2000s Takamine EG523SC Cutaway Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Remember when Takamines were on all the stages in the late '90s and early 2000s? These "G-Series" guitars are a reflection of that popularity. They're a budget-friendly range of non-Japanese-made Takamines and almost all of them are specifically intended for stage use. This one's Korean-made.

This guy has a nice out-front sound but, like many jumbos, has a thinner sound from the player's perspective. After work, it plays fast and perfectly, however, and is currently wearing a set of 11s but would be fine with 12s as well.

It was gross when it arrived here, having been played a lot and featuring thick grunge on the fretboard and plenty of grime needing to be scrubbed all-over. It's now looking quite respectable and only shows wear and tear now through mild scritch-scratching throughout the body and on the pickguard and a few dings (the worst on the lower-bout-bass-top while the next-worst is near the endpin jack) here and there.

The electronics actually still work just fine but the G-string output is a hair lower than the other strings. I've tweaked the sensors and made sure the seating was good but haven't had luck getting it to work better. It sounds fine for chords but is a little unbalanced for lead work. For what it's worth, though, my preference for this guitar would be to yank the original harness, convert the electronics bay into either a soundport or a simple volume control knob panel, and pop a K&K pickup under the hood instead. They're a lot more practical than 9V batteries and undersaddle elements.

The top is solid spruce and the back and sides are ply flamed maple and... yes... it's a showy guitar, especially with the big-block, Guild-style pearl inlay in the fretboard.

Repairs included: cleaning, fret level/dress, setup work.

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: ply flamed maple

Bracing type: x

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: maple

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 52w-11

Neck shape: slim-medium C

Board radius: ~12"

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium

Scale length: 25 1/2"

Nut width: 1 11/16"

Body width: 16 3/4"

Body depth: 5"

Weight: 5 lbs 6 oz

Condition notes: it's in good order structurally (no cracks, good neck angle, frets all done up) but does show plenty of minor scratches and scuffing throughout the body, a few dings here and there, and playwear. It looks good overall, though. The pickup and preamp work fine but the G-string output is a little low. It's original throughout.