Takamine Gifu-Cho Electro Acoustic Ltd. 2018

Full Description

Quality Cedar & Ovangkol Construction

The Takamine LTD features a solid cedar top, producing a mellow-warmth that accommodates fingerpicking players beautifully, offering an idyllic response for the player with a lighter touch. Additionally, cedar's nature allows it to respond superbly to a lighter touch with great volume, projecting each subtle nuance beautifully. Cedar also has a darkened, red-like colour, although Takamine have finished the LTD Gifu-Cho with a glossy lift-out antique white stain for added aesthetic appeal. Furthermore, its stunning solid top is accompanied by a solid ovangkol back and laminated ovangkol sides, producing a resonant deep warmth with a full mid-range and a bright treble response. The overall tone produced accommodates fingerstylists beautifully, making this stunning Takamine perfect for folk, country, and more alternative fingerpicking styles.

CTP-3 CoolTube Electronics

The Takamine LTD Gifu-Cho comes equipped with a CTP-3 CoolTube preamp, perfect for live and studio environments, offering the more professional musician a unique and distinct tube preamp system for acoustic guitar. With this preamp being the first and only of its kind for acoustic guitar, the player is certain to benefit from its tone sculpting options and the projection of a rich, full sound. This innovative Takamine technology features a dual-triode that runs at very low voltages, low enough that the tube stays cool to the touch, and with adjustable tube tone, a player is able to achieve bright and brilliant to thick and warm tones. The Gifu-Cho's built-in tube preamp system features a full-range EQ section that uses shelving filters to shape bass and treble frequencies, as well as semi-parametric sculpting control over the mid-range. Furthermore, the preamp has slide-switches for lows, mids, highs, volume, and aux pu mix volume, as well as mid frequency control, notch, and of course, innovative cool tube technology. With all this a player is able to shape their amplified tone to a professional standard, perfect for achieving a rich, full and truly sonically-pleasing sound that is certain to impress crowds and provide the player with a superb recording when used within a studio setting.

African Mahogany Neck & Ebony Fingerboard

Constructed from mahogany, the Takamine's neck produces a resonant warmth, perfect for the player craving a rich, warm tonality. Mahogany's nature also enables it to respond superbly to many different playing styles and techniques with equal ease, perfect for unleashing a player's individual style. In addition, the neck is topped with an ebony fingerboard that adds a bright attack with long-lasting sustain, perfect for percussive playing styles. For a truly premium and unique appearance, the ebony fingerboard is graced with a beautifully intricate hand painted, and hand inlaid Gifu-Cho motif that trails the length of the fingerboard, embodying Takamine's special and one-of-a-kind theme.

NEX Body

The NEX body from Takamine is similar in proportion to jumbo guitars but is slightly smaller in size, providing an incredibly comfortable playing experience. Its scaled down body shape offers comfort throughout both seated and standing performances, whilst also being comfortable enough to endure long gigs and rehearsal sessions. The Takamine's NEX body also has a smooth, silky balance across the tonal spectrum, perfect for the player that craves versatility. Its well-balanced tone is able to accommodate numerous genres and techniques from lighter fingerpicking styles to meatier chords and strumming patterns. Furthermore, the Takamine LTD is perfect for the more professional singer/songwriter, as the tone produced supports a vocal accompaniment beautifully.

Limited Edition Design

Every year Takamine release a limited edition guitar that embodies and commemorates the beauty and culture of the Gifu prefecture, a location where Takamine guitars have been constructed since 1962. This stunning design features beautifully intricate and artistic hand-inlaid/painted details that will never again be repeated. Its eye-catching and delicately inlaid butterflies represent the arrival of the Spring season, also known as 'Spring Ephemeral', these butterflies can't survive the deep forest. These butterflies only thrive for a short period of time in the meadows and hills between the forest and villages of Gifu, Japan. The nature of these butterflies, although only thriving for a short period of time are known to flutter around violet flowers as if cherishing their relationship with neighboring humans. With abalone purfling and rosette, the Takamine's delicate inlays come alive, providing a premium, distinct and unique appearance with a aesthetically pleasing antique whitewash top treatment, gold tuners and ivoroid binding.

Bone Nut

The Takamine LTD features a nut constructed from bone, which offers excellent resonance and sustain, along with an authentic appearance. A bone nut also delivers a very balanced tone, and will last a long time. In addition, this type of nut naturally self lubricates and helps you stay in tune for longer.

Features

• Limited edition for 2018
• Shipped with certificate of authenticity from Takamine
• Solid top and back for resonant, rich, full and well-balanced sound
• Laminated sides for added durability
• NEX body provides comfortable playing experience with a tone that sits beautifully alongside a vocal accompaniment
• Perfect for live and studio settings due to on-board electronics
• Comes equipped with the first and only on-board tube preamp for acoustic guitar
• Amplified tone is rich, full, pure, and natural
• Visually striking inlays for a truly breathtaking appearance
• Hand inlaid with stunning abalone Gifu-Cho motif
• Beautiful and classic Takamine headstock with gold hardware and ivoroid buttons
• Bone nut for added resonance and sustain
• GC500 case included

Specifications

Body & Bridge

• Body Type: NEX
• Top Material: Solid Cedar
• Back Material: Solid Ovangkol
• Side Material: Laminated Ovangkol
• Top Finish: Glossy Lift-Out Antique White
• Back/Sides Finish: Gloss Natural
• Bridge Material: Ebony
• Saddle Material: Bone
• Purfling: Abalone
• Binding: Ivoroid
• Rosette: Abalone

Neck & Fingerboard

• Neck Material: African Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Ebony
• Fingerboard Inlay: Abalone Gifu-Cho Motif
• Nut Material: Bone
• Nut Width: 42.5 mm

Hardware & Electronics

• Hardware Colour: Gold
• Tuning Machines: Gold w/ Ivoroid Buttons
• Pickguard: Black w/ Abalone Gifu-Cho motif
• Electronics: CTP3 CoolTube Preamp
• Controls: Volume/Low/Mid/High/Mid-Frequency/Cool Tube/Notch/Aux Pu Mix Volume/Aux Pu Mix Gain
• Case Included: GC500