Takamine G Series EGB2S Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Bass  

I have owned a few acoustic bass guitars (ABG's) since picking up the bass in 1994. I'm not a huge fan of this form of bass. Why? They are more of a novelty, lacking adequate volume when paired with acoustic guitars. Most of the time, the user is required to amplify their signal, thus negating the idea of going "unplugged".

I used to own an Applause AE40. Unfortunately, it lacked acoustic volume, the tone was rather synthetic, and that round back would easily slide off me when seated. Thus, I sold it.

I bought an Ibanez AEB10BBE, but it had a defect with the onboard tuner, and some other blems, so it was returned.

After thinking about it, I decided to up the ante and purchase a slightly pricier ABG. In my mind, maybe a few more bucks would make a big difference in quality. I'm happy to say that it was a wise decision.

I'm currently in a KISS tribute band. We are planning on doing "unplugged" shows in the makeup. This required me to purchase a black acoustic bass. Being that I had a lack of color choices, and really didn't want to mess with anymore entry-level instruments, I decided to go with the Takamine G Series.

PROS:

-The bass was very playable right out of the box.

-The bass had zero blems or finish flaws.

-The tuners were installed/aligned correctly.

-Of my previous experiences with the ABG, this one is the most comfortable and stable to play.

-The onboard tuner is very easy to use, and quickly tracks notes.

-The onboard preamp is simple to use, and allows one to dial in a nice amplified tone.

-I really like the rear strap pin/1/4" input. It's less of a hassle to find than some manufacturers who install the input jack on the bottom corner.

-I also liked how the battery compartment was located with the onboard tuner. I've seen some ABG's that place the battery compartment next to the input jack, near the bottom of the bass.

-The action has a nice medium setup, which works in unamplified situations, requiring heavy plucking without fret buzz.

-The tuners were nice and turned smoothly.

-The battery indicator light is a great feature.

CONS:

-This bass's body doesn't seem to be as deep in dimension as the Ibanez I had. This size discrepancy made it harder to be heard unamplified when playing with two acoustic guitars. The Ibanez didn't struggle in this area.

-The factory strings it came with were these cheesy non-bronze type. I quickly fixed this with a set of Ernie Ball Earthwoods.

-The terminals for the battery are these cheap flimsy springs.

-The battery door clips into the battery compartment, and is not attached to the bass. This can be easily lost.

-The bass came with no spare bridge bobbins.

-The factory battery it came with was dead.

-The Ibanez had an option for ¼" or XLR input. The Takamine only has ¼".

-The bass uses a 9V battery. Ibanez uses two AA's which I prefer, since my wireless uses AA's.

-It comes with no front strap pin. I understand the idea that this gives the buyer the opportunity to place the strap pin where they choose, but Takamine should've at least provided the hardware. Lucky for me, I had a few spares in my parts bin.

For the money, this is a great bass. I have found that I use it a lot more than I anticipated. It really has helped my vocal practice, and makes practice easier, in general (no amp needed). Is it perfect? No, but it provides in most situations.

I think I will stick with this ABG for a long time.

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Not as good as it gets, but it offers professional quality at a bargain price.      I enjoy recording with it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to performing musicians or as a first instrument to anyone who wants to add acoustic bass to their repertoire.      If you spend less you'll sacrifice quality quickly, while spending more gives you a diminishing return on your investment (you'll spend twice as much for a bass that's arguably ten percent better).

I've played a couple of acoustic-electric basses in music stores that were a bit better in the higher price range so I can't say it's a ten, but it's the best I'll ever need.

I've played 6-string guitars for years (jumbo acoustic, classical and electric) but never owned a bass.      About a year ago I got into hand-drumming and home recording and was filling in bass lines on a keyboard.      I'm into organic sound and quickly saw the need for a good acoustic bass.      This puppy has plenty of volume, good resonance and projects well both plugged and unplugged.      I honestly didn't expect much from the onboard electronics, having been disappointed by piezo pickups on 6-string guitars, but this was a pleasant surprise.      Piezo bridge pickups seem to work better in the bass register than with 6-strings and it doesn't require a mic to reveal the character of an acoustic bass.      It's solid wood, the finish is flawless and the detail is better than I've encountered with other Chinese-made guitars (like perfect).      This is my first Takamine product and while I'm quite happy with my other guitars--two high-end Epiphones, a Kremona classical and a Dean classical acoustic-electric cutaway--the next time I'm in the market I'll look closely at Takamine.

After trying out half a dozen acoustic basses I quickly decided this was the one I wanted, though it was a bit out of my price range.      I waited a couple of weeks and in a web search I came across a start-up company selling the black glossy finish.      I called them and checked it out--it wasn't a blem or a B-stock guitar.      They sold them at that price for several weeks but I just checked 'em out and they now sell for even more.      The lower price tag was apparently a mistake by a company that doesn't specialize in musical instruments and obviously I was one happy camper...I would have preferred a natural finish to black but I can live with it.      So, in my case value was not an issue (I scored) and as I said, the Takamine was already my first choice. Owning one was my destiny, apparently.