They already have. Rhett released this video many months back. Now the guitars range $600 (on the very low end) to $900. But even at those prices they're still great! I have one that's a '77 or '78 (definitely a late 70s) and it sounds incredible and it's got this perfect semi-chunky neck that just lends even more to the tone. I'm not sure if the pickup works, never plugged it and don't have a need, or an amp really. I would make sure to try before you buy because a lot of these can have action and neck issues. Lastly, Takamine had their hands on some of the most beautifully figured rosewood in this era.
@@RRW276 That's how Takamine made their name, the early ones have been pricey for awhile... A lot of Japnse companies had hoarded stocks of Brazilian Rosewood.. lve got a (shitty Penco SG ripoff).. pickups are great (if you add new pots) but the board is gorgeous.
People know since 20 years that takamine are sleepers. Rhett has nothing to do with the price. Its the inflation. People who could maybe afford a martin in 2018, could it not today. And we dont talk about gibsons pricerange and the increase they made in the last ten years. I mean you can get a G45 for 1.5k, but this guitar is a joke. If you want a decent hummingbird youre in the range of 3000 plus. New. Dont ask used prices. Takamine are like Yamaha or for E-Guitars FGN. If you can deal with "Not Made in USA", you get very good guitars for a price which is simply fair. Not to cheap, but not "oh the paint on Gibson Logo costs 1000 alone, and no we dont do Inlay or Sticker logos under 3k, peasant". I mean Yamaha started to do scalloped bracing in the FG Range. Something you get before where? 2k plus? Its the Japanese mentality. Dont rip off people. Improve all youre life. Do the best you can. Always. Happy customer is good customer. Gibson Mentality: Definitely ripoff people. Improve the margin. Look how far you can get before people lynch you. Its ok if you dont do youre best, just do 100 of these and we sell them limited edition to people who will never play guitar. Happy Shareholder is good shareholder. Dont care about customers until the shtstorm is too great or a big influencer says something. Then bribe him. If not working sue him.
I found a Hondo that is solid Brazilian and has a tree of life mop fingerboard inlay and herringbone binding....it sat at a second hand shop for 300 bucks calling me but I never had the money...the place closed about 5 ish years ago and I found it in reverb for 800 so finally got it...I've never seen another one like it and the seller was in the same state so I suspect probably the same store owner slowly liquidating his inventory. Invested in a martin case for it and it smells so sweet when opening it up after awhile
word, I don't know about takamine guitars, but yamahas and guilds are beautiful instruments that aren't as appreciated as martins. I've played lots of vintage martins, and some of them are beutiful, especially some old d-18's, and d-28's, but yamaha has been making amazing acoustics for a long time too.
I have one too from that era. The action on it is so good for a 12 string. Unfortunately the stock preamp died. Need to replace it because it also sounded great.
Kind of, there are a ton of brands that vary wildly in leves of quality, but most of the time these guitars are worth it just because of them being cheap
Takemine actually bought the Martin they intended to copy and reverse engineered it, piece by piece, bit by bit as its hyde glue succumbed to the heat, they copied every part exactly. Tokai did the same with the Les Paul and Strat..
I have a 70 Gibson hummingbird copy called a Conqueror, and it sounds like a Gibson hummingbird. It needs a little work, but at 54 years old, what wouldn't? Doesn't even need a neck reset! Very well made guitar! I would have a Takamine anytime, as well as a Yairi - remember those?
Sounds wonderful. Simply wonderful. I have a '71 Martin Sigma and it sounds really good but not as good as that. I do remember those from back then though. They were really nice.
Just bought a ‘73 locally and I gotta say, it’s one of the best sounding acoustics I’ve ever played, and it sounds even better in a recording environment
My first guitar is a Takemine G-Series. Still got it over 20 yrs later…alot of miles on it and it’s not a high dollar model but the older she gets I swear it sounds better. Thanks Pops.
I had a second hand six string Gibson that was beautiful, but it was stolen from my house during a party in the seventies. I went out and bought the top of the line Takamine. I’ve realized how good that guitar is over the years since and realize it was a very good deal. My mate, feeling guilty that he left the room unlocked, paid me $2000 for the lost guitar some years later and I bought a beautiful Richard Howell classical guitar. So I came out on top eventually!
I have a Koa Takamine lawsuit era guitar that I picked up in Tasmania on deployment and it is fantastic. One of my favorite guitars and I will never sell it
I played pro but kept my Martin D 28S . The volume and tones of this old guitar are amazing. The vintage Taka. Etc sound great. Plugged in but simply acoustically my Martin is really loud and really projects a sound because it’s a big body and a wide neck delivered deep mellow tones, super video and I would highly recommend that type of guitar that you found. They’re around you just have to be resourceful.
I own a restored 1977 F400 12 string Takamine. I play it more than her sister, a 2014 D12-28. Guy I met at a local jam has a 1977 F360 6 string. It sounds as good as any D35 I have heard or played. If you find one, grab it.
Those are already a couple of grand here in the UK if its the model I remember. There is also a 90s Washburn that people avoided at the time that still has that classic album sound
RUclipsrs need to stop ruining the market so they can just make content that doesnt do anything but virtually inflate the market for once affordable gear
Not sure about them sounding like a Martin but where they out shone all other guitars back in the day was it was the best live amplified acoustic guitar on the market. Nothing came close to them on stage.
I nabbed a used Toby Keith Takamine from GC for $1300. It's a player grade for sure, but sounds wonderful and very comfortable. I don't have much experience with Takamine nor any use for the pickup.
I think these guitars have been tough to get ahold of, are definitely a sleeper and worth grabbing, if you can find one. I've got a neck from one, sawed off the body 😮, waiting for a guitar needing a headstock grafting. All its good for now but logo is intact...!
The YAMAHA’s from that era were decent as well. I have a 12-string from 76, and a 6 string from 82. I originally had a six string from 77 as well, but I traded it to my sister. Wish I hadn’t. It was a very full-bodied sound, and had really good intonation.
I had a 2 6 strings and a 12 from the 70’s. Both 6 strings were stolen and I can’t remember what I did with the 12. Probably traded it way back when. Regardless, all great guitars and on my old r2r recordings they had such a bright, ringing tone.
When Martin almost started law suits, then these guitars MUST be a real good copy. When you can buy one, do it. I found one, but I can't miss the 300 euro's, and I still regret it. See one for sale? Do not wait and think only 2 minutes, for another shop or site visitor won't hesitate. Just check what type and what year it is.
A friend’s Dad has one. A D35 clone and it is truly amazing. For the past 20 years I’ve been playing it every time I am at his house. I have tried and tried to buy it and he will not sell it…But yeah, some of them are very good guitars. This friend, he lives in Douglasville, not too far from you. Good find man. Music go Round in Duluth is a good spot. They always have some interesting and cool stuff.
A friend of mine plays a Takamine and it sounds every bit as good as any others I've heard. You might want to check out another "law suit" guitar. I have a Fernandez (sp?) that is built much like a Fender Squire and I understand that guitar's maker was sued by Fender because of it's similarities. It too looks and sounds just as good as the Fender in my humble opinion.
I have one of those! It was my first guitar that my dad bought back in the day. I want to put a sound-hole pickup in it. But I don’t want to put a hole in it that might affect its value. Not planning on ever selling it, but anyone got any advice on that?
I have one, but the top is cracked. I bought it that way. The seller didn't disclose that fact. I felt burnt, but not salty. I'm sitting on the fence whether to get it fixed or not. It has a mahogany back with a herring bone stripe down the center. I wish for a Martin (made in PA), but I am unwilling to shell out that many claims for one.
Lots of great sounding cheaper guitars out there. People just need to learn to listen through their ears, instead of through the price tag. The downside to a lot of these guitars, though, is that often they're built using techniques that make future repairs difficult or impossible, e.g. if the neck is epoxied in, then a reset becomes a very different thing than it would be otherwise.
Rhett what model number was it I had 360 series early 70’s worst mistake I add on selling it. Never found a note that sounds like . Great description on sound just like the record
From the sound hole marking it's an EF 360S, the "E" indicating electronic, the 360 being D28/35-esque. In this case kind of a combo because of the bound neck, some were unbound (one I had) like the 28. The "S" indicating solid top. All were laminate back & sides, but on these they seemed to do a really good job on and didn't seem to matter much!
Have had lots of FG's. 140,60'80'200'. None were anywhere near a Martin. Not saying they were bad at all. They were all different. But were not as alive as a vintage Martin. Far from it. Also had an FG2000. Great sound, but not for me.. Had an LL500 that was every bit as good as a Martin. Obviously not a Martin tone, but every bit as good. The only guitar I wished I'd never sold.
One of the best sounding acoustic guitars that I've played is a 1974-1975 Suzuki. Yes, Suzuki! The funny thing is that guitar is so similar to this Takamine... Maybe they came from the same factory?
History question.. were the 80s Yamaha FG models a part of Martin lawsuits as well? I have an early 80s Yamaha FG that sounds just like modern D28s… rich low ends/ beautiful over tone high ends that resonate through the body
I do not believe so. The Martin "lawsuit" (more a cease ond desist or....'request') was over the script logo, right down to the "...EST,....", As in 'established...', in Takamine's case, 1962, but the appearance from a couple feet away was uncanny. The fact that the logo was (of course as otherwise why would they...?) in combo with the famous Martin headstock shape likely did not help and called more attention to it as blatant. However, IMO, Takamine overreacted in going also to as distinctly different headstock shape as it did instead of mostly just adopting a new logo. The new combo, if understandable (likely to leave nothing to chance...), was/is unremarkable to me and sends it a bit downmarket. At least in hindsight, the drastic headstock shape change was likely unnecessary as a plethora of other companies continued on, many to this day including many boutique builders, with the iconic shape...and I have to admit that especially lost the mojo for me, even if the guitars themselves continue to be very good. And, when the entire country music world including the Eagles adopted these later, ~1983/5 +, headstock models... very likely due to manufacturer deals/arrangements with artists, they really lost my interest, and I am not a country hater, and I am an Eagle lover. One artist known to play a "lawsuit"-era model is Stephen Stills who played one live with CSN for a while I believe in the 80s or 90s. It was funny in that commenters would say things like, that Martin really sings in his hands, and no one can rock a Martin like Stills! I've gotten similar reactions (about my two Taks) from listeners as well, 'til I finally point it out to them.
And now the price will shoot up by tomorrow...
RUclipsr always fuck the prices
They already have. Rhett released this video many months back. Now the guitars range $600 (on the very low end) to $900. But even at those prices they're still great! I have one that's a '77 or '78 (definitely a late 70s) and it sounds incredible and it's got this perfect semi-chunky neck that just lends even more to the tone. I'm not sure if the pickup works, never plugged it and don't have a need, or an amp really. I would make sure to try before you buy because a lot of these can have action and neck issues. Lastly, Takamine had their hands on some of the most beautifully figured rosewood in this era.
@@RRW276 That's how Takamine made their name, the early ones have been pricey for awhile...
A lot of Japnse companies had hoarded stocks of Brazilian Rosewood.. lve got a (shitty Penco SG ripoff).. pickups are great (if you add new pots) but the board is gorgeous.
People know since 20 years that takamine are sleepers. Rhett has nothing to do with the price. Its the inflation. People who could maybe afford a martin in 2018, could it not today. And we dont talk about gibsons pricerange and the increase they made in the last ten years. I mean you can get a G45 for 1.5k, but this guitar is a joke. If you want a decent hummingbird youre in the range of 3000 plus. New. Dont ask used prices.
Takamine are like Yamaha or for E-Guitars FGN. If you can deal with "Not Made in USA", you get very good guitars for a price which is simply fair. Not to cheap, but not "oh the paint on Gibson Logo costs 1000 alone, and no we dont do Inlay or Sticker logos under 3k, peasant". I mean Yamaha started to do scalloped bracing in the FG Range. Something you get before where? 2k plus?
Its the Japanese mentality. Dont rip off people. Improve all youre life. Do the best you can. Always. Happy customer is good customer.
Gibson Mentality: Definitely ripoff people. Improve the margin. Look how far you can get before people lynch you. Its ok if you dont do youre best, just do 100 of these and we sell them limited edition to people who will never play guitar. Happy Shareholder is good shareholder. Dont care about customers until the shtstorm is too great or a big influencer says something. Then bribe him. If not working sue him.
Whats the model of his guitar?
Takamines, Yamahas, and Guilds are super underrated
Guild man here. 75 F50r, 84 JF65 and 75 Starfire 6. And no, you won't see many Starfire 6s around, only 250 were made.
@@RodFleming-Worldnice! I paid $400 for a US-made D50 and I’m never getting rid of mine!
I found a Hondo that is solid Brazilian and has a tree of life mop fingerboard inlay and herringbone binding....it sat at a second hand shop for 300 bucks calling me but I never had the money...the place closed about 5 ish years ago and I found it in reverb for 800 so finally got it...I've never seen another one like it and the seller was in the same state so I suspect probably the same store owner slowly liquidating his inventory. Invested in a martin case for it and it smells so sweet when opening it up after awhile
Love my guild m140 parlor. Way underrated
word, I don't know about takamine guitars, but yamahas and guilds are beautiful instruments that aren't as appreciated as martins. I've played lots of vintage martins, and some of them are beutiful, especially some old d-18's, and d-28's, but yamaha has been making amazing acoustics for a long time too.
Melissa is one of the most beautiful chord progressions in music, in my own opinion, of course!
Sounds like all things must pass or two ghosts by Harry styles
Almost sounds like revelry from kings of Leon
@@ianbishop5033 great tune
sounds like how to make gravy by paul Kelly
My brother-in-law has one from 1974… he played it every day, so it is completely opened up. Stunning guitar!
I have a Takamine 12 string from that era. It's awesome.
Same
Me too! She's got a Lil belly bulge startin but I love her just the same...❤😊
Me too! I put a k&k pure mini pickup in it. Sounds and plays beautiful
Me too! I have a '73 12 string. I love it but the pickup sounds awful!
I have one too from that era. The action on it is so good for a 12 string. Unfortunately the stock preamp died. Need to replace it because it also sounded great.
They’re sleeping on ‘em, but when they put one up for sale, it’s usually because learned what they were sleeping on…
I almost started to cry and had a flashback of memories when I hear that guitar. Wow! ☺️
Most lawsuit guitars from that era are really great
Tokai jazz basses go so hard.
Kind of, there are a ton of brands that vary wildly in leves of quality, but most of the time these guitars are worth it just because of them being cheap
Takemine actually bought the Martin they intended to copy and reverse engineered it, piece by piece, bit by bit as its hyde glue succumbed to the heat, they copied every part exactly. Tokai did the same with the Les Paul and Strat..
I wish I was back in the '70's
Sounds like a record - more precisely Paul Kelly’s song Making Gravy
My favorite acoustics
I have two Takamine guitars from the 1970's. A 6 and a 12 string. The 12 string was the first thing I ever bought with my own earned money.
How did you earn the money? 😉
@@doovie101 -- Working as a florist shop delivery guy right out of high school.
Absolutely true....my wife has that identical and it is indeed a gem.
I have one. Awesome guitar. Bought it brand new in 1981.
stunning good guitars, Had one, never should have let it go. Had a martin at same time , the Yamaha an Takamine were insanely good.
I play Melissa on the guitars I try out at the shop too
I have a 70 Gibson hummingbird copy called a Conqueror, and it sounds like a Gibson hummingbird. It needs a little work, but at 54 years old, what wouldn't? Doesn't even need a neck reset! Very well made guitar! I would have a Takamine anytime, as well as a Yairi - remember those?
Garcia loved those guitars
Sweet Melissa!
I have one. Always loved my Takamine.
Sounds wonderful. Simply wonderful.
I have a '71 Martin Sigma and it sounds really good but not as good as that. I do remember those from back then though. They were really nice.
Just bought a ‘73 locally and I gotta say, it’s one of the best sounding acoustics I’ve ever played, and it sounds even better in a recording environment
No joke. I had one that was mahogany body. It was my favorite acoustic. The action was so good that 13s felt like 12s. Tone was amazing!
How to make gravy. Great tune. Though i get the feeling you havnt actually heard it and stumbled on that progression. So cool
Good guitars, add to underrated Guild and Washburn.
I had an early 80's Takamine 6-12 double neck. Only 50 ever made. I should never had sold it but life got in the way.
My first guitar is a Takemine G-Series. Still got it over 20 yrs later…alot of miles on it and it’s not a high dollar model but the older she gets I swear it sounds better.
Thanks Pops.
You are correct... I have several of them. It's not just relevant to the "Lawsuit Era" models.
Rick owes u a beer that you DIDNT already know this lol.
I had a second hand six string Gibson that was beautiful, but it was stolen from my house during a party in the seventies. I went out and bought the top of the line Takamine. I’ve realized how good that guitar is over the years since and realize it was a very good deal. My mate, feeling guilty that he left the room unlocked, paid me $2000 for the lost guitar some years later and I bought a beautiful Richard Howell classical guitar. So I came out on top eventually!
I have one. I love it
I have a Koa Takamine lawsuit era guitar that I picked up in Tasmania on deployment and it is fantastic. One of my favorite guitars and I will never sell it
I play Takamines and they are excellent guitars. I also play Yairi’s and they too are excellent guitars.
The Tak Martin D28 was either a model F360 or S360. The S360 was solid top. The F360 was laminated.
I played pro but kept my Martin D 28S . The volume and tones of this old guitar are amazing. The vintage Taka. Etc sound great. Plugged in but simply acoustically my Martin is really loud and really projects a sound because it’s a big body and a wide neck delivered deep mellow tones, super video and I would highly recommend that type of guitar that you found. They’re around you just have to be resourceful.
Absolutely! They are very underrated and still can be had cheap. I have two :-).
My dad passed me down this same guitar. Beautiful instrument
Love my takamine from 1989
I bought an early 70's Morris MIJ D-28 copy for $385 six months ago. It sounds as good as any 70's M D-28 and beyond.
I have a Takamine Lawsuit Dreadnaught. It's fabulous!
They are very good guitars and sound good as any
I own a restored 1977 F400 12 string Takamine. I play it more than her sister, a 2014 D12-28. Guy I met at a local jam has a 1977 F360 6 string. It sounds as good as any D35 I have heard or played. If you find one, grab it.
The f360 is a D28 clone, not a D35
does sound very good
Absolutely nuts - if they're that good, why don't these people just use a regular mattress or something??
Did you just bust out with "Sweet Melissa"? Awesome song and beautiful playing!
Shoutout that R88 / a doing some heavy lifting too..
Great. Thanks. And now the one I’ve been eying at my local guitar shop is probably gonna be double in price when I go see it tomorrow 🤦🏽♂️
I'm convinced these vids are made just too do that.
My first guitar was a Takamine F-340. I love that guitar
I have a Jasmine ( made by Takamine ) from the 80s ..nicest guitar to play I have ..perfect action and pick up ...sounds great through amp or pa
Those are already a couple of grand here in the UK if its the model I remember. There is also a 90s Washburn that people avoided at the time that still has that classic album sound
RUclipsrs need to stop ruining the market so they can just make content that doesnt do anything but virtually inflate the market for once affordable gear
It was my first guitar & I agree 1000%
Thunderclap Newton. Something in the air
Not sure about them sounding like a Martin but where they out shone all other guitars back in the day was it was the best live amplified acoustic guitar on the market. Nothing came close to them on stage.
I nabbed a used Toby Keith Takamine from GC for $1300. It's a player grade for sure, but sounds wonderful and very comfortable. I don't have much experience with Takamine nor any use for the pickup.
Love Music Go round in Duluth. Always finding the coolest shit in there.
Hmm. Time to restring mine and give it a play after all these years.
Those chords. Paul Kelly. Gravy. The story of an inmate. Listen. It's Australiana folk song writing Zenith.
Man, newsflash - Mij guitars from the 70s are often just as good as the guitars they copy from the us. Great update
For a period in the 70s Martin’s bridges had the saddles just slightly in the wrong place which made them impossible to intonate.
How do you intonate an acoustic guitar? Other than putting a compensated saddle on it, of course….
D standard aka Kozelek tuning
Have you tried S. Or K. Yairi guitars? Mind blowing
I think these guitars have been tough to get ahold of, are definitely a sleeper and worth grabbing, if you can find one.
I've got a neck from one, sawed off the body 😮,
waiting for a guitar needing a headstock grafting.
All its good for now but logo is intact...!
I had one and loved it so much it was full mahogany I wish I never sold it
Thanks dude, now these are going to go up in price. Smh
Sweet Melissaaahh....
The YAMAHA’s from that era were decent as well. I have a 12-string from 76, and a 6 string from 82. I originally had a six string from 77 as well, but I traded it to my sister. Wish I hadn’t. It was a very full-bodied sound, and had really good intonation.
I had a 2 6 strings and a 12 from the 70’s. Both 6 strings were stolen and I can’t remember what I did with the 12. Probably traded it way back when. Regardless, all great guitars and on my old r2r recordings they had such a bright, ringing tone.
When Martin almost started law suits, then these guitars MUST be a real good copy.
When you can buy one, do it. I found one, but I can't miss the 300 euro's, and I still regret it. See one for sale? Do not wait and think only 2 minutes, for another shop or site visitor won't hesitate. Just check what type and what year it is.
A friend’s Dad has one. A D35 clone and it is truly amazing. For the past 20 years I’ve been playing it every time I am at his house. I have tried and tried to buy it and he will not sell it…But yeah, some of them are very good guitars. This friend, he lives in Douglasville, not too far from you.
Good find man. Music go Round in Duluth is a good spot. They always have some interesting and cool stuff.
Yep, it sounds like a guitar.
I recently bought a solid ebony Taylor. $20, new.
Did you know they make slides now?
Takamine looked very much like a Martin. Even the logo on headstock. Then they came very popular for their pickups or electric sound
I had one great guitar
Sound real clean 😂
All Things must Pass....
Got one
Wenn die Aussprache nicht stimmt, verzeihen Sie mir ok 🤗😝👍
A friend of mine plays a Takamine and it sounds every bit as good as any others I've heard. You might want to check out another "law suit" guitar. I have a Fernandez (sp?) that is built much like a Fender Squire and I understand that guitar's maker was sued by Fender because of it's similarities. It too looks and sounds just as good as the Fender in my humble opinion.
I have one of those! It was my first guitar that my dad bought back in the day. I want to put a sound-hole pickup in it. But I don’t want to put a hole in it that might affect its value. Not planning on ever selling it, but anyone got any advice on that?
Hello Dan, it's Joe here....
I own 3 different takamine guitars from this era amongst other great vintage acoustics and they are on par with American guitars from the same era!😊
Some old yamahas and some old alvarez do so too
LOLLLLLLL A GOOD 70s MARTINNNNN! YOURE FUCKIN HILARIOUS! 70s Taks blow that era of Martins away entirely.
I have Takamine EF series guitars.... MIJ. They are very good instruments, and I have nothing bad to say about them.
They even copied the logo 😂😂
1970’s was a lawless time
Totally, that’s hilarious.
Maybe my ears are mistaken, but did he just play Atlanta by STP?
I was thinking, "Melissa" by The Allman Brothers.
People say the same about many lawsuit Les Paul copies too. Are you going to check those out as well?
I have one, but the top is cracked. I bought it that way. The seller didn't disclose that fact. I felt burnt, but not salty. I'm sitting on the fence whether to get it fixed or not. It has a mahogany back with a herring bone stripe down the center.
I wish for a Martin (made in PA), but I am unwilling to shell out that many claims for one.
Lots of great sounding cheaper guitars out there. People just need to learn to listen through their ears, instead of through the price tag. The downside to a lot of these guitars, though, is that often they're built using techniques that make future repairs difficult or impossible, e.g. if the neck is epoxied in, then a reset becomes a very different thing than it would be otherwise.
Rhett what model number was it I had 360 series early 70’s worst mistake I add on selling it. Never found a note that sounds like . Great description on sound just like the record
From the sound hole marking it's an EF 360S, the "E" indicating electronic, the 360 being D28/35-esque. In this case kind of a combo because of the bound neck, some were unbound (one I had) like the 28. The "S" indicating solid top. All were laminate back & sides, but on these they seemed to do a really good job on and didn't seem to matter much!
70's and early 80's Aria Japan dreadnoughts are as good as any martin from that era.
Just to think that I owned one! Too bad.i don't have it.
Have had lots of FG's. 140,60'80'200'. None were anywhere near a Martin. Not saying they were bad at all. They were all different. But were not as alive as a vintage Martin. Far from it. Also had an FG2000. Great sound, but not for me.. Had an LL500 that was every bit as good as a Martin. Obviously not a Martin tone, but every bit as good. The only guitar I wished I'd never sold.
I tried to shop online to find it, but there's Chinese copies online, unfortunately just fake. Can someone advise me where I can get one. Thanks
check out mid seventies alvarez also
If you like takemines you should check out sigma guitars. There were dozens of these great guitars in the past.
One of the best sounding acoustic guitars that I've played is a 1974-1975 Suzuki. Yes, Suzuki! The funny thing is that guitar is so similar to this Takamine... Maybe they came from the same factory?
History question.. were the 80s Yamaha FG models a part of Martin lawsuits as well? I have an early 80s Yamaha FG that sounds just like modern D28s… rich low ends/ beautiful over tone high ends that resonate through the body
I do not believe so. The Martin "lawsuit" (more a cease ond desist or....'request') was over the script logo, right down to the "...EST,....", As in 'established...', in Takamine's case, 1962, but the appearance from a couple feet away was uncanny. The fact that the logo was (of course as otherwise why would they...?) in combo with the famous Martin headstock shape likely did not help and called more attention to it as blatant. However, IMO, Takamine overreacted in going also to as distinctly different headstock shape as it did instead of mostly just adopting a new logo. The new combo, if understandable (likely to leave nothing to chance...), was/is unremarkable to me and sends it a bit downmarket. At least in hindsight, the drastic headstock shape change was likely unnecessary as a plethora of other companies continued on, many to this day including many boutique builders, with the iconic shape...and I have to admit that especially lost the mojo for me, even if the guitars themselves continue to be very good. And, when the entire country music world including the Eagles adopted these later, ~1983/5 +, headstock models... very likely due to manufacturer deals/arrangements with artists, they really lost my interest, and I am not a country hater, and I am an Eagle lover. One artist known to play a "lawsuit"-era model is Stephen Stills who played one live with CSN for a while I believe in the 80s or 90s. It was funny in that commenters would say things like, that Martin really sings in his hands, and no one can rock a Martin like Stills! I've gotten similar reactions (about my two Taks) from listeners as well, 'til I finally point it out to them.
Most Taks from that era have a laminated top. Also their necks are mounted using dowels instead of a dovetail. Nice guitars, but not Martins.