I expect to have this Takamine for years to come. The only thing that you should probably expect from this guitar that some people may not like, is it will show it's use in time. With the Satin finish, no pick-guard, the scratches, pick marks from strumming, are all going to show. But that is what will add to this guitar, it will age with you, and only get better with time.

Sound
The sound coming out of this Takamine is fantastic. It just rings out, and is a very warm expressive sound. When Takamine made this guitar without the shiny polish and made it with just the satin finish, they were looking to avoid anything getting in the way of the natural sound. Wow...they were spot on. You can feel the vibration on the top of the guitar when strumming. The sound is deeper than I was expecting, and that is a good thing. The sound without the preamp is fantastic, I actually prefer it over plugging it in. When plugged, it sounds great, but nothing beats a great acoustic natural sound.

Features
The preamp is great, but to me the features are whats not added. It has no special inlays, nothing on the frets, no pick-guard. Just plain great sound from this guitar. The mechanics are great, and stays in tune really well.

Ease of Use
Strum or pick, easy. The action was set perfect (for me), right out of the box.

Quality
The quality is perfection. Very smooth finish, no… read more problems anywhere, and I really inspected this guitar all over. The back of the guitar, is a site to behold. The wood grain is perfect. The fit is perfect for me, I love the grand auditorium make, it fits perfect in my arms.

Value
For $1000.00, I do not think you can find any guitar that sounds better than this. I have played other, more expensive guitars, and really none of them are any better than this Takamine.

Manufacturer Support
What makes the support the best, is I have never needed them. This is my 3rd Takamine, and I have never had to call them at all.

The Wow Factor
Again, the "sex appeal" is the natural sound that they have achieved with this EAN40C. Is there anything on here that when looking at it will make you say WOW? No there isn't. But I play guitar for the sound, and if you add the sound as part of the definition of "sex appeal", this guitar has it....

Musical Background:
Hobbyist

Musical Style:
Country, Oldies read less