• The wonderful Takamine EG444C-VV vs. the equally magnificent Seagull Coastline S6 Slim Cutaway

  
  As reviewed by RV on 7/30/2011

  When I gave my old Yamaha to my niece, I was left with two guitars - an old Renaissance (really no name) acoustic guitar and a Gibson USA Les Paul Double Cutaway TV Yellow electric guitar. The Renaissance was my first guitar but until the Yamaha, I had no idea how mediocre that guitar was. Needless to say, I avoided playing it and instead played the electric instead. But there's just something about playing acoustic guitars. Don't get me wrong, playing an electric guitar is a fantastic experience but that's just it - it's a different experience. So then, back to the Renaissance I went. After playing the Les Paul electric, it took quite an adjustment to play the acoustic again. And this time I can really "tell" how mediocre the Renaissnace is. So, I decided to "fix" it by using high-end strings - the Elixir Nanoweb Lights. Those strings are great. It made the guitar more playable and made it sound better. But still, there was this yearning for a better guitar. And so I started the search. I wanted a brand new guitar and I wanted it to at least look better than the one I have. I also wanted it to be an acoustic electic. And a cutaway. And I did not want to pay and arm and a leg. And more importantly, it must sound good unplugged. Searching on the web yielded many options but I had to stay disciplined and stay within my set price range. Based on looks, two stood out for me - the Epiphone PR5E and the Epiphone J-200. To Tom Lee I went to try them out. Unfortunately, they didn't have the PR5E but I tried the J-200 and the Texan. As well as a bunch of Yamahas, Fenders and Takamines. The guitars I tried looked good but didn't quite have the sound that appealed to me. Then out of nowhere, there was this Seagull Coastline S6 Slim Cutaway Spruce. It looked good, it felt good, and it sounded good. I found it had more resonance and a fuller sound than the others. It matched perfectly for my test song - Neil Young's Heart of Gold. And buy it I did. I loved the guitar but it was still missing something. It's the look. I was thinking to myself, why would the look matter? It's a musical instrument. All that mattered most was the sound and it's playability. But I couldn't resist. Since the Seagull cost half of what I budgetted for anyway, why not get a second guitar (albeit a second unplanned acoustic guitar purchase)? To Long & McQuade I went. They have the Epiphone PR5E in stock. Unfortunately, as good as it looked, the sound was not appealing to me. Amazingly (in the negative sense), it sounded like my Renaissance. But just like the Seagull, out of nowhere, there's this Takamine. The EG444C-VV. I've never seen this in the four or five guitar stores I've visited. I tried it and I was hooked. In terms of playability, it somehow reminds me of my old Yamaha but the EG444C-VV sounds better. And that vintage violin finish with a somewhat sunburst effect is very striking. Pictures don't do it justice. And of course, the sound. The mahogany woods do make it sound different from the Seagull Coastline S6's spruce/wild cherry wood combo. Although it does not sound as "loud" as the Coastline S6, the Takamine EG4444C-VV has a different "ring". If the Seagull has the punch, the Takamine has the jingle. And this Takamine appears to have more resonant harmonics than the Seagull. To me, the S6's harmonics appear a little duller compared to the EG444C-VV's more especially at the saddle/bridge. (When strumming sometimes I play by the saddle so the side of my hand kinda muffles the notes. On the Takamine this works wonderfully but sounds muffled on the S6). Needless to say, I bought the EG444C-VV. At home, I pitted the Coastline S6 against the EG444C-VV. I was contemplating returning one of them. The more I played them, the more I liked both and the more I understood their differences and where they "fit". Only then did I truly understand why some people have multiple guitars. I was attempting to have a utility guitar that's kinda one-size-fits-all. But some songs just go better with certain guitars. Playing Neil Young's Heart of Gold on these guitars clearly showed me it's more for the Coastline S6. On the other hand, Coldplay's Fix You matched better with the EG444C-VV. By the way, I've yet to plug them in. That will be a review for another day.... RV

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• HIdden Gem

  
  As reviewed by Paul Dabrowski on 3/21/2013

  This is only my second guitar, I graduated from a low end Washburn. I didn't even plan to buy a guitar at GC, but was thinking about something that sounded better than my Washburn in the $300-$400 range. I played a variety of Fenders, Alverez, Ibanez, Seagulls, and a few others. I asked the rep if he had any Takamines and pulled this one off the top corner that I had not even noticed. Beautiful sound, good action, and the neck made you play more strict. The resonance and sustain is impressive for a laminate guitar to, has quite a boom to it. My test song is usually "Low Light" which it played very well. As I have had it for some time now and start moving up and down the neck more, it plays well at all points. The electronics sound pretty decent in my opinion, but is not something I have played around with a whole lot. That being said, built in tuner works great. Besides that, it is an aesthetically pleasing guitar. I like the flame orange/red and the pearl inlays are a nice touch. The other day I let my dad play it who has been playing for over 30 years. He was playing mostly blues, and the lead lines really came out nice, he was pleasantly surprised it looked like, coming from someone who plays Gibsons and Guilds. The downsides, it has a slight bit of string buzz on some open chords and I was not impressed with the quality of work where the neck mounts to the body, a little bit of sloppy glue work. I am personally able to look past that. And the very best part: I got it on sale for $399. I cannot judge if this is the best in the $500-600 range, but I am very happy for what I paid. I can't see adding to my collection for a while and at the level I am at. A very good next step guitar I feel. I also want to mention I immediately put on Elixer lights. Give them a few to break in, but they sound beautiful. Last note, get some Gibson pump polish and a micro fiber to keep it clean, pops out every wipe down. If your looking for a good acoustic electric cutaway that's playable that packs a punch and is nice to look at, I'd highly recommend this guitar.

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