Takamine GX-200

mahogany body and neck, rosewood fretboard, no balony!

This was made to be a metal guitar in 1983, i took out the stock pups , which i think sounded like Dimarzios, and put some Powered By Lace Humbuckers in it....wow! tone plus! especially finger picked with the bridge pup with the tone slightly rolled back. Allman Bros . sound.....

I don't remember , mine is from 1983, I was 13....it blew away the other guitars in it's price rannge 230.00 ..at the time. thick clear coat on ceam colored body and neck. aged very nicely now in 2009, very creamy!

needed Grovers and some intonation work....now awsome, blows my SG away and is a nice difference from my LPs and Strats. It's a bird all it's own.....tone wise, probably similar to a mahogany PRS.

e-mail they sent me in 1 day (Kaman corp. owned them at the time, I was a product tester and gigged with their strings and Ovatiion guiutars at the time).

" The GX series was made from 1983-1985. They are all mahogany set neck guitars with wicked humbuckers. They were from $259.50 to 529.50 depending on the model. Neat guitar!"


that's what they said on 1/24/03. info@Kamanmusic.com

been playing since 1967.
I would cry if stolen and try to get another from some uninformed poor soul.. I have 15 guitars, and this one is up there with the LPss, Strats, and SGs etc....a player. Needs tuners to stay in tune...I like grovers with the bells.

What I can I say. I bought my Takamine when they first came out. I think it was 1984 - 85. I am the original owner of a Takamine GX-200 Red sunburst. Yes it has all the same specs as everybody elses, but I haven't altered mine at all. Original humbuckers, the fret buzzing gets irritating at times, but it has done that since as long as I can remebe and from what I have been told, it was common.

The sound, sounds great doing anything from Rythm to lead, rock to country. It has a brassy sound, depending on the pickup selected. A versatile guitar, that can handle anything.

If I had a dollar everytime someone said how much they love the neck on this guitar I would be rich. Nice smooth, quick. The pickups were aet good from factory, but as anything, everyone has thier own taste and sets things to how they like it. The Red sunburst finish has no nicks or damage, a few pick marks on the body.

Great response, I emailed them about the pickups and had a quick reply

This has been my first guitar, I still play it, still love they way it sounds, I have an Ibanez and a fender, I always tend to grab my Takamine first. I bought it was a hard case and a Peavy Audition 20 amp. (the reverb is shot) ;-), I bought a Crate 120 and the Takamine hasn't sounded better.

I got mine probably in 84. I had owned a cheap strat copy (crappy finish, crappy tremolo, crappy pickups etc...) and wanted something a little better. The store where I took my lessons had several Takamine's hanging up. I really took to this white one and with all my saved allowance and trading in my crap guitar was able to buy it. The sales girl asked me if I didn't feel bad selling my first guitar and I could truthfully say "no."

Probably made in 83 or 84 in Japan, 22 jumbo frets, solid body w/ white finish, two humbucking pickups, sort of a strat body tending toward an SG but more of a strat shape then that, set neck, tuneomatic bridge, crappy tuners that I should replace, rosewood fretboard with dot inlays.

I usually play a blues style, almost always for my own enjoyment. The pickups are fairly quiet and quite hot. With the two tone controls I can dial up a fair range of sound from hard rock to jazz.

Guitar is still set up from the factory but really needs some attention. Fret buzzing on the low E and A strings could probably be alievieated (although I've read that this is a common problem with these guitars.)
I think the reason I've kept this guitar so long despite a almost 20 year draught in my playing has been its nice easy action.

It has proven to be pretty durable over the last 20 years. Other than some cosmetic damage, (a few chips from dropping it), and one of the tuners being knocked off and having to have new screws put in for it, its still pretty much like it was the day I bought it.

Never needed any customer support and at this late date I don't expect I'd even be able to get some.

Its been a good solid practice guitar and sounds a lot better than anything else I could have afforded at the time and still does for that matter. Concidering what I paid for it I should really rate this a 10 but its still not a SG no matter how much it seems to aspire to be one. ah what the hell, a 10 it is.

READ MY REVIEW BEFORE ALL OTHERS - For starters, I can't believe how much crap has been written about this guitar that hasn't been true. I will stick to what I know to be fact. I have been playing guitar for 20 years and have started making them too. I am the third owner of this guitar.
22 medium jumbo frets, Solid body the shape is cross between a SG and a strat, fully painted black. The neck scale is only slightly longer than a Les Paul. This guitar has a glued in mahogany neck and not a neck thru - I know this because I removed the neck pickup and took the paint off with a chisel and there is a distinct line where the mahogany neck is glued into the body wood. Many other reviewers of this guitar have said it is a neck-thru design, I can tell you at least mine isn't as I chipped away enough paint in the right areas to make sure of this. The neck wood ends at the top of the neck pickup and does not extend any further through the guitar.
The body wood is alot lighter colour (yellow) not like the orange-brown of mahogany. The body wood is probably birch or maybe ash or basswood it is too soft and open grain to be alder. It is a very soft wood. When the guitar gets chips on the paint it exposes the redish-brown undercoat which i think alot of people mistake for mahogany when it isn't.
3 tuners per side they might have been crap as mine have been replaced and many reviewers have done the same. Takamine is on the headstock in a creamy gold. GX-200 is written in white on the black plastic truss rod cover. Rosewood fretboard with dot inlay markers.

2 passive Black Humbuckers with hex adjustable pole pieces. Chrome hardware. Tunomatic bridge and stoptail piece. 2 volume, 1 tone. 3 way switch. The serial number can be found on a cloth sticker on the under side of the electronics cavity cover. Mine is 84111871. Alot of manufacturers use the first two numbers to denote the year of manufacture, if you were to follow that rule mine would be made in 1984. I know they were for sale in 1984 as I have an original advertisement for one in a 1984 Guitar Player magazine. Where it states the retail price of U.S.$229.50. Just for your interest it states the GZ300 was U.S. $299.50.
It would have been good if it had a coil tap switch. A tremolo would have been good but tone and sustain probably would have suffered.

My style is heavy/hard rock although I love all styles of music and guitar sounds except very country.
This guitar has a good rock sound, it seems to be far more similar to any other guitar than a Gibson SG or Les Paul.
It sounds no where near as good as my Les Paul Supreme ($8000 retail) although it shouldn't at that price point. Although it sounds as good if not better than guitars around $1000 Australian, you could take it to a gig and pull off the night quite well. Although don't expect it to sound like a strat. Despite the fact that the construction techniques and woods used are about as far from a strat as you can get, the sound is nothing like one either when played through my Marshall JCM2000 or Mesaboogie DC-2 or Fender Deluxe 85.
I exchanged the stock humbucker for a Gibson 490T and found it was a definate imrovement in clarity, bite and tone. Even though the stock pickups are fine, you can get better.
The neck pickup has a high output and creamy leads are a plenty.
This guitar has a tendancy to sound a touch too trebbley, it is a pitty the whole guitar wasn't made of mahogany as that would have solved that problem.
The sustain is nothing to rave about, I have three other guitars with set necks and they have greater sustain. Although it is better than many bolt on necks. I would give it a 8.5 with the stock pickups.

This guitar plays well, low action and comfortable to hold and play, The finish is fine as good as a Gibson - but thats not saying much. When the guitar gets chips on the paint it exposes the redish-brown undercoat which i think alot of people mistake for mahogany when it isn't.

This guitar must be as tough as nails as mine has got dents and chips and it does't affect the sound or playability.

Playing for 20 years. I own a Les Paul Supreme, Ibanez Artist, Framus Hollywood, and several others. Have made my own guitar. I use a Marshall JCM2000, Mesaboogie DC-2, Fender Deluxe 85.
It is not as good as a Les paul. It has a similar sound and sound quality to my Ibanez Artist but not quite as good.
It is a simple guitar, light weight, and sounds similar to a cross between a SG and a Ibanez artist who can complain about that?

made in japan i think don't really know much about it has 22 frets 3-way selector laminated top active electronics turpouise fades into black round edges cutaway body stringthrough body nonlocking tuners thin neck

best i've ever played

action is fantastic makes hardest scales easy

bought in pawn shop beat all to shit neck cracked don't know how to fix but all in all still solid guitar

first attempt to find anything out about it

been playing for 6 years 2nd one I've seen whole life i have one more electric a dean that is turpoiuse don't know much about it either if stolen or lost i would go through hell and high water to get it {the takamine} back love the action and sound wish it were in better shape chose this one cause thought it was a good buy for the price and again 2nd one I've seen whole life

This is an amendment to my previous review. From askus@takamine.com ; The Takamine solid body electric guitars were a short lived line that we imported from 1984 to 1986. They were a high quality instrument, made in Japan. All mahogany with SET necks and proproetary over-wound humbuckers. Most of these guitars had tremelos. There is an ardent group of collectors of these instruments, as they are somewhat rare. They are great players!
There were 4 basic models.
GX100(T)- Pointy-pointy explorer style, could put youir eye out.
GX200(T)- Double cutaway.
GZ350(T)- Higher quality double cutaway with zebra flamed top.
GX400(T)- Arrow shaped in black with red pin-striping. Also available as bass. Retailed then for $279 to $539

Great

Great

Solid

My email was answered the next day, very nice

Very smooth sounding and playing. Sounds as good or better than an LP or SG (and as light as one), as good with a little less versatility than my 50th Anniv. Strat, with a tone the strat can't get with single coils.
I was led to believe it was a neck through and it isn't.

1984 USA 22 jumbo stainless frets, solid top, vol.-vol.-tone, 3 way smooth switch, HH, smooth sounding med-high output all poles hex adjustable, unknown make (probably DiMarzio), passive. Neck thru is probably maple and body wings mahogany (saw through a couple chips I black markered over). Strat/SG combo style. Finish is turquoise with black edges and heavy clear coat, body, neck, and 3x3 tapered headstock with Takamine and trussrod cover in black with GX-200. PUs black, tuneomatic and hardtail chrome, black speed knobs, chrome tuners (worn kluson style, may replace). Neck feels like 12" radius, 24.75 scale, 1 5/8 to 2 3/16, 13/16 to 7/8 @ 12 to 1 & neckbody smooth heel(fast). Rosewood fretboard with metal dots, nice side markers. Good HSC included.

Suits my metal/blues/rock very well. No noise with Behringer GX1200H full stack and both channels two effects presets on and off. Neck was smooth and bluesy without being muddy. Bridge was bright and sharp to clear and hot articulate with less treble on the tone knob. Full sound with both, and nice harmonics with long sustain. Neck is Carvin fast. Not a country guitar, although the bridge with a lot of treble has a slight biting twang.

The action is low and set up great from the previous owner. I may raise the neck PU 1/16". There was very little adjustment done on the 24 allen polepieces--I might customize the settings a little. Sounds great as is. Finish still looks good after 21 years with assorted dings and light scratches, plus two small chips down to mahogany on bottom horn and top center (black magic marker made them far less noticeable). Frets are in good shape, but tuners are worn. Nut is good, one PU ring screw is corroded but nothing else. Knobs/pots are smooth.

21 years old and still strong as an ox. It could be gigged without a backup--probably for another 21 years!

N/A any work necessary, I can do

31 yrs. total since late 64. This is guitar #15 a neck thru as good as a Carvin at 1/2 the price. 2 full stacks 3 heads (1 tube), 2 combos (1 tube), effects, etc. If it somehow got stolen, I'd track the anus down and knock all his teeth out, and take the guitar back. It compares most favorably with my JT270F in feel and sound. Better balanced and a little lighter than my SG. It would be nice to have coil taps and a phase switch. As is, it is a great vintage guitar that will gain in value.

I e-mailed Takamine about this guitar. They made them in 1985 and were a production of only 200!!!!!!!!! Keep yours unless you want to sell it to me. ha ha. It's a Strat style body that's neck through. Very cool finish on top. Mine is black and fades to dark green flame top. It has a trem with micro tuners. All the things I like about floyds without the things I don't. The scale is somewhere between a strat and a Les Paul I think. It has 2 Dimarzios of some sort I think. 3 way toggle with 2 vols 2 tones. Great!!!!

It sounds great!!!! It's perfect for metal and rock, but I could see use for other styles as well. Nice warm but percussive attack. I have a 50's Reissue strat and an Ibanez RG 421 Non trem. Smokes the Ibanez for metal. Rockin' tone.

I bought it used about 3 months ago used. I believe it's very well made. The only blems are just from everyday use. It has a large crack in the headstock but I'm not worried. That's impressive to me. I work at a guitar retail store and I like it better than any guitar in here....but a lot!!

I haven't used this guitar live cuz I'm between bands...blah. I would take a backup just because I think you always should. There are massive amounts of pick wear but it looks fine. I agree that no guitar is perfect but this one is very near.

All I've done is mailed them and got a quick responce. I'm suprised that a guitar maker even mailed on a guitar that's hasn't been made in so long. If something goes wrong I'll deal with it myself. There's no need to bother Takamine about a guitar that's almost 20 years old.

I think this is the best guitar I've played thusfar. I've been playing for quite a while but only 5 or 6 years with thoughts of being a pro. I work at a music store and give lessons for a living so I play a lot of guitar (4 to 6 hours a day), and this is the best one for my style. It's definatly made for speed and heavy music so get one and rip it up.

I bought the guitar around 1988 from a pawn shop. It has 22 frets, neck-through design, two humbucker pickups that I believe are stock. It has the tuning bridge with tremolo. I believe it was made in the early 80's, I've read conflicting reports as to when Takamine produced these guitars.

I use it for rock and it sounds great. it does not buzz, it stays in tune even when I leave the fret lock unlocked and crank on the tremolo.

It was flawless when I bout it and it still plays flawlessly. I did set the action myself to lower the strings a bit, and now it plays effortlessly.

I have played this guitar everyday for 13 years now and it is holiding up. For gigs I keep another one ready in case I break a string, but have never had to use the backup guitar.

I would never part with this guitar. Everyone I know who was lucky enough to pick up a Takamine solid body thinks it is a guitarists wet dream.

One piece neck through solid body, 22 frets, made in Japan. Original body shape.... similar to a strat, but more symetrical, with deep cut aways.... easy to get from the last fret all the way to the first fret and back. This guitar just plain feels good in your hands. One of my friends commented, it's as if Takamine poured everything they knew about guitars into building something they rarely do - solid body electric guitars. This thing honestly feels like no other guitar I've ever played. It's an original through and through. It reminds me a little of another enigma, my 1987 BMW 325is..... it's not about bells and whistles, it's about simplicity and balance in design. A lot of engineering and love went into this design before it ever reached the mass-production line.

I have a strat and an SG and the GX 200 sounds as good as both with amazing action! This guitar even makes practacing scales rewarding (honest) it's one of those things that is hard to describe, the action is lightening fast, the tones are warm, the top end is crisp, the guitar is an absolute joy to play! I've had a few of my friends, including a classical virtuso, pick it up and play it one time and be so blown away by the way it plays and sounds that they beg me for more! Once I lent this to a good friend for a studio session and it took me 7 months to get it back! It is that magical to play. It inspires creativity when I pick it up.... it asks me, how do you feel today? where do you want to go?

The action on this guitar is amazing. You can play crisp scales without picking, using nothing but your fingers.... the one piece neck through design gives it increadable sustain which seems to add to the action, in that you can hammer, slide, and hammer again without missing a beat. Mine has an all black finish, very sexy and understated..... it is not a piece of fine art like a vintage les paul, but it is beautifully well made in its own simple design... everything you need, and nothing you don't.

This guitar has never needed any repairs..... very well made.

This guitar gets a 10 in every catagory. It is simply amazing for me to realize that this guitar was mass produced, even for a brief time. My Takamine GX 200 is absolutely stunning..... it has soul, genuine character, and is a joy to play!