 "It plays ...." | 2009-10-27 |
| - Reviewed By npardue |
When my beloved old guitar gave up the ghost (long story) I needed a guitar in a hurry, but had no money. This one had good reviews, so I gave it a try. I knew it wouldn't be anything amazing, but still expected, based on the reviews, something a bit better than I got.
It's very light, with a flimsy feel to it, enhanced by the matte finish ... it really DOES look like a balsa-wood airplane. The high action hurt my fingers, so I immediately swapped the fairly heavy strings it came with for a lighter set of Martin steel strings, and noticed a further deterioration in the already only so-so tone. It stays in tune quite well, but no matter what I do it just sounds ... cheap.
If you're an absolute beginner (or are buying for a child who will probably get bored with the guitar in a few months) and don't want to spend much, this may be an ok 'first guitar', but a more experienced player will want something better. Something that I am now saving my pennies to get. |
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 "Perfect for a beginner" | 2009-10-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2S6KW0OSPA72U |
| The quality of this guitar for the price that its marked at is perfect for a beginner. I wasn't sure if the novelty of trying to learn the guitar would wear off quickly so I got this guitar for it's price but have been playing and taking lessons on it ever since. The best part is you won't feel so guilty when you leave your guitar lying around catching dust, if after awhile you realize you don't play the guitar much. |
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 "A Good Deal" | 2009-09-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2FNTWC3QIXJYS |
| I bought this as my first-ever guitar to learn on because it was a very good deal at the time, and I was not disappointed. The guitar looks great with it's natural finish (i.e. no varnish) and sounds pretty good as well, I am no expert. My quibble with it was that the action was very high in comparison to other guitars I have tried. I could only play for five minutes at a time the first week before my fingers started to hurt, and even after that there was clearly more strain than necessary on my fingers. It was ultimately difficult for me to really get to playing faster because my fingers would have to strain all the harder to actually get the string down and make the note ring. While the guitar is good, it needs some adjustment (to lower the action) before it can be played comfortably, which is no easy task if you want to do it yourself. |
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| "Questionable quality control" | 2009-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A14ZNACAGP6YE9 |
Many reviewers have noted that the guitar has high action - the distance between the strings and frets is so far that it takes an unusual amount of force to play and kills your fingers. I had the exact opposite problem - the distance between the strings and frets was nonexistant. This caused the guitar to be completely unplayable, each string would buzz on the frets when I tried to play. I could have had it repaired, but saw no purpose in paying additional money to modify a cheap guitar.
Additionally, my guitar had a chip in the sound hole, but I can't tell if this is from the factory or FedEx.
Keep in mind this guitar is relatively cheap, but return shipping isn't. You MIGHT end up with a decent, playable guitar and you might not. Personally, I would strongly recommend a pricier, higher quality guitar even if you are unsure if you will continue playing. It will be easier to play, probably sound better, and you won't have to sweat possible problems as much. I later went with a Yamaha FG700S (and a nifty electronic tuner) and am very happy with it. I bought it at a local brick and mortar, actually, and just hearing it strummed in person took a lot off my mind. |
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 "Buyer Beware - This guitar is not what it is cock out to be." | 2009-08-18 |
| - Reviewed By rkng_19992 |
I had purchased the Takamine Jasmine S35 acoustic guitar because of all the 'rave' reviews. However against the first hand experience of the naysayers, I bought it - and to my dismay.
The following was the complain I wrote in to get my refund:
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To whom it may concern:
This is regarding my Amazon order on Aug 10th, 2009.
I purchased the Takamine S35 Jasmine Acoustic Guitar (Natural) after reading all the positive comments in Amazon feedback.
After receiving it this afternoon and on tuning it, I discovered the following:
1. The 4th, 5th and 6th strings touched the first fret. So when I pressed on the first bar and release it, all 3 strings did not register a change in pitch!!!
2. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings are horribly close to the fret bars, causing lots of buzzing while strumming or picking.
Due to these serious out-of-the-box defects, I'd like to request a refund and a RMA#.
This would have been a nice low-action guitar for my son if the strings are a few micro millimeters further from the fret bars. However in its current state, it remains unplayable.
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This may be a one-off occurrence and it is certainly a low-end/cost instrument. However such blatant quality flaws makes you wonder about the manufacturer.
All I can say is, "Buyer Beware!".
I ended up buying the Yamaha Gigmaker Deluxe Acoustic Guitar Package, which cost a little over twice that of the Takamine.
Yamaha GIGMAKERDLX Gigmaker Deluxe Acoustic Guitar Package
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