This is the review I posted about the Takamine G Series. It can be seen on Amazon and
Musicians Friend.
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.
