Highly recommend one of these lawsuit Takamines! I have a mahogany F349 and I love it, I’ve played a few different models all from this era and they are amazing. I’ve worked for a guitar center before and had my hands on many different acoustics including expensive martins, some vintage even. And I’d say these takamines are absolutely comparable, especially considering the takamines were most likely played rather than sitting in the case like a vintage Martin would have been. This allows this wood to adapt to the resonation and really open up and give warmth to the tone. Also love the neck width and feel of the fret board. Got mine for $250 and it’s my favorite acoustic I’ve ever played
Agreed! Have a beautiful Fender and then found a 1978 Takamine F350S at a Goodwill for $40 bucks and a ratty guitar case. Had it is storage 6 years and then through a course I was taking called 'the Velocity course" Landmark with the homework being "take something that lives in "someday" that you have always wanted to do up until this point and choose to take that on powerfully and get it complete." So I choose to find out how much it would be to get this guitar in working order. One bent tuning key, new strings, tightened neck, reset fret...$140 and included a "new" vintage Yamaha case!!! Just as I was talking a sales person I heard someone playing this AWESOME sounding guitar, went around the corner, and with my jaw dropped open he said is this your guitar and I said Yes that sounds amazing! He said have you played it, I said NO! Not yet...then he said, why....I shared with him the above story...I said keep playing that is so beautiful...he finished playing and then shared with me, do you know what you have here? The rest is history...and I play this one more than my lovely Fender. Sweet acoustics and easy to play fret board. Thanks for the video Jeff!!
I just picked up a 1982 F-349 Mohagony for $500 in mint condition and plays well. The tuners are tight with no backlash and the action is functional with no fret buzz anywhere. It is as good as a Martin D-17 everywhere for a fraction of the cost.
Here's how the story about "the lawsuit" was explained to me many years ago: Martin had every intention of filing the lawsuit against Takamine, and through some negotiations, some of the Martin people visited the Takamine production facility and were so impressed with the craftsmanship, they agreed to cancel their lawsuit, so long as Takamine would cease to use the Martin headstock ( and perhaps other things. ) The letter pertaining to the lawsuit was simply a legal formality to be "put on notice". I'm not saying "these are the facts", I'm only relaying the information as it was given to me.
Got myself an f400 12 string in a bad shape. Did a total makeover to the guitar with a new nut, saddle, bindings, bridge was lowered and cracked and dinged filled along with a new coat of finish. The guitar sounds amazing!!! I never thought that it would be this good but it's so loud and precise. Outshined my martin D17M. If you have others you sell I would definitely be interested. Thanks for the informative video.
The F400 is definitely a good guitar. My best friend in high school and college had an F400s and I had an F375s. We traded (loaned) our guitars back and forth during some semesters in college. I was looking and testing a new one in a shop around 1983 but it didn’t sound as good as his did. One day he told me he traded it for a jean jacket. I was so upset and got mad at him for the first time in all those years. I would have driven the 1 1/2 hours to buy it for cash, whatever price he wanted, to keep it in the family. Here in Europe, finding an F400 or F400s is difficult. I have found about 4 in 10 years. Most of the time they sell very quickly.
I've had an F370sk (1981) for over 30 years now and I've loved playing it all these years. It's funny because it sat around the music store for such a long time and no one would buy it. I'd always gravitate to that guitar and noodle around on it until one day I could afford to buy it myself. It's got a solid spruce top, koa back and sides, split saddle, volute, and binding on the neck and head stock.
Yes, SuperLead100, the F370sk is the koa version of the F370s which was jacandra back/sides. Many models of the F series were each a specific combination of woods. In some cases, like the F370, they had additional letters to indicate specific woods.
Hi Jeff I’ve unearthed in Australia a Takamine Gakki Concert size F90 , a plain Martin style headstock, one piece back I’m guessing rosewood back n sides with a spruce top I don’t think it’s a laminate. No obvious serial # , interestingly white “paint “ on bracing scalloping, 2 banks of 3 open gear tuners all engraved & chrome plated. Plastic nut n saddle & rosewood bridge so a real mix of hi & low end bits. Love any light you or others could shed on her. Cheers
Thanks Byron. I would suggest mentioning this model in the Takamine group on Facebook where there are 10K+ members and plenty of collective knowledge. I’ve not heard of the F90. My experience of trying to track down info on a specific 1970s model I bought ended up in a 2-yr wait to find someone who did replay. He said he went through all the correspondence from that period and found no mention of my model.
I was gifted with a 1973 F-360 (laminated top) in the early 1990s when I was in college. I am ashamed to say that I played it until it started to fall apart. It was old when I got it but I credit it with leading me to eventually take up luthery as a hobby. It's no longer intact (I actually dissected it so the pieces aren't completely ruined) but I can't bear to be rid of it. I intend to shoot a video of my own documenting how these "lawsuit" guitars differ "under the hood" from actual Martin guitars.
Very informative. Thank you! I play a Takamine 12 String, F385, made in 1980. My former choir director told me that he has the exact same guitar, but it is the six-string version. Mine has the Martin-style head stock with the horizontal logo and "Est, 1962." Open one-piece tuning machines, six strings per side. This is my axe, and I love it!
I bought a Takamine C-128 at Guitar Center in 1994. It is well made with adjustable neck from Japan. It has no issues. I did put it in storage from 2009 till 2016 when I returned from Asia. I play daily and love it’s rich sound.
I purchased new a 1977 F-340SF which is a solid spruce (S) top and satin (F) finish. The guitar has sounded better than many new Martin D-18s over the long years because it is played and cared for. The neck although narrow at the nut is still in great shape, straight and true. It was built well for a phenomenal price I think.
I got a 1979 F340SD in perfect condition with hard case for $150 about 30 years ago- still my most played acoustic! It's been around the world with me busking and keeps on ticking. Grover machines, gold Martin-style logo sticker. Amazing guitars.
I REALLY appreciate this video Jeff! I own a ‘74 F365MS w/ Guild headstock. I’ve been searching for accurate info on this guitar for a LONG time… (I got it used in ‘86) your knowledge is a GOLDMINE!👊🏻 THANKYOU! Needless to say… this guitar is a GEM! Kind of a unique tone to it.
Jeff ........ I have an EF360C I bought in 93. Burn in manufacturer number indicates August 8, 1992, yet serial number is 82082461 which would indicate build number is August 8, 1982. Good channel ... great content.
Takamine has had at least 2 different serial number conventions. One is the date with last 2 years as beginning 2 digits of the serial number. The other one is something like take 1962 as start date and add the numbers of years to production year and that is the 2 first digits (eg 1962 + 30 years = 92 as first 2 digits). That would make sense. Double check by asking on the Takamine group on Facebook where there are several people who have guitars with this other serial number convention and regularly answer such questions.
Just stumbled upon this video regarding Takamine guitars. I have a Takamine F 375S that was made in June of 1975, serial number 75061633. Next June will make it 45 years old. It was the 1633rd guitar made that month according to Takamine. I had contacted them a decade ago for any info on it. I purchased the guitar new at Beaches Music in Jacksonville Beach, Florida in late 1975 or early 1976. The store is no longer in business. I don't remember the exact date of purchase. Wish I still had the receipt. The difference I see in mine with most if not all F 375S's that I have seen, is that mine does not have the white trim surrounding the headstock. It is like a standard Martin D35 head stock. The guitar has really mellowed and yellowed with age although I don't play it much anymore. With a new set on medium strings on it, it has a really great voice. I also have a Takamine guitar catalog from 1976. From the sounds of this video the catalog may not have the complete line of guitars they made. Some of their guitars, the jumbo bodies, had headstocks copied from Guild guitars. There's six strings as well as a twelve string example in the catalog. They are called the Auditorium models. The models are F 345, F 366S, F 365S & (MS), F 390S and F 395S & MS twelve strings. I can scan and upload the catalog for those that may be interested in having the images.
Thanks Jon, yes and since Takamine complete revamped their website in 2014, they started all over again. It is hard to find information on various models.
Jon, there were even different variants of the F375. One was the SW with wood trim. And I have another model with a completely different number which is almost identical to the F375s but with a slightly different headstock width, and different tuning heads (which correspond to an earlier year). There seems to have a bit of variation in models over that decade.
My Tack is F360S similar to a D-28. My serial number is June 1984, I bought it new in 85, I'm old. Appears to be solid spruce top, rosewood back, sides + fingerboard, ebony bridge, bone saddle and nut, and a mahogany neck. The one feature I do not understand is, besides the body binding, mine has a binding on the neck (neck only, not headstock). I've seen one other exactly like mine (so I know it's not unique binding) but am unsure where it's (mine) lineage fits into the equation. 20 years or more to send a cease and desist letter? No, to me there had to be an agreement, and that agreement might have been cancelled with a strongly worded letter but due to the lengthy time period I suspect there's a more of a friendly period and now that's talked about as being a "lawsuit" guitar because of the head stock and name logo. The head stock is identical to Martin so much so, this would be the epitome of winning legal actions, no way would it take over 20 years to settle - by letter.
There were very likely behind the scenes agreements, which I have heard about over the years. However, we can only base the facts on what has been made public.
Thanks jeff! I am the person on the Facebook page with the ef540s. Also worth noting on it is it has wooden binding and a ebony fretboard without fret markers ( has markers on the side). Also has the neck velouté and split saddle. Cheers!
+Joshua Shaw Thanks for the info. I've put this info in a text file which track all the comments I did not mention, or about models brought to my attention since. I might make a short follow-up video to mention all such comments.
Hi Jeff - I fairly recently added another "Lawsuit" Takamine to my collection. This one is quite interesting: From 1982 (August) it's an EF375SW with the Martin-style headstock but also a split bridge saddle. 3-piece back, wood binding to the neck and wooden bridge pins. When I bought it, I genuninely think it had never been seriously played - it still had the sticky film on the scratch guard. Anyway, just something to add to the history...
Hi Jeff, enjoyed your video, lots of information, thanks. I have a '77 F-365MS and a '77 F-395MS and they both sound and play like a dream. I'd put them up against anything out there.
Roy, yes I’ve also compared my F375s owned nearly 40 years against many other guitars and it would compete well. I have owned plenty of guitars of different brands and could still get by with that F375s as a sole guitar again.
In 1994 I saw John Doyle playing with Seamus Egan at a small folk festival at La Jolla Country Day School near San Diego, CA. John was playing a Takemine guitar with a very heavy gauge low E string tuned to Drop-D. His playing blew me away and I started listening to him live and on recordings whenever I could. The December, 2001 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine had an article about John and mentioned the specific model of Takamine that he played. I'm pretty sure it was an F-340 S but I'd like to confirm that. If anyone has any info, please let me know.
Any F series model after 1983/1984 would no longer have been these type of Martin copies (or Guild or Gibson copies). The headstock on the F-340 changed from that point on.
I have a 1980 F-363D sunburst, dot inlays, split-saddle, Gibson-esque looking headstock with Takamine name across the top, which from five feet away looks like it reads Martin..... Anybody got any info on this guitar????
Hey! I just watched this, very informative! However!... I've been looking at a 1976 F-450S-B. The "B" apparently refers to the Brazilian laminated back and sides. My question is, do you know anything about the construction of the back and sides on theses models? Like, are they Rosewood or Mahogany with a Brazilian laminate over them? Thanks in advance for any insight you might have.
81 F-363. Just love it. For many years, I thought it was J-45 clone, because that's what a guitar store guru told me. Oh well. To be fair, it does have a Gibson looking headstock, though sideways centered text. Also, a Tak 12 string (EF 385) from around the same time, which is maybe the best ever.
Jeff, thanks for the feedback. Not near my guitar but just checked my photos. The "72" is hard to make out but it's the next two numbers that confuse : "6" and " 5" . Not sure how these can rep day & month. As I said, no 'S' but .. Yep, solid spruce top. Tuners are 'Kluson' style not really butter bean. Nut and saddle really look ivory/bone. Perhaps oddest of all though is the headstock cap and truss rod! .. Wonderin' what I REALLY have here..?
+stephen doss thanks for the follow-up info. I have 4 guitars across which there are 3 different types of tuning mechanisms/heads. both of my solid top Taks from this period have ivory/bone nut and saddle. I know one came with it from the beginning. And the second looks exactly the same. There are sometimes some very odd models which come up from time to time. The problem is tracking down the appropriate person to help identify anything specific about the model, even with the serial number. All of the info on the Takamine website changed during the change of distributors at end 2014 / early 2015, especially info about these models which were in the discontinued models archives on the previous website.
All F360 and F360s models that I have seen are dread size bodies. the smaller size bodies have other model numbers. But then, Takamine has been known ot make mistakes.
Thanks for all the info . I have a 12 string EF365 ( with Electronics) … serial search says production oct. 1981. Can you say more about this one? Is the 365 rare?
How would you compare the sounds of 340s, 360s and 370s. I own a 370s and it sounds amazing but don't know much about the others. Would love to hear your thoughts if you've played all of em.
Hey Jeff, I think I have this right. I just bought a Tak F-360SD so by what you are saying(I think) is that what I have is the solid top ? It's the sunburst version so does the S mean sunburst and solid ? It seems that's what you are saying. If you have any extra time please lmk. Thank you and thank you for this great explanation and time you took to do this video.
There are times like this where the S can mean something different. This would be a great question to ask in the Takamine guitars Facebook group where there are many people who have some uncommon models like this one.
I just got a Takamine 12 string with the old headstock logo like yours. It was a lefty, was converted to a righty and now I am going to have it made back into a lefty. It also has dual pick guards- one on each side of the sound hole- which I assume was added by the last owner. Thanks for the explanations.I am interested in finding out the year of mine. Must be pre- 1984?
Leftyfusion88, yours might be an F400 12-string which was a very common model before 1984. And yes, yours would be pre-1984 if it looks the same as is an F series. The date can found found from the first 2 digits of the serial number that is embossed on the neck block inside the body of the guitar.
I've got an EF381M from 1982. Super heavy guitar. Jumbo body size and gorgeous flamed Maple back / Sides. I finally got around to fixing the electronics on this and this guitar sounds INCREDIBLE plugged in ( in part, due to the muted acoustic tone not cutting through). Any other thoughts or Martin equivalent on this model? THank you.
Hi Dave, the question of the meaning of the letter D in Takamine models actually came up in the Takamine guitar Facebook group the other day. D has different meanings depending on where it appears in the model name. D in SD seems to be something related to sunburst. Nearly all of the F series models were dreadnaught body guitars from that period, but some were not. And the D in some cases (like F363D) seems to likely mean a dreadnaught body if the number is often used for a different body size. The Takamine model numbers had many exceptions from that era.
Got a mid 70s ef360s for £130 from cash converters in the uk its a bit aged but perfectly playable. As soon as i clapped eyes on it i knew what it was and snapped it up. Didnt know anything else about the guitar until i played it. Its a beautiful guitar sure its a martin copy but its the best acoustic ive played and sounds lovely. Ive played guitar since i was 12 im now 53...never played a martin...if i had deep pockets id buy one now, but bang for my buck, i think i did well with this beauty...
Takamine wouldn't have had the design if Favilla didn't have some made in Japan by the Rocolla company who was bought out in '73 or so by Takamine. Favilla brought around 300 to America and I believe that was the cat out of the bag moment.
I came across this video while researching a guitar my wife has had since new, one of her first, a F340SD dated October 79. It's a dark sunburst, so from what you were saying I'm guessing the D denoted the burst. Thanks for the info :)
Christopher, there are many combinations of letters before the numbers and after the numbers. Many of them never seem to have been documented in published info from Takamine. It is very possible that the SD is a designation for some type of sunburst.
The 1972 sold guitars, at least some of them, had a serial number, stamped right inside the sound hole (on the neck?) that had this format XX.X.XX The X's here are all numbers. The first two X's were not the year. However perhaps they were a code that might have implied the year?
Hi Ken, the date is usually first several digits of the serial number (on neck block) you mention, starting with year. There is sometimes an additional date only stamp on a brace just inside the soundhole. I think 2 of 4 of mine (the 1977 one for sure) from 1974 to 1980 the additional date stamp. There is a difference of date of a few weeks between the 2 types of stamps.
Thanks for the video. I have been trying to get info about my vintage Takamine. It appears to be from 1977 based on the serial number, model F-345 with a Guild style headstock. Would this be considered a lawsuit model?
Hi Curt, the majority of the F series ‘lawsuit era’ models had a Martin headstock, but several had Guild headstocks as well. That date fits in with all those F series models that copied the other brands. Someone will try to cut in here and say there was no lawsuit, and I did say that in the video. The term lawsuit era is commonly used and there is no need for people to comment on it everytime someone mentions the term. I haven’t had any of the Guild headstock ones as they never seemed to have made it here to Europe
Any info on the Takamine F-362S? I bought one and can find almost no information about it online. Maybe only 20 pictures of it exist and only like 8 google results
I'm big into vintage Alvarez but have recently become interested in Takamine. Thank you for the wonderful explanation! It's a shame that Takamine does not honor it's history by maintaining it. Vintage guitars are so much more interesting than the newer stuff.
I enjoyed your video. Based on your knowledge of Takamine guitars do you know if a 1978 f360S has forward bracing which would be similar to a Martin HD 28. If so then I am considering having someone scallop the bracing.
I bought an F370S as a teenager in the early 70s, and still have it 40+ years later. I've kept it in excellent condition. I'm doing some research on my serial number to determine the exact age (if that is possible). The number is 47.10.16 and I haven't yet found any information on this series of numbers. Do you have some/any knowledge of this style/set of numbers? Thanks for any support you can offer.
My guess is the 47 is Showa era 47 (1972). Japanese instrument manufacturers name a lot of instruments in this way, each emperor of Japan has a different era. I just saw a guitar from the same era today at a used shop in Tokyo. 47.12.21
@Armando, if your F340s does not have a square headstock like Martin guitars, then your guitar was made after 1984. That is the year that the headstocks changed on these F series guitars.
Hi Jeff thanks for the work you put into this vid I have a model you have not spoken about it is a g series model eg-240 made in Indonesia a kaman product witch I bought in Belfast Northern Ireland in 1999 although it is a 91i think no 91029001 I bought it new so it must have been in storage for a while no you have any more info on this one? Thanks
Hi David, I only know about the lawsuit era (also called Cease and Desist) models. Those would be the F series in the 1970s up to mid-80s, just a couple of early G-series that had the Martin headstocks, and then there is a TD series that was only sold in Japan. I am not familiar with all the series after that.
Jeff, hope i'm not too late with this..I have (still) my original college Takemine F360..I'm pretty sure I puchased it in '74 and as best as I can make out the the serial no. is 72651851 (confusing?)..no 'S' but pretty sure the top is 'solid'..has a truss rod and no date on an upper cross brace. Chrome "butter beans" but covers over the gears..thoughts anyone?
+stephen doss - I should add, the truss rod is accessed on the heastock and the saddle appears to be a 'natural' material (bone?). More confusing? There's more to the story..
+stephen doss If the serial number of an F360 starts with 72 then it was produced in 1972. That makes sense if you bought it in 1974.Not all models have the date stamped in the upper cross brace. Sometimes the date stamp is there, sometimes not.The way to check if the guitar has a solid top is to look at the grain of wood at the sound hole. If the veins of the wood grain continue down from the top into the mouth of the soundhole and underneath, then it is a solid top.As for the tuning mechanisms and knobs, I have at least 3 different types of 4 Takamines from the 1970s.
+stephen doss I've not seen a truss rod accessible by the headstock, although other brands have had this over the years.Two of my Takamines from that period came with bone saddles. I know that the first one came that way since I've had it for 35 years. the other one looks exactly the same, so it seems like they cut the binding and fit bone nut on both guitars and put bone saddles on both guitars.
1989 or 1990 was the transition year for the G330. I've seen an ad for one claimed to be 1989 which still had the Martin headstock. The change could have happened mid-year as it seemed to have happened in mid-1984 with the F-series. Most of this type of detail is discovered through groups where people display photos of the guitar and the serial number. Virtually impossible to get info from Takamine about any of such details.
Hello, I own a 78' 340S do you think upgrades increase the value? The nut, pic guard, and pins are all solid brass. Gold Schaller tuner's and the bridge is mammoth tusk with a fishman pizo under it.
+Mac Bizzo The value of upgrades is not simple. I upgraded from plastic to bone on nut and saddle on two Yamaha guitars (one from early 80s and the other a 12 string) and was able to resell them to cover the cost of the extra investment. Going to bone is likely easier to resell than brass. It all depends on what the buyer wants. I supplied a set of brass pins along with the original plastic ones on a guitar I sold a few years ago. That sale recovered the cost of the brass pins, which was not much.As for the nut/saddle/pins in higher-level materials like ivory, mammoth, etc, I've seen people resell (or try to) them separately. Although there is a tonal difference, I don't think that the resale value of those components is as high as just a basic jump from plastic to bone.Pick guard won't increase as it doesn't really change the tone. As for tuning heads, you might recover some of the investment, but probably not all of it. As for electronics, sometimes it can bring up the value a bit, but I would say that it just allows to maintain a stable value. There are so many sets of aftermarket electronics out there, so it depends if the buyer wants onboard electronics, and how picky they are about them.All in all, I would say that maybe on a part of the financial cost of upgrades could be recovered. It depends on the buyer and what they are looking for.
I currently have an Epiphone PR150NA and a Carvin Cobalt 250 that I removed the pick guards from - and I firmly believe that it improved the tone on both guitars --- Snortin' Morton
Very helpful, thanks Jeff. Is the '76 F-450SB much the same as the F-450S that you mentioned around 25:00? (ie: Solid Spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood body?)
Hi David, see my specific review video here on my TH-cam channel of the F375s and the DF319s where I go through all of the specs of these Takamine guitars and explain how they compare with the Martin D-35 and the Martin Shenandoah D-3532. I recall the sw is the wood binding model.
Hello, and thanks for posting this informative video. I have a G series parlor size Takamine model G306 with the lawsuit era headstock. It dates to 1983. Was wondering if you are familiar with this model? Regards.
Thanks Dennis for your comment about this model. I recall seeing info about it in a FB group quite recently. Tracking down the full list of models became problematic when the Takamine website was completely revamped around Dec 2014 during the end of distribution via KMC and announcements of new distributors during the couple of months afterward. All of the info about the inactive discontinued models literally disappeared from the website, and many of us who are interested in the older models were particularly frustrated. Luckily I had already started documenting the F series in electronic files before that took place. Yet, it is always possible of model numbers which were missed in mynvideo, especially the uncommon models. I'll add this model number to my list to look up and get info on.
@@Ian-ut7lv search on Takamine F307 (www.takamine.com/F307) and you will find various posts of videos and guitars for sale. Your EF307s is simply a solid top version with factory installed electronics. The Takamine website doesn’t always provide 3 different pages to cover (E)F307(s) but often just one page and then you need to know that the other letters were for other options of the same base model. Sometimes it is referred to as the grand concert or orchestra model (OM). The vast majority of Takamine F series models in the 1970s/80s were dread shape guitars. It was the dread and jumbo era for many brands. Taylor came out with their grand concert body in the early 1990s and Martin brought back the 00 and 000 (000 = OM body) on its 15 series at the end of the 1990s and then spread that body size to many of the its non-standard series models afterward. Since the 1990s, the GC/00/000/OM sizes have sold quite well across many brands, especially due to many which offer onboard electronics so no longer the need to have a big body guitar to be heard.
@@jeffallenfrance Thanks you for the low-down! I was trying to search Takamine site - good to know you can search url/model like that. I think the case is the original? As pictured here: (images.bonanzastatic.com/afu/images/35f6/20da/61be_10192572600/019.JPG). My dad bought this E307-S (1982) in San Diego, CA area in early 90s second hand for my sister to learn to play, when she gave up I inherited the guitar and learned to play on it. Great sounding guitar, small, rich and powerful - I usually use DR bronze strings but lately been looking for different strings to balance how bright the sound is out of it. Also looking for a OEM replacement cap for the treble slider if you have any recommendations? (has sliders adjustments for Gain, Bass, Treble).
Jeff, Do you happen to know if what kind of glue Tak may have used on their head joints?: I am looking at a possible neck reset on my '81 f370SK, but if it is epoxy, is is probably a non-starter. Thanks!
Thanks Ian, there were definitely Guild headstock and Gibson headstock copies. I only mainly know the Martin headstock ones and want to keep the video focused on what I had available. I believe the F365, F390 and F395 were all Guild headstock copies.
Thanks! I was going crazy trying to find good info online. I have a question. My great aunt send me pictures of a guitar that I’m trying to find info on. I can’t quite read the model number but it’s definitely f3??. It’s smaller than her f375 and has the same shape headstock but with two cut outs (for nylon strings I’m guessing). I can’t find any online that look like that. Ideas?
Almost all of the Cease and Desist (CAD) letter/ lawsuit era Takamine models were the dreadnought shape. There was also the F310 that was a smaller body, parlor type shape. Takamine made various nylon string models as well, but I'm not familiar with those.
As for the EF375SW, I saw someone post something about it the other day that this is the southwestern model. I was always under the assumption that it is the F375S (solid top), with factory installed electronics, and the w for wood binding. I've seen several EF models with 2 sliders but there may have been a 4 slider control version.
@@jeffallenfrance My dad gave my daughter his Takamine EF376SW The serial number starts with 81. I will be 60 this year and have decided since all my family play but me I'd learn. My daughter has graciously lent me the Takamine for a month or two to learn on. I'm just a few weeks in but am so loving this guitar. Daddy says it has the best action of any he ever played. He plays a Martin now. I have searched for another Takamine like this one to purchase and can't find one. I can't afford a Martin D35. Do you have any recommendations of one that might be similar without breaking the bank?
Hi Jose, the F-360(s) is the rough equivalent of the 1970 and later Martin D-28. It is closer in build to the 1980s Martin Shenandoah D-2832. The Tak F-370(s) is the rough equivalent of the pre-1970 Martin D-28 which had Brazilian RW back/sides. Tak also had the F370sk which is the rough equivalent of the Martin D-25 or D-37 koa models.
@The Rover, it's hard to say why yours has it and others don't. There are various brands which have models from time to time with features of other models.
@@jeffallenfrance I did see a few other 1975 takamine f360s on reverb with binding so I'm thinking 75 f360s had neck binding for whatever reason. I'm not so sure I care for the 25.5 in scale though. Neck width is really small compared to my old Japanese yamahas and my j45. The tak sounds really good but a little brighter than I like. I'll hang on to it and let it be my alternate tuned to something guitar for now.
Could the letter "A" be for Adirondack Spruce top perhaps? I have a 1974 F370S, got that for about 350$ in the early 1990's, then I got a 1978 F340S at the old Seattle Westlake Guitar Center just a few years ago for 340$! What a steal on that one, it's in perfect condition and the prior owner used it as a set up practice guitar it appears, it's all perfectly set up and plays like butter. That's what the GC salesman told me, they got it on a trade in and were moving to a new location, so I got a killer price on that one. I think the 74 F370S is Brazilian does that sound right to you? Thanks and all the best. Great Video!
other comments here mention that the A and B were for the type of material used for the inlays. As for F370, it is the same wood (Brazilian Jacandra) as on F375. See my review video of the F375 for more details. 370 is 2-piece back and 375 is 3-piece back. The DF319s also has 3-piece back with jacandra
the value on such models fluctuates and really depends are where you are located, if the model can be found or is hard to find, etc. It takes a bit of researching on many different guitar sites to establish the value at a given moment. The F-451S was not a guitar with tons of guitars produced. Harder to find, which can keep the value up a bit. The more guitars available for a given model will create competition to lower the value if several people are selling at the same time.
I have a 1976 F451S. Jeff provided much info for me on the Facebook pg. I have photos posted there if you're curious. Not for sale, but I am the original owner from 1977.
your video was very helpful. but I just recently bought a 1978 takamine F370SH. my grandfather owned it for 15 years. since he didn't have the fingers at 84 years old I bought it from him. I love this guitar. is there anything you've found about a 1978 takamine F370SH?
The F370S is 2 piece jacandra back and sides with solid spruce top. I don't know about the H letter. It might be for a different wood for back and sides, or for some types of appointments on the guitar.
Jeff, your clearly have done your homework and have offered a fabulous reference for us 'lost in the woods" lawsuit owners (I have an '81 f370SK). Still, some of what you presented was inaccessible. What I mean is that in your delivery, you tended to make a lot of seemingly off-handed comments under your breath or as it finishing the sentence to yourself but not to your audience, so it was very hard to clearly understand what you said. If it's worth saying, it's worth saying clearly. I don't know if you will ever get enough information that warrants another version of this, but I hope if you do, you dan perk it up a bit so we all gain from everything you say.
Thanks Paul for your comment. This explanation was done very quickly to explain all of the information that was lost from the archives section of the Takamine website when Takamine stopped their distribution with KMC, announced around Dec 10, 2014. All the info on all these models literally disappeared from the Takamine website. It was all-out chaos in the Takamine group on Facebook. I pulled as much together as I already knew and could find and finished the summary document and this video on Dec 30 2014. Takamine had no coverage at winter Namm in January 2014 with no distributor. The first one was announced in February or even March 2015 as Korg UK & Ireland. ESP for the US didn’t get announced for a few more months. I was trying to go through all of this information on the models as quickly as possible as nothing had been rehearsed and I didn’t want to end up with a 1hr video that no one would watch. For each of the individual Takamine guitar videos for the specific F series models here on my TH-cam channel, they had a defined format of information to cover, and were done over a period of time, so you might find that those videos don’t have such under the breath comments. Some of them were even done with someone filming me, so there was immediate feedback on presentation quality and we restarted filming some of them. Hopefully all of comments in this thread about the video answer more questions. As for your F370sk, it is the all koa equivalent of the Martin D-25 and D-37 models. It was the Martin -25k2 if I recall from having played one years ago. The F370sk is a hard model to find. I missed buying one of those by a few days.
Jeff - are you still around - My Question - in 1979 I bought from Bandstand West in Bellevue, Washington, a guitar that made for Bandstand West by - I've Always believed - Takamine - a Marquis - an exquisite copy of the D-35 - WITH the Diamond at the rear base of the headstock - I have never been able to find any info on that guitar any Input by you would be greatly appreciated --- NOTE - in 2000 I gave that guitar to my No. 3 son's step daughter - now in her mid 30's -- of course she Hocked It - that'll learn me ta be Stupid Generous won't it ??? --- Thank You --- Snortin' Morton (74 years on this rock)
The F series Takamines are very similar to the Martin Shenandoah models. For the standard series Martins, the Tak F370(s) corresponds to the pre-1970 D-28 (but not all solid) and the F360(s) corresponds to the post-1970 D-28. The F340(s) corresponds to the D-18.
The Shenandoah models came out about 2 years after Takamine had to change the headstock on the F series models. The Shenandoah models are about as close to the F-series as can me done, especially with regard to solid and laminate woods. The D-28 still remains a key reference for spruce and rosewood, the D-18 for spruce and mahogany. You can find Shenandoah models on the used market but need to look regularly. It is possible to find these Takamine F series models on a regular basis on the used market, depending on where you live.
Christopher, that sounds like a decent price for a G335. That should be a G335 12 string with a manufacture date up through 1989 if it has the Martin style headstock
In 1984, all of the F series Takamines shifted over to the new Takamine headstock. The F-340 was a Martin headstock up until then. Only a few specific models had a Guild headstock, such as the F-363, F-390, F-395. The headstock in 1986 might have been a transition just to move away from the cease and desist letter from Martin to Takamine.
Hi sir. Great video, love it. I just got myself a 1973 takamine f 312 guitar. I did some research but so far can not find anything on it I know it is a 1973 since it tells you on de serial number an the model is a f312. Maybe you know something about it. Type of guitar, price , etc.Thanks. Or anyone
Hi Douglas, 1973 is the first year for the Martin headstock from what I have found. I have a 1973 F-400 and a 1974 F-340. I have heard of the F-312 but never seen one, probably because they were likely not distributed in Europe. I do recall off the top of my head (maybe wrong) that the F-312 is a smaller body guitar, whereas 99% of the Takamine models with the Martin headstock were dread size model guitars. The smaller bodies were not the happening thing in the 1970s/1980s, so few of the guitar manufacturers made them. The simple reason for this is that prior to the 1930s, the small body parlor guitars were the main body style. Martin invented the dread size in 1934 to fight for more sound on stage and that body style became the reference point for acoustic guitars. There were still small body acoustics made by Martin in the 1930s - 1950s (esp the 15 and 18 series), but then then almost completely disappeared from the market when Martin focused almost entirely on dread sizes in the 1960s-1980s. In 1997, Martin released the D-15 as the first model for the renewed series. Yes, the D-15 as the reference because the dread was the reference. Martin then came back to the OOO/OM and OO body sizes starting the following year in 1998 with the OOO-15. See my video on the Martin 15/15M series where I explain the history in more detail. Another factor in all of this is that electric guitars arrived on the scene in the 1950s and made it possible to not worry about having just an acoustic sound. This wiped out the use of the acoustic guitar until MTV decided to do their Unplugged Series where Martin provided the guitars for the players and it relaunched acoustics, and put Martin and dread acoustics back on the map. Today, with onboard electronics, and much better microphones, any body size of acoustic is possible to use. I hope that helps to explain why it is hard to find info on the F-312 and why it was an outlier type of body size model at the time.
@@jeffallenfrance Thanks for the info. Yes , the body is smaller, but just a tiny bit. I took the guitar to a local shop and had it clean and re-string. Honestly, it plays really good. I will like to know the price but, si far have not been able to find anything. Well, once again, thank you for your info.
Hi@@douglasmorazan9172 at the moment there is a 1981 Takamine F312-s on Reverb to help you have a starting point. Yours is a 1973 which is the starting year. They stopped those Martin headstocks in 1984 to help you position the timeframe. The F312 is definitely much smaller than the dread size models. It is the equivalent of a OOO / OM size Martin body. The F312s in 1981 has a slotted head and a 12-fret body join instead of at 14-fret. This is typical of the Martin equivalent models. The one on Reverb only says spruce sitka top. It looks like mahogany back/sides and neck to me. If you want to get an idea of the body sizes and the wood types, go the starting home page of my TH-cam channel (just click on the jeffallenfrance link under this video), and then scroll down on the home page down to the section about guitar instrument reviews. There are plenty of playlists there where I have organized a couple of hundred guitar review by body size and by wood combinations. Those series of short 3 minute videos will help you get a good idea of what the body sizes look like and what the wood types look like and sound like. Hope that helps. Jeff
@@douglasmorazan9172 as for pricing the guitar, the value fluctuates a lot. The 1981 F312-s on reverb at the moment can give you an idea of what that music store has decided to sell it for. I have seen all of my Takamine F model series from the 1970s increase in value significantly over the past 10 years, based on what the same models are selling for on the market today as compared to a decade ago.
+Damian Sliwinski I mentioned you today in a comment on Facebook about the Martin vs Guild vs Gibson-like headstocks in saying that you had contacted me a few years ago with a model I had not seen, which was not one of the Martin-like ones. See this document which I wrote up before creating this video: 1970s-80s-Takamine-F-series-guitars-30Dec2014.pdf app.box.com/s/8jaxaysr3nml06n3t213
jeffallenfrance I've seen this file. I think you've shared it with me some time ago. Nevertheless, thanks Jeff! I'll check Facebook later. Hope you're doing well!
Hi Donnie, I'm fairly sure that i mentioned 2 G series Martin headstock models in the video which are the G330 (6 string) and the G335 (12 string). The Martin headstock continued on these up through 1989 and changed in 1990. As for the different set of serial numbers, you can find discussions on this in the Takamine guitars group on Facebook.
Great video, Jeff, with a host of detailed information! I have a 1980 EF400S (serial number shows it was completed in May 1980) - one thing that I don't THINK you mentioned in your video (apologies if you did) was the specific Martin model that my guitar would correspond to - assuming that there is one! Are you able to share that information? Thx
Thanks Tim.Here is the file I based my video on. Some of that info is provided in there.1970s-80s-Takamine-F-series-guitars-30Dec2014.pdf app.box.com/s/8jaxaysr3nml06n3t213
@@jeffallenfrance Hi Jeff - further research seems to indicate that the F400 series Takamine relates to the Martin D-12 28. I haven't seen one of these, yet, with binding on the neck although I have seem them with the pegs in two different "staggers" in terms of which pegs are to the left, but which was first and when they changed, still TBD...
@@timburgess7345 , yes I somehow realized the answer was the D 12-28 when I answered a post in some Martin group about what a D 28-32 is. I should have caught it earlier when I replied to you because I have a Sigma 12-string that is the clone of the D 12-28. The D 12-28 gets mentioned occasionally in Martin discussion groups but few seem to have one. The Tak (E)F-400(S) was definitely a common set of 12-string models to purchase back then.
I picked up an EG330S...it has the original pickup and a Martin style headstock the serial number is 87100041 do you know anything about these guitars??? I'd appreciate any info! Thank you!!!
Hi Joey, I'm fairly sure that i mentioned 2 G series Martin headstock models in the video which are the G330 (6 string) and the G335 (12 string). The Martin headstock continued on these 2 models up through 1989 and changed in 1990. Your EG330S is the G330 with onboard electronics from the factory (E) and a solid top (S). Takamine had a range of different electronic pickups and preamps. I've never had any of those. Several people in the Takamine guitars group on Facebook know a lot about the electronics.
Hi Jeff. Thank you for this info. I have a Takamine F340S-F serial number 82101573 and guess was made in1982, is a solid spruce top but have no idea what the second F stands for. Any ideas please? It has the martin headstock and I am in Western Australia. Thank you
Hi Patricio, the F349 is an all mahogany dreadnought. All-mahogany models are not new as Martin was already offering all-mahogany smaller body models after the 1920s Depression period as a way to offer a guitar with less appointments, a satin finish at a lower cost to buyers. Martin offered those during the 1930s to 1950s but only very small body. Takamine came out with all-hog dread. Martin reintroduced the all-hog 15 series in 1997 starting with the dread and extending out to several other body sizes. I did another video just on that topic. That has become the 15m series in 2010 and 15 streetmaster as well. Other manufacturers also started offering all-hog guitars (Taylor released all-hog 500 series around 2012, Guild also has had all-hog with the M20 if I recall). Tonewise, the all-hog guitars have a limited frequency range that is flat and in the mid-range. It generally has a warm sound. It is different from a sitka spruce top which is more bright and good for strumming. Some people like the spruce top sound and some like the mahogany top (all-hog) tone. I have had both top woods and use them for different playing needs.
I think that Charlie in the Takamine guitars Facebook group might be able to answer that question as he tends to do a lot of repair work on the models of this era.
Hi Sherry, I've not heard of the GF425s. This video has led to many people mentioning their uncommon model numbers. Yours sounds like one of them. I had one model which took 2 years to get a reply from Takamine after many attempts. Others have told me the same in trying to get info on uncommon models.
I’ve unearthed an Takamine Gakki Co Ltd Concert size F90 one piece back, a very plain standard Martin style square headstock , interestingly white paint on internal brace scalloping, lovely chrome engraved open gear machine head tuners but in 2 x 3s grouping , can’t find any serial numbers. Nut & bridge seem plastic . Can’t find anything on line for this model love any information on her. Happy isolated everyone and keep practising
Thanks jouni for the info. I have seen others that changed headstock from 1989 to 1990. Maybe the EG models continued more. The TD series only distributed in Japan did keep the Martin headstock up until the mid 1990s.
I own a 1973 F340 made in October and is the 0233 in production. I bought it in the early nineties for $80.
Highly recommend one of these lawsuit Takamines! I have a mahogany F349 and I love it, I’ve played a few different models all from this era and they are amazing. I’ve worked for a guitar center before and had my hands on many different acoustics including expensive martins, some vintage even. And I’d say these takamines are absolutely comparable, especially considering the takamines were most likely played rather than sitting in the case like a vintage Martin would have been. This allows this wood to adapt to the resonation and really open up and give warmth to the tone. Also love the neck width and feel of the fret board. Got mine for $250 and it’s my favorite acoustic I’ve ever played
Agreed! Have a beautiful Fender and then found a 1978 Takamine F350S at a Goodwill for $40 bucks and a ratty guitar case. Had it is storage 6 years and then through a course I was taking called 'the Velocity course" Landmark with the homework being "take something that lives in "someday" that you have always wanted to do up until this point and choose to take that on powerfully and get it complete." So I choose to find out how much it would be to get this guitar in working order. One bent tuning key, new strings, tightened neck, reset fret...$140 and included a "new" vintage Yamaha case!!! Just as I was talking a sales person I heard someone playing this AWESOME sounding guitar, went around the corner, and with my jaw dropped open he said is this your guitar and I said Yes that sounds amazing! He said have you played it, I said NO! Not yet...then he said, why....I shared with him the above story...I said keep playing that is so beautiful...he finished playing and then shared with me, do you know what you have here? The rest is history...and I play this one more than my lovely Fender. Sweet acoustics and easy to play fret board. Thanks for the video Jeff!!
I just picked up a 1982 F-349 Mohagony for $500 in mint condition and plays well. The tuners are tight with no backlash and the action is functional with no fret buzz anywhere. It is as good as a Martin D-17 everywhere for a fraction of the cost.
Here's how the story about "the lawsuit" was explained to me many years ago: Martin had every intention of filing the lawsuit against Takamine, and through some negotiations, some of the Martin people visited the Takamine production facility and were so impressed with the craftsmanship, they agreed to cancel their lawsuit, so long as Takamine would cease to use the Martin headstock ( and perhaps other things. ) The letter pertaining to the lawsuit was simply a legal formality to be "put on notice". I'm not saying "these are the facts", I'm only relaying the information as it was given to me.
Got myself an f400 12 string in a bad shape. Did a total makeover to the guitar with a new nut, saddle, bindings, bridge was lowered and cracked and dinged filled along with a new coat of finish. The guitar sounds amazing!!! I never thought that it would be this good but it's so loud and precise. Outshined my martin D17M.
If you have others you sell I would definitely be interested.
Thanks for the informative video.
The F400 is definitely a good guitar. My best friend in high school and college had an F400s and I had an F375s. We traded (loaned) our guitars back and forth during some semesters in college. I was looking and testing a new one in a shop around 1983 but it didn’t sound as good as his did. One day he told me he traded it for a jean jacket. I was so upset and got mad at him for the first time in all those years. I would have driven the 1 1/2 hours to buy it for cash, whatever price he wanted, to keep it in the family. Here in Europe, finding an F400 or F400s is difficult. I have found about 4 in 10 years. Most of the time they sell very quickly.
I've had an F370sk (1981) for over 30 years now and I've loved playing it all these years. It's funny because it sat around the music store for such a long time and no one would buy it. I'd always gravitate to that guitar and noodle around on it until one day I could afford to buy it myself. It's got a solid spruce top, koa back and sides, split saddle, volute, and binding on the neck and head stock.
Yes, SuperLead100, the F370sk is the koa version of the F370s which was jacandra back/sides. Many models of the F series were each a specific combination of woods. In some cases, like the F370, they had additional letters to indicate specific woods.
Hi Jeff I’ve unearthed in Australia a Takamine Gakki Concert size F90 , a plain Martin style headstock, one piece back I’m guessing rosewood back n sides with a spruce top I don’t think it’s a laminate. No obvious serial # , interestingly white “paint “ on bracing scalloping, 2 banks of 3 open gear tuners all engraved & chrome plated. Plastic nut n saddle & rosewood bridge so a real mix of hi & low end bits. Love any light you or others could shed on her. Cheers
Thanks Byron. I would suggest mentioning this model in the Takamine group on Facebook where there are 10K+ members and plenty of collective knowledge. I’ve not heard of the F90. My experience of trying to track down info on a specific 1970s model I bought ended up in a 2-yr wait to find someone who did replay. He said he went through all the correspondence from that period and found no mention of my model.
Id love to see it Byron. F90s were a late 60s/early 70s model
I was gifted with a 1973 F-360 (laminated top) in the early 1990s when I was in college. I am ashamed to say that I played it until it started to fall apart. It was old when I got it but I credit it with leading me to eventually take up luthery as a hobby. It's no longer intact (I actually dissected it so the pieces aren't completely ruined) but I can't bear to be rid of it. I intend to shoot a video of my own documenting how these "lawsuit" guitars differ "under the hood" from actual Martin guitars.
Very informative. Thank you! I play a Takamine 12 String, F385, made in 1980. My former choir director told me that he has the exact same guitar, but it is the six-string version. Mine has the Martin-style head stock with the horizontal logo and "Est, 1962." Open one-piece tuning machines, six strings per side. This is my axe, and I love it!
Dude I just got that exact one for 100$
Can I give you a respectful tip? You're supposed to put the "$" BEFORE the dollar amount, like this>>> $100. @@christopherramirez9754
I bought a Takamine C-128 at Guitar Center in 1994. It is well made with adjustable neck from Japan. It has no issues. I did put it in storage from 2009 till 2016 when I returned from Asia. I play daily and love it’s rich sound.
I purchased new a 1977 F-340SF which is a solid spruce (S) top and satin (F) finish. The guitar has sounded better than many new Martin D-18s over the long years because it is played and cared for. The neck although narrow at the nut is still in great shape, straight and true. It was built well for a phenomenal price I think.
Thanks Michael, I didn’t know of the SF affix of for satin finish
I got a 1979 F340SD in perfect condition with hard case for $150 about 30 years ago- still my most played acoustic! It's been around the world with me busking and keeps on ticking. Grover machines, gold Martin-style logo sticker. Amazing guitars.
I REALLY appreciate this video Jeff!
I own a ‘74 F365MS w/ Guild headstock.
I’ve been searching for accurate info on this guitar for a LONG time… (I got it used in ‘86)
your knowledge is a GOLDMINE!👊🏻 THANKYOU!
Needless to say… this guitar is a GEM!
Kind of a unique tone to it.
you are welcome Tal
Jeff ........ I have an EF360C I bought in 93. Burn in manufacturer number indicates August 8, 1992, yet serial number is 82082461 which would indicate build number is August 8, 1982. Good channel ... great content.
Takamine has had at least 2 different serial number conventions. One is the date with last 2 years as beginning 2 digits of the serial number. The other one is something like take 1962 as start date and add the numbers of years to production year and that is the 2 first digits (eg 1962 + 30 years = 92 as first 2 digits). That would make sense. Double check by asking on the Takamine group on Facebook where there are several people who have guitars with this other serial number convention and regularly answer such questions.
Just stumbled upon this video regarding Takamine guitars. I have a Takamine F 375S that was made in June of 1975, serial number 75061633. Next June will make it 45 years old. It was the 1633rd guitar made that month according to Takamine. I had contacted them a decade ago for any info on it. I purchased the guitar new at Beaches Music in Jacksonville Beach, Florida in late 1975 or early 1976. The store is no longer in business. I don't remember the exact date of purchase. Wish I still had the receipt. The difference I see in mine with most if not all F 375S's that I have seen, is that mine does not have the white trim surrounding the headstock. It is like a standard Martin D35 head stock. The guitar has really mellowed and yellowed with age although I don't play it much anymore. With a new set on medium strings on it, it has a really great voice. I also have a Takamine guitar catalog from 1976. From the sounds of this video the catalog may not have the complete line of guitars they made. Some of their guitars, the jumbo bodies, had headstocks copied from Guild guitars. There's six strings as well as a twelve string example in the catalog. They are called the Auditorium models. The models are F 345, F 366S, F 365S & (MS), F 390S and F 395S & MS twelve strings. I can scan and upload the catalog for those that may be interested in having the images.
Thanks Jon, yes and since Takamine complete revamped their website in 2014, they started all over again. It is hard to find information on various models.
Jon, there were even different variants of the F375. One was the SW with wood trim. And I have another model with a completely different number which is almost identical to the F375s but with a slightly different headstock width, and different tuning heads (which correspond to an earlier year). There seems to have a bit of variation in models over that decade.
My Tack is F360S similar to a D-28. My serial number is June 1984, I bought it new in 85, I'm old. Appears to be solid spruce top, rosewood back, sides + fingerboard, ebony bridge, bone saddle and nut, and a mahogany neck. The one feature I do not understand is, besides the body binding, mine has a binding on the neck (neck only, not headstock). I've seen one other exactly like mine (so I know it's not unique binding) but am unsure where it's (mine) lineage fits into the equation. 20 years or more to send a cease and desist letter? No, to me there had to be an agreement, and that agreement might have been cancelled with a strongly worded letter but due to the lengthy time period I suspect there's a more of a friendly period and now that's talked about as being a "lawsuit" guitar because of the head stock and name logo. The head stock is identical to Martin so much so, this would be the epitome of winning legal actions, no way would it take over 20 years to settle - by letter.
There were very likely behind the scenes agreements, which I have heard about over the years. However, we can only base the facts on what has been made public.
Thanks jeff! I am the person on the Facebook page with the ef540s. Also worth noting on it is it has wooden binding and a ebony fretboard without fret markers ( has markers on the side). Also has the neck velouté and split saddle. Cheers!
+Joshua Shaw Thanks for the info. I've put this info in a text file which track all the comments I did not mention, or about models brought to my attention since. I might make a short follow-up video to mention all such comments.
I’m fixing up a 73 F-370 and it’s one of the greatest sounding guitars I’ve played!
1973 is the farthest back I have seen one of these F series models
Hi Jeff - I fairly recently added another "Lawsuit" Takamine to my collection. This one is quite interesting: From 1982 (August) it's an EF375SW with the Martin-style headstock but also a split bridge saddle. 3-piece back, wood binding to the neck and wooden bridge pins. When I bought it, I genuninely think it had never been seriously played - it still had the sticky film on the scratch guard. Anyway, just something to add to the history...
Thanks for contributing to the historical info
Hi Jeff, enjoyed your video, lots of information, thanks. I have a '77 F-365MS and a '77 F-395MS and they both sound and play like a dream. I'd put them up against anything out there.
Roy, yes I’ve also compared my F375s owned nearly 40 years against many other guitars and it would compete well. I have owned plenty of guitars of different brands and could still get by with that F375s as a sole guitar again.
In 1994 I saw John Doyle playing with Seamus Egan at a small folk festival at La Jolla Country Day School near San Diego, CA. John was playing a Takemine guitar with a very heavy gauge low E string tuned to Drop-D. His playing blew me away and I started listening to him live and on recordings whenever I could. The December, 2001 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine had an article about John and mentioned the specific model of Takamine that he played. I'm pretty sure it was an F-340 S but I'd like to confirm that. If anyone has any info, please let me know.
Any F series model after 1983/1984 would no longer have been these type of Martin copies (or Guild or Gibson copies). The headstock on the F-340 changed from that point on.
I have a 1980 F-363D sunburst, dot inlays, split-saddle, Gibson-esque looking headstock with Takamine name across the top, which from five feet away looks like it reads Martin..... Anybody got any info on this guitar????
Hey! I just watched this, very informative! However!... I've been looking at a 1976 F-450S-B. The "B" apparently refers to the Brazilian laminated back and sides. My question is, do you know anything about the construction of the back and sides on theses models? Like, are they Rosewood or Mahogany with a Brazilian laminate over them? Thanks in advance for any insight you might have.
81 F-363. Just love it. For many years, I thought it was J-45 clone, because that's what a guitar store guru told me. Oh well. To be fair, it does have a Gibson looking headstock, though sideways centered text.
Also, a Tak 12 string (EF 385) from around the same time, which is maybe the best ever.
Glad this explanation video helped
Jeff, thanks for the feedback. Not near my guitar but just checked my photos. The "72" is hard to make out but it's the next two numbers that confuse : "6" and " 5" . Not sure how these can rep day & month. As I said, no 'S' but .. Yep, solid spruce top. Tuners are 'Kluson' style not really butter bean. Nut and saddle really look ivory/bone. Perhaps oddest of all though is the headstock cap and truss rod! .. Wonderin' what I REALLY have here..?
+stephen doss thanks for the follow-up info. I have 4 guitars across which there are 3 different types of tuning mechanisms/heads. both of my solid top Taks from this period have ivory/bone nut and saddle. I know one came with it from the beginning. And the second looks exactly the same. There are sometimes some very odd models which come up from time to time. The problem is tracking down the appropriate person to help identify anything specific about the model, even with the serial number. All of the info on the Takamine website changed during the change of distributors at end 2014 / early 2015, especially info about these models which were in the discontinued models archives on the previous website.
i have a f450s-a. i want to try the D41 Martin and check out the difference
I've owned several and they were all good.
my f360s is a triple o size with the Martin style logo. Mahogony back and sides.It's a small guitar
All F360 and F360s models that I have seen are dread size bodies. the smaller size bodies have other model numbers. But then, Takamine has been known ot make mistakes.
Thanks for all the info . I have a 12 string EF365 ( with Electronics) … serial search says production oct. 1981. Can you say more about this one? Is the 365 rare?
I have a 1976 F 345. Your video did not mention this model. Can you tell me about the woods and playability?
Bernie, there are various models that I did not know about or did not have info on. The F-345 is such an example.
How would you compare the sounds of 340s, 360s and 370s. I own a 370s and it sounds amazing but don't know much about the others. Would love to hear your thoughts if you've played all of em.
Hey Jeff, I think I have this right. I just bought a Tak F-360SD so by what you are saying(I think) is that what I have is the solid top ? It's the sunburst version so does the S mean sunburst and solid ?
It seems that's what you are saying. If you have any extra time please lmk. Thank you and thank you for this great explanation and time you took to do this video.
There are times like this where the S can mean something different. This would be a great question to ask in the Takamine guitars Facebook group where there are many people who have some uncommon models like this one.
@@jeffallenfrance I will do that and thank you so much for the reply and video.
I just got a Takamine 12 string with the old headstock logo like yours. It was a lefty, was converted to a righty and now I am going to have it made back into a lefty. It also has dual pick guards- one on each side of the sound hole- which I assume was added by the last owner. Thanks for the explanations.I am interested in finding out the year of mine. Must be pre- 1984?
Leftyfusion88, yours might be an F400 12-string which was a very common model before 1984. And yes, yours would be pre-1984 if it looks the same as is an F series. The date can found found from the first 2 digits of the serial number that is embossed on the neck block inside the body of the guitar.
@@jeffallenfrance thank you!!
I've got an EF381M from 1982. Super heavy guitar. Jumbo body size and gorgeous flamed Maple back / Sides. I finally got around to fixing the electronics on this and this guitar sounds INCREDIBLE plugged in ( in part, due to the muted acoustic tone not cutting through). Any other thoughts or Martin equivalent on this model? THank you.
All Martin maple body guitars were the 60 series. The models I know are D-60, D-62, J-65, MC68
I think the "D" stands for D35 style, if it has bound fingerboard and a 3 piece back then this confirms it.
Hi Dave, the question of the meaning of the letter D in Takamine models actually came up in the Takamine guitar Facebook group the other day. D has different meanings depending on where it appears in the model name. D in SD seems to be something related to sunburst. Nearly all of the F series models were dreadnaught body guitars from that period, but some were not. And the D in some cases (like F363D) seems to likely mean a dreadnaught body if the number is often used for a different body size. The Takamine model numbers had many exceptions from that era.
Got a mid 70s ef360s for £130 from cash converters in the uk its a bit aged but perfectly playable. As soon as i clapped eyes on it i knew what it was and snapped it up. Didnt know anything else about the guitar until i played it. Its a beautiful guitar sure its a martin copy but its the best acoustic ive played and sounds lovely. Ive played guitar since i was 12 im now 53...never played a martin...if i had deep pockets id buy one now, but bang for my buck, i think i did well with this beauty...
Thanks for the info - appreciate your Tak knowledge
thanks Terry
Takamine wouldn't have had the design if Favilla didn't have some made in Japan by the Rocolla company who was bought out in '73 or so by Takamine. Favilla brought around 300 to America and I believe that was the cat out of the bag moment.
Various people add bits and pieces to the story as time goes on.
I came across this video while researching a guitar my wife has had since new, one of her first, a F340SD dated October 79. It's a dark sunburst, so from what you were saying I'm guessing the D denoted the burst. Thanks for the info :)
Christopher, there are many combinations of letters before the numbers and after the numbers. Many of them never seem to have been documented in published info from Takamine. It is very possible that the SD is a designation for some type of sunburst.
It's ashame on me, I had a f360s and I had no knowledge of the history and value of my guitar. It sounded really good. I just didn't know.
Thanks Jeff, this was very helpful. You are really a specialist.
you are welcome Daniel
The 1972 sold guitars, at least some of them, had a serial number, stamped right inside the sound hole (on the neck?) that had this format XX.X.XX The X's here are all numbers. The first two X's were not the year. However perhaps they were a code that might have implied the year?
Hi Ken, the date is usually first several digits of the serial number (on neck block) you mention, starting with year. There is sometimes an additional date only stamp on a brace just inside the soundhole. I think 2 of 4 of mine (the 1977 one for sure) from 1974 to 1980 the additional date stamp. There is a difference of date of a few weeks between the 2 types of stamps.
Thats not the serial number thats the date stamp and yes, it gives the year .
Thanks for the video. I have been trying to get info about my vintage Takamine. It appears to be from 1977 based on the serial number, model F-345 with a Guild style headstock. Would this be considered a lawsuit model?
Hi Curt, the majority of the F series ‘lawsuit era’ models had a Martin headstock, but several had Guild headstocks as well. That date fits in with all those F series models that copied the other brands. Someone will try to cut in here and say there was no lawsuit, and I did say that in the video. The term lawsuit era is commonly used and there is no need for people to comment on it everytime someone mentions the term.
I haven’t had any of the Guild headstock ones as they never seemed to have made it here to Europe
Any info on the Takamine F-362S? I bought one and can find almost no information about it online. Maybe only 20 pictures of it exist and only like 8 google results
I'm big into vintage Alvarez but have recently become interested in Takamine. Thank you for the wonderful explanation! It's a shame that Takamine does not honor it's history by maintaining it. Vintage guitars are so much more interesting than the newer stuff.
+HipChainey Thanks. The 1970s and early 1980s Takamines are definitely well-built guitars and open up well if played a lot over the years.
18:50 I own a 1982 Takamine G330 s/n 82120xxx. Beautiful guitar. Nice weight to it.
Kris, yes that would be a 1982 model. Good to hear like it.
Do you have more info on the G330? What type of wood? Solid or laminate? I also have an 82 (821008XX)
Thanks
I enjoyed your video. Based on your knowledge of Takamine guitars do you know if a 1978 f360S has forward bracing which would be similar to a Martin HD 28. If so then I am considering having someone scallop the bracing.
I had the braces scalloped in the mid-1980s on my F-375S.
There’s a really cool F307S that is an OM or 00018. This is a great video but it’s like the tip of the iceberg you’re on it man keep it going. Thanks.
Thanks for the info on these great made guitars for a budget - Yeah Martin's cost money and I need to buy a house :)
1977 F-360S here, and I love it
Matt, that is great to hear
Not sure if this helps but the last 2 frets are a pick up plus also the one on bridge
that is one which I have not seen yet.
I bought an F370S as a teenager in the early 70s, and still have it 40+ years later. I've kept it in excellent condition. I'm doing some research on my serial number to determine the exact age (if that is possible). The number is 47.10.16 and I haven't yet found any information on this series of numbers. Do you have some/any knowledge of this style/set of numbers? Thanks for any support you can offer.
My guess is the 47 is Showa era 47 (1972). Japanese instrument manufacturers name a lot of instruments in this way, each emperor of Japan has a different era. I just saw a guitar from the same era today at a used shop in Tokyo. 47.12.21
@@tylereat Thanks for the extra info
Correct. October 16th, 1972
I bought a takamine f340s for 50 bucks but the thing is the headstock has a bit of a newer look compared to the ones you have. What year can mine be?
@Armando, if your F340s does not have a square headstock like Martin guitars, then your guitar was made after 1984. That is the year that the headstocks changed on these F series guitars.
Hi Jeff thanks for the work you put into this vid I have a model you have not spoken about it is a g series model eg-240 made in Indonesia a kaman product witch I bought in Belfast Northern Ireland in 1999 although it is a 91i think no 91029001 I bought it new so it must have been in storage for a while no you have any more info on this one? Thanks
Hi David, I only know about the lawsuit era (also called Cease and Desist) models. Those would be the F series in the 1970s up to mid-80s, just a couple of early G-series that had the Martin headstocks, and then there is a TD series that was only sold in Japan. I am not familiar with all the series after that.
Jeff, hope i'm not too late with this..I have (still) my original college Takemine F360..I'm pretty sure I puchased it in '74 and as best as I can make out the the serial no. is 72651851 (confusing?)..no 'S' but pretty sure the top is 'solid'..has a truss rod and no date on an upper cross brace. Chrome "butter beans" but covers over the gears..thoughts anyone?
+stephen doss - I should add, the truss rod is accessed on the heastock and the saddle appears to be a 'natural' material (bone?). More confusing? There's more to the story..
+stephen doss If the serial number of an F360 starts with 72 then it was produced in 1972. That makes sense if you bought it in 1974.Not all models have the date stamped in the upper cross brace. Sometimes the date stamp is there, sometimes not.The way to check if the guitar has a solid top is to look at the grain of wood at the sound hole. If the veins of the wood grain continue down from the top into the mouth of the soundhole and underneath, then it is a solid top.As for the tuning mechanisms and knobs, I have at least 3 different types of 4 Takamines from the 1970s.
+stephen doss I've not seen a truss rod accessible by the headstock, although other brands have had this over the years.Two of my Takamines from that period came with bone saddles. I know that the first one came that way since I've had it for 35 years. the other one looks exactly the same, so it seems like they cut the binding and fit bone nut on both guitars and put bone saddles on both guitars.
Jeff,
Is the 1979 Takamine F-349 worth $400? I just found one for sale it looks mint. But is it a laminated mahogany or solid wood?
Thanks
I found a F-70 model in a shed on recently bought property
Re-strung cleaned it
Plays well
Value of the used models can be found on Reverb, ebay and in the Facebook guitar buy sell groups for Takamine.
Hi there, did you find out anything about that model? I saw a 1979 f349 for 500 dollars but I don't know if it' a good price for it.
I have the Takamine12 string 1976. F-385
My dad has the g330 updated body after the lawsuit one he got it back in 89
1989 or 1990 was the transition year for the G330. I've seen an ad for one claimed to be 1989 which still had the Martin headstock. The change could have happened mid-year as it seemed to have happened in mid-1984 with the F-series. Most of this type of detail is discovered through groups where people display photos of the guitar and the serial number. Virtually impossible to get info from Takamine about any of such details.
Hello, I own a 78' 340S do you think upgrades increase the value? The nut, pic guard, and pins are all solid brass. Gold Schaller tuner's and the bridge is mammoth tusk with a fishman pizo under it.
+Mac Bizzo The value of upgrades is not simple. I upgraded from plastic to bone on nut and saddle on two Yamaha guitars (one from early 80s and the other a 12 string) and was able to resell them to cover the cost of the extra investment. Going to bone is likely easier to resell than brass. It all depends on what the buyer wants. I supplied a set of brass pins along with the original plastic ones on a guitar I sold a few years ago. That sale recovered the cost of the brass pins, which was not much.As for the nut/saddle/pins in higher-level materials like ivory, mammoth, etc, I've seen people resell (or try to) them separately. Although there is a tonal difference, I don't think that the resale value of those components is as high as just a basic jump from plastic to bone.Pick guard won't increase as it doesn't really change the tone. As for tuning heads, you might recover some of the investment, but probably not all of it. As for electronics, sometimes it can bring up the value a bit, but I would say that it just allows to maintain a stable value. There are so many sets of aftermarket electronics out there, so it depends if the buyer wants onboard electronics, and how picky they are about them.All in all, I would say that maybe on a part of the financial cost of upgrades could be recovered. It depends on the buyer and what they are looking for.
I currently have an Epiphone PR150NA and a Carvin Cobalt 250 that I removed the pick guards from - and I firmly believe that it improved the tone on both guitars --- Snortin' Morton
Very helpful, thanks Jeff. Is the '76 F-450SB much the same as the F-450S that you mentioned around 25:00? (ie: Solid Spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood body?)
Jack, in the Takamine Guitars group on Facebook after I made this video, there was mention of both A and B versions of that guitar model.
Jack, based on another comment to this video, the A was for Abalone Pearl, and the B was for the less expensive Pearloid material.
How does a 375sw compare to higher end guitars? Martin D28-41, etc?
Hi David, see my specific review video here on my TH-cam channel of the F375s and the DF319s where I go through all of the specs of these Takamine guitars and explain how they compare with the Martin D-35 and the Martin Shenandoah D-3532. I recall the sw is the wood binding model.
Hello, and thanks for posting this informative video. I have a G series parlor size Takamine model G306 with the lawsuit era headstock. It dates to 1983. Was wondering if you are familiar with this model? Regards.
I'm really disappointed that you didn't bring up the takamine 365S large body in your explanation. I would like to hear more about that.
Thanks Dennis for your comment about this model. I recall seeing info about it in a FB group quite recently. Tracking down the full list of models became problematic when the Takamine website was completely revamped around Dec 2014 during the end of distribution via KMC and announcements of new distributors during the couple of months afterward. All of the info about the inactive discontinued models literally disappeared from the website, and many of us who are interested in the older models were particularly frustrated. Luckily I had already started documenting the F series in electronic files before that took place. Yet, it is always possible of model numbers which were missed in mynvideo, especially the uncommon models. I'll add this model number to my list to look up and get info on.
Any info on EF307-S? I think i have the original case for it too (black case with gold/yellow interior)?
Date stamp is May 14 1982 EF307-S, how common is this?
@@Ian-ut7lv search on Takamine F307 (www.takamine.com/F307) and you will find various posts of videos and guitars for sale. Your EF307s is simply a solid top version with factory installed electronics. The Takamine website doesn’t always provide 3 different pages to cover (E)F307(s) but often just one page and then you need to know that the other letters were for other options of the same base model. Sometimes it is referred to as the grand concert or orchestra model (OM). The vast majority of Takamine F series models in the 1970s/80s were dread shape guitars. It was the dread and jumbo era for many brands. Taylor came out with their grand concert body in the early 1990s and Martin brought back the 00 and 000 (000 = OM body) on its 15 series at the end of the 1990s and then spread that body size to many of the its non-standard series models afterward. Since the 1990s, the GC/00/000/OM sizes have sold quite well across many brands, especially due to many which offer onboard electronics so no longer the need to have a big body guitar to be heard.
@@jeffallenfrance Thanks you for the low-down! I was trying to search Takamine site - good to know you can search url/model like that. I think the case is the original? As pictured here: (images.bonanzastatic.com/afu/images/35f6/20da/61be_10192572600/019.JPG). My dad bought this E307-S (1982) in San Diego, CA area in early 90s second hand for my sister to learn to play, when she gave up I inherited the guitar and learned to play on it. Great sounding guitar, small, rich and powerful - I usually use DR bronze strings but lately been looking for different strings to balance how bright the sound is out of it. Also looking for a OEM replacement cap for the treble slider if you have any recommendations? (has sliders adjustments for Gain, Bass, Treble).
@@Ian-ut7lv the original cases definitely came with with the yellow/gold interior. I’ve got 2 or 3 of them that came with the guitars
Great information on the lawsuit era thanks!!
Jeff, Do you happen to know if what kind of glue Tak may have used on their head joints?: I am looking at a possible neck reset on my '81 f370SK, but if it is epoxy, is is probably a non-starter. Thanks!
Paul, I believe Charlie Arnold mentioned in the Takamine guitars Facebook group that it was epoxy.
It would have been good to make more mention of the f-390s, the Guild copy.
Thanks Ian, there were definitely Guild headstock and Gibson headstock copies. I only mainly know the Martin headstock ones and want to keep the video focused on what I had available. I believe the F365, F390 and F395 were all Guild headstock copies.
I inherited my mother's 1970 F-360. Takamine & co est 1962. How common is it?
The F360 was a very common model.
Thanks! I was going crazy trying to find good info online. I have a question. My great aunt send me pictures of a guitar that I’m trying to find info on. I can’t quite read the model number but it’s definitely f3??. It’s smaller than her f375 and has the same shape headstock but with two cut outs (for nylon strings I’m guessing). I can’t find any online that look like that. Ideas?
Almost all of the Cease and Desist (CAD) letter/ lawsuit era Takamine models were the dreadnought shape. There was also the F310 that was a smaller body, parlor type shape. Takamine made various nylon string models as well, but I'm not familiar with those.
Hello, I have a takamine ef 375 sw d 4 band with a toggle switch just wondering if anyone knows anything about this particular set up
As for the EF375SW, I saw someone post something about it the other day that this is the southwestern model. I was always under the assumption that it is the F375S (solid top), with factory installed electronics, and the w for wood binding. I've seen several EF models with 2 sliders but there may have been a 4 slider control version.
@@jeffallenfrance My dad gave my daughter his Takamine EF376SW The serial number starts with 81. I will be 60 this year and have decided since all my family play but me I'd learn. My daughter has graciously lent me the Takamine for a month or two to learn on. I'm just a few weeks in but am so loving this guitar. Daddy says it has the best action of any he ever played. He plays a Martin now. I have searched for another Takamine like this one to purchase and can't find one. I can't afford a Martin D35. Do you have any recommendations of one that might be similar without breaking the bank?
I have a Takamine f-370s, the sound is the same as a Martin d28?
Hi Jose, the F-360(s) is the rough equivalent of the 1970 and later Martin D-28. It is closer in build to the 1980s Martin Shenandoah D-2832. The Tak F-370(s) is the rough equivalent of the pre-1970 Martin D-28 which had Brazilian RW back/sides. Tak also had the F370sk which is the rough equivalent of the Martin D-25 or D-37 koa models.
Why does my 75 f360s have binding on the neck? Other 360s don't seem to have this or was that a 75 thing?
@The Rover, it's hard to say why yours has it and others don't. There are various brands which have models from time to time with features of other models.
@@jeffallenfrance I did see a few other 1975 takamine f360s on reverb with binding so I'm thinking 75 f360s had neck binding for whatever reason. I'm not so sure I care for the 25.5 in scale though. Neck width is really small compared to my old Japanese yamahas and my j45. The tak sounds really good but a little brighter than I like. I'll hang on to it and let it be my alternate tuned to something guitar for now.
Could the letter "A" be for Adirondack Spruce top perhaps?
I have a 1974 F370S, got that for about 350$ in the early 1990's, then I got a 1978 F340S at the old Seattle Westlake Guitar Center just a few years ago for 340$! What a steal on that one, it's in perfect condition and the prior owner used it as a set up practice guitar it appears, it's all perfectly set up and plays like butter. That's what the GC salesman told me, they got it on a trade in and were moving to a new location, so I got a killer price on that one.
I think the 74 F370S is Brazilian does that sound right to you? Thanks and all the best. Great Video!
other comments here mention that the A and B were for the type of material used for the inlays. As for F370, it is the same wood (Brazilian Jacandra) as on F375. See my review video of the F375 for more details. 370 is 2-piece back and 375 is 3-piece back. The DF319s also has 3-piece back with jacandra
I'm looking at a 77 F-451S, but nobody seems to know the value. It's in excellent condition from what I can tell. Any idea?
the value on such models fluctuates and really depends are where you are located, if the model can be found or is hard to find, etc. It takes a bit of researching on many different guitar sites to establish the value at a given moment. The F-451S was not a guitar with tons of guitars produced. Harder to find, which can keep the value up a bit. The more guitars available for a given model will create competition to lower the value if several people are selling at the same time.
I have a 1976 F451S. Jeff provided much info for me on the Facebook pg. I have photos posted there if you're curious. Not for sale, but I am the original owner from 1977.
your video was very helpful. but I just recently bought a 1978 takamine F370SH. my grandfather owned it for 15 years. since he didn't have the fingers at 84 years old I bought it from him. I love this guitar. is there anything you've found about a 1978 takamine F370SH?
The F370S is 2 piece jacandra back and sides with solid spruce top. I don't know about the H letter. It might be for a different wood for back and sides, or for some types of appointments on the guitar.
Brandon, based on another comment on the video, the H in F370SH stands for Herringbone.
I have a 1978 F-362S, made on valentines day
Jeff, your clearly have done your homework and have offered a fabulous reference for us 'lost in the woods" lawsuit owners (I have an '81 f370SK). Still, some of what you presented was inaccessible. What I mean is that in your delivery, you tended to make a lot of seemingly off-handed comments under your breath or as it finishing the sentence to yourself but not to your audience, so it was very hard to clearly understand what you said. If it's worth saying, it's worth saying clearly. I don't know if you will ever get enough information that warrants another version of this, but I hope if you do, you dan perk it up a bit so we all gain from everything you say.
Thanks Paul for your comment. This explanation was done very quickly to explain all of the information that was lost from the archives section of the Takamine website when Takamine stopped their distribution with KMC, announced around Dec 10, 2014. All the info on all these models literally disappeared from the Takamine website. It was all-out chaos in the Takamine group on Facebook. I pulled as much together as I already knew and could find and finished the summary document and this video on Dec 30 2014. Takamine had no coverage at winter Namm in January 2014 with no distributor. The first one was announced in February or even March 2015 as Korg UK & Ireland. ESP for the US didn’t get announced for a few more months. I was trying to go through all of this information on the models as quickly as possible as nothing had been rehearsed and I didn’t want to end up with a 1hr video that no one would watch. For each of the individual Takamine guitar videos for the specific F series models here on my TH-cam channel, they had a defined format of information to cover, and were done over a period of time, so you might find that those videos don’t have such under the breath comments. Some of them were even done with someone filming me, so there was immediate feedback on presentation quality and we restarted filming some of them. Hopefully all of comments in this thread about the video answer more questions. As for your F370sk, it is the all koa equivalent of the Martin D-25 and D-37 models. It was the Martin -25k2 if I recall from having played one years ago. The F370sk is a hard model to find. I missed buying one of those by a few days.
Jeff - are you still around - My Question - in 1979 I bought from Bandstand West in Bellevue, Washington, a guitar that made for Bandstand West by - I've Always believed - Takamine - a Marquis - an exquisite copy of the D-35 - WITH the Diamond at the rear base of the headstock - I have never been able to find any info on that guitar any Input by you would be greatly appreciated --- NOTE - in 2000 I gave that guitar to my No. 3 son's step daughter - now in her mid 30's -- of course she Hocked It - that'll learn me ta be Stupid Generous won't it ??? --- Thank You --- Snortin' Morton (74 years on this rock)
William, I am not familiar with any custom made models for specific shops. And it is hard to get info from Takamine about certain models.
I'm looking for a cheaper alternative to the Martin D-28???? or D-18 and Shenandoah.
The F series Takamines are very similar to the Martin Shenandoah models. For the standard series Martins, the Tak F370(s) corresponds to the pre-1970 D-28 (but not all solid) and the F360(s) corresponds to the post-1970 D-28. The F340(s) corresponds to the D-18.
The Shenandoah models came out about 2 years after Takamine had to change the headstock on the F series models. The Shenandoah models are about as close to the F-series as can me done, especially with regard to solid and laminate woods. The D-28 still remains a key reference for spruce and rosewood, the D-18 for spruce and mahogany. You can find Shenandoah models on the used market but need to look regularly. It is possible to find these Takamine F series models on a regular basis on the used market, depending on where you live.
Great explanation, Jeff. What details do you have on the Takamine Guild headstock models? Thanks.
F395 is a Guild model I believe. There were few models with that headstock design.
jeffallenfrance thanks. I finally picked up a 1976 Guild style headstock F365. It's a beauty.
I have a chance to buy a Takamine G335 with the martin style headstock for $180 in decent shape with no bridge lift. Is this worth it?
Christopher Paine take it to a music store and they will appraise it for free.
Christopher, that sounds like a decent price for a G335. That should be a G335 12 string with a manufacture date up through 1989 if it has the Martin style headstock
I have a FP360SC in dam near mint condition. Anyone have a value. Internet seem to be all over the place.
Determining a price for old used guitars is a challenge for many people. So many factors which change regularly.
I also have an 1993 FP360SC. I recently saw two for sale one needed a little work $1200. And another mint for $1850 which sold.
i have the 1986 F-340 six string with the guild headstock, not martin.
In 1984, all of the F series Takamines shifted over to the new Takamine headstock. The F-340 was a Martin headstock up until then. Only a few specific models had a Guild headstock, such as the F-363, F-390, F-395. The headstock in 1986 might have been a transition just to move away from the cease and desist letter from Martin to Takamine.
So if it doesn’t have an S by it, it’s not going to have a solid top?
Yes, in general the S means solid top. there have been examples of exceptions where the lack of an S still does seem to have a solid top.
Hi sir. Great video, love it. I just got myself a 1973 takamine f 312 guitar. I did some research but so far can not find anything on it I know it is a 1973 since it tells you on de serial number an the model is a f312. Maybe you know something about it. Type of guitar, price , etc.Thanks. Or anyone
Hi Douglas, 1973 is the first year for the Martin headstock from what I have found. I have a 1973 F-400 and a 1974 F-340. I have heard of the F-312 but never seen one, probably because they were likely not distributed in Europe. I do recall off the top of my head (maybe wrong) that the F-312 is a smaller body guitar, whereas 99% of the Takamine models with the Martin headstock were dread size model guitars. The smaller bodies were not the happening thing in the 1970s/1980s, so few of the guitar manufacturers made them. The simple reason for this is that prior to the 1930s, the small body parlor guitars were the main body style. Martin invented the dread size in 1934 to fight for more sound on stage and that body style became the reference point for acoustic guitars. There were still small body acoustics made by Martin in the 1930s - 1950s (esp the 15 and 18 series), but then then almost completely disappeared from the market when Martin focused almost entirely on dread sizes in the 1960s-1980s. In 1997, Martin released the D-15 as the first model for the renewed series. Yes, the D-15 as the reference because the dread was the reference. Martin then came back to the OOO/OM and OO body sizes starting the following year in 1998 with the OOO-15. See my video on the Martin 15/15M series where I explain the history in more detail. Another factor in all of this is that electric guitars arrived on the scene in the 1950s and made it possible to not worry about having just an acoustic sound. This wiped out the use of the acoustic guitar until MTV decided to do their Unplugged Series where Martin provided the guitars for the players and it relaunched acoustics, and put Martin and dread acoustics back on the map. Today, with onboard electronics, and much better microphones, any body size of acoustic is possible to use. I hope that helps to explain why it is hard to find info on the F-312 and why it was an outlier type of body size model at the time.
@@jeffallenfrance Thanks for the info. Yes , the body is smaller, but just a tiny bit. I took the guitar to a local shop and had it clean and re-string. Honestly, it plays really good. I will like to know the price but, si far have not been able to find anything. Well, once again, thank you for your info.
Hi@@douglasmorazan9172 at the moment there is a 1981 Takamine F312-s on Reverb to help you have a starting point. Yours is a 1973 which is the starting year. They stopped those Martin headstocks in 1984 to help you position the timeframe. The F312 is definitely much smaller than the dread size models. It is the equivalent of a OOO / OM size Martin body. The F312s in 1981 has a slotted head and a 12-fret body join instead of at 14-fret. This is typical of the Martin equivalent models. The one on Reverb only says spruce sitka top. It looks like mahogany back/sides and neck to me. If you want to get an idea of the body sizes and the wood types, go the starting home page of my TH-cam channel (just click on the jeffallenfrance link under this video), and then scroll down on the home page down to the section about guitar instrument reviews. There are plenty of playlists there where I have organized a couple of hundred guitar review by body size and by wood combinations. Those series of short 3 minute videos will help you get a good idea of what the body sizes look like and what the wood types look like and sound like. Hope that helps. Jeff
@@douglasmorazan9172 as for pricing the guitar, the value fluctuates a lot. The 1981 F312-s on reverb at the moment can give you an idea of what that music store has decided to sell it for. I have seen all of my Takamine F model series from the 1970s increase in value significantly over the past 10 years, based on what the same models are selling for on the market today as compared to a decade ago.
I should send a pic, see if can track down any info it's almost as if it's a one of a few ever made
Hi Jeff, great video! What about Guild-like and Gibson-like Takamines? A couple of models where similar, or based on these brands.
+Damian Sliwinski I mentioned the Guild & Gibson-like models in the video. However, I do not have any of those models.
+Damian Sliwinski I mentioned you today in a comment on Facebook about the Martin vs Guild vs Gibson-like headstocks in saying that you had contacted me a few years ago with a model I had not seen, which was not one of the Martin-like ones. See this document which I wrote up before creating this video:
1970s-80s-Takamine-F-series-guitars-30Dec2014.pdf
app.box.com/s/8jaxaysr3nml06n3t213
jeffallenfrance I've seen this file. I think you've shared it with me some time ago. Nevertheless, thanks Jeff! I'll check Facebook later. Hope you're doing well!
TAH kah MEE nay. Means high ridge or peak In Japanese. My best guitar is a P6JC. Always on the lookout for an F360S.
Thanks for all the info. I have an F-400 /12
Fares, the F400 is a great guitar. I have missed several chances of buying that model.
Very interesting vid. Lots of great info. You kinda touched on G series. Would you happen to know anything about the G335 12 string? 20603540. Thx man
Hi Donnie, I'm fairly sure that i mentioned 2 G series Martin headstock models in the video which are the G330 (6 string) and the G335 (12 string). The Martin headstock continued on these up through 1989 and changed in 1990. As for the different set of serial numbers, you can find discussions on this in the Takamine guitars group on Facebook.
Great video, Jeff, with a host of detailed information! I have a 1980 EF400S (serial number shows it was completed in May 1980) - one thing that I don't THINK you mentioned in your video (apologies if you did) was the specific Martin model that my guitar would correspond to - assuming that there is one! Are you able to share that information? Thx
Thanks Tim.Here is the file I based my video on. Some of that info is provided in there.1970s-80s-Takamine-F-series-guitars-30Dec2014.pdf
app.box.com/s/8jaxaysr3nml06n3t213
Tim, I don’t recall Martin making any D-28 12-string guitars back then, so this is why it might not have been included in my list.
@@jeffallenfrance Hi Jeff - further research seems to indicate that the F400 series Takamine relates to the Martin D-12 28. I haven't seen one of these, yet, with binding on the neck although I have seem them with the pegs in two different "staggers" in terms of which pegs are to the left, but which was first and when they changed, still TBD...
@@timburgess7345 , yes I somehow realized the answer was the D 12-28 when I answered a post in some Martin group about what a D 28-32 is. I should have caught it earlier when I replied to you because I have a Sigma 12-string that is the clone of the D 12-28. The D 12-28 gets mentioned occasionally in Martin discussion groups but few seem to have one. The Tak (E)F-400(S) was definitely a common set of 12-string models to purchase back then.
I picked up an EG330S...it has the original pickup and a Martin style headstock the serial number is 87100041
do you know anything about these guitars??? I'd appreciate any info! Thank you!!!
Hi Joey, I'm fairly sure that i mentioned 2 G series Martin headstock models in the video which are the G330 (6 string) and the G335 (12 string). The Martin headstock continued on these 2 models up through 1989 and changed in 1990. Your EG330S is the G330 with onboard electronics from the factory (E) and a solid top (S). Takamine had a range of different electronic pickups and preamps. I've never had any of those. Several people in the Takamine guitars group on Facebook know a lot about the electronics.
@@jeffallenfrance thanks for the reply! Just wondering if you would know what type of wood is in this guitar?
Hi Joey, it's been several years since I looked. I just checked the Takamine website. it indicates spruce top with nato back and sides for the G330S.
I believe the wood is Nato
Hi Jeff. Thank you for this info. I have a Takamine F340S-F serial number 82101573 and guess was made in1982, is a solid spruce top but have no idea what the second F stands for. Any ideas please? It has the martin headstock and I am in Western Australia. Thank you
Hi Noel, this is the first time I have heard the letter F used twice in the naming convention on an F series model.
Hi Noel, someone else recently made a comment here in this thread that they also have a F340sf and the second stands for satin finish.
Hi I have a cut away 1984 sunburst takamine guitar electric coustic e series ef360sc can't trace it
Hi Henry, the models starting in 1984 are not the ones I know much about.
Hey there, what are your thoughts on a 1979 takamine f349? Thanks
Hi Patricio, the F349 is an all mahogany dreadnought. All-mahogany models are not new as Martin was already offering all-mahogany smaller body models after the 1920s Depression period as a way to offer a guitar with less appointments, a satin finish at a lower cost to buyers. Martin offered those during the 1930s to 1950s but only very small body. Takamine came out with all-hog dread. Martin reintroduced the all-hog 15 series in 1997 starting with the dread and extending out to several other body sizes. I did another video just on that topic. That has become the 15m series in 2010 and 15 streetmaster as well. Other manufacturers also started offering all-hog guitars (Taylor released all-hog 500 series around 2012, Guild also has had all-hog with the M20 if I recall). Tonewise, the all-hog guitars have a limited frequency range that is flat and in the mid-range. It generally has a warm sound. It is different from a sitka spruce top which is more bright and good for strumming. Some people like the spruce top sound and some like the mahogany top (all-hog) tone. I have had both top woods and use them for different playing needs.
I am about to purchase a 1983 EF-340-SCZ. Any ideas about this “Z” model number?
@andresound100, sorry I don't know what the Z is for. The Takamine Facebook group would be a good starting point to ask.
You mention a document containing this information. How about a link to the doc?
Hi Matt, Here is some written information stated in the video:
1970s-80s-Takamine-F-series-guitars-30Dec2014.pdf
app.box.com/s/8jaxaysr3nml06n3t213
Jeff,
Do you know what finish (i.e. nitro or poly) Takamine would have used on these guitars?
I think that Charlie in the Takamine guitars Facebook group might be able to answer that question as he tends to do a lot of repair work on the models of this era.
you did not mention the 1975 gf425s can you tell me anything about this guitar with a serial #7511 0821
Hi Sherry, I've not heard of the GF425s. This video has led to many people mentioning their uncommon model numbers. Yours sounds like one of them. I had one model which took 2 years to get a reply from Takamine after many attempts. Others have told me the same in trying to get info on uncommon models.
I’ve unearthed an Takamine Gakki Co Ltd Concert size F90 one piece back, a very plain standard Martin style square headstock , interestingly white paint on internal brace scalloping, lovely chrome engraved open gear machine head tuners but in 2 x 3s grouping , can’t find any serial numbers. Nut & bridge seem plastic . Can’t find anything on line for this model love any information on her. Happy isolated everyone and keep practising
i have the 1990 EG-330e martin headstock. and have seen one 1991.
Thanks jouni for the info. I have seen others that changed headstock from 1989 to 1990. Maybe the EG models continued more. The TD series only distributed in Japan did keep the Martin headstock up until the mid 1990s.