The Takamine FT340 BS is a versatile axe for the gigging acoustic guitarist who needs a consistent sound at a variety of volumes in a variety of venues.
While it is the descendant of instruments usually associated with swing and bop, virtually any style that you can play on a flattop could be rendered on this guitar.
Taylor’s 858e and 552ce offer effortless playability Twelve-string guitars are notoriously tricky instruments, particularly in terms of playability and intonation, and it can be hard to find a great one, though Taylor has earned a good reputation for its 12-strings. So it’s satisfying to make the acquaintance of not one,…
“It’s cool playing a guitar in space because it floats in front of you—you don’t need a strap,” Hadfield said on a 2013 Larrivée video. “But one of the weirdest things is that as you float around the room while you’re playing, you bump into things.”
This new guitar has perfect intonation and a voice that’s warmer and richer than those of the vintage instruments that inspired the Plainsman Double 0.
The 00-15E’s mahogany soundboard isn’t as excitable as spruce, but the guitar is responsive whether I’m playing gently or digging in with a pick. Single-note lines and complex chords alike are clear and brilliant up and down the neck.
The first thing you notice when you strum the Blueridge BG-1500ESB Jumbo is the robust warmth of its tone—like a splash of sunlight filtering through tall trees in the Smoky Mountains that give this company its name.
In a sense, all of Gibson’s flattop guitars are indebted to Martin designs, but with the CEO-7, Martin tips its hat to Gibson. Inspired by a mid-1930s L-00, this CEO is a no-frills flattop with distinctively sloped shoulders, a 14th-fret neck-to-body junction, and a sunburst soundboard finish.
the 914ce is made from a gorgeous selection of tonewoods, all solid—Sitka spruce for the top; Indian rosewood for the back and sides; and ebony for the fretboard, bridge, armrest, headstock overlays, heel cap, bridge pins, and bindings.
The satin finish and slender neck makes for a decidedly modern feel, but it also has a warm, honeyed sound characteristic of the classic 1940s flattop to which it pays tribute.
Parlor guitars are finding renewed interest among a broad spectrum of players, both professionals and those looking for small, lightweight instruments to take to beach parties or campfire singalongs.
Like all Faith guitars, the Classic Burst Mercury is made from solid, eco-friendly FSC-certified woods at the company’s workshop in West Java, Indonesia. It does have that imported-guitar vibe, thanks to its polyurethane lacquer finish and its chemical-rich aroma. But unlike the typical budget guitar, it’s very well-built. The frets are cleanly dressed and the sunburst finish is perfectly graduated—inside the box things are relatively neat and tidy.
Budget guitars once had a bad reputation: inferior instruments made from laminated woods, with poor playability and even worse tone. But things have changed.
The small-bodied LS16 likely owes its fine sound to Yamaha’s Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (ARE) technology, a form of torrefaction that brings a warmer, darker tone color.
How do you choose which guitars to review? Our writers are guitar fanatics, just like you. They’re always on the lookout for new or updated offerings to recommend. We’re sometimes asked why we don’t publish negative or one-star reviews – there are so many great guitars being produced today that we’d rather share our balanced opinions on the instruments we do think you should consider.
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