TAKAMINE & CRN-TS1

99
JUNE 2022 GUITARIST
TAKAMINE TC135SC & CRN-TS1
6. The thermally treated
spruce top recreates the
sound of a guitar that
has opened up a little
5. Like its stablemate, the
CRN-TS1 features a slot
head atop its 12-frets-to-
the-body mahogany neck
flatter back of a classical guitar neck, for
instance. The 14th-fret body join might
trick the eye if you’re used to a more trad
nylon-string, but, again, not for long.
Recording using the preamp also gave
us a very good sound with the absolute
minimum of fuss. We hardly had to tweak
the controls before we were happy with
what we were hearing.
The CRN-TS1 also ticks many of the
right boxes. Its generous C-shape neck fits
nicely in the hand, although we did find a
little roughness to the frets on certain areas
of the ’board. Easily put right, but a few
more minutes spent with the buffing wheel
would not have been a bad idea.
Sound-wise, we heard plenty of shimmer
in the trebles but not as much bass as
we were expecting from an instrument
with a body of this size. This is likely to
sort itself out given time because all the
If your ambitions
include a little laid-
back bossa, then
the TC135SC should
be on your list
5
6
The CRN-TS1’s back and
sides are sapele with
attractive cream binding
GIT485.rev_takamine.indd 99GIT485.rev_takamine.indd 99 12/04/2022 16:1112/04/2022 16:11