the nylon string ’ s sound . The Mahogany neck shape feels comfortable and between that and the Rosewood fretboard , you can play fast if you desire to . Takamine always does a great job with the frets on their instruments .
Our South American friends are more familiar with using nylon-string guitars in various styles of music ( flamenco , samba , bossa nova etc .) and the classic guitar enthusiast would play almost exclusively a nylon guitar .
But since this TSP148NC NS is made for the stage , I got in my car and drove to the site of our Christian Musician Summit conference each year – Our Savior Lutheran Church in Tacoma , WA . I know that stage well and I am familiar with how good the PA system sounds there . I first tuned up using the on-board tuner then Matt Kees ( my partner in the CMS conferences ) fired up the sound system and placed a wireless pack on the guitar . I asked our worship record reviewer for [ WM ] Gerod Bass ( he is the Director of Worship Arts there at OSLC ) to play the guitar for me while I walked the sanctuary to listen to the sound of this guitar .
The CT 3N pick-up system sounded even better than I thought it would . Warm and full , the sound of this nylon filled the room . I asked Gerod if he had used nylon-string guitars before in services and he said , “ Yes , I especially like them for special songs or offertories ”. I totally agree with Gerod . I also think I might insert this stage guitar into an intimate break in the middle of a worship song … strip back the band and have a time of just vocals and the sound of this guitar to create a truly sensitive time before the Lord . The dynamics in that would be a moment to savor .
This guitar is very light as far as weight goes and would be a dream for anyone with back problems to play .
How does if sound not plugged in ? Surprisingly full . The bass is round and present , the mids are dialed in and the highs are excellent . I played it for quite a while and was becoming quite attached to it .
I believe the intimacy of this instrument could be a good tool for you in your personal songwriting times too … there is an inherent quality about the tone that inspires .
All of this to say … for the “ made in Japan ” high quality build of this guitar , the thin closeness the body shape offers ( especially for those of a smaller stature ), the excellent playability and the on-board electronics … this Takamine
TSP148NC NS is a great value at the MAP price of $ 1,549.99 .
It comes with a very nice and lightweight padded gig bag that is tough enough to survive alongside your other gear , but easy enough to throw over your shoulder and not hesitate to take anywhere with you !
Well done Takamine !
MAP : $ 1,549.99 www . ESPTakamine . com