#1
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500€ Fender or Takamine
Hello,
until now I borrowed a guitar to play and I am finally going to buy my first guitar. I would have two guitars in mind. The Fender PM-3 Triple-O and the Takamine GF30CE. Both are about the same price range and I am struggling to choose between those two. I don't really care for the electronic part of the Takamine because I am manly playing for fun and wouldn't need the guitar to be amplified. Are there any opinions on these guitars? Which one would you recomend? |
#2
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I own 2 Takamine's so I may be a little biased.
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2007 Indiana Scout 2018 Indiana Madison Quilt Elite 2018 Takamine GJ72CE 12-String 2019 Takamine GD93 2022 Takamine GJ72CE 6-String 2022 Cort GA-QF CBB 1963 Gibson SG 2016 Kala uke Dean A style mandolin. (Year unknown) Lotus L80 (1984ish) Plus a few lower end I have had for years |
#3
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I will be the first to comment that there are a lot of other choices.
If your only choice is between these two, get the Takamine.
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Happiness Is A New Set Of Strings L-20A |
#4
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As others have said, you should expand your options if you could (Yamaha, Seagull, Eastman, Ibanez...). However, if your choice is truly between those two, I'd go with the Fender because it is all solid wood, it comes with a hardshell case, and (frankly) it looks nicer. The down side is that Fender has long struggled to prove itself in the acoustic arena and I did play one used PM-3 that was a bit underwhelming; however, I've also tried low-end Taks that left me cold. Try to play both before you buy.
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2022 Yamaha Red Label FGX3 2022 Guild Westerly Collection OM-120 2016 Taylor 416ce-R 2010 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster 1974 Rickenbacker 4001 Bass |
#5
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It's great you've narrowed it down to 2. Your call. No one here can advise you on two guitars they haven't played. I had the Fender, but I've no idea on the Takamine.
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#6
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Bring someone with you, who is an experienced player, to test out guitars with you. I'm assuming that you just started playing. If not ignore my advice
The big problem with starting out with guitars is that you don't know anything. You don't know about nut widths, neck profiles, setups, body size and style and wood combos. What sounds good to your ear, could cause problems as far as learning, if the guitar isn't a good fit for you ergonomically. Some guitars don't come setup and ready to play for most people. A "setup" needs to be done that sets the strings at a comfortable height from the fretboard and there's a few things that have to be done to do this. Sometimes though you can find a guitar that needs almost no adjustment. An experienced player can help you find one. I suggest going in with a low ball budget, get something playable that won't kill your ears and play the heck out of it. The trick to this is that you have to ignore the name on the headstock. In a year or two you will have enough feel for playing to be able to pick out a guitar that is better if you want.
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Barry My SoundCloud page Avalon L-320C, Guild D-120, Martin D-16GT, McIlroy A20, Pellerin SJ CW Cordobas - C5, Fusion 12 Orchestra, C12, Stage Traditional Alvarez AP66SB, Seagull Folk Aria {Johann Logy}: |
#7
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Thanks for the detailed replies.
Of course there are more options than those two and I also looked at others but I had to narrow it down in some way. Right now I am playing a Seagull Model 6 and it's a bit clumpy for my taste. I am looking for a OOO/OM because I often play fingerstyle prefer the gentle sound in comparison to a Dreadnought and I really like the sound of mahogany. A cutout is a must for me because I want to reach those high notes. So these are the reasons I broke it down to those two guitars, but if there are other guitar that satisfies my conditions I am happy for suggestions. The best way to make a choice would be to play those two, but sadly there is only one music store in my area which doesn't offer them. Therefore, I can only order one, but of course with the option to return it in case I don't like it. |
#8
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Quote:
Since you're leaning towards mahogany, you might be interested in the all-mahogany PM-3: https://shop.fender.com/en-US/acoust...970331322.html
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2022 Yamaha Red Label FGX3 2022 Guild Westerly Collection OM-120 2016 Taylor 416ce-R 2010 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster 1974 Rickenbacker 4001 Bass |
#9
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Try out both of them (or if possible branch out to other guitar brands, and try them too). I've played both Fenders and Takamines, that sounded "meh" to say the least. By the same token, I have played examples of Fenders and Takamines, that while they didn't sound as good to me as my Taylor, Breedlove, or Martin, still sounded pretty good. At the price level you're looking at, IMO there's a lot of sound variation in what Fender and Takamine offer, hence the need to play them before shelling out the money.
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Play Whatever Brings a Smile To Your Face My Smile Makers: Guild OM-120 Guild F-2512E Deluxe 12-string Eastman E3DE 2013 Ibanez AFJ-95 |
#10
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Better Options Out There
At your price point there are better options than Takamine. I'd stay away from their G-series. I got one of their nicer solid top and solid back guitars (EGSF 15 SC) and it sounds ok, but there was not a lot of detail put into the construction of the inside of the instrument. I don't know how much of that might contribute to the sound though. Some of the finish behind the head stock is pealing too. Keep in mind that I take care of this guitar and it never leaves my house. I posted a pic so you can see what I'm talking about. I have a Yamaha that was more affordable and it detail they put into its construction is just far beyond the Takamine.
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#11
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Quote:
I’ve got Martins, Gibson, and Takamine, but I play at least one of my three Larrivee guitars daily. You can’t beat a Larrivee mahogany guitar Blues |
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Tags |
acoustic guitar, fender, takamine |
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