1994 Takamine G334 Acoustic Guitar

Vintage dreadnought, made in Taiwan, original owner and my main guitar since 1994

 

I wanted to feature the rest of my longtime pieces, before we move on to some new acquisitions and an update on some items that were featured in the past. This one has been my acoustic guitar of choice for over 20 years. Even when this thing was brand new, it sounded sweet enough that friends were asking to use it for demo recordings.

This has since seen countless recording sessions and shows all over the state. I recently took it to Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar for some fret work and a set up, and he was very impressed. He even swore up and down that it's a solid-top, even though it doesn't look like it to me and Takamine's website says otherwise.

I purchased this beauty at Guitar Center in Fountain Valley, I believe the day after Christmas, 1994. The sticker price was $699 and they were having a buy one, get one free sale. My good friend and eventual first roommate wanted to buy an acoustic guitar and I didn't have one myself, so we decided to take the plunge after sitting around and playing a bunch of them for a few hours. Over these last few years, I've only picked up a few acoustics that have rivaled this beauty and its still on the wall as one of my go to's...

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

1975 Takamine F400S 12-String Acoustic Guitar

Vintage Martin lawsuit copy, solid top 12-string, made in Japan

The quest for vintage solid tops may have ended, as this guitar is definitely an upgrade from the F-385 that I picked up a few months ago. This will require some TLC though. The body has warped and con-caved at the soundhole and one of the braces inside the body has also cracked. I wanted this guitar so bad, that I bought it knowing that I'd have to put some cash into it and I even took the train down to Oceanside to pick it up...

As soon as I got back home, I took the guitar to Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar to assess the damages. I was relieved to hear that giving the wood some moisture would help the body go to back to something resembling its former shape over time. After only 4 days of this treatment, I can already see the difference and I plan on taking new measurements on Saturday. There is also a crack on the bottom edge of the body, but it looks like it may only be in the clear finish.

This is something that will definitely have before and after photos, like the Yamaha FG-200 that I found last year. That one didn't really have any structural damage, but it was still in bad shape and now it looks and plays great. Hopefully, this will have a similar outcome. Clay also noted that the action wasn't bad, even though the body had sunken in so deeply and the bridge and neck are both in good shape. Hopefully we'll have good news to report in a couple of months.

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1978 Takamine F-385 12-String Acoustic Guitar

Vintage Japanese Martin copy from the lawsuit era. Some cosmetic defects, but still rock solid

Sticking with the made in Japan theme, this beauty was yet another thrift store find. Its amazing what people will give away. After parting with the 1995 G335 a couple of summers ago, I'd been looking for another Takamine 12-string and was very fortunate to have this one fall in to my lap.

It plays nice and easy, but it definitely needs a setup and some intonation work. I always set up my 12-strings with extra light strings and usually add this in on recordings to accentuate certain sections with arpeggios, just slightly in the mix.

Something occurred to me as I was taking the photos of this guitar; the date is stamped onto one of the braces around the soundhole, just like the old Carlos acoustic guitars featured here. The Carlos models that I've owned had a date stamped there from 1980-85 and the font on the stamp looks identical. The big hole in that theory is the fact that Takamines were made in Japan until at least the mid-80s and Carlos guitars were made in Korea. Of course, some of the early Jasmine models were made in Korea, so maybe it's not a completely crackpot theory.

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1992 Takamine G330 Acoustic Guitar

Vintage dreadnought, made in Taiwan, a precursor to today's G Series 

SCGM loves Takamine guitars, from the old Japanese Martin copies to today's G Series, the company has always put out quality, affordable products. This one was a craigslist find, it has it's flaws, but they're purely cosmetic. The finish has a milky haze, which I've read is moisture that somehow gets between the wood and the finish. The previous owner couldn't figure out exactly how it happened, but this Takamine 12-string from the same era also had the problem.

Like that 12-string, this guitar also plays and sounds great. I've had a G334 since December 1994 and this one feels nearly identical. The action is nice and low, with no buzz whatsoever. It also has the same die-cast Takamine tuners. We'll leave this one out of the case to see if that haze starts to dissipate after time and will set it up with a new bone saddle sooner than later, to get an even sweeter tone from this beauty.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

1995 Takamine G335 12-String Acoustic Guitar

Sweet little 12-string, made in Taiwan, not to be confused with the current G Series

This is actually the guitar that started all of this madness, when I picked this up a little over a year ago. I bought a Takamine G334 6-string brand new back in late-1994 and when I saw this available at a great price, I couldn't pass it up. Even with some dirty old strings, it sounded and played nice enough.

Fitted with D'Addario Acoustic XL strings, it sounds really bright and plays a little easier than the Fender solid top that was featured here a couple of months ago. Like the Fender, this is also a quality guitar. This one has nice tuning keys that bear the Takamine name, but were made by Ping.

The finish is a little hazy, which is something that I've never seen before. Looks like someone may have tried to clean it and messed it up. Other than that and a couple of small nicks, it's in perfect working order.

12-strings are always popular models and this is one of the better ones that I've played. The only one that was better was a high-end Guild and that's really no contest... Still, I've never had a Takamine, or even a Jasmine for that matter, that wasn't a good player. Great guitars for all levels. 

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1973 Takamine Model No. F360 Acoustic Guitar

Sweet vintage Martin copy, a little beat up, but all original

These Takamine lawsuit models have been an interest of mine for a while and I've finally found a couple at good prices. As luck would have it, I've ended up with possibly some of the first and last of these Martin copies that the company made. 

Takamine experts state that 1984 was the year that the lawsuit was threatened, so 1984-85 should have been the cutoff. The first model that I picked up was a 1987. The history also shows that 1975 was the first year of major distribution to the US, so this one predates those models.

My first guess would be that both of these guitars were not only built in Japan, but also purchased there and then somehow made their way here to So. Cal.

This one does have some issues, the frets show major wear, the last owner said it was mainly used as a beach guitar, so the salt in the air probably caused the tarnishing. There is also some slight warping by the bridge, but I filed the saddle down real low and that helped the action alot. 

It stays in tune so far and there isn't any buzz, so it works for me.

Just set her up with some D'Addario Custom Light strings last night, plays and sounds great.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

 

1987 Takamine G330 Acoustic/Electric Guitar

Classic vintage lawsuit model, Martin dreadnought copy, modified with a pickup for plug-and-play

This is the first of these Takamine lawsuit models that I've been able to take home. I'd really been looking forward to grabbing one and it's as advertised, super sweet. The only thing that it's lacking is a solid top, but I was told that one of the previous owners was a guitar tech and it is setup beautifully. The action is real low, which makes it easier to play, and what appears to be a bone saddle gives off a nice tone.

An under the saddle pickup was also installed at some point, so this one has the added acoustic/electric feature. On top of playing and sounding great, this one is still in real tip-top shape. The only blemishes are some real small, barely noticeable marks on the top of the headstock and there is minimal wear on the first three frets.

Now that I've been able to jam on one of these, I want to find an old F series Takamine lawsuit model even more. Those generally go for at least $400, I was able to get this one for a little less and it's definitely worth every penny.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

2000s Takamine G-230 Acoustic Guitar

Indonesian budget-line guitar, this one is in critical condition

The first G-Series guitar that I've ever played is a nice one, but when it arrived in the mail, the back of the neck had a crack that went nearly all the way across. That's unfortunate, but that happens sometimes when you buy guitars sight unseen.

Luckily though, it's still fully functional. I set it up with a fresh pack of D'Addario Acoustic Light strings and it sounds pretty nice. There is some buzzing, so a new nut and or/saddle would probably fix those issues. This guitar does play super easy, with nice low action and a thin neck.

I've used a higher-end Takamine G334 as my main guitar for almost 20 years now and this is basically a poor man's version of that. I think these retailed for about $200-$250 and that's about right for what you're getting. This one was obviously well-made, as it survived a major fall at some point and still has some life left.

The Takamine name, without Jasmine anywhere to be found always attracts guitar players, this model shouldn't go for any more than $150 today. Since this one is already beat up, it's perfect to have around to play at parties or the beach or something...

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1980s-90s Jasmine By Takamine Model No. S80S Acoustic Guitar

This beauty was among the first Jasmines ever made, with exotic Brazilian Rosewood on the back and sides 

 

Don't be fooled by the Jasmine name on this absolutely astounding guitar, this one plays and sounds as nice as guitars that retail for twice the price.

Not sure exactly when this one was made, but I've read the line began around 1995 and this was the only solid top acoustic listed in their discontinued models, so it's only logical that it's an early model.

The beautiful dyed Brazilian rosewood on the back really gives it a unique touch and the way it plays and sounds make it more than just a pretty box. Also has a set of gold Ping tuners, which were stock on this model.

Thank you for looking. More high-resolution pictures here.