Taylor vs Takamine Acoustic Guitars: Which are Best for You?

Taylor and Takamine are great brands to look at if you’re after a new acoustic guitar, but which is the best? In this article, I’ll compare the tone, comfort and playability, as well as take an in-depth look at both brand’s ranges, so you can decide which is the best option for you.

The Quick Answer

Taylor acoustic guitars often sound a bit brighter than Takamine guitars which sound warmer and fuller. The Taylor range focuses on mid-high end guitars, whilst Takamine offer more affordable models and mid-high end guitars. Takamine make their high-end guitars in Japan, and Taylor make them in the USA.

Brand Overview

Before we jump into the comparisons, I wanted to briefly outline the shapes available from both brands so you can get an idea of the options available.

Taylor

Taylor specialise in high-end acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars, but they also make some more affordable mini and travel size versions. There are several shapes in the range:

• Dreadnought: great for strumming
• Baby: 3/4 size dreadnought
• Big Baby: 15/16 size dreadnought
• Grand Concert: small body, suited to fingerstyle
• Grand Auditorium: mid-sized guitar, suitable for all styles
• Grand Pacific: round shoulder dreadnought
• Grand Orchestra: super jumbo style
• Grand Theatre: scaled-down version of the Grand Orchestra
• Grand Symphony: larger than a Grand Auditorium with a soundport cutaway
• Jumbo: only available for custom orders currently

Here are some images (all link to Amazon) to show the different shapes.

Taylor use 3 digit naming system to identify each model:

• 1st Digit: identifies the series. Models in the same series have the same back and side wood.
• 2nd Digit: identifies string number and top wood hardness. 1 = 6 string with soft top wood e.g. spruce, 2 = 6 string with hard top wood, 5 = 12 string with soft top wood, 6 = 12 string with hard top wood.
• 3rd Digit: identifies body shape. 0 = dreadnought, 2 = grand concert, 4 = grand auditorium, 6 = grand symphony, 7 = grand pacific, 8 = grand orchestra.

Some models also have 1 or 2 letters after them. An “E” indicates that it’s an acoustic-electric model and a “C” indicates that it has a cutaway.

Example: Taylor 412ce. It is in the 400 series, has 6 strings with a soft top wood (e.g. spruce), it’s a grand concert shape with a cutaway and is an acoustic-electric guitar.

Takamine

Takamine guitars range from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand. The most affordable series is the G series, whilst the Pro series is the most premium.

They make several main acoustic/ acoustic-electric guitar body shapes:

• Dreadnought
• Jumbo
• Thinline: thinner mid-sized acoustic
• NEX: scaled-down jumbo
• FXC: small body, well suited to finger-style
• OM: small body with short scale length
• New Yorker: smallest shape, parlour style

Here are some images (all link to Amazon) to show the different shapes.

Comparable Shapes

Now we know a bit about both ranges, I wanted to quickly outline which shapes are considered comparable, so you can start to narrow down your selection.

• Small body: Taylor Grand Concert and Takamine New Yorker
• Mid-Sized: Taylor Grand Auditorium/ Symphony and Takamine NEX/ FXC/ OM
• Dreadnought: Taylor Dreadnought/ Big Baby/ Grand Pacific, and Takamine Dreadnought
• Jumbo: Taylor Grand Orchestra and Takamine Jumbo

Tone Comparison

This is the big one, which sounds the best? Of course, tone is subjective, so one isn’t necessarily better than the other, and there are some noticeable differences. It’s hard to compare the tones of two brands overall, since they body shapes, sizes and woods used make the biggest difference, so I’ll make some general statements then provide some specific examples.

Taylor acoustic guitars tend to sound a bit brighter than Takamine guitars. There is usually more focus on the high-end frequencies with Taylor acoustics, giving them a shimmery and crisp tone. Takamine guitars have a more balanced EQ in comparison, and usually sound a bit fuller and warmer.

Here are some YouTube videos to show the tone differences between different Takamine and Taylor guitars.

Example 1: Mid-Size (Taylor 214ce vs Takamine EG260c)

Comparison starts at 0:27

Example 2 : Dreadnought (Taylor 114ce vs Takamine GD-30)

Comparison starts at 1:51

Example 3: Mini Versions (Taylor GS-Mini vs Takamine Taka-Mini)

Comparison starts at 15:23

Comfort and Playability

Picking a guitar that sounds great is super important, but you’ll only get the best out of it if you feel comfortable playing it. Several factors can affect this including the body shape, size, neck profile and how it is set up (e.g. the action).

Some of these factors you have control over e.g. the set up, but the body shape, size and neck profile are specific to a certain model. Again, it’s hard to make comparisons between brands here because every model in the range will feel slightly different, so I’ll make some generalisations.

• Taylor acoustic guitars usually have slimmer necks than Takamine guitars. For smaller handed players, the Taylor is often more comfortable, but for players with larger or stronger hands, the Takamine may be more suited.
• Taylor guitars are more suited to a lower action due to the neck design than Takamine. A lower action makes it easier to hold down the strings, however, if it is too low, it can risk fret buzz.

The best thing to do, is to identify which models are within your budget from both brands (use the tables in “The Ranges” section below to help with this), and try them in the store. This way, you’ll know for sure which is the most comfortable.

Where are they Made?

Taylor guitars are made in the USA and Mexico, and Takamine guitars are made in China and Japan.

• Taylor make most models under $1500 in Mexico, and their premium models are made in America.
• Takamine make their G-series models (up to $700) in China and their Pro series in Japan (starting at around $1300).

It’s up to you whether you consider a guitar made in a certain country better than another. A lot of players see American guitars as the most superior, followed by Japan, then Mexico and then China. However, am less concerned about where a guitar was made, and more about how it sounds, feels and looks, but sometimes the origin can affect the quality.

It’s all personal preference though, you need to choose a guitar which makes you the happiest, and if it needs to be made in America to do it, then Taylor is your best bet here!

Still not sure which brand to go for? Check out my comparison of Taylor and Martin acoustic guitars so you can weigh up your options.

The Ranges

So now that we’ve been through some key comparisons, I wanted to take a look at the models currently on offer from both brands. I’ve made the following tables to highlight the key features and price of pretty much every current model of full-size steel 6-string acoustic available from Guitar Center and Sweetwater (excluding signature versions and limited editions).

There’s a table for each shape and they are all ordered from the lowest to the highest price within the table. The Taylor prices are from Guitar Center and the Takamine prices from Sweetwater, they are correct to the nearest dollar at the time of writing, but are subject to change.

It’s not necessary to look at every guitar in the table, so try not to feel overwhelmed! Hopefully it’ll just help you identify which models are available within your budget so you can narrow down the choices. Keep in mind that Taylor has a larger range overall, whilst there are more options in the Takamine range for lower priced guitars.

Guitar Center are always the first place I look at when I’m interested in a new acoustic guitar because have a huge range of models for sale and always have some excellent deals on. Here’s a link to take you directly to Guitar Center’s acoustic guitar range so you can see all the offers available at the moment. 

The categories are:

• Dreadnought
• Large body and Jumbo
• Mid-Sized
• Small Body

Dreadnought

Guitar	Acoustic-Electric	Origin	Top Wood	Back and Sides	Price
Takamine GD20	No	China	Cedar	Mahogany	$330
Takamine GD20CE-NS	Yes	China	Cedar	Mahogany	$490
Taylor Big Baby	No	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Walnut	$499
Takamine GD30CE	Yes	China	Spruce	Mahogany	$500
Taylor Academy 10	No	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Sapele	$549
Taylor Big Baby	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Walnut	$599
Takamine GD93CE	Yes	China	Spruce	Walnut and Maple	$700
Taylor 210ce	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Rosewood	$999
Taylor 210ce Plus	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Rosewood	$1199
Taylor AD27 Grand Pacific	No	USA	Mahogany	Sapele	$1399
Taylor AD17 Grand Pacific	No	USA	Spruce	Ovangkol	$1399
Takamine P2DC	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Sapele	$1400
Takamine P3D/ DC	Yes	Japan	Cedar	Sapele	$1450
Takamine Legacy EF341SC	Yes	Japan	Cedar	Maple	$1500
Taylor AD27e Grand Pacific	Yes	USA	Mahogany	Sapele	$1599
Takamine P4DC	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Mahogany	$1650
Taylor AD17e Grand Pacific	Yes	USA	Spruce	Ovangkol	$1699
Taylor 317 Grand Pacific	No	USA	Spruce	Sapele	$1799
Takamine EF340S-55	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Mahogany	$1800
Takamine P5DC	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Rosewood	$1850
Takamine EF341DX	Yes	Japan	Cedar	Maple	$1900
Takamine EF360GF	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Rosewood	$1900
Taylor 327e Grand Pacific	Yes	USA	Mahogany	Blackwood	$2199
Taylor Builder’s Edition 517	No	USA	Spruce	Mahogany	$2699
Taylor Builder’s Edition 717	No	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$2899

Large Body/ Jumbo

Guitar	Acoustic-Electric	Origin	Top Wood	Back and Sides	Price
Takamine GJ72CE	Yes	China	Spruce	Maple	$630
Takamine GN77KCE	Yes	China	Koa	Koa	$700
Takamine P1JC	Yes	Japan	Cedar	Sapele	$1350
Takamine P3MC	Yes	Japan	Cedar	Sapele	$1450
Takamine RF740FS-TT	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Sapele	$2250
Takamine P6JC	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Maple	$2550
Taylor 818e	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$3499
Taylor 618e	Yes	USA	Spruce	Maple	$3499
Taylor 618e	Yes	USA	Spruce	Maple	$3499

Mid-Sized

Guitar	Acoustic-Electric	Origin	Top Wood	Back and Sides	Price
Takamine GN20	No	China	Cedar	Mahogany	$330
Takamine GN30	No	China	Spruce	Mahogany	$360
Takamine GN20CE	Yes	China	Cedar	Mahogany	$490
Takamine GN30CE	Yes	China	Spruce	Mahogany	$500
Takamine GN51CE NEX	Yes	China	Spruce	Walnut	$550
Takamine GN71CE NEX	Yes	China	Spruce	Walnut	$600
Takamine GN93CE NEX	Yes	China	Spruce	Walnut and Maple	$700
Taylor 114e Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Walnut	$799
Taylor 214ce Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Rosewood	$999
Taylor 214ce-K Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Koa	$1099
Taylor 214ce Plus Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Rosewood	$1199
Takamine P1NC	Yes	Japan	Cedar	Sapele	$1350
Taylor 214ce DLX Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Rosewood	$1399
Takamine Thinline TS9138	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Sapele	$1450
Taylor 214ce DLX Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Maple	$1499
Taylor 214ce   Deluxe Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Ovangkol	$1499
Takamine Legacy EF508KC	Yes	Japan	Koa	Koa	$1550
Taylor 214ce-K DLX Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Koa	$1599
Taylor 224ce-K DLX Grand Auditorium	Yes	Mexico	Koa	Layered Koa	$1699
Takamine P5NC	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Rosewood	$1850
Takamine TSP-158C	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Maple	$2150
Takamine TSP178AC Thinline	Yes	Japan	Maple	Maple	$2400
Takamine TSP178ACKN	Yes	Japan	Koa	Koa	$2400
Taylor 326ce Urban Ash Grand Symphony	Yes	USA	Mahogany	Ash	$2499
Takamine P6NC NEX	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Maple	$2500
Taylor Builder’s Edition 324ce Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Mahogany	Ash	$2999
Takamine P7NC	Yes	Japan	Spruce	Rosewood	$3200
Taylor 814ce V-Class Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$3699
Taylor Builder’s Edition 614ce Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Spruce	Maple	$3999
Taylor Builder’s Edition 816ce Grand Symphony	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$3999
Taylor Custom Sassafras Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Spruce	Sassafras	$4999
Taylor Custom Euro Maple Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Spruce	Maple	$4999
Taylor Custom Macassar Ebony Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Redwood	Ebony	$4999
Taylor K26ce Grand Symphony	Yes	USA	Koa	Koa	$5199
Taylor Builder’s Edition K14ce V-Class Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Spruce	Koa	$5199
Taylor 914ce V-Class Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$5199
Taylor Builder’s Edition K24ce V-Class Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Koa	Koa	$5499
Taylor Custom No.12 Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Blackwood	Blackwood	$5799
Taylor Custom No.20 Grand Auditorium	Yes	USA	Koa	Koa	$9999

Smaller Body

Guitar	Acoustic-Electric	Origin	Top Wood	Back and Sides	Price
Taylor Academy 12	No	Mexico	Spruce	Layered Sapele	$499
Takamine GF30CE FXC	Yes	China	Spruce	Mahogany	$500
Takamine GY93 New Yorker	No	China	Spruce	Walnut and Maple	$520
Takamine GY93E New Yorker	Yes	China	Spruce	Walnut and Mahogany	$700
Taylor GT Urban Ash	No	USA	Spruce	Ash	$1399
Takamine P3NY New Yorker	Yes	Japan	Cedar	Sapele	$1450
Taylor AD22e	Yes	USA	Mahogany	Sapele	$1599
Taylor GTe Urban Ash	Yes	USA	Spruce	Ash	$1599
Taylor 312 V-Class	No	USA	Spruce	Sapele	$1799
Taylor 322 V-Class	No	USA	Mahogany	Blackwood	$1899
Taylor AD12e	Yes	USA	Spruce	Ebony	$1999
Taylor 412ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Ovangkol	$2399
Taylor 412e-R V-Classic	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$2499
Taylor 412ce-R V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$2599
Taylor 712ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$2999
Taylor 712ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$2999
Taylor 612ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Maple	$3499
Taylor 612e V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Maple	$3549
Taylor 812ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$3699
Taylor 812c V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$3699
Taylor 812ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$3699
Taylor 812e Deluxe	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$4049
Taylor GT K21e	Yes	USA	Koa	Koa	$4699
Taylor K22ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Koa	Koa	$5199
Taylor 912ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$5199
Taylor K22ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Koa	Koa	$5199
Taylor 912ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$5199
Taylor Builder’s Edition 912ce V-Class	Yes	USA	Spruce	Rosewood	$5499

Which Acoustic Guitar Should You Choose?

This brings us to the ultimate question. Of course it’s impossible to answer because it’s so subjective. Visit any guitar forum and you’ll mostly just see back and forth recommendations for each brand, making it even harder to make a decision.

As I said earlier, the best thing to do, is to find the models in your price range and give them a try. Even better, if you can take a friend and ask them to play each guitar back-to-back first whilst you look away, you can then make a more objective decision about the tone, without any preconceived notions getting in the way. Then try them yourself and see which is the most comfortable. This way, you’ll walk away with the perfect guitar.

To make the end of this article a little more definitive, I’ll leave you with a few key points:

• Generally, Taylor guitars sound a bit brighter and Takamine guitars sound a bit warmer.
• Taylor has a larger range of guitars, giving you a wider selection of models to choose from compared to Takamine.
• Takamine usually have fuller and more rounded necks compared to Taylor guitars.
• Takamine guitars start at a lower price than Taylor guitars.
• Taylor’s most expensive guitars are more premium than Takamine’s.

Here are some more articles you might find useful:

• Taylor vs Martin Acoustic Guitars
• Taylor vs Gibson Acoustic Guitars
• Dreadnought vs Grand Auditorium
• Dreadnought vs Jumbo