Takamine GS-330S

I spent several hours and a couple of trips back and forth to guitar center trying to find an inexpensive acoustic just to play around with(I've been playing for 15 years and just recently moved without my instruments). It took me hours, I literally played every single acoustic guitar under 500$ on the wall, I even played some 2000$ martins and thought I might just go ahead and take the plunge because clearly the cheap guitars sounded like total crap.

THEN, on the other side of the wall, all by itself was the Takemine GS330S. it looked pretty plain, but I decided to try it out since it was the only inexpensive acoustic I hadn't played in the place. All I can say is for 300$ it is hands down the best acoustic I've played, it isn't even worth comparing to the disgusting sounding fender acoustics for $200,

don't throw away your money, spend a little extra and get the gs330s, its only $300 and you'll lovvvvve playing it,. it honestly compares closely to my friends 1000$ taylor and several martins.

great, the neck feels beautiful , not too thick, the fretboard is very smooth , you dont have to smash your fingers to fret properly like on the poorly crafted acoustics and this one isnt covered in gross looking gloss finish / glue.

its taken some abuse but not much, no live shows,

I am completely happy with my purchase, I would've spent double what I payed for this guitar happily.

Solid Top Cedar creates a beautiful full sound

Takamine GS330S is a dreadnought style, solid cedar top acoustic with light satin finish. Nato laminated sides and back with rosewood fretboard and bridge. No pickguard. String-through-bridge (no pins). Pretty much a basic guitar without bells and whistles, but that doesn't matter because this guitar is not meant to have a lot of features. I prefer that since thick gloss and pickguards only dampen tone.

This guitar sells because of its tone. Hands down, this is what makes this baby a great instrument. It has a crystal-clear, earthy and warm tone. The bass range is just gorgeous. I've never heard a more full and complete bass range on any guitar in any price range. This guitar also projects like a beast. It's so loud that my wife thought it was hooked up to an amplifier! I've heard people say this is meant for fingerstyle, but I think you could play anything on it. All I need to say is the first time I strummed a chord in the guitar store on this guitar, my head fell down limp and I just paused for a good 30 seconds to listen.

The factory set up was fine. Action was perfect; somewhere in the area of 3/32 to 4/32 inches. The neck was set up perfectly with just a hair of relief. All the wood fitting looks good to me. No rough spots. The satin finish is really nice and it allows you to feel the texture of the cedar. Just be very careful with the finish because it dents/scratches easier than any guitar I have ever seen.

The biggest downside is how easily this guitar scuffs and scratches. I've had it less than a month and it already has visible scratches on the top. It also shows oil and dirt very easily. But again, considering the sound of this instrument is BECAUSE of the satin finish, you can't complain. Look at Willie Nelson's guitar.

I've been playing for 14 years. This is my prime acoustic since my other got destroyed. If this Takamine were lost or stolen, I would buy it again. I love the way it sounds. That's why I bought it. I was truthfully disgusted with the sound of all other guitars under $500. They sounded like Walmart guitars. Except for this one. The salesman at the store even pointed this one out to me as being a standout. I like how it has no pickguard (adds to tone) and no fretboard dots (which are the stupidest thing ever added to guitars). The only other guitar I was considering was the Seagull S6 but I decided against it because it was $100 more and the fretboard was way too wide like a classical guitar.

cedar top ,looks like mohagany neck side and back,no electronics or cut away.Very nice binding on both the front and back of the body,there seems to be a dark wood binding on the neck and the headstaock has a nice piece of rosewood veneer on it.No bridge pins so its much easier to change strings.

at first I couldnt stand the sound ,it was very boxy and forward,but as the guitar aged the sound finaly smoothed out.Now I like the sound ,very nice bass good mids but a bit rough in the treble.

very good quality in the beginning, but as the guitar is getting older
there is slight bulge where the bridge is and this is causing the action to be too high for me.outside of that the fit and finish is very good.

I like the sound of the cedar top but it is extremely soft, I can literally dent it with my fingernail.Without any type of coating it also gets dirty too fast.I also dont care for the feel of the neck.

never had to deal with customer service.

overall its a very nice guitar.As mentioned before ,the top is very soft and dents very easily,the sound is nice especially in the bass.and the pinless bridge makes string changing very easy.since I bought this guitar only for experimenting with alternate tuning I break a lot of strings.

This is just a plane jane guitar for features, although I love the solid cedar top. Not sure about the tuners but this is the second one I've owned and they seem to hold tune well. Nato back and sides. Neck is nato as well. Rosewood fretboard, ebony bridge. Neck is thin and very playable even for small hands. Bought on ebay with nice hard case for $229.00. Removed the plastic saddle and installed a bone saddle first day. Installed Elixer nanoweb light medium strings. I would love to rate the features higher but they are not there.

This is where this guitar shines. Its hard to believe a inexpensive guitar that cost less than $250 could sound this good. After installing the bone saddle (which I do to all my guitars) this thing really came alive. I have a house full of guitars. Taylor 710, Martin D-28, Yairi's DY-51, DY-45, DY-55, I cant say it sounds better than any of them in all ways but it sounds as good or better in many ways and for hundreds even thousands less money. Its as loud as any with the exception of the D-28. The Taylor is more balanced but we're talking about premium priced guitars versus $250. Get one if you can find one. Its a steal for value.

The action was good when I received it but I lowered it some when I installed the bone saddle. The playability of this guitar is wonderful. It plays better than any guitar I own with maybe the exception of my Taylor 710. The nato back and sides have a almost ruff finish that probably could have been a little better. The solid cedar top is very nice grained and I am sure will sound even better with time. All in all a very nicely put together guitar. I have found nothing inside the sound hole, very clean construction.

The solid cedar top is very vulnerable to bumps and scrapes with the soft cedar. It will have to be protected from abuse. Like I said this is the second one I've owned. Gave the first to my son. I bought it off ebay as well. It has held up well in the 3 years we have owned it.

I have not had any contact with them because there has been no problems so far. So I don't feel I am qualified to make a judgement on that.

I would think for the money invested in this guitar it has to rate high with the sound, playability and all around considered. If I lost this guitar I would surely look for another. I take it anywhere. Camping, hunting trips, fishing trips, to the beach. When I play at home I seldom play my other guitars. This ole cheap GS330S Tak is what I reach for. Enough said.

Nothing fancy. Satin finish, no pickguard, no electronics, even no pins on the bridge. Only one strap button, on the end of the guitar. It has a truss rod inside. Cedar top and laminate sides/back. Kinda nice actually.

Sounds pretty good for this price range. The lows could be higher, but oh well. It's loud, clear, and resonant. Stays on pitch.

Everything seems pretty standard. Action is normal. It's put together well, no buzzing. It feels good; solid bit it's also really light.

It seems like it will last a long time. I don't trash my guitars so I'm sure it'll go for a while. Nothing wobbles or wiggles. Tuners are tight and have no rattling at all. I use it all the time in small groups, but it can't really be used at larger venues because it has no pickup.

I got this guitar because I gave my old Fender acoustic to my sister and I wanted something a little better. I'm not a crazy guitar player, I just like to have one around and play when the there's an opportunity. I didn't really want to spend more than three or four hundred bucks, since I don't plan on being a great guitarist anytime soon. I wanted one that was cheap, but didn't feel cheap when I held it and sounded as good as possible for the price. This one sounds really good for the price and feels great. All that's missing really is a strap button and a pickguard, but it's no big deal. I'd recommend it easily if you can get a good price on it.

Acoustic Dreadnaught guitar. Solid cedar top! Nato back and sides, good feel to the neck. Rosewood bridge (traditional pin type) and rosewood fretboard. Understated looks but nice.

Nice warm tone. This one has been well used so it is definately broken in but supposedly cedar doesn't need much aging to sound good. I have owned a LOT of acoustics including Larrivee(3 of them) Martin, and played many others, I know what I'm talking about. This doesn't sound like an all solid wood guitar, that is impossible with laminated back and sides but for a low end tak from the far east it sounds great. The tone is warm (thanks to the cedar) and is what prompted me to purchase this over the other several beat up old guitars in the shop. Like I said, I'm not going to give this guitar a really high tone rating because it simply cannot compete with standard and high end Martin, Santa Cruz, Larrivee, etc. etc. but for what it is, it's surprisingly good.

Pretty good overall, the action is low on mine but it is plenty old and looks like it has been fooled around with. It had a pickup screwed into the top and a hole for the jack in the side and lots of dings and crap but it seems like a solid enough guitar. The laminated back and sides actually make the guitar stronger which is the only upside to this feature.

I did notice a good amount of glue inside but that ain't no thang really.

On par with most of the others.

no idea, I'm sure it's not very good for a second hand guitar though.

I've been playing for 5 years. I've owned and played a lot of high end guitars and I know what I'm talking about so you can take me seriously. I was looking around the used room of a local music store and I saw this baby. I didn't know squat about it but it looked sexy. I figured it just had a really aged (dark) spruce top but when I got home and looked it up I found out it was Solid Cedar! (So that is what gives this mystery low-mid level guitar such a nice sound, I thought)

Satin finish dreadnought, solid cedar top. Nato back and sides appear to have a rougher, "open pore" finish. Very simple, no frills appearance. Made in Taiwan. Has classic rosewood bridge with pins. Basic enclosed chrome tuners work fine. Nothing fancy, but feels well-constructed and solid.

The reviews of this model and the solid cedar top caught my attention. Well, against my better judgment of buying an instrument without playing it first, I bought this off e-bay at a price that I knew I could re-sell it and not be out any money if I didn't like it. I originally bought it as a back-up, campfire-type guitar that I wouldn't have to worry about. When I got it, I fell in love with the sound. The warm cedar tone and the low end really shines on this particular guitar. I liked it so much that I eventually fitted it with an LR Baggs RT system pickup to use live. Others who hear it love the sound as well.

I bought the instrument used, so the only finish blemishes appeared to have come from use. Action was a bit high for my tastes, so I sanded down the bridge a bit and now it's perfect. The satin finish top is sensitive to skin oils and can develop shiny spots. At first, this bothered me a bit as I was only used to glossy finish instruments previously. But in light of the incredible sound, now I think the appearance just adds a bit of aged character to go with the nicely aging sound. It seems to be a simple design, simply well-constructed.

The instrument seems quite durable. I have used it live and would not hesitate to do so again, even without a backup. Although I originally bought it as a campfire instrument and a backup, I now like it too much and I don't think I would want to expose the satin finish to the outside elements too much. But for proper care of an instrument, I think it will hold up just fine. The tuners seem decent quality and hold tune just fine. For me, I couldn't ask for more. Were it not for the satin finish soft cedar top (which I think is a plus for sound), I would give it a 10 for this category.

No opinion here, as I have never had to deal with Takamine.

I have been playing over 25 years, mainly in church worship and for private pleasure. I have now had this instrument about two years. This guitar sits on a stand in the living room, accessible at all times. The simplicity of design, the beautiful wood almost makes it musical furniture, a joy to look at as well as play. I love the sound just for strumming and picking in a room. I love the sound for something different at a gig. My favorite feature? At $130 total (including shipping) I know I found a diamond in the rough. Now the rough edges are smoothed away, and the unique sound and beauty come shining through. If others are of similar build and tonal quality, I cannot recommend this model enough.

This guitar doesnt really have many features. It is a solid cedar top (which is a nice feature) nato back and sides, dreadnought body style, with cheap but effective tuners, rosewood fingerboard, pinless bridge, and not really much more to list.
Guitar was purchased as a beater, but seems to be of nice quality.

I have to say that this guitar sounds really good. I changed the light strings for mediums and adjusted the truss rod and this thing sounds beautiful. I really cant complain. The cedar top gives it a really nice woody warm tone.
Its great for all styles of playing. Country, folk, bluegrass, rock.

Well... the setup was pretty good from the factory. I had to adjust the trussrod when I put the mediums on it. It does tend to be a bit buzzy if played to hard, but certainly not a serious problem. With a little more tweaking, that will be fixed. A few finish flaws, but nothing to worry about for the price of this guitar. It has a satin finish which is pretty nice, and the wood looks good, nice grain. I am amazed at how cheap this instrument was.

I have only had it a few months, but it looks like its really built to last. My wife bought me this guitar because I was going to Steve Kaufmans acoustic Kamp in Maryville TN. She was tired of hearing me complain about bringing my Martin on the plane, so she suprised me with this guitar. At 250 dollars and an 80 dollar case, my mind was at ease. All and all the guitar held up fine throughout the travel. I now have a campfire, travel guitar.

I gotta give this guitar thumbs up. I am a long time acoustic guitar player, been playing for like 20 years. I have a Martin, Tacoma, Guild, Ovation, and others. This guitar is nothing to complain about and easily holds up to the others. This is now the guitar that I keep around the house out of its case to pick up when I get the urge to play. It will go on many more trips with me I am sure, and I dont have to worry about damaging any of my 1000 dollar and up guitars. Its perfect for the beginner or the guy that doesnt want to spend alot of money on a great sounding/playing acoustic.

The only signifigant feature to speak of on this guitar is the no-pin, string-thru bridge. I love that. I think in the future, you will see more guitars with this type of bridge. It makes re-stringing a breeze, and I would guess that it adds to the overall sustain. No pickguard, no high gloss finish, simple but adequate tuners, basic dreadnaught shape. I actually really appreciate the overall simplicity of this guitar

The sound is why I chose this guitar. I had just sold a Breedlove AD/25SM ac/el (which by the way is a fine instrument), but to be honest, I think the tonal quality of this $500 less expensive guitar is better rounded. The highs sparkle, the lows are pronounced without being boomy or muddy, and the mids cut through just right. I have also owned Martins and higher priced Tak's, but for the money, everything I could ever want sound wise in an acoustic guitar is to be had with this guitar. I was very surprised when I strummed the first chord.

The action is adequate. I have yet to do an adjustment, but I feel that I can probably lower it slightly without getting string buzz. I would not say that the action is high, but it definatly could use minor tweaking. That being said, it still plays very nice. I also believe that 90% of new guitars require adjustment to suit the playing style of the individual. As far as the fit and finish are concerned, this very plain guitar is actually very nice to look at. The plain finish gives it a natural look and feel. The binding is plain, but very well done. There are minor flaws in the finish, such as unfinised spots around the sound hole and very minor chipping where the sides meet at the lower bout, but nothing of any structural concern.

That remains to be seen

I have owned other Tak's, but have never had to contact customer service, so I have no opinion here.

I've been playing 25 years, and have owned dozens of acoustics. Martin, Gibson, Fender, Breedlove, Yamaha, Washburn, Alvarez. And others that I can't think of right now. I have gone through many guitars. It seems to be sort of a hobby of mine to cycle through many makes, and enjoy what each has to offer. While I have enjoyed almost all of them, I always end up selling them and moving on. For what I paid for this guitar, I know that it will be my mainstay while I continue to explore the acoustic horizon. There is no reason to sell it.