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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I'm still on the hunymoon with the 360BG and just got back two of my maple Collings that spent the winter north. I full up with gitters for the moment. Give me another week or so. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Based on my limited experience with it, everyone should RUN TO AL and grab one of these while they are still available.
The guitar is worth FULL RETAIL so ANYTHING below that is a bargain. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | Takamine EF75J: without a doubt, the sweetest OM sized guitar i have ever had the pleasure to own or play. it opens up more beautifully with each day that it is played. its appointments are simply elegant and the takamine company's attention to detail on this guitar is refreshingly outstanding!
the brazilian rosewood used on the back and sides are a magnificent set. its sound is larger than its size. i cannot express in mere words my contentment with this guitar. just holding it makes me smile, however, i find myself grinning ear to ear while playing it. a dollar value cannot be placed on that!
a very hearty "mahalo" to all who have recommended this guitar and especially to aceboympk who was "instrumental" in helping this guitar reach its soul mate. |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 640
Location: boulder | well,
what can i add to this thread that han't been mentioned. both brazilian and koa models are sweet- I sold my martin 00028vs and bought the koa, damn I am a genius. I sold some old adamas and bought the ef75s, damn I am an idiot sometimes!!!!...No seriously-i am an idiot all the time-just this time I ended up with a sweet guitar. (as will the buyer, miss her already)
#62 for the ef75j and #52 for the koa417s.
both seem tight to my ears, as in they will sound better as they are played and 'broken' in. other then my martin ceo-5, these are the only all wood guitars I own. truthfully, I can't see needing any other guitars-these are really what everyone has said.
picking and grinning I am. peace mike |
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January 2005
Posts: 640
Location: boulder | hey Lanaki,
Do you really have ef75j #62? we might have a curious coincidence?? peace mike |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | no, i have #63, which i have notified tupperware of. aceboympk erroneously reported it as being #62 after he received it. so you've got the REAL #62? |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | Anybody know how to lower the action on the EF75? My EF75 is pretty hard to play due to the high action. I took the strings off and there were no spacers under the saddle like the O's.
Personally I haven't had such a great experience with the EF75 Ser#77. Yes, it is a beautiful guitar. However, mine must just need a good setup and some time to loosen up. I had to adjust the truss rod (had .02 relief, now at .012). I have light strings and get essentially no bass out of the guitar. I figure medium strings would help the sound, but would make the action worse. The action is 7/64 at the 12th fret with the light strings.
Any option other than sanding down the saddle? Seems like if I lower the saddle much, the break angle would be too narrow. I'll try to take some pictures. It has been raining elephants and rhinos the last few weeks. |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | You sand the bottom of the saddle. Make sure it is flat or you won't get a good flush fit between botton of the saddle and the bridge. Dave |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by ttenn:
Personally I haven't had such a great experience with the EF75 Ser#77. Yes, it is a beautiful guitar. However Wooden guitars...
Though many of you already know that I'm a Lowden whore... I must say, they are built to be played-out and very rarely suffer the common problems with other guitars |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | The action on No. 67 is not low. In fact, it seems a bit higher than most of the O's and A's. Nonetheless, it is acceptable. With my increase in playing time over the past eight months, it seems that higher action just doesn't bother me like it once did. On the other hand, I have noticed one small downside to using this guitar while playing out. The front side of the lower forward bout (where the cutout isn't) ends up being smudged beyond reason. I clean it with Dunlop polish after every use, but I fear the finish may not last in this area. My hand is obviously rubbing against the lower bout. I do the same thing on the O's but it goes totally unnoticed on the bowl finish. This is the downside of a non-cutout guitar. Doesn't matter. I don't intend to stop using this guitar. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Just sand the bottom of the saddles, and keep them square like Tuppy said. Don't worry about the break angle, it's not an issue. |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | the action on my #63 is not low either. the saddles as made at the factory are a bit high for the action i would prefer, even though the intonation is almost spot on. (low E is slightly sharp at the 12th fret).
i can hear the "tight" sonic response loosening up, as it should, the more i play the guitar. i was VERY impressed with the EF75's sound when i sat in front while my good friend played it the other day. the low end projects much better than i imagined or could hear while i played it.
ttenn, hold your tak out in front of you and face the soundhole towards you while strumming the strings. you will hear that bass that you think is missing. granted, it is not quite the low end of my adamas 1581, but it is a perfect, warm and woody tone for an unbroken in OM. i remain "wow"'ed by this instrument. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 713
Location: Alberta, Canada | Sure nice to read that you guys are enjoying this great guitar. Mine is played daily and just keeps improving as it opens up.
I have found if I A/B just the low E string on the Tak to the CB, the CB is lower. But when I play the guitars using all strings, the Tak seems to have the better bass response, as in more in balance with the other strings. Does that make sense? The Tak just has a sound and overall tone that seems totaly complete.
My one criticism would be the finish. It seems to be quite soft, marking fairly easy, on the back and sides. Have you guys experienced this or is this a quirk of my particular example. Will this finish harden overtime?
I have to echo Randy's comment that "I remain "wowed" by this instrument!" My desire to play it is making me a better player (not great but better:)) and that is definately a good thing. I need all the help I can get! :)
Dave |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | The finish I don't think is that soft, but it is that thin. Thin finish will give you a better sound so it's a trade off. I still love mine although I must admit I've been playing the 360 BlewGrass mostly lately. It also has the anno finish (as in anno-rex-ik).
Mike Markure is doing as great job working with the Takamines coming up wiht these gitters. Must be his excellent upbringing. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | just replaced the strings with a set of elixir custom lights with the new "anti-rust" process. the guitar "woke up" dramatically. (speaking of strings, i replaced the elixirs on my adamas 1581 a couple days ago with a new set of dean markley alchemy golds. the old elixirs sound much more vibrant than the new markleys. that was my first and last purchase of the alchemys.)
do any other of you other EF75 owners notice small, light colored flecks/streaks in the brazilian rosewood on the back of your guitar? i have never seen this in brazilian before but i am thinking the set on my guitar was right next to the sapwood. not sure... |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Brazilian can have lots of funny things. I've got two guitars that have big green stripes that only show up in direct sunlight. I asked about it over on the acoustic tutt-butt site and was told it's worm smear which was a brilliant answer.
Anyhow, all these different anomilies are part of what makes Braz interesting. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | i've seen green stripes in brazilian before in a few $30,000 traugott guitars. i rather like that natural effect. i had never seen the whitish flecks that i see in mine and was justawunderin' if anyone else had them too. |
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February 2003
Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | ....they're worm turds....... |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | that's just great...now it's brazilian worm turds...illegal immigrants come in all forms. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 713
Location: Alberta, Canada | Originally posted by TRboy:
....they're worm turds....... I'd have to say that's crap!...there's no turds on this guitar. :)
Randy, I have noticed the same bit's of white on my guitar but only if it is in direct sunlight. I'm not really sure what the cause is but I'm definately not concerned about it. Hopefully one of the woodworkers here on the forum can shed some light on this.
Dave |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | here's a guy playing "guitar rag" on what appears to be an EF75:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZMNIVp8ikw |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | same guy, same guitar playing "freight train":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBFwaTMvVfI&NR=1
definitely an EF75 |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | He obviously sucks...note the Taylor in the background. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Obviously French. Notice the thumbpick.... |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I think the white specs are nasal spray.
When he was working on the guitar he sneezed and there was a fine spray that went...... |
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OT: Tak EF75J
