Takamine EF341-SC

Rmz76 · #1 04-03-2016, 01:05 PM

Did some searching and found Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi helped make the Takamine EF341-SC popular. The model is still in production today... Solid top, laminate maple b&s and it has a street price of over $1200. Does anyone else feel they are charging a bit much considering the increase in quality of pickup technology over the years?

I honestly haven't followed Takamine's much, but found this tid-bit surprising. Taylor doesn't even charge that for their 214ce.

Would be curious to hear from current and former owners of this model if you think it's worth the current retail/street price?

http://www.takamine.com/EF341SC
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EF341SC

jp2558 · #2 04-03-2016, 03:05 PM

I have a 92 model, and for $1200 these days, I'd take some time and shop around and look at other options.

Earl49 · #3 04-03-2016, 03:25 PM

I don't have a lot of direct experience, but the Cool Tube pickup systems in Takamine guitars are supposed to sound pretty good. In this case, that narrow neck (a tad less than 1-11/16" wide) would kill the deal for me. I consider 1-3/4" to be the minimum width for my fretting hand.

LTC C · #4 04-05-2016, 12:26 PM

I would not pay $1200 for that particular model, but they typically go for about $800 used in good condition. However, I disagree that pickup technology has surpassed Takamine's. There is simply not a better pickup and preamp available for acoustics than the Palathetic matched to the CT4B-II or one of the Cool Tubes. Lately, though, most of their Japanese models are on par with anything out there in the same price range, even the EF341 with laminate backs.

ohYew812 · #5 04-05-2016, 12:28 PM

Lam maple, narrow neck... that's a non-starter in that price range.

SFCRetired · #6 04-05-2016, 12:40 PM

That model is really meant to be played on stage plugged in so the lam has little to do with how good that guitar is. If you want a solid wood guitar that is not the one for you. Glenn Frey played a 360 that was lam B/S for years and ask Takamine to build him another one exactly like it. In the end he ended up taking a solid wood version that became the GF signature model.

MrDB · #7 04-05-2016, 08:08 PM

It's a stage guitar. Not bad sounding acoustically, but designed to be plugged in. So it would be dependent on how you would use it as to whether it would be worth $1200.

Also it does have a thinner, narrow neck, so that's a factor as well.

I had one for quite some time and liked it for gigs.

tomiv9 · #8 04-06-2016, 12:20 AM

It looks like the model on Sweetwater has the latest and greatest cool tube pickup. Takamine frequently upgrades pickups in their models over the years, without changing the model name. I had a Tan15c model which was great plugged in and unplugged, if you can find one used they are grest values. Tan16c also great.

caissiel · #9 04-06-2016, 03:42 AM

It's Takamine most popular selling guitar. No way they will stop selling it. And it's not the plugged in sound that makes it popular because all Takamine guitar can be set to sound similar plugged in. The pickups are interchangeable and for stage sound the CT4B is the simplest to use for great sound.
I prefer my old 92 model with the most complicated settings but each his own. I have 3 different preamp models and they all sound great with complete different methods of setting for excellent acoustic sound. My cool tube has best sound set flat with excellent options for purity.
To compare Taylor preamp to Takamine is a long story, Taylor has nothing compared to Takamine.

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PorkPieGuy · #10 04-06-2016, 05:09 AM

I have that guitar! It's an amazing instrument, and if you play one in person, it's hard to believe that it's a laminate b/s guitar. I have a friend that plays mine whenever we play out together, and he would love to have one. When I was doing the singer/songwriter thing back about a decade ago, I used this in a variety of venues through a slew of different PA systems. I swear I can make it sound good through just about anything. I have friends that have the EG-version of my EF guitar and there is a big sound difference...even when plugged in. The EG's just don't match up IMO.

If there is one weakness with this guitar, it's this: it's an absolute bear to record. I fought tooth and nail to get a good recorded sound out of it, and I just couldn't for whatever reason. I used a variety of mics, but nothing sounded that great, so I ended up getting a Taylor GC8 just for recording, and it does the trick. With that said, I still love the Takamine.

Is it worth $1200 though? My wife bought mine new back in 2004 for about $750, and it's worth every penny of that. If something were to happen to it, I'd look to buy a used one as opposed to a new one. As long as it's not been abused, the used price goes for about $700. Also, keep in mind that the laminate b/s makes it a little more durable in terms of humidity abuse and road wear, so as long as the top and neck are in good shape, a used one should do you well if you are looking to get one.

If I had $1200 to spend on a strummer, I'd get a used Taylor GS5 and put a K&K mini in it.

caissiel · #11 04-06-2016, 09:52 PM

One night while I was doing a sound check with my $300 Takamine guitar one well known talented guitarist named Tim came to the stage and asked me what pickup I was using.
I told him it was the complete build-in unit in my guitar. He was surely impressed. Later he showed me the 3 holes in his guitar, showing the removed pickup in his dread Taylor. He told me that he had spend over $2000 in electrics modifications and could not find the sound my guitar had, that he was looking for. There was a Martin D42 and a D16 plugged in on the stage that could not sound as well as mine neither, per Tim's comment.

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