Takamine

The high-quality materials and superb factory set-up add
up to a guitar that’s dangerously addictive to play
Summer 2010 Guitarist 95
TAKAMINE EF440SCGN, ETN10-C, EF341SC & TF740FS
£762, £1,021, £1,021 & £1,679
ELECTRO-ACOUSTICS
guitar before, you probably
have. Underlining its credentials
as a top electro, the EF341SC is
the acoustic choice of Messers
Springsteen and Bon Jovi.
Though not being a fan of
colour finishes, this reviewer
has to confess to having fallen
a little in love. The deep black
gloss finish is as good as we’ve
seen for a very long time and we
particularly like the classy
inlaid fretboard markers as set
into the rosewood fingerboard.
Concentric white circles
make up the soundhole rosette,
which in turn matches with the
black and white coach-lining
used on both the guitar’s top
and bottom as well as the back
centre strip. The slim-profile
neck is edge bound, as is the
slim headstock.
Beneath the sumptuous
finish, tonewoods employed
include cedar for the top, maple
for the back and sides and
rosewood for the bridge. As
with all other models on review
here, a strap button is fitted to
the underside of the neck heel,
further underscoring that
Takamine expects these
guitars to be played onstage.
Disappointingly, we again
found signs of some sloppy
quality control when inspecting
the innards of the guitar: excess
glue seeping out from the
kerfling and what looks like
small splashes of white paint
around the paper label mark
down what would otherwise be
high praise for this model.
These issues aside, the
EF341SC is an extremely
likeable guitar, set up in every
way for stage use.
TF740FS
And now for something
completely different: again
launched earlier this year, the
TF740FS slots into Takamine’s
flagship Tradesman series,
which is designed to excel in
specific disciplines. As the FS
denotes, the TF740FS is an out-
and-out fingerstyle guitar with
super-wide neck, healthy string
spacing and 12-fret neck-to-
body joint.
Straight out of the case, the
TF740FS exudes a regal, stately
aura that will appeal to acoustic
connoisseurs and collectors
alike. A gorgeous selection of
cedar, with a strong, creamy-
flecked grain, has been used for
the top while a high grade of
mahogany makes the back and
sides. The elegant OM lines are
augmented by an abalone,
inlaid soundhole rosette.
Again, a two-piece saddle sits
within a rosewood bridge and
at the other end, in what is a
very classy touch, the sculpting
to the headstock reveals the
laminate of mahogany and
rosewood that face the slotted
headstock on which sit side-
mounted, open-geared Gotoh
tuning machines.
The compelling mix of the
generous string spacing, the
high quality materials and
superb factory set-up all add up
to a guitar that’s dangerously
addictive to play. The TF740FS
draws you in, holds your
attention and makes you want
to play longer and better. This is
a grown-up’s guitar.
The CT-4B CoolTube preamp looks bulky by modern standards but sounds great, no question
GIT332.rev_takamine 95 7/15/10 3:44:16 PM