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Lunchpail
Aloha
Canada
8 Posts |
 Posted - 01/04/2006 : 8:26:03 PM
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Hello, all.
I'm in the process of deciding on what guitar(s) I will purchase for fingerstyle. I've been playing fingerstyle for quite a few years. I'm new to slack key, but I'm rapidly becoming addicted.
I've been using an old Yamaha that is not too bad, but I need to get amplified, and the timing is right for me to upgrade.
I've been leaning towards Takamine, as I like their pickup and preamp setup.
Any opinions on Takamine?
Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
BK
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 9:16:32 PM
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No black and white; right or wrong answers. People always say whatever sounds good to your ears and feels right in your hands. Sometimes, same make but different guitar can be different.
Lots of slack key players play Takamine. Makana, Bobby Moderow (Maunalua), George Kahumoku come to mind. Makana and Bobby love the naturals series. |
Andy |
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jmk
Lokahi
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 10:24:56 PM
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| My husband astounded me by giving me a beautiful Taylor: http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/model.aspx?model=614-CE guitar for Christmas. I am loving it and it is very high quality, but I've only played it a short time. Wondering what is the opinion out there on the Taylor guitars? I have been playing an Ibanez for a year, less expensive than the Takamine, but when I played the Takamine, I actually preferred the Ibanez. |
Nahenahe |
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slackkeymike
Lokahi
440 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 03:21:58 AM
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I play both a Taylor 810 and an 20 year old Ibinez (that has haged quite nicely). The electronics should not be a deciding factor as you can customize anything. I also had a Takamine while in college, loved it. But mostly, I love the Taylor.
Mike |
Aloha, Mike |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 07:46:56 AM
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jmk,
I'm a Taylor fan. I have an 814CE that is the best guitar I've ever owned (and I own a Goodall,too). I'm not as sure on their electrics, but I love their necks and have stopped shopping for other brands (hence the Goodall). |
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Leonard
Lokahi
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 11:17:10 AM
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| I agree that playing lots of guitars is the way to go. One day I went to a large guitar shop in the Chicago suburbs, just to play some guitars. Actually remembered to take my fingerpicks. Lots of guitars were hanging on walls including the Clapton Martin model, which is very expensive, and other high-end guitars. I was surprised that I didn't care for many of the expensive guitars. In fact the one I liked best was an Epiphone Masterbilt, which was around $500. (I didn't buy anything that day.) So I decided that price and model aren't the best criteria - you have to play individual guitars. I've heard that there can be a great difference between two guitars of the same model, and I understand why that makes sense (I used to make instruments with my father). And good instruments will change substantially over time, hopefully for the better. So except for issues like warranties, I think one should play lots of guitars and pick the one whose sound and playability you like the best. Things like bass tone, balance and projection are such "individual taste" items. And it's lots of fun to play lots of guitars. LRR |
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. M. Gandhi |
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Mainkaukau
Lokahi
USA
245 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 12:32:23 PM
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I have played Takamine guitars for many years because I believe that their nylon string models have the best sound to cost value and since I use to travel alot with the Hawaii Visitors Bureau I did'nt want to worry about losing an expensive guitar in transit. I did have problems practicing for extended periods of time with the steel string model because it made my fingers sore and problems with breaking strings while performing since I did alot of tuning changes. But the best sounding steel guitars are the expensive Taylors , Martins, etc. Just can't get that high "twang" with a nylon string guitars. |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 4:36:35 PM
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Be sure to check out Seagull and Tacoma. the prices are way below Taylors and other high end models and many of them soound and feel VERY good. Especially the Tacomas. I know nothing about their amplification capabilities, but as slackkeymike mentioned, you can add on anything to most guitars for good plugged in sound.
Enjoy the search. And, dont be afraid to take your wife along. A new TPer, whose name i will not mention (but i hope he reads this and gives his 2 cents) went to look at Taylors a few weeks ago with his wife. He was making such a fool of himself drooling, zoned out, begging, groveling, etc., that she said "OK already, buy it!" Just to save her embarassment! Might work for you, too :) |
Karl
Frozen North |
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slackkeymike
Lokahi
440 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 5:03:43 PM
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Sounds like me!
But Karl is right on. Buying a guitar based on "installed" electronics (acoustic) is a bad idea. Many times you will play it without...not to mention a "good" amp is going to set you back $600-$1500 (1500 if you are nuts, ). All that can be added later or at time of purchase. Personally, I do not like the idea of a hole cut in the side of a guitar to control the electronics. Eek!! No way!. Install a good bridge or hole pickup and put the rest outside.
Just my 2 cents. Plus, if you are playing slack enough, you will be replacing stings often enough to change any battery that mey be inside.
Mike
Mike |
Aloha, Mike |
Edited by - slackkeymike on 01/05/2006 5:09:30 PM |
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jlsulle
Lokahi
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 5:54:39 PM
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Hello All,
Another two cents. There are certainly many fine high end guitars to choose from and some of the lesser priced instruments will surprise and delight you. I own several brands of high end "toys" but I find that even though I love them all, my four Taylors exhibit the most consistency from one to the other. If you are ever in the San Diego area be sure to visit the Taylor factory and take their tour. It is amazing to see what goes into the manufacture of these guitars and will help to explain how they achieved such a high level of quality with each and every instrument. By the way, they do not pay me one cent for expressing these two cents. J. Sulle' |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2006 : 06:03:08 AM
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| Aw, come on Jerry. Bob Taylor has your picture hanging in his office. Mine too, BTW. |
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HeartOTexas
Akahai
55 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2006 : 08:20:29 AM
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Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard... Thanks for the intro, Karl.
Been playing on an Ovation for years, but new to slack key. I tried some Takamine's at one shop before I went to try the Ibenez and Taylors. Play lots of guitars (acoustic and amp'ed if possible) before you decide. I agree with Andy - go with whatevah feels right in your hands and sounds good in your ears. For me, it was the Taylor.
Really, I wasn't grovelling all that much. My wife went to another store, came back in an hour, and there I was with the Taylor still trying different licks, chords, stretches.... she could also hear the quality of the sound from out in front of the guitar. It was good to have her feedback. She knew how most of the guitars I tried had sounded, and could tell the difference in the Taylor. Just remember, the only person you have to satisfy is yourself when it comes to guitar selection. |
Frank
Deep in the Heart of Texas |
Edited by - HeartOTexas on 01/06/2006 08:24:14 AM |
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kahealani
Akahai
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2006 : 07:32:59 AM
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Yes, you should get something that you feel comfortable playing - whether it be a Takamine, Ibanez, Taylor, or anything.
For me personally, I play a Takamine. I'm not sure of the model, but it's the cedar top and koa body. It cost a great deal of money though, but it sure was worth it. I used to play an Ibanez which I played for...gosh, almost 3 years!!!
But anyway, Go with whatever you feel comfortable playing.
Aloha!!! |
Brittni Paiva
www.brittnipaiva.com
www.myspace.com/brittnipaiva |
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Papamonty
Aloha
USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 11:59:14 AM
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I have owned and sold the following Takamines:
a) EG544SC-4C (NEX body) - laminate koa back and sides, solid spruce top. My first ever $500+ guitar. I liked the sound at first but after playing many different guitars--Martin, Taylor, Fender, Gibson, etc.--I realized that the tone was boxy, shallow. It's not the body style because I also owned the EAN46C and it sounded great.
b) EAN46C (NEX body) - solid rosewood back, laminate rosewood sides, solid spruce top. Sounded great but hard to play fingerstyle due to the thin nut width.
d) F370SS (dreadnought) - solid koa back and sides, solid spruce top. Sound not all that loud. But had excellent sustain. No electronics. Thin nut width.
e) TAN360S (dreadnought) - Solid EI rosewood back and sides, solid bearclaw spruce top. Nashville series. 1 3/4" nut, great for fingerstyle. However, I got tired of the stretchmarked top and boominess.
Takamines are an excellent value but for fingerstyle play, I would recommend a 1 3/4" nut at a minimum and an NEX or OM body style. A dreadnought body still works though.
I currently own 5 Martins with one on the way. I enjoy playing fingerstyle on my SWOMGT, OM-28 Marquis, and D-28 Marquis. The string spacing on my 000X1 and LX1 is thin buy I am able to manage playing slack key on these.
Hope this helps.
Jon M |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 1:33:07 PM
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One of the guys I used to play with in church had an old (1970s) jumbo Takamine that he played fingerstyle. That guitar drowned out the other two of us with guitars and had the sweetest sound (even with year old oxidized strings). I played it a few times and was never able to make it sound as nice as the owner. He loves that guitar and I understand why.
I personally own smaller body style Taylor guitars (factory is in town) and love both of them -- one nylon string and one steel string solid koa. I like the action, nut width, tonal balance, and pickups. One day I might get good at playing and make them live up to their potential. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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Leonard
Lokahi
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 06:24:30 AM
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I recently tried the new Breedlove C25 Passport (I think that's the number) at Dan's Guitar on Beretania in Honolulu. It's a "travel" guitar, because it fits easily in the overhead bins on airplanes. I was considering it for that reason. I had read a review in Guitar Player or Fingerstyle Magazine. The guitar should have been tuned in A (up from standard E) but the proprietor had it at standard pitch, so it was terrible sounding. He allowed me to tune it up to A, at which point he said it was the best sound anyone had gotten out of it. Not due to me of course, but just putting it in the right tension. Then I played it in standard and (transposed) taropatch tuning. Sound was fair. It comes with on-board amplification, so the proprietor (who was very accommodating) allowed me to plug it in to a small amp. Sounded pretty good that way, and you could of course tweak it, but if it's a travel guitar, you're not bringing the amp along on the plane. Anyway, the sound was not really an issue, if the size was right. And the size was right. But I found the guitar fretting to be a problem. When I was sliding up, the frets seemed to block me - I couldn't just slide over them. And varying pressure with the left hand still could make quite a different in the intonation of fretted notes, which of course was atrocious at standard pitch, but continued to be a problem even in A. So I turned it down. The proprietor had several other interesting guitars, includin a Babicz, and was happy to let me play and retune stuff.
Then I went to Island Guitars at the Ward Center, where I've visited each time I was in Honolulu. They had a Baby Taylor (not the Big Baby) and a comparable "baby" Martin. These are short-scale guitars, intended for standard pitch. Both were $315 out the door with a gig bag. I played both and my wife listened critically to both and we chose the Taylor. The Martin sounded muffled (might change as time goes on) but the Taylor sounded surprisingly full for such a small guitar. Strings were Elixir Nanowebs. No problem sliding up or down on either guitar. Both were very playable and sounded fine in standard or taropatch. Since I like the Elixir Polywebs, I was going to buy a set, but they threw the new strings in for free. The gig bag is very well-padded and includes a neck-tension wrench and a large pocket for music. So I played happily in my hotel room for a day or two.
When I came to fly home, I had no problems with airlines. No one mentioned it, and it fit easily into the overhead bins. I still prefer the sound of my regular guitars, but traveling with either of them is a real pain. So for keeping my hand in while on the road, the Baby Taylor works very well. |
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. M. Gandhi |
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