Takamine have a long and storied history of producing both accessible and high quality instruments, boasting the kind of stellar reputation in the space that can only come from years of producing top notch guitars with the player in mind. 

Takamine

Unveiled at NAMM 2024 and coupled with a short film, the LTD2024 is a limited edition electro-acoustic guitar (being especially limited edition in Australia with just six guitars coming to Australia), built from solid spruce and rosewood, and quickly becoming known as the “Solar System Limited Edition”, finished in Penumbra Blue.

Read all the latest features, columns and more here.

The LTD2024 is an electro acoustic guitar with a single cutaway, and harnesses Takamine’s own Nex Cutaway body shape; both comfortable to play and providing controlled, loud sound. The top is solid spruce, while the back and sides are made from rosewood. The neck is mahogany and the fretboard is ebony, while the bridge is black carbon to harness every ounce of resonance and tonality that we possibly can! The fretboard inlays display the 8 planets of our solar system (sorry Pluto!) with the sun at the 12th fret.

The LTD is hand-crafted at the Sakashita factory in the foothills of the Japanese Alps, offering both world-class build quality, coupled with supreme finishing. This helps to retain the acoustic qualities of the carefully selected woods, especially once strung up across its comfortable 25.35” scale length and strummed!

Beautiful acoustics aside, the LTD2024 features the new CTF-2N preamp, a preamplifier using the FET technology of the famed “Brownie” preamp with high and low EQ controls, notch control, a master volume, pad control and a bright, well-lit tuner. 

External construction aside, the LTD2024 takes its internal construction a step further. The bracing is hand-voiced by master craftsman Tohru Hirokawa. The bracing is shaved thin, to reduce mass and make way for more space for sound to bounce around, all the while resonating that beautiful Sitka Spruce top. The African mahogany of the neck provides a solid foundation for profoundly stable tuning, Takamine’s iconic split saddle bridge design adding to this for supremely accurate intonation.

In the hands the LTD2024 is comfortable and easy to noodle on, the cutaway giving access right up to the tippy-top 20th fret. The well-built LTD2024 resonates comfortably against your body, while the body carve of the NEX shape offers something between a big-bodied dreadnought and a smaller parlour—it sings but with a controlled tonality.

CTF-2N preamp

The CTF-2N preamp captures this beautifully, providing both control over refining your sound and keeping the LTD2024 in tune. Depending on the venue, quickly dial and refine your sound with the preamp’s controls at a live show, while also offering you the ability to shape and shift the output for the best possible sound while recording.

In addition to the LTD2024, Takamine also launched a few other guitars, namely our favourites: some new G-Series offerings, or the FT340 BS, KC 70 or TH90 to name a few! These span multiple uses, payers and budgets, all the while retaining Takamine’s world-class design principles and quality assurance.

The G-Series have seen a revamp in the release of a white series of guitars. The GD-37CE, for example, is a dreadnought shaped acoustic with a cutaway, featuring an eye-catching pearl white finish, complete with black purfling binding and abalone rosette. Beneath the beautiful finish, the GD-37CE has a solid spruce top and sapele sides for a balanced, though warm response.

Borrowing from the same NEX body shape that the LTD2024 was born from, the GN90CE is a NEX shaped acoustic with a cutaway for clear access to higher frets. The GN90CE has Madagascar rosewood sides and back for a controlled, snappy response when coupled with a Solid Spruce top.

Different tonewoods can offer vastly different sound and feel, the FT340 BS features a rare and beautiful burled sapele back and sides, on show beneath a gloss finish that highlights the burled finish. Again, the FT340 BS has Takamine’s CTF-2N to harness the full spectrum of rich harmonics available from the FT340 BS.

Shifting to a more classically voiced guitar, the TH90 Hirade concert classic guitar. Named after Master Luthier Mass Hirade, the Hirade range offers some world-class instruments for the most demanding players. The TH90 is built primarily from solid rosewood and solid sitka spruce, the solid woods preventing acoustic energy from fizzling out into additional joins in the woodwork. It features an ebony fretboard for a precise and controlled attack, while the oval soundhole continues to refine and shape the acoustic sound that comes from the TH90; controlled lows and shimmering mids and a clear top end. The TH90 is very limited in Australia, so if you like the sound of this, don’t delay!

Takamine’s new range, revealed at NAMM 2024, speaks to their commitment to continue to produce world-class instruments from various woods, shapes, designs and materials. This combines both the cutting edge of technology, like the carbon bridge that makes its home on the new LTD2024, while borrowing long-trusted designs like the oval sound hole in the TH90 to provide unique, though ultimately world-class sounds and instruments.

Takamine’s LTD2024 is a vision of something special: a company rooted in the pursuit of quality, coupled with eye-catching good looks; be it the Penumbra Blue fade or the chic, piano black finish of the FT341. If you haven’t played a Takamine, you’re simply late to the party!

For local enquiries or to order any of these limited guitars, contact Pro Music Australia.