Takamine GN75CE-TBK & EF740FS-TT
Two electros offer two very different propositions for players with Takamine’s new Thermal Top technology and its affordable G-Series
Diversity is becoming a key issue in the electro-acoustic market. A competitive price-point isn’t always enough to stand out from the crowd and many players expect their electro to be more than just a stage-ready instrument, but one they can happily use at home and for recording, too.
With years of experience behind it, Takamine has established itself as a trusted go-to electro manufacturer. And with the EF740FS-TT here, the company is showcasing an enthusiasm to innovate further with the Thermal Top. Thankfully, it’s not a woolly cover for your guitar but a process that amounts to artificial ageing. The guitar’s top is baked in a very high-heat, vacuum-free lowoxygen environment (the latter so it doesn’t catch fire). The desired effect is that the young wood’s water, sugar and resin are modified in the process. For players, the idea is to add some of the effects of time – an immediate vintage character, if you will. Takamine claims the baking creates a stronger weight-to-strength ratio as the wood becomes lighter and stiffer.
The other desired offshoot is aiding stability, making the top a little less susceptible to humidity changes that occur in homes/venues.
There’s no bake in sight for the affordable G-Series model and the price-point brings it into the most exciting end of the acoustic market. While others are getting subtle with satin, this is a glossy dreadnought wearing some confident honky tonk bling. We’re eager to find out if there’s depth underneath the showy surface, and what Takamine’s new process amounts to for the pricier OM model.
The original 740FS was introduced in 2010 and found favour with Jackson Browne and El Rayo-X guitarist David Lindley. Part of the appeal for Lindley came from the CoolTube preamp featured on the TF740FS, but the TLD-2 here is a more low-key preamp with no controls. The ‘FS’ stands for fingerstyle and the design is interesting: an OM shape with a deeper body, slotted headstock with open-gear tuners and a wide neck that joins at the 12th fret. That puts it somewhere in the territory of a steel-string with a classical guitar feel and makes it a distinct playing experience.
Visually, the Thermal process’s effect on the spruce creates a darker look more akin to a golden cedar, subtle but beautiful in execution. There’s a consistent flow between the long grain stripes with the sapele sides and back that’s especially striking on the latter. The overall aesthetic is the classy understatement of a classical, but we appreciate the touch of tortoiseshell binding around the sides, too.
The gloss-finished GN75CE-TBK is a showier affair by comparison. The quilted laminated maple back and sides take on a smoky effect in their black and charcoal hues. Our eyes are also drawn to the country and western style ‘Grass Flower’ design on the black scratchplate, a contrast that echoes the white plastic binding on an acoustic aiming to unleash your Johnny Cash ambitions. We’re not convinced by the bold inlays, though.
Takamine’s NEX shape is a scaled-down jumbo by its own description, slightly shallower than a dreadnought with a narrower
The TK-40D preamp proves to be the G-Series’ trump card and performs very well
waist. These add comfort when sitting that could be especially beneficial if you’re a beginner or getting back into playing. But its potential certainly goes beyond that.
Feel & Sounds
The OM EF740FS-TT’s dimensions make it an initially difficult guitar to adjust to if you’re coming from dreadnought and parlour worlds. Its fatter neck is more towards a classical feel and, although the string spacing isn’t quite as wide at 56mm, this is a guitar that could feel more immediately welcoming to a nylonstring player looking at steel options.
As the FS name suggests, it encourages fingerpicking and the earthy roundness of tone brings a little nylon character with the warmth of a played-in instrument. The boomy low-end is aided by the deeper body and its resonance in the bass is something you can physically feel. The rounded highs are woody rather than ringing, and the medium action responsive to the bends and slides of blues styles. Indeed, that wide neck and shorter neck join has us breaking out the bottleneck. As we change tunings accordingly, the open geared tuners prove their worth with a smooth
The OM has a little nylon character with the warmth of a played-in instrument
action. Tuning stability is notable. What part the Thermal Top plays in that is unclear, but it further enhances an impressively solid build.
Takamine clearly doesn’t want to interrupt this guitar’s look with the preamp functionality, but in some ways its pursuit of stealth proves a bit of a misfire here. The surprisingly high-output combination of the Palathetic pickup and nine-volt batterypowered TLD-2 preamp represents the guitar well enough, but therein lies a rub. With a guitar so rich in bottom-end, some added control from the instrument would be welcome. As it stands, that would have to come from an additional preamp pedal, amp or communicative soundman.
However, this area proves to be the GN75CETBK’s trump card. The TK-40D performs very well. It accurately captures a tonal character that’s got a little hollow roundness to the highs and mids for mellow lead work, with a very balanced low-end. But the medium-low action further enhances a liveliness in the projection that really encourages and rewards
muscular strumming. Plugged in, the positive experience continues. The TK-40D preamp, positioned on the upper bout, adds more control than much of the competition in its price range. The tuner and three-band EQ are standard fare, but the Mid Contour, EQ Bypass and Notch Filter are not. It’s got the basics right, too – you can push the treble right up without things getting harsh – and the combinations of control at your disposal can enable you to do more on stage from the guitar.
Verdict
These are two very different instruments, but each represents the antithesis of the idea of a vanilla cutaway electro. The dark horse is the GN75CE-TBK, a superb stage guitar if the looks appeal. The OM will have even more of a select, dare we say niche, appeal with its crossover connotations. But its tonality suggests Takamine is onto something with its new top technology, and we’re looking forward to seeing the added choices this kind of development presents us players.