NGD Takamine AN10

Smellyfingers · July 2022

Continuing my expensive and somewhat idiotic quest for the 'one', I bought this 15 year old example, blind over ebay

It's proven to be a bit annoying, because the tone is as impressive as Gibson and Martin's I have had costing 3 or 4 times more.

It's got a western red cedar top,, which seems particularly responsive to softer strumming. Unusually for a Tak it has no electronics. Nice and light and few clues as to it's age, other than the endearingly naff pink tuners.

I am not sure if anyone has an idea of what strings might be best for a Tak cedar top?

It's currently strung with Martin thin
Here's a photo
https://i.imgur.com/FzFGqy3.jpeg

Mellish · July 2022

Looks good mate.

How does it sound? What are the woods?

Smellyfingers · July 2022

It's got a solid cedar top, mahogany back and sides.

I would say it's sounds a bit softer or to use a cliche a bit 'warmer' than spruce tops.

Importantly for me, note distinction is very good, even on subtle or minor chord changes.

Mellish · July 2022

Only one thing now: find the ideal strings

tone1 · July 2022

Congratulations! I love my AN45 too…

https://i.imgur.com/lweTxDf.jpg

Smellyfingers · July 2022

tone1 said:

Congratulations! I love m AN45 too…

https://i.imgur.com/lweTxDf.jpg

I love the rosette on that.

ICBM · July 2022

I've always liked 80/20 bronze strings on cedar tops - I agree completely with your description of 'soft' compared to spruce, so strings with a brighter top-end seem to suit them better, phosphor bronze can be a bit muddy. I would probably stick with 12s for a dreadnought, although 11s aren't actually that much lighter and usually sound fine.

As usual I would give Newtone a try - Masterclass 80/20 bronze 12-52.

Soupman · July 2022

@tone1 that AN45 looks to be in immaculate condition. How old is it ?

tone1 · July 2022

@Soupman 2003

Mellish · July 2022

@tone1 ; - that's a nice looking acoustic. Congratulations mate

Tannin · July 2022

Nice pick-up @Smellyfingers ;

I agree with ICBM on the benefits of brass on a cedar top and have often had 80/20s on my cedar-top Maton. They work well. Our two guitars are very similar on paper, however I'm guessing that a mahogany-backed Takamine might be a bit toppier than the Queensland Maple Maton and brass might be a bit too much of a good thing. Only one way to find out!

The following are the strings which I've liked best on the Maton. Like your Takamine it is a dreadnought; Queensland Maple is a bit more rounded than mahogany, a fuller sound, but broadly similar. I'm a fingerpicker using a mix of flesh and nails.

BRASS

* SIT Silencers (£7.50). Supposed to be semi-flat surfaced for noise-free fretting; in practice they play just like any normal string: they have a normal ring (not weird and compressed like D'Addario Flat Tops or Pyramid Hand-rubbed) but also a moderate amount of normal finger noise. In short, they play like a normal round-wound brass string, but sound a bit less strident. The sound is warm and medium-bright with a good, slightly slinky feel.

* Darco 80/20 (£6.75). (Martin MA140s are the exact same string in a different packet at a higher price.) Nasty fresh on, somewhere between shouty and shrill, but improve enormously as they age. After a week, much better balanced and they improve further with time. Excellent after two or three weeks and still good after about seven. (That is a long time for an 80/20.)

* La Bella Golden Alloy (£8). Good strings with a sound and feel all their own. Not a lot of body to the sound, almost tinny fresh on, but they feel great, as supple and easy under the fingers as round cores. The tone soon settles down to something sweet and pleasing. Beware: they squeal like crazy: a 9 out of 10 on the squeak-o-meter.

PHOSPHOR BRONZE

* GHS Americana (£9). Lovely, well-balanced straight-ahead strings. Start out a little thin but the longer they are on the better they get. Once played in (a week, say) they are full and rich but never cloying or muddy. Last really well, twice as long as a typical uncoated string.

* John Pearse Phosphor Bronze (£8.50) Not much to say about these, just an excellent string in all the normal ways. Good feel (stiffish but not overly so), great all-purpose tone, last well.

Finally some more phosphor bronze strings that I know and love on other guitars and think would work well on the cedar Maton but haven't had the chance to try yet.

* Galli LS. £7. Another great middle-of-the-road phosphor bronze string. Warm, bright, rich, well balanced, soft, smooth feel: all class.

* SIT Royal Bronze £8. Another favourite which does all the usual things to a higher-than-usual standard.

* DR Sunbeams £8. Gorgeous soft, responsive round-core feel; a lively and well-balanced sound.

* Pyramid Western Folk (£10.50). Slightly fuller-bodied than the otherwise similar DR Sunbeams.

Hold a gun to my head and tell me to put them in order and I might say Galli LS and GHS Americana, then get a bit stuck for a third choice. These are all good strings. It looks like a fine guitar and the reality is it will probably sound pretty good with any of them, or with any of several dozen others.

Dave_Mc · July 2022

Lovely guitar @Smellyfingers . I agree about cedar, too- softer and more compressed. Haven't got as far as changing the strings on my new(ish) Dowina yet, that's some good info about brass strings, I'll keep that in mind @ICBM and @Tannin ;

tone1 · July 2022

@Smellyfingers does the lack of fretboard dots bother you? I’m considering having some fitted.

Tannin · July 2022

I'm going to get into trouble for saying this, but wouldn't it be easier just to hold it properly?

tone1 · July 2022

Tannin said:

I'm going to get into trouble for saying this, but wouldn't it be easier just to hold it properly?

I wouldn’t want to break a habit of a lifetime

Tannin · July 2022

^ Fair enough!

artiebear · July 2022

Tannin said:

I'm going to get into trouble for saying this, but wouldn't it be easier just to hold it properly?

LOL I did like that one !

Dave_Mc · July 2022

Tannin said:

I'm going to get into trouble for saying this, but wouldn't it be easier just to hold it properly?

That would have used to annoy me too... I can usually get by with side dots these days though. Given the free choice I probably prefer dots, though.

Smellyfingers · July 2022

Many thanks for the appreciations and advice re strings.

I had read somewhere that because cedar was a softer wood using heavy gauge strings was unwise.

On that basis I made the boring choice and ordered D'addario 80/20 11.52 coated bronze.

Tannin · July 2022

Cedar is softer than spruce and also has less strength for any given thickness. However it is also lighter, so it is normal to make a cedar guitar with a slightly thicker top of roughly equal strength and weight. I've had brass 13s on my cedar top without the slightest ill-effect on it. They sounded fantastic but I took them off because it took too much muscle to play and I am a lazy bugger.

A recommended technique for hand-made manufacture (with any timber) is to decide on a target strength and thin the top to that exact strength, thus achieving the lightest possible top commensurate with durability. (Obviously, this isn't the way big companies make guitars. Factories make them all the same regardless of individual variations in timber, which is why (counter-intuitively!) every factory guitar is different!)

Tannin · July 2022

PS: in another thread @Mellish recommends those very strings you choose (well, the same string in 12s). I plan to add them to my long, long list of strings to try next time I do an order.

PAL · July 2022

The older Takamine guitars are really good. I use a Takamine EN40C. I don't think about the fact there are no dots on the fingerboard !

tone1 · July 2022

ICBM said:

I've always liked 80/20 bronze strings on cedar tops - I agree completely with your description of 'soft' compared to spruce, so strings with a brighter top-end seem to suit them better, phosphor bronze can be a bit muddy. I would probably stick with 12s for a dreadnought, although 11s aren't actually that much lighter and usually sound fine.

As usual I would give Newtone a try - Masterclass 80/20 bronze 12-52.

I’ve just fitted a set of the Newtone 80/20 bronze 12-52’s on my Cedar-Rosewood Takamine as I was clueless on what to go for….I’m a very happy bunny!

Thanks @ICBM ;

ICBM · July 2022

Glad to help

. I haven't tried every type of strings with every type of guitar by a long way, but this is one combination that stands out as working well whenever I have.

Just be aware that 80/20s have a shorter 'bright' life than phosphor bronze so you may need to replace them a bit more often - but Newtones seem to last longer than most.

Redlester · July 2022

Lovely guitar.

I have the AN15, which has a scratchplate and a bit more gloss finish than yours seems to have. Rosewood back and sides. Deffo a keeper.

Some great advice re strings and the cedar top in this thread. Will follow the advice.

Dave_Mc · July 2022

tone1 said:

ICBM said:

I've always liked 80/20 bronze strings on cedar tops - I agree completely with your description of 'soft' compared to spruce, so strings with a brighter top-end seem to suit them better, phosphor bronze can be a bit muddy. I would probably stick with 12s for a dreadnought, although 11s aren't actually that much lighter and usually sound fine.

As usual I would give Newtone a try - Masterclass 80/20 bronze 12-52.

I’ve just fitted a set of the Newtone 80/20 bronze 12-52’s on my Cedar-Rosewood Takamine as I was clueless on what to go for….I’m a very happy bunny!

Thanks @ICBM ;

Nice, I'll keep that in mind for my cedar Dowina

Glad you like them

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

NGD Takamine AN10

Comments