martin because I feel the rosewood back and sides make it sound too thick and muddy. The F-349 plays at least as well as the Martin and, in my opinion, looks much better. My friend was a bit upset when he learned that I paid less than $200 for the F-349!

I'm taking a few points off for the tuners. I'm amazed at how many reviewers below liked the stock tuners! Tuning stability is poor and the oversized knobs look out of place. I replaced the stock tuners with a $30 set of Grover vintage-style "Sta-tite" open geared tuners. Tuning stability has improved dramatically and the headstock looks much more vintage. I'm ordering a set of Waverly conversion bushings to complete the vintage look.

The previous owner had really played this guitar. A few of the frets are worn and the fretboard is scalloped in some places. But that's what you can expect from a 28-year-old guitar. Still, the nut appears to be cut properly and the neck has remained reasonably true.

I'm extremely happy with the Takamine F-349 considering the price paid. The upgraded Grover tuners and compensated bone saddle make a huge difference. While this guitar might not have that traditional Martin sound, it's suprisingly good for an all-laminate acoustic. I suspect the F-349 will now record just fine.

I have played this acoustic in front of several people, including musicians and non-musicians alike. All agree that it's a great sounding guitar and all are amazed at how little I paid. A non-musician friend of mine even commented at how the F-349 really projected across the room.

I've been playing guitar since 1988. I've only owned one other acoustic: the Takamine LTD-88. I consider myself more of an electric player and have owned mainly Fenders and Rickenbackers. But the F-349 sounds so good that it has me playing much more acoustic guitar.

All laminated mahogany dreadnought, w/ Takamine tuners. 1986 model, bought used. High gloss body. Medium frets.

Sounds very good. I thought it might be a solid top, since it sounded so good, but the Takamine web site informed me otherwise. I play it w/ a pick and fingerstyle, and it has a nice full sound. To me it sounds like a much more expensive guitar, especially since I replaced the plastic saddle w/ one of bone.

Really can't comment on factory set-up, since it was used and 20 years old when I bought it. I had it re-fretted and added a bone saddle, and now it is close to perfect in terms of set-up and playability.

This guitar had been played a lot when I got it, and I think it will last forever. In spite of a few dings, the finish still looks great, and from 4-5 feet away it looks great. Strap buttons are solid, Takamine closed tuners are excellent. It holds tune very well. Generally don't gig w/out a backup, but probably could.

As I said, I got it when it was used and 20 years old. I had it refretted, but paid for that myself.

I've been playing off and on for about 36 years. I own a Gibson B-25 12 string, and a couple of cheap electric guitars. If you can find one of these in good shape, buy it. It's very well-made. I love it's tone and playability. I certainly would buy another Takamine. I chose this one because it was an inexpensive used guitar and I liked the way it sounded.

Bought it at an excellent guitar shop in Fort Worth TX in 1980, although it is a 1979 model. All Mahogany, and rosewood fretboard. Thin neck. The sound has just improved with the years as the wood has really aged well. It is known as the "lawsuit Martin" as it is copied to the exact detail of a Martin D-17 including the font on the top of the neck that reads "Takamine est. 1962"

It play best with medium gauge 13's. When I switched from light gauge, there was a definite difference in the sound and frankly, I can not find another new acoustic (Martin, Gibson etc.) that matches it in sound except for the Martin D-45, obviously, but you lose a bit of flexibility with that type of Martin especialy with finger picking techniques etc.Sound is very fulll with an accent on the bass.

The thin neck on mine makes it very easy to play in that respect, however I prefer my action a little high for a fuller tone, so some may find it a little more difficult especially with medium gauge strings.

You can virtually play htis guitar in the pouring rain and it will perform and maintain well. I also use a Fender reverb amplifier with an inlade pick up and it sounds brilliant with the right adjustments.
My only complaint would be that the tuning peg replacements, should they become worn through age, are very hard to find and I had to search for ages to find one that actually needed to be slightly redrilled to fit, but it stays in tune quite easily without any major concerns for readjusting during hours and hours of playing.

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I have been playing blues/blugrass type music since 1978. I work up my own instrumental pieces as that is my preference. I would be crestfallen should I lose it and would be forced to search for an older model martin D-28 to come close to replacing it.

1981 Takamine F-349. I bought it new in late December 1981. It was made in early December 1981. Mahogony all over except for rosewood neck.
Smooth sounding, well balanced, beautiful sound.

I think that this guitar is about as good a sounding guitar as I can find. I have played for over 30 years and I cannot find a guitar, either Martin, Gibson, Taylor, etc, that can overshadow this guitar.
I always smile when I pick this baby up. And I have smiled since December of 1981 with this guitar.

The setup from the factory was great. I use .010's and I remember this guitar having heavier strings, but it still played well. The design is simple, but beautiful. As listed earlier, this is actually a copy of a Martin D-17, and this guitar was 1 of several that Takamine was sued by Martin for copying. THE ONLY REASON THEY SUED WAS BECAUSE THESE WERE SO GOOD, THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T NEED TO BUY THE MARTIN. FOR LESS MONEY YOU COULD GET A GREAT GUITAR EQUIVALENT TO MARTIN. After 24 years of ownership, the guitar still looks great. I have never taken any crazy special care with this, just wipe with a cloth with cleaner every 3 months or so. No big deal! But it always comes clean.

I have stored this guitar in a cellar while I was newly married for about a year. The cellar went down to 45 degrees in the winter and this neck and body never budged an inch. I have never done anything but change strings, and it sounds great. All hardware works like a charm. I used this in a band around Boston from 1981-1983 on a regular basis and it was totally no fuss. Just pickup and play. Change strings, polish once in a while, pickup and play.

never had to deal with them. Great product I guess

I love this guitar. I am a split player. I am drawn to blues/rock lead playing. That type of playing was my main forte in my playing out days of late 70's/early 80's. BUT! I also have a JT, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce side to my playing. This Takamine F-349 has given me that opportunity. It is so easy to play that an electric based guitarist like me, won't get hand pain playing this acoustic guitar. I fingerpick and acoustic blues on the Takamine with ease. In fact, I have run a pickup into a Tube Screamer and played some crusty blues leads with this Takamine in the studio just for fun. The thing absolutely rocks. I hope everyone else enjoys this guitar as much as I do. AFter 24 years, this guitar is one of my oldest and dearest friends, we have been to the beach, in parades, on stage an smokey clubs, in recording studios, in bed, in many different cities, at church functions, weddings, I have taught my kids to play guitar with it, and many other good times. I wouldn't take a truckload of Martin D-17's to replace this one great Takamine F-349.
To see mine, log onto www.markgaudet.com
You can see the guitar (and me unfortunately), and hear some tunes I wrote and played this great guitar on.
Hope you like the songs, but either way, enjoy your guitars.
The guitar is a tool to express what is in your soul. LET IT OUT!!

It does it all for me... from oldies and country to contemporary rock/praise. Leading singing it has the volume I need with or without a pick-up. Sitting arround a campfire it is rich and mellow and inspires.

Despite my beating this guitar arround , it's gloss mahogany finish is still beautiful... dents and scratches are unoticable from four feet away.
Action is awesome all the way up the fretboard. I just wish it was cut-away.

This guitar has never failed me. It stays in tune better than any other guitar I've had.
I have not been as careful with the F-349 as I should, probably because I paid so little for it. Youth camps arround the fire, left out overnight with dew falling on it, once even left it by a wood stove and dried it out real bad. Put a humidifier in the case and it came right back after a while (had developed some warp and fret buz).
Today it sounds better than ever. I mostly use it with a Dean Markley "woody" insert pick-up which really brings out the rich sound!

I've been playing for 25 years. Started on a small classical guitar and then went thru a couple of 12-strings : a Terada 12 string (a brand I've never seen again but was a nice guitar) then an Alvarez which I absolutely disliked (must have been one of their bad years).
When I found the F-349 I couldn't believe the deal... $35 with a hardshell case? Store owner had no idea what he had!
I had been used to playing a wide neck 12-string so the fretboard on the Tak seemed so very thin and easy to play... therefore I began to play so much more.
I've had the guitar for over 10 years and still love the response I get out of it... with or without a capo... drop tunings... in every range it sounds great and definitely gets better as the years go by.

Made in Japan, probably early 80's. Mahogany neck, back, sides, and top, almost certainly laminate. Rosewood fingerboard. Basically a very good copy of a Martin D-17, same bracing, different tuners and bridge pins, and a redder finish. "Lawsuit" model, which is to say that from ten feet you'd assume it was a Martin, esp. the hilarious headstock logo. Gloss finish. Nothing too fancy but a very striking guitar.

I like it. It is not as well-defined as my Gibson J-45 (duh) but it has a lovely midrange punch and, especially with a capo above the third fret, the kind of piano-like tone you'd expect from an electric fitted with P90's. Nice and loud, and though it is not bassy, it is balanced, and therefore records well.

I bought it used. Excellent setup. Maybe a little more relief than I'd like, but there is a bit of buzz, so I won't mess with it. Finish is fine--could be a little evener, there's a flaw on the soundhole (looks like a burst bubble), and the finish in the joint between the neck and body is a little messy. Still, like I said, it's lovely. It's very red.

It's more than 20 years old and looks mint. The previous owner bought it new (for $289, and I know this because he included the original "As Seen In Guitar Player Magazine" price tag), and I'm sure he didn't do much in the way of maintenance--I just steel-wooled the frets and cleaned the fingerboard and it looks completely new. So I'd say this guy will be hanging on for a long time.

I wrote to Takamine asking if the wood was solid or laminate, and they answered very promptly that it almost certainly wasn't, though the top might be. Pretty nice, considering they were essentially admitting the cheap (though strong!) construction on an old, discontinued, copyright-infringing guitar!

I've not had it long, but it's a keeper. I really love it. It is a fine complement to my Gibson, and cousin to my Yamaki 12-string, another Martin copy. Takamine really did a bang-up job on these copies; I would never have guessed that this is a laminate guitar. I went down to my local music store and played a while on a Martin D-15, which would seem to be a comparably priced (correcting for the 20 intervening years!) mahogany guitar. It's nice, but doesn't compare to the Tak. This surprises me a lot, since I'm not a fan of present-day Takamines, and like Martins. These seem fairly common on eBay, so help yourself to one--a great guitar for the money, and an entertaining bit of history--"Hey, what Martin is that?" "It ain't!"

I bought mine brand new in 1981. I rate it a little lower in the catagory because I assume that the best wood could not have been put into a guitar I paid $167 for. It is an acoustic instrument. I had an unobtrusive pick-up added which makes it nice for recording or a little amplification.

I am aware of another reviewer's comment that the bass response is not as good as it could be, but I find the guitar to be well balenced myself. That means it sounds the way I like it to, which is subjective in the end.

This is where this cheap little guitar really shines. It is a joy to play and as easy to play as any guitar I've ever put my hands on [that's a few!]. It remains my favorite guitar in my little herd. It is well put together, particularly in comparison to the Martins of the time [note: Martin did get their act together again, maybe because of the competition] which seemed poorly constructed in comparison. It plays nicer than my more recently [for a lot more $] purchased cut-away acoustic electric Takamine.

I've had this guitar since 1981. Putting electronics in it didn't faze it. It's at least as good as the day I bought it.

I have been playing since the 60's. My fondest guitar finding memory is the day I walked into a little music shop in Pacific Beach, CA in 1981 and there were a number of F-349's hanging on the wall. Deciding which one was best was a pleasant task. Even finding my Flamenco guitar in Granada, Spain doesn't top it. I just think this cheap little axe deserves to have it's praises sung.

This is an all mahogany acoustic guitar, essentially a copy of a Martin D-17. I think it was made in 1978 as indicated by the serial number but I have heard that Takamine only started making this model in 1979...? It has the Martin style headstock, & Takamine also copied the bracing of Martin's D-17. I do not know if the top is solid or not, & am not sure of the back & sides either. There is a strip of black binding (original with the instrument) encircling the inner perimeter of the soundhole so you can't look there to determine if the top is solid or not. I have heard various opinions about whether the top & body of this model are solid or laminate but so far have not seen any proof either way. Has black pickguard, nice enclosed tuners, the fingerboard & bridge appear to be ebonized rosewood but am not certain. Mahogany neck & headstock. Black binding on the body. It is aesthetically a beautiful instrument.

The sound of this guitar is nice, very bright clear notes, well balanced, but the bass end is a bit lacking. It is a fairly loud instrument, with good sustain. The mahogany top & body gives it a distinctive tone.

The action is very good, low & easy to play, with perfect intonation, I love to play this guitar as it is just a dream to fingerpick, incredibly easy to fret.

The condition for a 24 year old guitar is great, the finish is beautiful, hardware in great condition. Finish still looks great after all this time.

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I have been playing since the early 70's & own 7 acoustics, my favorite being a 1978 Ibanez 698 J-200 copy, & an Alvarez 5059. The only thing I an somewhat unhappy with about this F349 is the lack of bass response, it's weak in that area. I love to play it, it is the easiest playing of all my guitars. The 70's F-349's for some reason seem to be a rather rare animal, I don't see that many up for sale & there seems to be very little info online about them. I would try to to find another if something happened to this one, I love the way it looks & plays & the mahogany top gives it a distinctive tone that is quite nice.