Need some help in choosing a nylon A/E crossover..

[FlyingDutchman]

Im down to two options:

Takamine EC132C

Guild GN5

Im leaning towards the Guild for the cedar top. My only reservation is the fact that it is made in China. Im hesitant to spend $1000.00 on a Chinese made guitar. I guess Im just programmed to think that "made in China" is of lesser quality. From what little I have read about the Guild, the build quality is top notch.

I understand that the Takamine is a classic and is a fantastic instrument. I really would like a cedar top though for a warmer tone which the Takamine does not have.

Thanks in advance!

[CCFingerstyle]

I thought the Takamine 132 series had cedar tops. I've got two of them, a cutaway and a non-cutaway version and they both look like cedar tops to me. Great instruments for the price by the way.

Chris

[FlyingDutchman]

Chris, Here is the Tak Im looking at...

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item-...-EC132CWC-LIST

Description says solid spruce and rosewood back/sides..

[CCFingerstyle]

Looks like they make them with both tops. The cedar top is a bit more expensive.

[Bobby1note]

Don't let the "made in China" scare you away from the Guild. Go try one out, and I think you may be surprised how it compares to lots of more expensive guitars.

[FlyingDutchman]

Unfortunately I dont have a Guild dealer in the area that I can try one out. I may just order it from AMS and give it a test drive.

Thanks for all the input!

[Sal]

I have the Guild 4N and I love it. The 4N has a spruce top and I have not tried the 5N to offer a comparison. But I don't think you will be disappointed, it's a great guitar. Very well made and a joy to play. I also have a Takamine EN-65C that was an 80s era crossover with a 1 3/4" neck. The Guild is by far the better sounding guitar. Good luck!

[FlyingDutchman]

Thanks for all the input guys...I just pulled the trigger on a brand new GN5. Guitar Center $200 off coupon was too much to pass on. I'll post a review once I receive it and put it thru its paces..

[Sal]

Flying Dutchman, I wasn't aware of the GN5 model and was thinking of the GAD 4N and 5N guitars. From what I can see the 4N is spruce top with mohogany back and sides, the 5N is Cedar top with padauk back/sides and your G5N is spruce top with rosewood back/sides. Some other materials differ but one other major difference is the pickups used. The 4N, 5N use a Seymour Duncan Timber-line pickup system, your G5N has a Fishman Sonitone pickup system.

Do you have any insight into these different pickups?

Thanks!

[FlyingDutchman]

Hi Sal, I have no idea the differences in the pickup systems used. I do know that the Fishman systems are pretty well regarded when it comes to amplifying the nylon acoustics.

[FlyingDutchman]

Well the GN5 arrived today and its already on its way back to AMS. I ordered a new one and I got a customer returned and resealed. Bummed me out. I wanted to keep it but the more I looked it over, the more I just wanted what I paid for. It had different strings on it, a fair amount of scratches on the top and some chipping near the tuner posts. When the previous owner changed the strings he must have used a tool of sorts to pull the string through. I dont know. It had black nylon strings on it that had ball-ends. There was also a fair amount of fretwear for a "new" guitar.

AMS promised a factory new one next day air. I hope to get it on Friday. Buzz kill NGD...

[bohemian]

Cervantes is highly regarded

[Sal]

Yikes Flying Dutchman, what a bummer. You did the right thing sending it back. Good luck!

[Jimmac2006]

I wasn't aware that the Tak EC132C was a crossover..it has a nut width of a little over 2 inches. Isn't that standard classical? Congrats, BTW

[CCFingerstyle]

Originally Posted by Jimmac2006

I wasn't aware that the Tak EC132C was a crossover..it has a nut width of a little over 2 inches. Isn't that standard classical? Congrats, BTW

I agree. I don't think of the 132 series instruments as crossovers (both of mine have 2" nuts). The TC-135SC seems to fall into that category.