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What we have in store for you today is an exceptional small-body acoustic-electric guitars and quite possibly our No. 1 answer to the question of “What is the best acoustic guitar for kids and travelers?” – the Takamine GX11ME.
Utilizing a smaller body combined with sturdy build and strong sonic delivery, this six-sting offers one of the best sound outputs within this niche and price range. We took it out for a test run, our notes and conclusions patiently await below.
So this thing is all-mahogany! We happen to be fans of this iconic tonewood and were pleasantly surprised by the fact that the manufacturer somehow managed to utilize such high-end component within something that can be qualified as a budget friendly product. We're guessing that tone quality and customer satisfaction was the No. 1 priority here, and can only give kudos to that!
Anyhow, the body is very resonant, powerful and punchy – especially by 3/4 body standards – while the mahogany neck is not prone to bending at all, and secures a well-rounded sonic attack. Playability is also at a high level and we have zero complaints as far as comfort goes.
Also worthy of mentioning within this segment are sleek satin finish, a rosewood fingerboard with 21 frets, and classic small white dot markers.
Seeing that this is an acoustic-electric guitar, we'll focus on the electronics first. The guitar utilizes a TP-4T preamp with onboard tonal controls and a built-in tuner. As far as tone quality goes, the electronic setup does a fine job in transposing the instrument's acoustic sonic attack into a plugged-in environment. The level of power is also high, and we especially like the lack of any crackle even at stronger levels.
Other notable features include a rosewood bridge, plastic nut, 1.65-inch nut width, a set of nice tuning pegs, chrome hardware, a decorated rosette and a black pick-guard.
As for the sound, the mahogany-only configuration secures that each of the tonal features of the renowned tonewood shines through like nowhere else. This means that we are looking at a sonic attack that is deep, warm and mellow, but still packed with a good chunk of bite and roar. The low end frequencies are always prominent, but the higher registry is also present thanks to punchy middles and bright trebles.
The thing we like about this fella is that the basses are strong. Why? Well, because many budget guitars tend to struggle with that exact frequency region, delivering weak basses that make the whole thing sound twangy. While there are good twangy guitars with prominent low middles saving the audio image, many are simply poor quality. Take the GX11ME for a spin and see for yourself!
Overall, this guitar is more than worth the money. It might be a tad more expensive than other beginner guitars, but this is not just a newbie instrument, but a six-string you can easily take into the intermediate stage and use for many years. So instead of buying one beginner and one intermediate guitar over a period of one year or so, you can just buy one that will cover both stages. The choice is yours, but when the line is drawn the Takamine boy here is simply a good guitar. Thumbs up!
For more info about the Takamine GX11ME, click here.
For more acoustic guitars for kids, click here.
Sean C says
As a lover of smaller guitars due to small hands I was in the market for a travel guitar, my main guitar is a Martin Djnre which itself is a 7/8 size but I wanted something 3/4 size. I first ordered a Baby Taylor bt2. I was shocked at how flimsy the build quality felt and how weak and tinny the sound was. After sending the bt2 back I ordered a Martin LXM. Much better build quality than the Taylor and a much more rounded sound but something was still missing. Disappointingly I packed up the Martin and returned it. After spending the night online looking for alternatives I came across the Takamine GX 11. A name I new of but had never tried. I took a chance and ordered the GX11ME. When it arrived I was a little disappointed by the size, its exactly the same size as my Martin Djnr but for the neck which is a couple of inches shorter. I tuned it up and began to play and wow I’m blown away by the sound of this thing. It is in a different league to the Taylor bt2 and the Martin LXM. It sounds very close to my Martin Djnr but a little brighter. Build quality is really good and the finish is first class. I don’t really need this guitar as its the same size as the one I’ve got but its so easy to play and has a really low action, plus the shape of the body makes it really comfortable to hold when sitting down, I’m going to keep it anyway. Takamine have a new follower