Takamine TSP148NC, Thinline Review

Incredible workmanship

Quality inherent throughout this guitar, everything about it seems top notch. Understated, which is my preference. Like all Takamine's the electronics are superb. Equally adept in use as a jazz/fusion instrument, or for straight classical. Unlike some of the other brands out there in this category (many of which are also excellent) this guitar has a soundhole and more acoustic presence.… read more One of those 'can't put it down' guitars. One thing, there is some confusing information available concerning whether this guitar has a truss rod. It does in fact have a truss rod, I tweaked mine in fact, and it seems to be functioning as intended. If you are looking for a comfortable nylon guitar, that can expertly exist in various musical applications, this one is hard to beat. I've played full size classical guitars for years, and won't be giving them up. But playing a quality thinline guitar, with a radiused neck, that sounds fantastic, is another realm of musical satisfaction. This one is an investment, to be sure, but for me, the quality of the guitar, and the enjoyment it has brought, made it money well spent, with no regrets whatsoever.

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Beautiful Guitar

I absolutely love this Thinbody nylon. Craftsmanship is stunning - not a single flaw to be found. Neck plays like butter and the guitar overall is extremely comfortable. Sound is as good as can be for a thinbody, and is excellent amplified. I could go on and on, but if your are interested in a thinbody nylon I can't imagine beating this Takamine. The expected trade offs for a thinbody… read more are extremely minimal with this instrument. I couldn't be more pleased and expect you will be too. Buy it.

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Gorgeous

I can't stress enough how impressed I am with this guitar. The craftsmanship / build quality is just top shelf. I'm as critical as they come and this instrument is flawless in every way. Very impressed. Playability / feel is buttery smooth - the satin finish is perfect and really adds to the look and overall feel of this guitar. I asked sweetwater to set it as low as practical… read more before shipping and the action is perfect for me. Not a single issue on any note on the guitar. I suspect traditional classical players will find the neck too cramped, but a typical guitar player will welcome the neck as slightly wider than what they are used too. Sound is also everything I expected and then some acoustically, especially for a shallow body. I will play this acoustically about 50% of the time so I am quite critical of that aspect. Plugged into my Marshall acoustic amp is even better. It transfers its sound very genuinely from acoustic to electric with most settings close to flat. The preamp is super clean and all this guitar needs. If you are looking for a shallow body nylon, of which there aren't many options, this one will be extremely hard to beat. At this price point, or frankly much higher, you just can't do better in my opinion. My initial impression is I found my perfect classical / nylon. I can't imagine this guitar ever being replaced.

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Exceeds high expectations.

A primary reason I am a Sweetwater customer is my rep, Ken Davis. I always know he is looking out for me as a musician. A review of the Takamine thinline nylon A/E. It exceeds my expectations and is a joy to hear and play. One reason I chose this was it was made in Japan. I wanted a reminder of my time there as a worship leader. There is an admirable attention to detail in… read more all things. (Misawa AB represent!) Fit and finish is top notch. Zero glue marks, well cut nut, precision tuners. As for the electronics, this came with a new design for the thinline which works well in both amplified and DI to house configurations. It takes pedals well. Frankly, with the tone, I find myself using less effects. Neck is about 1.8", so just shy of a classical 2.0, which is a plus for me. Very comfortable body shape. Pleasantly loud acoustically unplugged. Comes with a nice Semi-hard case. I'd rate it lower if warranted, but this guitar was exactly what I had hoped. Thanks to Ken Davis and the Sweetwater team (and of course, Takamine, Japan.)

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