Gearank

The Takamine GD20 is a dreadnought acoustic with a bit of a twist, using a solid cedar top in place of the usual solid spruce.

Cedar is more commonly used in nylon string guitars, and is known for producing warmer tones. The use of Cedar on a Takaminne dreadnought results in a more balanced overall tone with some emphasis on mids.

Note that the downside of cedar is that it may not have the same projection as spruce, but its distinct tone will be a good compliment in duo guitar setups where the other guitarist already has a spruce top acoustic.

The GD20 also features Takamine's proprietary split-saddle, which as the name suggests, splits the saddle in two pieces to better position the strings for improved intonation.

Features:

• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Top: Solid Cedar
• Back and Sides: Laminated Mahogany
• Finish: Natural
• Bridge: Ovangkol
• Neck: Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Slim
• Fingerboard: Ovangkol
• Fingerboard Radius: 12”
• Number of Frets: 20
• Frets to Body: 14
• Scale Length: 25.3”
• Nut Width: 1.685"

Pros

Takamine is well known for the playability of their guitars, and this applies to the GD20-NS, with many commendations for how easy it is to play. So much so that even experts at Acoustic Guitar Magazine concludes their review by saying: "The GD20-NS just might be a perfect beginner guitar, with admirable playability and sound that won’t frustrate a new player. But the guitar also would be an appropriate match for the seasoned player who needs another songwriting or even recording tool—for an absolute steal." Users are just as pleased with what they got for the money, commenting that the guitar sounds, looks and plays more expensive than it actually is. And many flatpickers and fingerstyle players gave their thumbs up for the way it handles their playing style.

Cons

Much like with other acoustics, there are some who report getting better results by replacing the default strings that it ships with. There are also a few reports of minor cosmetic issues.

Overall

With its solid cedar top, the GD20-NS adds a different sonic twist along with Takamine's penchant for playability and intonation, to the all-time favorite dreadnought style guitar.

Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated options available which you can see in our guide to The Best Acoustic Guitars.