1970s Taka Model No. TA501 Acoustic Guitar

Vintage Japanese dreadnought, sweet natural dark stain and old-style plastic tuning pegs

Well, I was able to find another nice Taka acoustic, but still no information on them. This one is nearly identical to the TA500 that was featured a few weeks back, only that one has a natural blond finish. The darker finish on this one looks sweet and the plastic tuning pegs give it an older feel.

When I got my hands on this one, it had a set of electric guitar strings on it and was a little dirty. I cleaned her up and put a new set of D'Addario acoustic XLs on last night. The tone isn't as nice as the TA500, but I think if I put a bone saddle, this one will come closer to that sound.

It's a little beat up, with some small nicks along the body, but it's structurally sound. The neck and bridge don't show any signs of giving anytime soon, so at around 40 years old, this one looks like it still has lots of life left.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

1970s Taka Model TA500 Acoustic Guitar

Rare vintage dreadnought, sounds and plays beautifully, made in Japan

Here is another great little guitar that is at least 40 years old, still in great condition and sounds absolutely beautiful. There isn't much information at all available on this brand that I've been able to find online, but I have seen them selling at some auctions for as much as $700.

This particular model sounds great, I installed a new bone saddle on it and it projects really well. Both the high and low ends are very clear. That new saddle did raise the action a little and once this set of strings is worn out a little, I'll make some adjustments to bring it back down.

This is something that if you stumble upon it and the price isn't outrageous, you should pick it up. Not sure if it's an early version of a Takamine or maybe a knock-off, but it's certainly a quality guitar. Most of these no-name vintage Japanese and Korean imports generally go for around $100-$200.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution pictures here.