Takamine EG-512C Acoustic Bass

This is a pretty good acoustic bass for the $$. I would give it a 7 on a scale of one to ten.

it plays nice.

Sound is pretty good. It's louder than most acoustic basses. I've played micheal kelly, ibanez and fender acoustics, and like the sound best from this bass.

Ahh the drawbacks... the tuner is very inaccurate and doesn't work.

The first one I had cracked around the electronics module after a month. Guitarcenter took it back and got me another one - same problem, all 4 corners of the body around the electronics are cracked.

The third one was the charm - no more cracks!

Other drawback - the body is huge! playing it can be a challenge if you're small.

Hmmm so far it's been reliable other than the cracks. Have gigged a couple of times, mostly play electric when gigging...

Took them a long time to replace it when it cracked, and they sent another cracked one.

Been playing a few years...

If it were stolen or lost, I probably wouldn't replace it. It was just too much of a hassle getting it right, I'd probably go with a micheal kelly or a martin.

I hate the fact the the tuner is a peice of crap... and feel bad about the crappy support I got from Takamine.

I also own a 5 fender electrics, A jaguar, an american jazz, a fretless jazz (mex) and a jazz mexican, and a hybrid.

bought new in UK. after long search for a good acoustic bass that wasnt going to break the bank. This one had the best unplugged sound of all those I tested. No idea what woods its made from but it has a rosewood fretboard and what appears to be a maple neck. Body looks like Mahogany. Tuners are Takamine branded and work fine. Finish of frets was poor with several rough edges.

Sounds great though.... rich natural acoustic sound with good definition and equal string voicing.

Mine felt unfinished. The surface wasnt smooth, bit like it needed a final polish. As mentioned before, the fret ends were poorly finished and several sharp edges needed a little 'treatment'...

Overall, the actual biuld of the bass is acceptable bearing in mind the relatively low cost of the thing. Durability unlikely to be a problem as it is the least played of my basses.

never needed it so N/A!

Its an 'OK' intstrument for the amount it cost. No major gripes as it play well and sounds very good. Pity about the finish though... oh, and the neck is huge (long)! It is a very big guitar!

Takamine 4 string Acoustic/Electric Bass Guitar. Body Shape: Super Jumbo, Rosette (Cocentric Rings),Top: Spruce, Back & Sides: Nato, Tuners: Chrome, Scale: 34", 22 Frets, Plastic Bridge. Active Electronics include: Bass, Treble, & Mid sliders, EQ On/Off & Bass Boost buttons, Mid Scoop & Volume knobs. One strap holder. Finish is available only in Natural Gloss. Cutaway on Body for higher fret access. I negotiated a case for mine.

My complaints: Super Jumbo body would be difficult for someone with shorter arms, smaller hands to play comfortably. It is a little bit of a reach to get to the lowest frets. There should be another strap holder. I will have to put one on myself. Finally, like most acoustics, plastic bridges are not very easy to adjust action like on an electric. To lower action other than via truss rod adjustments, you have to file down the bridge. I find these more like "minor annoyances" than a reason not to consider this bass.

I give this bass a 7 compared to the best of the best (Taylor, Martin, etc...). I give it a 9 compared to instruments that are more comparable to this price line (Fender, Epiphone, Ibanez, etc...).

My goal was to purchase a low to mid-priced ABG for practice in an apartment, and the occasional unplugged impromtu acoustic jam. It is perfect for the music I like to play: blues, folk, and rock mostly. I found that compared to comparable priced instruments: Dean, Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, this bass had the greatest unplugged volume. This is due to the super jumbo body size. I love the tone unplugged.

For unplugged volume and electronics, I give it an 8 compared to the top of the line brands. I would give it a 9 compared to the mid level brands.

Plugged in, there is a woody tone you get, but its not an upright tone. I really like the sound of the electronics! I can dial in the tone I like fairly easily. The Bass Boost and Mid Scoop are nice features as well. I thought this bass's electronics were also superior to the above mentioned bass's that I tried.

I bought this bass new. The factory setup was poor as far as the action. I did not find any flaws in the construction.

Compared to higher priced stuff, I give it a 7. Compared to comparable stuff, I give it an 8.5.

This bass does seem very durable. I have had it for a year now and it plays just as well as the day I bought it. I have never taken it out to a live gig. The finish is holding up pretty well.

I would gig with a backup.

Compared to a Martin or Taylor, I give it a 7. Compared to other basses more comparable in price, another 8.

Can't rate this, never used customer support. There is a lifetime warranty.

I have been playing this bass for a year. I bought it new in December 2001. It is now 2002, and I am still happy with my purchase. I own a Fender MIA P-Bass in addition to this one. I have been playing for 9 years. I would consider myself to be a bass enthusiast more than a harcore player/gigger/tourer. I do think I know enough about basses to give this an honest and fair review.

If you are in the ABG search, try this one!! You will most likely dig it!

I played Martin, Ovation, Fender, and Washburn acoustic basses before deciding on an EG 512C. None of these compared to the Takamine except that the Martin was nicer in most respects (playability fit and finish) However, the Takamine beats the Martin in the volume of sound that it produces.

This is a 4-string Takamine EG 512C bass from 2000 or 2001 and I bought it as a factory second from Guitar Web in Nashville TN, USA for 300 bucks. (cheaper than at Woodwind and Brasswind, which is nearby.

The really big jumbo body appears to have a laminated top, but the rosette around the sound hole makes it hard to tell. The back and sides are probably nato. (no not the international organization) The body is bound, but not the neck. The back has a split binding that looks great. It's got a well-done glossy finish.

Electronics are Takamine brand with volume, notch filter, 3-band EQ and bypass switch.

Takamine Tuners work great and the frets are the size you would expect on an electric bass. I bought a case from Woodwind and Brasswind for about $80.00.

It's not a particularly fancy bass, but it looks good and I am really more concerned about how it sounds.

I play in an acoustic Duo (steel string, classical, 12-string, mandolin) so I wanted an instrument that I could rehearse with. It needed to be loud enough to compete with a nice Martin 6-string playing next to me.

The volume is fine for rehearsal or a small room. I generally mic it since I switch instruments a lot on stage. But I plugged one of these into a big SWK bass amp and it sounds very good plugged in. The sound was noticeably acoustic. It didn't sound like a bass viol, but not like an electric bass either, somewhere in between.

The bass has quiet electronics and the tone controls do what they're supposed to. I do a little slapping and the bass is good for that.

The strings that came on this are phospher bronze so they're quite treble-y. Add that to my less than ideal playing technique and the bass sounds a little clattery. I will put Elixer or D'Addario EXP coated strings on it to quite down the high end a little.

The action on this bass beat the Fender Washburn and Ovation's by a longshot. The Takamine's are made in Korea. Thank you to that Korean man or woman. He/She probably gets paid pennies an hour for this excellent work. I can tell you, someone with a lot of skill put this bass together. It plays well and is constructed well. They forgot to put a strap button on the top, that may explain why this is a factory AAA second. I can't find a single thing to complain about here

I can't really comment on the durability of this bass. I have had it at half a dozen gigs. It travels in a hardshell case. The hardware is screwed down tight and works well, doesn't rattle, wiggle, scrape or seem bent or rusty. I will humidify the case when the weather requires it. (I am writing in summer)

This is a factory second, so there is no warranty. The company I bought it from (Guitar Web - Nashville, TN - USA) did a great job packaging and it arrived undamaged (made me nervous)They responded to my email questions and were generally very helpful

I played bass for about 10 years, then put it away and played guitar for 15 years. Haven't owned a bass for 15 years. I will probably eventually plug it directly into the PA, but don't tell my partner that.

This is a 4-string acoustic bass, and I really don't know a whole lot about it, as I bought it used. It has 22 frets, somewhere between medium and jumbo sized. The preamp has a 3-band eq with defeat switch, and a notch filter (useful when plugging it in).
The neck is reasonably slim, but with enough meat to feel substantial - not unlike a B-profile jazz bass neck.
This bass has a big body (and I do mean BIG). Judging from appearances, the top is made from spruce, with the back, sides and neck being mahogany, all finished in a satin lacquer.
The bass came with a Levys padded gig bag, which is a good snug fit - it wouldn't surprise me to know it was made with this bass in mind.

Wow! I'll say it again in case you missed it - WOW!
Big, full acoustic tone, with loads of bass, smooth mid and good clean treble, with none of the 'clatter' of some acoustic basses. I was seriously impressed with the sound of this instrument from the first time I picked it up. The only other acoustic bass I've heard that can touch it is an Ovation, at about three times the price.
Plugged in, the bass sounds just as good, but to really get the best out of it, you should plug direct into your PA, rather than going into an amp. The notch filter allows you to crank up the volume without feeding back. The 3-band eq gives some great sounds, my only criticism is that there could be TOO much tweaking available. Now I'm not saying that using extreme eq settings sounds bad, but it just doesn't sound natural, and this bass has such a great tone that it's a shame to spoil it with too much eq.
I have this bass sitting in my living room where I can just grab it when the urge to play takes me. I have used it on stage, but mostly the stuff my band does isn't suited to acoustic instruments.

Having bought the bass used, I can't really comment on the factory setup, as I don't know what it's had done to it, although I've not had to adjust the action at all.
When I bought the bass, the E-string was a little loose in the nut, but the strings were quite a light gauge. After replacing these with a slightly heavier set, the problem went away.
As far as fit & finish is concerned, my only criticism is a slight 'step' in the finish around the top and back binding. This is all but invisible to the naked eye, but can be felt by running your fingernail across the binding.
The hardware feels reasonably solid, the tuning pegs (Takamine branded - possible Schallers?) feel smooth and secure.

I've used this bass live a few times, and it didn't give me any trouble, although I would definitely buy a hard case before taking it on the road.
This is a well built bass, that should last years but, like any acoustic instrument, it will need to be looked after.

I've been playing about 13 years, and own several other basses, all electric, various effects, amps, PA stuff etc.
I absolutely love this bass, and would be totally gutted if it was ever stolen or lost.
There is nothing in the same price bracket that even gets NEAR this instrument. I would recommend it to anyone looking to buy an acoustic bass - even if you're looking at instruments in the #600+ ($1000+) range, give this a try - you could save yourself a bundle of cash.

Without a doubt, its the best 4string acoustic I've ever played! It has 22 frets, but the main feature is that its got an insanely big body. This gives it its amazing deep tone and impressive unplugged volume. In comparison to many other acoustics I've played that are around the same price (#320 new) e.g. Arias etc, the quality is far superior. The intonation is impressive for the price paid however, it starts to go out of tune slightly towards the top of the neck. But its still far better than any other of the same price. It may take a while to get used to the big body but its worth it. It also never goes out of tune.

It suits my style of playing really well. Its got a really well rounded deep sound however there's nowhere to put your thumb when fingerstyling. It also sounds great amped. I used a Trace Elliot 1210H and it sound really amazing. The onboardm pre-amp also has a really wide range that will suit anyone. It has a volume control, EQ bypass, 3 band EQ and bass boost.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the bass when I bought it and there still isn't. The only problem is trying to find a hard case that fits the bass. It was just by luck that I found one at the bass centre (London)that just managed to fit it. I contacted Takamine but they don't actually supply one.

I only ever buy instruments that I feel I can rely on. The only probem is that it only has one strap button (built around the jack output) and so you have to use one of those straps which ties around the neck which I'm not a fan of.

Never had to deal with Takamine directly