Takamine C132S

[hat]

I've been looking around at the Takamine C132S series guitars. Their website states that they are ladder braced, but then the next section down says they use fan bracing. Does anyone know which it actually has?

[Bax Burgess]

On Takemine's site it says that the design is based on Torres' design, which was fan braced, though, the site says ladder braced. So I hooked up my cable cam to my laptop and looked inside my Takamine EC132C. It's a mix of ladder and 'fan' bracing. The seven braces running from front to rear are parallel to each other, not fanning outwards. Two ladder braces contain these braces, one spanning the seven at the soundhole end and one spanning them down towards the endblock. Maybe Torres had more going on than just fan bracing. By the way, the EC132C is a forceful, rich sounding guitar, even though it's built like a truck and has a lam top.

[Carey]

The early 80s C132S that I had was a 7-fan conventional Torres pattern, with a solid Cedar top and laminated Indian Rosewood back and sides. It was a pretty
good guitar with an easy action, and I probably should have kept it.

[Bax Burgess]

Some corrections to my previous post.

Six parallel braces, not seven, and at their midpoint they cross over a very low side to side strip that's just fore of the saddle above. Two of the six, on the bass side, aren't stopped by the rear cross brace, but instead run all the way to the rear.

[Carey]

Originally Posted by Bax Burgess

Some corrections to my previous post.

Six parallel braces, not seven, and at their midpoint they cross over a very low side to side strip that's just fore of the saddle above. Two of the six, on the bass side, aren't stopped by the rear cross brace, but instead run all the way to the rear.

Mine 132S had six fan braces, too, after Northwest Orient airlines was done with it.. my first repair job.

[mtdmind]

Originally Posted by Carey

The early 80s C132S that I had was a 7-fan conventional Torres pattern, with a solid Cedar top and laminated Indian Rosewood back and sides. It was a pretty
good guitar with an easy action, and I probably should have kept it.

That describes the one I had in the 80s. Also describes how I felt about selling mine. Should have kept mine. Still miss it even though I have a luthier made classical.

[FrankHS]

Originally Posted by Bax Burgess

Some corrections to my previous post.

Six parallel braces, not seven, and at their midpoint they cross over a very low side to side strip that's just fore of the saddle above. Two of the six, on the bass side, aren't stopped by the rear cross brace, but instead run all the way to the rear.

That sounds much like Kohno bracing, which has been copied or modified by many Japanese manufacturers through the decades. (OP--) Maybe "ladder bracing" is a good term, but dont confuse that with modern latttice bracing.

[hat]

Well, I found one! A 2005 model, showed up on Craigslist at a very reasonable price. Specs indicate solid cedar top/solid RW back, and lam sides. Not use what to call the bracing, it is a hybrid ladder/fan style - but this thing has a wonderful tone to it! Very comfy neck for a classical, plays very easily. Very good entry level classical. Now to figure out the myriad of classical strings?!?

[Bax Burgess]

The EC132C is my first and only Tak, purchased for an ergonomic reason, not for its tonal quality. It's an impressive lam top, heads above what I was expecting. I knew that Tak made fine guitars, but now I'm curious to play one of their higher models.

[hat]

Originally Posted by Bax Burgess

The EC132C is my first and only Tak, purchased for an ergonomic reason, not for its tonal quality. It's an impressive lam top, heads above what I was expecting. I knew that Tak made fine guitars, but now I'm curious to play one of their higher models.

There may be a difference in the ones with electronics, but mine most definitely has a solid top.

[Bax Burgess]

The EC132C was made with either a solid or lam top. I don't know if they were offered at the same time or if Tak switched from one to the other. How is the neck contour on yours? Mine has the most robust neck that I've experienced, flattish, somewhat squared where it begins its rise up towards the fingerboard, but still comfortable.

[mtdmind]

I believe the C132C was a cutaway with a laminated top and the C132S does not have electronics and does have a solid top. The later ones had solid backs, too but laminated sides.

[hat]

The neck on mine I find quite comfortable, for a classical neck. Wide, but nicely full and rounded.

[Carey]

Originally Posted by hat

The neck on mine I find quite comfortable, for a classical neck. Wide, but nicely full and rounded.

That's how mine was, too. 51mm width, IIRC. And with the exception of the
low E string, it really sounded better than the Hirade Model 5 that I had before
it. Oh well..