Tama 3565

Made in Japan circa 1975. Solid spruce top. Rosewood-Jacaranda-Rosewood three-piece back joined with black and white binding. Hand-shaped mahogany neck. Chrome plated SMOOTH TUNER machine heads. Bracing is all hand-shaped and sanded. Mine came with abalone bone bridge pins.

I play mostly worship music, and this suits my style well. It has a combination of rich/full and bright sound.

Nice low action. D string buzzes a little, so I'll need to take it to a guitar technician for a set-up. I'm hoping to install bone nut and saddle, and possibly a pickup.

Very reliable and durable so far.

Tama doesn't make guitars anymore.

I've been playing on and off for approximately 10 years. I also have a Martin DSR. I purchased it online as a "beater", but I was quite surprised by the fine condition it was in for a nearly 40-year-old guitar. I wasn't too impressed with the tone at first, but as I played more the sound really grew on me and now I love it. It sounds equivalent to some of the higher-end Martins. If it were stolen or lost, I would be very upset since Tama guitars are very rare.

Japan made Martin D-35 "rip-off". Solid sitka spruce top, with 3-piece back. The sides and two side pieces of the back are laminated rosewood, most likely Indian, while the center piece is laminated jacaranda, a type of Brazilian rosewood species that was banned at one point. Mahogany neck. Bound rosewood fretboard. Lacquer finish. Enclosed tuners w/ stars on back.

Full sound all the way up and down the fretboard. Clear highs, mids, and bassy lows... just a great sounded guitar. I'd assume it's best suited for rhythm playing because of the smooth sounding rosewood, but can be played with any style and sound great.

Perfect factory set up. I haven't changed a thing, besides strings. Action is low and easy to play.

This guitar was built in the early to mid 70s, though it doesn't show in the least bit. It doesn't have the slightest signs of neck warping, or any aging whatsoever. Since it has laminated back and sides, it's durable as ever. I did change the bridge pins, because they were a bit brittle, but wasn't really necessary.

This company went out of business.

The only thing that I was disappointed with was the fact that the back and sides are laminated. It truly does sound great, and is up there with the higher end guitars in regards to sound, but they could have made and almost perfect guitar perfect by making it an all solid wood guitar. Though, for the price, I'm happy with it, and don't plan on letting it go.

Made in 1975 in Japan- considered an upper level Ibanez. Martin D-35 dreadnaught style with rosewood laminate back and sides, a very interesting, reddish wood for the center strip of the back, bearclaw solid Sitka spruce top, 1 11/16" at the nut, bone nut and saddle, mahogany low profile neck - most likely dovetailed to the neck block, enclosed tuners with stars on the back, rosewood, bound fingerboard. Nice lacquer finish, simple black/white/black binding perfling.

Good sounding dreadnaught, bright sound. Not as lively as the solid wood guitars.

Fit and action are excellent! The guitar is well put together. The neck superb - after 28 years the angle is perfect, no warp and the action is just as low as the day I had it set up. Very fast action. A lot of high end guitar makers need to learn something from them!

Extremely reliable and durable. Laminate body woods are always stronger than solid wood pieces - its just an engineering fact. As mentioned above, the neck can take anything and remain extremely fast.

NA - they aren't around anymore

I started with this guitar - been playing for 28 years. I own a Martin OMC-18VLJ, a 00-16C and an Estruch F2 flamenco. Its a great starter guitar - since the action is excellent, you can learn fast on it. But, I've moved on.