Takamine GC-6CE, Nylon String Review

I love this guitar!!

This is only the 3rd classical guitar I have owned in over 30 years so I don't have a lot to compare this to, aside from what I was able to play at local retailers, but here goes anyway. On sound quality: I have always been of the opinion that I would not buy any classical without a cedar top because I feel like a classical guitar should have a warm, softer tone. I'm really glad… read more I took a chance on this one though. I was not able to find any of these locally so I was only able to go off of online reviews and YouTube videos (most of which were NOT in English). I am very happy with the sound of this guitar. It has a warm sound but can also be brighter depending on how you "pluck" the strings. Other guitarist that have heard me play this guitar say that the volume between highs and lows are very well balanced on this guitar, which is something I feel is lacking on many classical guitars in this price range. I went back and forth between this and the Takamine GC5, which is the same guitar a round sound hole instead of the oval. According to Takamine the oval sound hole gives a little more volume. I can't really say for sure if it does because I was not able to try the GC5. I have not played this publicly so I can't really speak to the sound plugged in. I have plugged it into my little practice amp and it seems to sound really good. On looks: I think this is one of the most beautiful guitars I have seen. The spruce top has a really nice "texture" to it with a darker stain that makes it look more like cedar. (I assume it has a darker stain because it is quite a bit darker than any other spruce top I have seen before. The oval sound hole gives the guitar a unique look even if it doesn't add any volume. I really chose this over the GC5, even though it was a little more expensive, because of that. That probably seems silly to most people but it was worth it me, and hopefully I get a little more volume out of it (LOL). The black walnut back and sides is gorgeous and the fretboard is just beautiful thanks to the lack of fret markers. The gold hardware with pearl buttons on the tuners gives the guitar a very classy look. On playability: I look forward to practicing and playing this guitar every day. The setup is really good thanks to Sweetwater's 55 point inspection. I might have the action lowered just slightly at the upper frets but am still undecided on that. I did not lower my rating for that because I feel like that really comes down to personal preference, especially on a classical guitar. This is the first guitar I have ever played that has no fret markers, either on the frets or the top of the neck. It is taking some getting use to but I knew that when I bought it so, again, I can't take off on the rating for that. I'm giving myself a few months of playing as it is before I break down and buy sticker dots to go on the top of the neck. That will be a last resort though. Overall: I tried a number of guitars at a local retailer that cost several hundred dollars more that did not play or sound as nice as this guitar. If you're looking for an intermediate level guitar that will make you want to play and practice so you'll keep getting better, and still be with you when you start playing gigs, then I highly recommend this guitar!

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So happy with my new Takamine GC-6CE

I recently purchased my Takamine GC-6CE Guitar from Sweetwater. It is the 3rd guitar I've bought from them in the past 3 years. Everything Sweetwater told me about my delivery timeframe was like clockwork. I received it and then opened the package containing my guitar and once I saw this beautiful instrument, I couldn't get the smile off of my face! I tuned the guitar and immediately… read more started to play. I was amazed how easy it was to play compared to my other nylon string guitar. Although Sweetwater performs their 55 point inspection, I took my new guitar to the guitar repair shop I use for a once over, just for my satisfaction. My repair person told me he could make it even easier to play by taking one of the two shims out of the sound board at the bridge. He took one of the shims out, tuned it up and the best got even better! It lowered the strings, making them slightly closer to the frets. I can honestly tell you it's like a dream come true. I haven't played my other guitars since I received this Takamine GC-6CE. I am 74 years old and started playing about three years ago. I'm certainly no expert or Master Guitarist, but more of an intermediate player. My first guitar was a Taylor Classical nylon string guitar and this new Takamine plays circles around it. I toyed with the idea to buy this make and model for several months, and I finally did it. The tonal sounds this guitar puts out is unbelievable. I'm very, very happy with my new purchase and would recommend it to anyone.

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Perfect

Good guitar, fast delivery !!!

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Beyond my expectations

The articulation is amazing volume is great balance is amazing tone tone is great. The neck profile is like a flattened d that makes the neck feel thinner while keeping full 2 inch nut width which is sometimes too wide for me this guy feels perfect. String spacing could not he better at the bridge and nut. About .2 mm tighter spacing between strings like older classical specs which… read more is amazing as I don't have to notch the saddle for the best spacing. Looks amazing action is on point. I've played every classical I could get my hands on for years have been through close to 30 nylon guitars and own 5 now with this addition I may sell the rest as I don't think I will ever play them now. Hands down of hundreds I have played in all price ranges this guitar is my favorite on so many levels.

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