Takamine EG569C Thinline Ovangkol Acoustic/Electric Cutaway Guitar

MSRP: $880

The price you’ll actually pay: $440

The Takamine EG569C is a thin line guitar, which means that the size of the body is skinnier than the standard acoustic guitar. This makes for easier playing for some, and allows for easier transportation. These are optimally used in plugged-in settings, but the smaller volume when unplugged is still pleasant and ideal for practicing. The construction of the EG569C includes ovangkol top and bottom. Ovangkol, a relative of rosewood, provides a rosewood sound with more mid-range sounds than your average build and plenty of perkiness to the high end. Ovangkol woods are typically less dense than other rosewoods used for guitar construction, but the tonal sounds are still strong and pleasant, and the wood holds up remarkably well considering its thin dimensions. The fret board and bridge are composed of rosewood. The cutaway design makes this Takamine easy to play, and the gorgeous rosette and fret inlays are all abalone.

TV-3N Preamp

The Takamine EG569C comes equipped with a TV-3N preamp. While not as impressive as some of the TK40s (from Takamine’s G-series) and other preamps from Takamine, the TV-3N and the pickup offer great sound with a very basic three-band equalizer that allows adjustments of highs, mids, and lows. With acoustic tones in mind, the TV-3N’s compact design makes it functional without being underwhelming. In addition, the TV-3N features a tuner that works with a push button. The tuner is fully chromatic, allow easy tuning to any note. When in use, the tuner stops the signal from going to the output. When you’re done tuning your guitar, all you have to do is hold down the tuner button for three seconds, and it will return to signal processing.

Pros and Cons.

Pros:

• Gorgeous Ovangkol woods produce a unique sound without too much variance on ideal guitar tones.
• Usually comes with a padded soft case for easy transport.
• Most ovangkol guitars cost much more than the Takamine EG569
• Designed for acoustic-electric usages
• Easier to handle for small players

Cons:

• Not ideal for live playing where you won’t be plugged in or mic’d
• Thinner sound than rosewood guitars (arguably a good thing)
• Not as cheap as some of Takamine’s other fine guitars (which can honestly match this one’s quality pretty easily in terms of sound and playability)

If you’re in the market for a thinline guitar, there’s not many that are going to surpass this one, at least not in this price range. This guitar is awesome for the mellow player that does a lot of finger picking.