Takamine

No performing guitarist can risk for their equipment to have an off night. Nothing will sink a concert vibe quicker, particularly if that instrument happens to be an acoustic guitar in an all-acoustic set.

So, when fret master / tour vet Chuck Ward described the spruce top, maple bound, rosewood back and sides dreadnought Takamine P7D that he chose as his go-to for the Aaron Lewis Acoustic Tour as “consistent and amazing,” we appreciated the significance, particularly coming from one of the most consistent and amazing players to ever make a living with a six-string.

“The P7D is seriously the best sounding acoustic through a PA I have ever played," said Ward. “I get compliments on it every single night. Tight punchy low end and plenty of crisp highs – extremely comfortable neck and the thing stays in tune perfectly.” You can read that entire Chuck Ward artist news piece from April ’23 here.

In all fairness, that assessment from Chuck came only a dozen or so shows into that Aaron Lewis tour, so we thought we would circle back some 100-plus dates later to see just how “consistent and amazing” that P7D really is. We caught up with the Tele-Wizard from Wheatfield, Indiana back in Nashville, where he stays busy as a session player on rare off-tour dates, and Chuck pretty much picked up where he left off.

“The P7D is going STRONG in the middle of its 3rd touring season,” said Chuck. “We do over 100 acoustic shows a year with Aaron Lewis, and she never disappoints. From winter shows in Massachusetts to summer shows in Texas, right off the semi out of the vault and still in tune and ready to go. Action is still as smooth and easy to play as the first day I opened the case. I couldn’t be happier with this guitar."

Chuck had also managed to get his hands on Takamine’s newest preamp, the FET circuit CTF-2N, inspired by the late '70s early '80s “Brownie” preamp that, together with the Palathetic pickup, launched Takamine onto the world stage. Mr. Ward had a few things to say about that as well.

“I recently tried the CTF-2N preamp in the P7D and will be adding that to the permanent rotation. Simplicity at its finest. No need for bells and whistles, just great, pure tone once again from Takamine!"

For an acoustic-electric guitar to actually sound like an acoustic guitar, all the while staying in tune, song after song, night after night, tour after tour may seem pretty fundamental. But the hard truth is, most acoustic guitar brands still struggle with those performance basics.

When it comes to the skilled men and women who have handcrafted Takamine guitars since 1962, every minute of every working day is dedicated to creating the absolute finest acoustic-electric guitars available with the world’s most uncompromising performing artists in mind. The continued presence of Takamine in the hands of players like Chuck Ward is testament to the brand’s absolute and ongoing dedication to excellence.

For an opportunity to check out Chuck Ward and the Aaron Lewis acoustic tour, view the itinerary here.