Takamine Guitar Bodies and G Series Lineup

Hello, I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer. Today, I’d like to go over the body types and lineups of Takamine guitars.

Shall we begin?

• Body Types

Takamine guitars have seven body types: Dreadnought, FXC, NEX, Jumbo, New Yorker, OM, and Thinline.

The FXC is similar to a typical grand concert body, the NEX body is a small jumbo, and the New Yorker is a parlor body.

Most people are familiar with the Dreadnought and OM bodies, so you can use them as a reference to gauge the size of other bodies.

Thinline is a completely different body type, with a thinner body making it easier to play. This should cover the acoustic guitar bodies that use steel strings.

Now, let’s look at the lineup.

• Takamine Guitar Lineup

Takamine guitars are broadly divided into the G Series and Pro Series.

Additionally, there are Thin Line, Limited Line, and Signature Line as special editions.

Series	Description
G Series	Guitars produced in other countries such as China, Korea, and Taiwan to provide affordable options.
Pro Series	Guitars produced at the main factory near Mount Takamine in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Thinline	Guitars with a thin body.
Limited Line	Limited edition guitars.
Singnature Line	Artist signature guitars.

Breakdown by Series

G Series:
– Improves in quality and price from 10, 20, 30, 50, 70 to 90 series.
– Even the highest value-for-money
– G90 series does not exceed $1000 overseas.
– Also includes acoustic basses, classical guitars, Takamine minis, and ukuleles.

Pro Series:
– Improves in quality and price from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to 7 series.
-Even the lowest Pro 1 series is quite expensive as it is made in Japan.

Thin Line:
– A single line dedicated to thin body guitars.

Limited Line:
– As the name suggests, these are limited edition guitars and tend to be quite expensive due to their often flashy appearance.

Signature Line:
– No separate sub-categories, similar to the Thin Line.

Let’s first take a look at the specifications and features of the G Series.

• G Series

10 Series:
– Body: Laminate
– Top: Spruce (10), Mahogany (11)
– Sides/Back: Mahogany
– Nut Width: 42.5mm
– Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone
– Split Saddle: Yes
– Remarks: Bridge pinless string change method

20 Series:
– Body: Top Solid
– Top: Solid Cedar
– Sides/Back: Mahogany
– Nut Width: 42.8mm
– Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone
– Split Saddle: Yes

30 Series:
– Body: Top Solid
– Top: Solid Spruce
– Sides/Back: Mahogany
– Nut Width: 42.8mm
– Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone
– Split Saddle: Yes
– Remarks: Available as 12-string guitar, 3-piece back option

50 Series:
– Body: Top Solid
– Top: Solid Spruce
– Sides/Back: Rosewood or Black Walnut
– Nut Width: 42.8mm
– Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone
– Split Saddle: Yes

70 Series:
– Body: Top Solid
– Top: Solid Spruce
– Sides/Back: Quilted or Flame Maple, Black Walnut
– Nut Width: 42.5mm/42.8mm
– Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone
– Split Saddle: Yes
– Remarks: 3-piece back option

90 Series:
– Body: Top Solid
– Top: Solid Spruce
– Sides/Back: 3-piece Black Walnut, Maple, Bocote, Madagascar Rosewood
– Nut Width: 42.8mm/43mm
– Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone
– Split Saddle: Yes
– Remarks: Black Walnut sides/back standard, available as 12-string guitar, 3-piece back option

• Naming Convention

The naming of G Series guitars follows the pattern G□△△○○-☆☆☆.

1) □: Body type (D-Dreadnought, N-NEX (small jumbo), F-FXC (grand concert), Y-New Yorker (parlor), J-Jumbo)
2) △△: Line and wood type
3) ○○: Cutaway and pickup presence
4) ☆☆☆: Color

For example, from the name GD93CE-NAT:
1) G Series
2) D: Dreadnought
3) 90 series
4) 3-piece back
5) CE: Cutaway with pickup
6) NAT: Natural color

However, older models seem to follow a different naming convention, which I’m not familiar with.

There are also classical guitars, acoustic basses, Takamine minis, and ukuleles, which I will organize separately if time allows.

Personally, I think the 20 and 30 series offer good value for money. Although I haven’t received demo units yet to hear their sound, I believe they could be recommended if they offer decent sound, intonation, pickup quality, and neck feel.

I will review and post about the demos as soon as I receive them.

I intended to cover the Pro Series, Thin Line, and Limited Line all at once, but it’s taking longer than expected.

I will organize the Pro Series and other lines in a separate post.

See you in the next post!