Takamine Pro Series EF508KC Koa Acoustic Electric Guitar

First, a disclaimer: There are so many different guitars on the market, and so many different musicians with different preferences, that no guitar review can be perfectly comprehensive. So instead of trying to examine this guitar from every angle, I’m simply going to relate my experience with it. And I can’t tell you how very pleased I am with this guitar.

Some of the standout points:

* The craftsmanship. From the minute you pick this guitar up, you can feel how well-made it is; invisible seams, beautiful lacquerwork, solid body binding. And the attention to detail is just wonderful; I’ve never had a string bind while tuning, the pegs both come out easily and stay in when you put on new strings, and the tuning machines are smooth and precise. Takamine’s Japanese-made guitars are very well thought-of, and this one absolutely lives up to their reputation.
* The size. This is a very subjective area, of course, but I love the size of this guitar – it’s small enough to not feel humongous on my lap while still large enough to have a nice rich sound. If there’s one quibble it’s the thickness of the neck; I have longish fingers and can hold it fine, but my shorter-fingered husband occasionally has trouble reaching some frets.
* The aesthetic appeal. The guitar’s looks were what prompted me to pick it up in the first place; the koa wood is beautifully figured, and the inlay work (abalone around the sound hole, small snowflake-shaped fret markers) is beyond reproach. I also love the subtler design cues that make the whole thing feel more coherent as a work of art – the way the bridge tapers to a point in the same way as the headstock, for instance, or the way the ivory-colored plastic is just the right shade to set off the warm brown of the koa wood.

But any guitar, no matter how well made, is going to be judged ultimately on its voice. And given that the top, back and sides are all made of koa wood, this guitar has some interesting acoustic properties.

Something many folks don’t realize about koa wood is that its sound changes with use. When a koa guitar first comes out of the woodworking shop, it has a very bright tone, similar to maple; high in the trebles but so-so in the midrange and without a whole lot of bass. As it’s played, however, and the wood vibrates, the sound opens up and becomes richer and fuller. I’ve heard people claim that after years of constant play their koa guitars rivaled rosewood for bass; while mine’s nowhere near to that point yet, it was played daily by the owner of the music shop where I bought it, and it’s got a far more balanced midrange and bass than I expected when I first picked it up. I’d say it’s similar to my mahogany Ibanez in terms of sound, except that it has this wonderful warmth and sustain that the Ibanez just can’t match (not that that’s really surprising; they’re two different guitars from completely different price points).

Obviously, a musician’s choice of instrument is a very personal and subjective thing, so I would never recommend buying a guitar without playing it first and getting an idea of its sound and how it fits in your hands and lap. But if you want a smaller guitar with a wonderfully unique voice, I highly recommend trying out this model; I’d say it’s absolutely on par with the Gibsons I was originally eyeing in terms of craftsmanship, and significantly less expensive, to boot.

Great sound, even better looking!

I like this guitar! It plays and sounds great out of the box. The action is just right and its not too low and giving me buzz. It looks beatiful and well made! This has become one of my main gig guitars.

Amazing Guitar. Just got it back from my local luthier. I had it set-up. Out of the box the action was very high and there was too much neck relief. Expected with most new guitars. But it is an amazing instrument. Order one. You wont be dissapointed. The sound is on the thinner side. It sounds full, but you deff hear the highs. Sounds like my Taylor 214ce Koa. It blows the 214ce out of the water. You can really feel the handmade quality being made in Takamines Sakashita Pro Factory. My Taylor feels mass produced and cheap. It wasnt cheap. But feels cheap. The Takamine is 40% more than my Taylor but feels like its 200% better. Not trying to bash Taylor. If you have one then great. Its a good guitar. But this Takamine EF508KC is a heirloom quality guitar. Get one. Youll love it.