Known for pioneering the acoustic-electric guitar design, Takamine is not just about innovation, they also have a soft spot for old designs which include parlor guitars. The Takamine EG630S shows how Takamine can stick true to vintage guitar designs while still injecting modern features that include built-in electronics.
The company describes this parlor guitar as being one of the smallest in their line, making it easy to carry around and viable as a grab-and-go couch guitar. The EG630S sports a classic parlor guitar shape and an “antique” violin finish, both of which are reminiscent of guitars produced in the 1920s, while the built-in piezo pickup and preamp system provides a good modern contrast.
This parlor guitar starts off with its small body shape that Takamine calls “New Yorker”. This particular model strays from conventional spruce/mahogany wood combinations, rather, Takamine went for a wood combination that complements the mid-range focused sound of the body, and the antique look. To achieve this, they equipped the guitar with a solid cedar top, while the back and sides are formed using flame maple.
The neck does not stray too far from familiar terrain, it is crafted from mahogany, and is topped by a rosewood fingerboard. It has a slightly wider nut width of 1 11/16″, and meets the body at the 14th fret, following more recent guitar designs. Thankfully, the headstock is slotted, which gives this instrument a true vintage vibe, complete with antique style open-gear tuners.
Finally, Takamine wants this couch guitar to double as a stage instrument, and so they equipped it with their TP4T preamp. The resulting amplified sound follows after the characteristically high frequency rich sound expected from Takamine, while having the mid-frequency emphasis expected of a small bodied instrument.
The preamp features an active shelving EQ with sliders for adjusting the middle, treble and bass frequencies, allowing for further tone tweaking. It also has an onboard tuner and a low battery indicator to make performances worry free.
The Takamine EG630S parlor guitar is currently retailing for around $1000 brand new, but you an get it for a lot less from the second hand market. For further details, you can visit Takamine.
