Takamine
TSP 138C
TESTED BY ART THOMPSON
TAKAMINE HAS LONG been respected for producing superbly crafted acoustic guitars. The company’s new TSP 138C thin-line acoustic-electric will certainly find favor with those looking for an instrument that delivers the sonic performance of a big-bodied flattop but has the nimble feel and playability of a semihollow electric. The TSP 138C navigates the line by offering a thin hollow body with a cutaway, and a fast-playing neck with a profile that will be familiar to fans of late-’60s Gibson ES-335s, and it carries the same 24.75-inch scale length. Our review model arrived with a glossy Tobacco Sunburst finish (see specs for color options) and is an impeccably built and very lightweight guitar with an arched back and upscale appointments that include perfectly rendered multilayer bindings and center stripe, an ivoroid heel cap, an abalone rosette and gold-plated hardware.