Takamine GJ72CE 6 String Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Submitted by Jason Horton on Aug. 30, 2016..

92

GEARANK

92 out of 100. Incorporating 125+ ratings and reviews.

Takamine GJ72CE 6 String Acoustic-Electric Guitar

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Takamine GJ72CE: Highest Rated Acoustic-Electric Guitar Under $750 - 2022.08

2022.08: Highest Rated Acoustic-Electric Guitar Under $750
2021.04: Highest Rated Acoustic-Electric Guitar Under $750

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Cons

Bulkier than most acoustics
The mid-scooped tone can be drowned out by other instruments

Pros

Mid-scooped acoustic tone sounds good - particularly in solo settings
Loud acoustic projection
Versatile guitar pickup system
Good build quality

The Takamine GJ72CE guitar features a jumbo cutaway body style, a shape sought after for its loud projection and full-sounding bottom end.

It has a solid spruce top, but instead of the usual mahogany, Takamine equipped this guitar with flame maple for the back and sides, which enhances the upper frequencies to contrast the extra low end brought about by its jumbo body - resulting in a balanced sound. Being quite tall, I don't really have any problem with jumbo body acoustics, but smaller and younger players tend to find it too bulky and uncomfortable (I've taught guitar to many young musicians).

To my ears, it has more top-end than most acoustics. This, combined with the boomy bass, gives it a scooped mid sound. This will definitely appeal to those who prefer crisp and trebly tones. But it may be too trebly for those who prefer warm guitar sounds.

Takamine is the company that pioneered the built-in pickup and preamp configuration. And they don't pull any punches with their products, including the TK-40D preamp. It comes packed with tone-shaping features, including 3-band EQ with mid-contour. And it also allows you to bypass the EQ in case you want to utilize a pedal or rack-mounted EQ. Other features include a built-in tuner and notch filter.

The body is joined with a slim mahogany neck with a 12" radius 25.4" scale length rosewood fingerboard. This electro-acoustic guitar also features Takamine's distinct split saddle design. This results in good intonation and balanced guitar tone.

Everything about this guitar is built well, from wood quality to fretwork and hardware. Takamine is known for not compromising aesthetics, so they put top, back, and fingerboard bindings on this guitar. This same principle applies to all their guitars, including 12-string acoustics.

If you are looking for a very good quality, reasonably priced jumbo acoustic-electric, then this is for you.