Takamine

Here's Mark Blasquez with a terrific demo of the Limited Edition Series LTD2024, an NEX-shaped cutaway guitar that artfully depicts our solar system. The body is made with a solid spruce top, solid rosewood back, and rosewood sides. The neck is made of mahogany with an ebony fingerboard. The entire guitar is bound in elegant white binding and the top is inlaid with colorful abalone purfling and features a matching abalone rosette. All of the braces and tone bars are individually selected and voiced by Takamine master craftsman, Tohru Hirokawa, ensuring each guitar emits a vibrant and dynamically responsive tone. The fingerboard has a stylized sun inlaid into the 12th fret, with the 8 planets falling into orbit on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 14th, and 17th frets (where traditional position markers usually are). The influence of our sun is represented on the finish which fades from a bright stained spruce to deep penumbra blue. This is repeated on the headstock in relation to the sun's influence. The detail is reflected in the material choice for the nut, which is bright bone (as it is in the sun), and the saddle material, which is lively carbon graphite (as it is in deep space). The result is a striking guitar that has wonderful classic tonewoods and a unique visual presence. The guitar carries its bold voice to the stage with ease due to Takamine's legendary Palathetic pickup and the very musical CTF-2N retro-inspired FET preamp, which recalls Takamine's beloved early "brownie" preamps. The preamp features modern features, such as a chromatic tuner and a sweepable notch filter selectable between -6dB and -12dB to dial out feedback or to dial up a pleasing smile curve in a flash. Other details include black chrome hardware and abalone inlaid bridge pins. Takamine's great semi-hard case is included, providing superior protection in a lightweight package, making it easy to carry and eminently solid. Like all of Takamine's annual limited edition guitars, production is limited, making it a great instrument for collectors and musicians alike!