Which acoustic would you suggest/recommend ? (Takamine,Taylor....)

[ImGrand]

Hello,

Im looking forward to buy a new acoustic guitar, I also did some research and found a few which might be interesting.

Basically I want one that is an allrounder (for strumming and picking etc.) and also should do that job very well for a long time.


The ones I thought which could be interesting are:


Takamine P2DC

(Top: Solid Spruce, Back and Sides: Sapele/Mahogany, Neck: Mahogany, Fretboard: Rosewood)



Taylor 210ce

(Top: Solid Sitka Spruce, Back and Sides: Layered Rosewood, Neck: Mahogany, Fretboard: Ebony)



Taylor 110e

(Store is not offering the cutaway version) (Top: Solid Sitka Spruce, Back and Sides: Layered Walnut, Neck: Maple, Fretboard: Ebony)



And maybe some other ones if there are a few good suggestions (price limit 1100 Euro)





Unfortunately all stores in my area do not have them in stock so I have to get them online.



I also heard some sound demos of the Takamine on the store website, but there are none for the other two.

There are probably some on YouTube but then they differ in the way of recording and quality (microphones, recording devices ....)



So which one do you think would be the best one for this/those purpose/s. Also in terms of quality, playability ....

And does anyone have experience with those guitars or has played them ?

Thanks in Advance

[phavriluk]

Dear OP: If I didn't know what I wanted, I don't think asking a random group of people who don't know me to choose for me makes much sense.

[jjbigfly]

Two good choices there. While I do not know you or how you actually play....
The Takamine guitars are very well built and finished. Solid instruments regardless of price. I would lean towards a Takamine, but would not ignore the Taylors.

[jpricewood]

Buy an Eastman or a lower end Martin or Gibson, such as a D-15 or J-15, respectively. These offer a tremendous amount of tone for the money, especially used.

[Peter Z]

Wellcome in this forum, ImGrand!
I can understand your question quite well. Typical allrounders are OM and 000 size guitars. The difference is in the scale, length of the neck.

BUT, you can do everything on a good Martin Dreadnough too, or on a Grand Auditorium.

Aside of your suggestions, with 1100,- you are in the territory of all very nice and all solid guitars from Yamaha, Alvarez and Eastman. I would include those into your search.

I know, so many choices, but have fun while playing them (if possible) or comparing them on the web.

[David Rance]

Great question.

€1100 Yamaha Eastman. Most versatile body size OM. Just a thought. If you're in the early stages of this guitar malarkey why dont you spend a bit less? Not sure which bit of the Eurozone you're living in but certainly here in the UK £2-400 would buy you a fine guitar. Yamaha FS800 for less than £300 for example.

Playing that for a spell (and reading AGF!) will make you more boned up and then you'll still have a stash of dosh to spend on your next guitar! and then you'll have two guitars (the bare minimum for a complete life).

Cunning or what!

Good Luck and Welcome.

[Shadowfox]

I wouldn't waste money on a Taylor 200 series when they just released the American Dream for a few more bucks.

Since it sounds like you are in Europe, I'd say that Furch would be the best bang for the buck. You are paying more for a Taylor or martin to be imported to the EU.

You can get an all solid Blue series for about that price. I'd look at a Dread or Grand Auditorium or OM (Just a matter of how much bass response you want).

https://furchguitars.com/en/

[Bridgepin]

Looking for a guitar is very personal, I would suggest getting out and playing as many as you can and getting to understand what you like about one vs another...Be patient and enjoy the quest.

[RussL30]

I think any of those could do the job for your budget. I like both brands and at least at the 200 series Taylors, Powers hasn’t messed with them too much and they’re still X braced square dreads. The arch back does a lot for those MIM Taylors.

I’m sure the P2DC Takamine is a good guitar too. I would honestly look at the P3 and P1 if I was looking at a Tak in that range. I think they do cedar tops really well and the stiffness and bracing of Takamine cedar tops makes them great all around guitars. The P1DC in satin- molasses finish is a particularly nice looking guitar.

Taks don’t get a lot of love on this forum because people assume they only sound good plugged in or play a budget G series model ( some G’s are actually good) and assume all Taks sound like the bad examples of the budget models so you’ll see people start recommending non Takamine brands. Takamine will be just as high quality as any other brand.

Also if the Takamine PTU241c is available in your country you can sometimes find these in the same price point. The prices seem to fluctuate on these but it’s a lot of guitar.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Takamin...xoC05YQAvD_BwE

[neomastino]

My vote is for a Furch as well. Absolutely a fantastic manufacturer and you can probably get them cheaper in the EU than in the US.

[Oldguy64]

Of your listed choices, my knee jerk reaction is to go with the all solid wood Takamine.
That said, my P3DC is not what I expected and more than I expected.
I expected the “warmth” of a cedar top. I got a very similar tone as my All solid Alvarez with Spruce over Rosewood.
Takamine guitars are “built for the road”.
The top on my P3DC is probably twice the thickness of the top on my 110.
Somehow, it manages to sound better. Not that the 110 sounds bad...it just isn’t terribly complex.

Not knowing your musical style, or if you play heavy handed or not,
I can tell you that all three guitars will do the job.
This is particularly true if you’re a newer player and have yet to learn that each shape and style is particularly suited to a particular style.
(That’s BS BTW). If you are able...get hands on a few guitars.
You may be surprised at what follows you home.

[Eryc74]

I think you'd be happy with any of the three guitars you've been looking at.

I have a Takamine and they can be very good guitars. Great entry point for a really good guitar. Both Taylors and Tak's can be a bit easier to play for some types of musicians.

I will 2nd the sentiment - you can do nearly anything of a good Martin Dread too - but the price of a new one can be prohibitive. Used Martin D-28's or D-18's are in a similar price range to the guitars you are looking at. The Martin HD-28V is my very favorite Guitar - not for everything though I can do basically anything on it. It's the sound. Tough to beat the sound of a good Martin dread.

The short scale long scale thing is also very real. Short scales make fast fretting on notes and chords easier - a bit easier action - not electric easy but easier. These tend to be OOO or OO models. Smaller bodied than a dread.

You tend to lose a little sound on a short scale though. But on a really good Dreadnough that has the right set up - you can really do most everything with practice and the sound is tough to beat.

I say most anything because I still bounce to my short scale for some stuff. It's just easier to play.

Every Guitar you buy or get to play will open new styles to you. With practice, you can usually end up playing what one guitar made easy on other guitar later too.

[slopeshoulder]

I have owned a lot of acoustic guitars down through the years. For me, a Takamine is hard to beat as an all around choice. IF I could only have one guitar for gigs, couch and campfire, I would choose a Takamine.

[otis66]

Try one of Taylor’s American Dream guitars before you buy

[BluesBelly]

Originally Posted by slopeshoulder

I have owned a lot of acoustic guitars down through the years. For me, a Takamine is hard to beat as an all around choice. IF I could only have one guitar for gigs, couch and campfire, I would choose a Takamine.

ImGrand,
I see this is your first post. Welcome. Folks here are knowledgeable, helpful, and sometimes very opinionated in a well meaning way. It’s up to you to sort it out but there is an abundance of experience That all members share.
One thing to remember is that just about everything “guitar” is subjective.

That said;
I agree 100% with slopeshoulder!
The Takamine P2DC is an excellent guitar that Will serve you well for many, many, years and the Takamine built-in pre-amp is the best in the industry. Includes a built-in tuner as well.
I would not hesitate to purchase this guitar.

For the best all wood guitar at your price point I personally would choose a USA made Larrivee D-03.

I have had several Takamine guitars and Still own two. I have three Larrivee guitars. All good stuff.

Either way you’ll come out on top!

Good luck.
Blues