Coming soon: The Podcast version of the Delta Snake Review
Review: 2013 Takamine B128S classical
The Takamine B128S classical is a good example of what happened in a similar situation when inexpensive Chinese violins hit the market a few years ago. You got violins that looked very nice, but at such a low price that Americans had a hard time being objective about the instruments.
Chinese-made guitars are sort of being judged the same way right now. The instruments are so cheap that it goes against the grain of traditional American buying habits when it comes to guitars.
What we have here is a Takamine that only costs 250.00. This is interesting, as the company already has their Jasmine line for such things as entry-level guitars.
Why this is interesting would require a short history. You see, in the 60's and 70's, there wasn't much choice with acoustic guitars. You could get a lousy one, or a good one that was expensive for its time. There wasn't such a thing as a nice inexpensive guitar (although back then, you could probably get a bargain Gibson or Martin in a pawn shop).
Then Yamaha and Takamine entered the market, and for the first time you heard such phrases as “sounds good for its price.” Of the two companies, Takamine took the higher ground and concentrated on the then almost non-existent mid-price market. It was also the one that was the most compared to the Martin guitar (in terms of sound).
Now, fast forward, and because of manufacturing advances, we have decent quality acoustics at every price range, and the real challenge is deciding what sounds good to you, and if you agree with what the company decided to emphasize. Which can be hard, as acoustic guitars do tend to look alike.
In this case, it appears that Takamine has decided to produce an inexpensive starter guitar that will last and mature into a decent intermediate type.
By that I mean, at the 250.00 level, there's always a trade-off. Solid wood construction means less sound, but a guitar that will last until it matures into a nice-sounding one. You can make one that sounds good now, but you might need to use laminates and lighter bracing.
In the case of the C128S, the company accepted less sound and more quality. Therefore, no cutaway at this price range. The top is solid spruce, but not mature yet.
I should note that most classical guitars aren’t made with spruce tops. The most common wood for classical tips is cedar. The idea that a spruce top is better or will mature in the same way as a steel-string guitar isn’t a given. There’s probably room for debate on that.
The Takamine has a good classical-style neck that's just a bit thinner for more comfort, and very nice tuning pegs. In fact, the pegs are nicer than some I've seen on more expensive models.
Also, the neck I saw was perfectly straight and featured a truss rod. This guitar was clearly built to last. Also, the bridge assembly is simple and easy to work on to adjust action or substitute a new bridge.
Don't get me wrong, the guitar does sound pretty good. It does give up some resonance now, but it will mature into a much better guitar. The key thing to remember is that it isn't just time that matures a spruce top, it's how much you play it. There's a difference between the curing (and quality) of the spruce wood, and how it matures through use.
This is a common misunderstanding with acoustic guitars. People think that it's time that mature a solid top acoustic. If you let one sit and rarely play it, that solid top will not mature. If you play it constantly (as well as you should), then it will sound better and better.
Just think, all those wrong notes and misplayed chords are doing some good after all. By the time you are worthy of a better guitar, your guitar will become worthy of you.
- Al Handa
2013
Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.
Also by Al Handa:
Podcast Episode 3 now live on YouTube, Spotify and Apple.
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alhanda/episodes/On-The-Road-With-Al--Ivy-Episode-3-e2k5k0q
Topics:
The Godfather by Mario Puzo, Three Musketeers by Dumas, and the Robin Hood myth.
Some thoughts on Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck, On The Road by Kerouac Scroll Version, and The Road by Jack London.
Music:
My Dog Dreams And Becomes A Mermaid Techno Mix, Sunday's Moon and Nigel Raga by Handa-McGraw International.
Taylor's Blues by Mark McGraw
