Takamine

TAKAMINE EF340SCO, EF444S-TBS & EF508KC £749, £799 & £899
ELECTRO-ACOUSTICS
already described, the EF444S carries
the same slender-in-width affair as the
dreadnought. In practice this isn’t too
much of a drawback because, as with
anything else, you get used to what
you’re presented with, and it’s a neck
that always feels compact and
comfortable. However, wider-neck
Takamines are few and far between,
and it seems that the company might
have taken the opportunity to add one
more to the roster, not least because
the guitar is aesthetically so well suited.
SOUNDS: If you yearn for an airier-
necked picking tool, you certainly
shouldn’t be disappointed with the
EF444S’s sound. It’s a joy, actually,
with a free-breathing, open-voiced
suppleness, sweetly bright trebles and
a healthy portion of warmth, depth and
snap when played harder.
The CT4BII system largely works well
with these engaging acoustic traits.
Because of the guitar’s more mid-
scooped sound compared to the
dreadnought, the high end can sound
a little papery, which may require
backline adjustment to provide a
slightly mellower starting point for the
treble band. Conversely,
the instrument
understandably needs a
bit more bass boost for
an equivalent low-end
fullness, but the
onboard EQ has the
scope to deliver this.
These are but minor
tinkerings in a very
enjoyable playing
experience.
EF508KC
Of our threesome, this all-gloss NEXC
electro is the one dressed up for a
party. The body is all koa, while the
cream-edged purfl ings front and back
are more elaborate, the soundhole
rosette sports an abalone inlay, and the
sculpted-profi le bridge has the split
saddles that Takamine tends to reserve
for its more upmarket instruments. At
nearly £900, albeit including a good-
quality hard case, it may be mildly
surprising to learn that the body is
laminated, but such is the cost and
increasing scarcity of this beautiful,
golden-hued Hawaiian timber that even
with a solid top, let alone all-solid
construction, the guitar would
command a rather more exalted asking
price. As it stands, it’s a darn pretty
instrument to behold, with a fair
amount of lateral fi guring dotted
around the outermost
veneers.
It’s not just the
EF508KC’s body that
receives the more
deluxe treatment. The
rosewood fi ngerboard
carries outline-
snowfl ake markers and
is bound in body-
matching cream plastic,
which continues up
around the rosewood-
faced headstock where the tuners are
gold rather than chrome plated. The
style of binding gives a slightly more
abrupt edged feel to the (again slender
yet deepish) neck, but the standard of
fretting and set-up is to the same high
standard as on the other two
116
DECEMBER 2006
TAKAMINE EF340SCO TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Super-tidy build; good general
duties sound
■ WE DISLIKED Slightly grubby-looking
top; cosmetics a tad plain
TAKAMINE EF444S-TBS TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Tip-top construction again;
vintage vibe; supple, open tones
■ WE DISLIKED A chance missed for a
wider fi ngerstyle neck maybe…
The EF340SCO’s
all-over satin fi nish
feels especially
smooth to the
touch, and the
multi-ply top binding
and soundhole rings
are precisely lined
TAKAMINE
EF444S-TBS
As EF340SCO except…
PRICE: £799 (inc case)
TYPE: NEX-bodied
electro-acoustic
BACK/SIDES: Laminated
mahogany
MAX RIM DEPTH:
110mm
MAX BODY WIDTH:
399mm
BRIDGE/SPACING:
Rosewood with bone
saddle/53mm
WEIGHT (kg/lb):
2.23/4.9
OPTIONS: Tr y the OM-
size, cedar/mahogany
Advanced Natural TAN70
with solid top and back
and CoolTube preamp
(£929)
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISH: Gloss tobacco
sunburst body, satin neck
Top: the EF340SCO
Right: the EF444S-TBS
GIT284.rev_takamine 116 7/11/06 13:48:53