NGD: Takamine EF360S TT with TLD-2 Line Driver

[SpruceTop]

Looking inside the Takamine EF360S TT reveals tall, thin-width bracing which is also a feature of Huss & Dalton guitars. Martin guitars generally have shorter but wider-width bracing. Either bracing approach obviously results in fine-sounding guitars.

One week into owning this guitar, the more I play the EF360S TT the more I appreciate what it offers both acoustically and plugged in. It has a strong 6th-string bass fundamental and clear bass resonance that shakes the guitar and which is also thankfully picked up by the Palathetic pickup and boosted by the TLD-2 Line Driver Preamp. The system's string-to-string signal output is balanced i.e. no hotter strings than other string signals. The resulting overall amplified sound from an amp or PA speaker is almost an exact analog of the guitar's acoustic tone and dynamics. To further get a mic-like amplified tone, I'll mess around with playing the guitar through a ToneDexter, Aura, and LR Baggs Session Acoustic DI. More to come ...

[SpruceTop]

Saturday afternoon's fun trio, including recently-acquired Takamine EF360S TT. Let me add that the stage-ready Takamine EF360S TT compares very well tonewise with the much costlier Huss & Dalton TD-R. IMHO, a player wouldn't be at a disadvantage with having to use the Takamine EF360S TT in any playing situation.

Huss & Dalton TD-R/Vega Old Tyme Wonder 12-inch/Takamine EF360S TT

[RussL30]

Thanks for the review, Spruce.

I’m very impressed by Takamine with the quality and build of my recent GB7C and now I’d love to get my hands on one of these 340/360 TT or BG dreads. Congrats on your guitar and I enjoyed reading your thoughts on how it compares to other very high quality guitars in your stable.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by RussL30

Thanks for the review, Spruce.

I’m very impressed by Takamine with the quality and build of my recent GB7C and now I’d love to get my hands on one of these 340/360 TT or BG dreads. Congrats on your guitar and I enjoyed reading your thoughts on how it compares to other very high quality guitars in your stable.

Thanks, RussL30! My new Takamine EF360S TT must be a keeper as just before I snapped the trio-of-instruments photo I removed the Tak's transparent pickguard protective film! Enjoy your Garth Brooks Takamine for years to come!

[SpruceTop]

This afternoon I played my new 2020 Takamine EF360S TT along with my 2019 Taylor 717e Builder's Edition WHB. Both guitars are solid tonewoods of torrified Sitka Spruce with Indian Rosewood back and sides, and both come with onboard electronics that sound really good. The Takamine comes with factory-installed D'Addario EJ16 light-gauge phosphor bronze strings and the Taylor has factory-installed Elixir Nanoweb medium-gauge phosphor bronze strings. So, how do they compare tone-wise? The Taylor 717e has a nice rich and resonant sound but the Takamine EF360S TT is quite a bit louder and more open-sounding than the Taylor while being very rich-sounding too, and this is with only light-guage strings versus the Taylor's medium-gauge strings! The Taylor's action is a bit lower than the Takamine's and that can likely account for some of its lesser volume compared to the Tak's. Yesterday, I mentioned I compared the Tak to my 2017 Huss & Dalton TD-R and the Tak held its own against the richer overtoned H&D. Hey, Folks, IMHO for the $1580 I paid for this well-crafted, stage-ready Japanese-made guitar, you can't go wrong with the EF360S TT if you're into dreadnoughts both for acoustic and amplified playing.

2019 Taylor 717e ES2 Builder's Edition Wild Honey Burst and 2020 Takamine EF360S TT TLD-2

[SpruceTop]

Punching the Takamine EF360S TT with TLD-2 Line Driver through an LR Baggs Session Acoustic DI and into my LR Baggs Synapse PA yields a warm-sounding, fully-resonant but clear tone. Does it get any better and simpler than a Takamine Palathetic pickup with TLD-2 Line Driver Preamp in a wonderful guitar like the Takamine EF360S TT with TLD-2 Line Driver, with or without other signal-chain geegaws, for a great amplified acoustic tone? Although your experiences will vary, based on my experiences with several pickup/preamp systems, I don't think so.

[SpruceTop]

Once again, this afternoon's playing of my new Takamine EF360S TT head-to-head with my Taylor 717e Grand Pacific Builder's Edition plays out well for the Takamine. Both guitars sound wonderful but the Takamine brings a more open and louder tone to the comparison even with its light-gauge strings compared to the Taylor's medium-gauge strings. The Takamine is VERY sensitive to forearm pressure and if you tend to rest your forearm against the top, consider a stick-on armrest. For any player looking for a professional dreadnought guitar for acoustic and amplified performance, the Japanese-made Takamine EF360S TT can and will more than fill the bill for a smile-raising price tag!

Earlier on, a month ago, the Takamine EF360S TT also compared very favorably with my Huss & Dalton TD-R.

[nrand]

I am thinking of getting one of these and am curious about ease of access to the 9v battery and about battery life. Anyone willing to reflect on their experiances with this system? - Cheers

[Glennwillow]

Wow! Good looking guitar SpruceTop!

Congratulations!

- Glenn

[nrand]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Overall, I feel the Takamine EF360S TT is a worthy professional guitar for players who prefer big dreadnought tone without having to bring their prized Martin or other expensive guitar to a jam or gig.

Congrats on your new Takamine purchase.
I just picked up one of these here in Australia to use amplified for live work, mainly interested in the wider nut width.
The battery situation appears to be a bit inconvenient but I have heard these pickup sysems do not use much power. Anyone able to comment on battery life?