Once Again ... Takamine EF360S-TT/Palathetic Pickup with TLD2 LineDriver Preamp

[SpruceTop]

As I've done, you've tried every piezo-based pickup under the sun in your favorite multi-thousand-dollar axes and think you've finally now got it all. So, today, as I've done several times before, I plug in my 2020 Takamine EF360S-TT with its Palathetic Pickup/TLD2 Line Driver Preamp and instantly have the best sound I've heard all this long weekend after playing all my other guitar/pickup combos into my VOX AGA-150 Acoustic Guitar Amp. Not only is this Made In Japan all-solid-wood Takamine EF360S-TT an excellent-sounding acoustic guitar but maybe it's the best effortlessly achieved plugged-in acoustic tone I've heard over my almost 50-year odyssey of chasing amplified acoustic-guitar tone. It comes stage-ready with strap buttons--open the shipping box and walk onstage with it--and it can be had for $1600 to $1800 depending on the dealer. 'Nuff said, carry on ...

[shufflebeat]

It's what they do.

I have an original ef360s with a non-original preamp (boo!) and fully concur. It has been retired and donated to #3 son and I've swapped for an ef342sc which is more band-friendly but likewise beautiful.

Both these guitars work excellently with the Tonedexter, I think partly because their less lively tops make for a tighter, more focussed sound.

Aside - before giving the ef360s to the son I took it to a well known UK guitar shop to see.if a part-ex might be possible. The owner told me he could give me ZERO on it because of scratches on the top - no-one would buy it. He agreed with me that it was madness but couldn't change it.

[Petty1818]

Yep, I still think Takamine make the best built in pickup systems. I am a big fan of a group up here in Canada called Great Big Sea. They always used Takamine guitars and they play fairly upbeat Celtic style music. They consistently have the best plugged in tone I have ever heard. They did a live album back in 1999 and I often forget I am listening to plugged in guitars. I still consider getting a Takamine just for live use. They don’t just sound natural, they also have this way of sounding huge. My buddy had a very thin and small bodied Tak that sounded like a dread when plugged in.

[larren]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

As I've done, you've tried every piezo-based pickup under the sun in your favorite multi-thousand-dollar axes and think you've finally now got it all. So, today, as I've done several times before, I plug in my 2020 Takamine EF360S-TT with its Palathetic Pickup/TLD2 Line Driver Preamp and instantly have the best sound I've heard all this long weekend after playing all my other guitar/pickup combos into my VOX AGA-150 Acoustic Guitar Amp. Not only is this Made In Japan all-solid-wood Takamine EF360S-TT an excellent-sounding acoustic guitar but maybe it's the best effortlessly achieved plugged-in acoustic tone I've heard over my almost 50-year odyssey of chasing amplified acoustic-guitar tone. It comes stage-ready with strap buttons--open the shipping box and walk onstage with it--and it can be had for $1600 to $1800 depending on the dealer. 'Nuff said, carry on ...

Yep........same here, but with a Maton. Or I should say Matons.......they seem to be breeding!!

[noledog]

Yo ST,
You know that’s a ditto from me!! I do about 200 shows in all kinds of venues up and down the coast in Florida and it’s my Taks and a Loudbox Performer DONE!!
I recently got a Tak 2005 LTD which is an OM with a 1/34 nut which is rare for Taks. It’s solid spruce and solid back and sides in Sapeale with a cattail Florida wetlands motif. Only 620 of them made. It’s in great condition and sounds wonderful unplugged. Of course amplified it’s fantastic like how you describe. I usually like the CT4BII preamp that came with it. I put my spare Cool Tube-2 in it since it has a gloss spruce top and I like it for this model.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

As I've done, you've tried every piezo-based pickup under the sun in your favorite multi-thousand-dollar axes and think you've finally now got it all. So, today, as I've done several times before, I plug in my 2020 Takamine EF360S-TT with its Palathetic Pickup/TLD2 Line Driver Preamp and instantly have the best sound I've heard all this long weekend after playing all my other guitar/pickup combos into my VOX AGA-150 Acoustic Guitar Amp. Not only is this Made In Japan all-solid-wood Takamine EF360S-TT an excellent-sounding acoustic guitar but maybe it's the best effortlessly achieved plugged-in acoustic tone I've heard over my almost 50-year odyssey of chasing amplified acoustic-guitar tone. It comes stage-ready with strap buttons--open the shipping box and walk onstage with it--and it can be had for $1600 to $1800 depending on the dealer. 'Nuff said, carry on ...

If I were playing every night I think I'd be playing one of these, or the Yamaha FGX5 I played recently. Easy to play. Nice guitars. Excellent plugged in sound.

[rogueacoustic]

Do you run a monitor in front of you when playing live? If you do, does it do a good job at rejecting feedback or do you use a sound hole cover?
I usually play my EF341SC without a cover and getaway with it maybe because it’s a laminate back.
Thanks.

[Jinder]

Great guitars. I toured with an EAN20C for many years, initially with the Mk1 Cool Tubes unit in it, then the CT4BII as it was more reliable. I still have the guitar, beaten up as it is. I had it refretted some years ago and still record with it-it’s on the tracks ‘Agony’ and ‘Trust, Josephine...’ on my last record.

If I hadn’t gone into the world of magnetic pickups, I’d probably still gig with a Tak.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by larren

Yep........same here, but with a Maton. Or I should say Matons.......they seem to be breeding!!

Yep........same here, but with a Cole Clark. Or I should say Cole Clarks.......they seem to be breeding!!

Seriously, though, it's the same for me. Mess around with all kinds of the latest and greatest flavor of the week aftermarket pickup systems through all kinds of add-on signal shaping preamps, EQ and effects and I get a really good amplified tone. Then I plug in my Cole Clark straight into (insert literally ANY amp/PA system here) and get off-the-charts excellent tone with NOTHING added.

What do all these guitars have in common? Proprietary, multi-source pickup systems with the dreaded barn door preamps. Oh, and great amplified tone!

[SpruceTop]

The neat thing about the Takamine EF360S TT is that it has a TLD2 Line Driver Endpin Preamp to amplify the Palathetic Pickup's signal, and thus, no barn door preamp. The TLD2 Line Driver has two built-in, set-and-forget controls, one for tone, and one for output gain. Likely, most players will just use the factory settings but if an adjustment is desired all that needs to be done is to unscrew the TLD2 from the guitar, make the change, and screw it back in the guitar.

[martingitdave]

Has anyone tested the Tak Line Driver preamp with other piezo pickups? Dun da dun dun.