Takamine Thinline TSP138 CN Review

Update to previous review.

I am updating my previous review. There was an issue with the pre-amp when I first received the guitar. The battery was dead on arrival, and I found that the preamp was active even when the guitar was unplugged. I returned the Tak to Sweetwater for replacement of the preamp, and they were incredibly responsive and professional. Even with supply chain issues at the time, it was… read more a very quick turnaround time, and within the window that they quoted. Top marks for the warranty repair department. One other item that I will mention is that the notch filter really functions more like a band pass filter. I assumed that the 0 setting (fully counter-clockwise) would take the notch out of the path. In fact, the notch is always on, and when set to zero it is a high pass filter. I thought that it was odd that the sound was very bright and nasal, especially when compared to other older Taks that I had played. When I rotated the notch clockwise where it became a low pass filter, the sound was full and warm, with plenty of highs. There is no mention of this in the documentation. Some online demonstrations of this guitar lead me to believe that I am not the only one who was mistaken about the function of the notch filter. I have now used this guitar for nearly a year, with a few seasonal changes, and the Tak remains a solid performer and highly recommended.

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2nd review

I wrote a review a while back stating that I loved how the guitar played, and I love how it sounded --- As long as it wasn't plugged in. The piezo pickup and the electronics they use on this guitar are not to my liking at all. You'll see other reviews saying the same. Unfortunately for me, I missed my return window so I almost sold it, but at the last minute, I decided that I… read more would try to replace the electronics or the piezo and see what happens. That proved to be WAY too difficult because the body was so thin, it was hard to work on and the bridge is split which would have been a [female dog] to replace the under saddle pickup. So I experimented with soundhole pickups. Ah, now I was getting somewhere. I tried two pickups one passive and the other active. The active pickup is a DiMarzio Black Angel that I chose because of it's ability to work at the same time with the piezo pickup. I use a second jack that I installed and a Y chord so both pickups can be used. See photos The active pickup is the MOJO Tone which is an amazing pickup. The downside is that it can't be used with a Y chord and the other Takemine pickup. I don't know why, maybe some engineer can explain it. Honestly, I think I'll just use the MOJO and call it a day, you can't beat the tone you get.

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Outstanding Thinline-Perfect for older hands

I have been playing for 50 years, 40 years as a professional. My hands have taken a beating during that time, and I have battled some issues with tendonitis and arthritis. I also have some nerve damage in my right arm from playing large body acoustics. I did a lot of research and trial and error with neck shapes and body thicknesses. I found that I have to have a fairly narrow… read more nut width with a relatively deep neck profile for maximum comfort. A short scale is the last piece of the puzzle. The neck on the Takamine is perfect for me. Although described as a slim profile, the neck is relatively chunky. It matches closely the Warmoth "59 Roundback" profile. I wasn't initially blown away by this guitar's pickup and preamp. The Tak system has a different characteristic from the typical Fishman/LR Baggs style pickups. I am glad that I stayed with it, because I was able to dial in a very nice acoustic tone. This guitar is also surprisingly full sounding acoustically, and could be recorded with a mic as well. The instrument is beautifully crafted, and extremely comfortable to play. The action was nearly perfect right out of the box. I did minor tweaking of the truss rod and lowered the string height at the nut by a fraction. The case is very light but sturdy. If you need an easy-playing guitar, this may be your perfect companion.

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Fantastic guitar except for the electronics

I have been in search for a thin guitar like this for a year. I play in an acoustic trio so I use an acoustic guitar all the time (Taylor 414ce). But the arthritis in my right shoulder has been making it painful to play for the three hours.This guitar was going to be my saving grace. And I was so excited to play it and it did alleviate the pain in my shoulder. It plays wonderfully,… read more the action and the neck shape are awesome. And the tone of the guitar (unplugged) is way better than you might think.However, I need to plug in for my gigs and I can't get a tone with the electronics that doesn't sound like the guitar is inexpensive. I plug directly into the PA and believe me, I spent hours adjusting the EQ and the Notch Filter which also colors the tone. I just can't get a really nice tone out of the guitar. I honestly thought that perhaps the electronics were defective in some way. So I did purchase a pedal by TC Electronics and when I turn the only knob up all the way, it helps to make it sound fuller and richer. So that's why I can only give the guitar 3 stars. It was going to be my new gig guitar, but now it just takes a back seat.

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The new Takamine Thinline.

The overall workmanship of this guitar is excellent. Upon close inspection I could not find any flaws anywhere. All joints, corners, and seams are perfect without any gaps, spaces or glue over-runs. The "Thinline" body is only 2 1/8 inch thick so it feels like you are holding an electric solid-body guitar without the weight. That body size brings up the number one question: How… read more is the Volume? I compared the Takamine Thinline to a Taylor GS Mini and felt the volume of both was close to the same. The Takamine's sound loud enough and is clean and crisp. Because of the body size, this guitar is very comfortable to hold. It is easy to play songs or do lessons while sitting in a chair in front of the computer. Overall I feel this is an amazing guitar for looks, sound, feel and value. I am very happy with mine.

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