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Takamine Legacy EF508KC Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Natural Koa Demo

6-string Acoustic-electric Guitar with Figured Koa Top, Figured Koa Back and Sides, Mahogany Neck, and Rosewood Fingerboard - Natural
17 Write review Item ID: EF508KCd1
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$1,499.00
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Condition Notes:

This guitar is missing finish on the side of the fretboard at the treble side of the 1st fret. There are also fine scratches and small finish blemishes on various parts of the guitar that are not photographed. These scratches and blemishes do not show well in photos, if at all. Owners manual included.

This item was thoroughly inspected by our factory-authorized service team and is backed by Sweetwater's exclusive 2-year warranty. These images are of the exact item advertised, and provide as accurate a representation of its condition as possible. If you need further information, please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.

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Takamine Legacy EF508KC Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Natural Koa
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Beautiful, Rich Koa Looks and Tone!

The Takamine EF508KC Legacy series NEX 6- string acoustic-electric guitar sounds as good as it looks. With a fully bound, NEX cutaway body comprised of a figured koa top, back, and sides, you get warm tone and natural response. The mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard meets the body at a traditional dovetail joint, giving you lasting sustain. The EF508KC has the CT4B II preamp which uses Takamine's iconic Palathetic pickup - long revered as one of the truest, most organic acoustic-electric pickups available. Handcrafted and finished in natural gloss to highlight the gorgeous Koa grain, the EF508KC NEX 6-string acoustic-electric guitar will be your favorite!

Koa looks and great koa tone

Koa looks beautiful — there's no denying it. But when it comes to tone, it's hard to come by another wood more balanced for response and fullness of sound. The EF508KC body is constructed completely of superior figured koa, giving you a guitar that will play and age consistently throughout its life. The mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard give you a smooth and precise fretting surface while producing full, enveloping sustain.

True Takamine quality keeps you playing

Based on traditional guitar-building techniques, Takamine has been handcrafting acoustic guitars like the EF508KC for over 50 years. Using dovetail neck joints and scalloped X-bracing for tone and structural integrity has earned the company a reputation for building guitars that last a lifetime. Innovations in pickups for acoustic guitars have furthered that reputation and made the company's guitars a favorite with pro players like Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney, both of whom have signature model Takamine acoustic guitars.

CT4B II preamp system gets you heard

The EF508KC is outfitted with Takamine's CT4B II preamp system with a 3-band EQ for tone shaping, tuning, and using the proprietary Palathetic pickup. Designed with one, individually shielded piezo-electric element per string, each element is attached to the guitar's top and bridge. With 12 times the mass of most pickups, these elements pick up broader frequency and dynamic ranges and are designed to touch the saddle to pick up a blend of the string and the resonance of the soundboard providing accurate and complete tone even when you're playing your hardest. And since you're buying your new Takamine from Sweetwater's Guitar Gallery, you know the electronics have been tested and will be working for you right out of the box.

Takamine EF508KC Legacy Series NEX Acoustic-electric Guitar Features:

  • A distinctively voiced acoustic-electric guitar with comfortable NEX-style small jumbo cutaway body
  • 100% all-koa body construction for beauty, tone, and consistent aging
  • Dovetail-jointed mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and abalone snowflake inlays
  • CT4B II preamp with Takamine's iconic Palathetic pickup
  • Natural gloss finish shows off koa grain beautifully

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

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At Sweetwater, we're so picky that what we call a "demo" is actually better than what most music retailers sell as "new" gear! Our gear hasn't endured hundreds of people a week plunking away at all the keyboards, fumbling through Stairway to Heaven on every guitar or playing with every fader and knob on a mixer or control surface.

What demo means to us is that we've had it out of the box, or maybe it was in a customer's hands for a few days and isn't "factory fresh" as a result. Every demo item we sell has Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ warranty, and has been tested and verified up to "new" specs by our factory-authorized technicians to make sure it's in perfect working order before we ship it to you.

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Tech Specs

  • String Type: Steel
  • Number of Strings: 6
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: NEX
  • Body Style: Single Cutaway
  • Back & Sides Wood: Figured Koa
  • Top Wood: Figured Koa
  • Finish: Gloss
  • Color: Natural
  • Body Bracing: Scalloped X
  • Neck Wood: Mahogany
  • Radius: 11.81"
  • Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Abalone Snowflake
  • Number of Frets: 20
  • Scale Length: 25.354"
  • Nut Width: 1.675"
  • Nut/Saddle Material: Bone
  • Bridge Material: Rosewood
  • Tuning Machines: Gold Die-Cast
  • Electronics: CT4B II Preamp System with 3-band EQ, Built-in Tuner, and Palathetic Under-Saddle Pickup
  • Strings: D'Addario EXP 16 Coated Phosphor Bronze, (.012-.053)
  • Case Included: Hardshell Case Included
  • Manufacturer Part Number: TAKEF508KC

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Customer Reviews

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Everything I'd hoped for

I spent a lot of hours researching the best acoustic/electric guitar to replace my aging Olympia. After watching a lot of reviews of the Takamine EF341kc, I found a comparison video between it and another guitar -- this EF508kc. Both acoustic electric, both Taks, both around the same price point. For the fingerstyle music I like to play, EF508kc with its pure koa tonewood offered a warmth that the more popular EF341kc couldn't match. And with a 3-month waiting period on the EF341kc, I decided to pull the trigger on this guitar instead.

I've had it for a little over a week now, playing every day. First impressions are extremely good. This guitar has such a rich, beautifully warm sound -- both plugged in and purely acoustic -- and the playability is very good. I'm a woman with average-sized hands, so the slightly smaller neck was a good match for me. I am able to play things on this guitar that were a struggle before, and it rewards me at every step. The luthiers at Sweetwater did a great job with the setup, and I am glad that I took the advice of my sales rep when picking out a new set of strings.

I think the biggest surprise was the variability in this guitar's voice. Fingerstyle plucking sounds full and lovely, while strumming with even a little bit of pick makes it sounds crisp and bright. Almost like playing two different guitars. I've also read that koa wood sounds even better as an instrument ages; can't wait to see what this thing sounds like after five, ten years of playing.

Last thing to mention is how gorgeous this instrument is. The pictures really don't do it justice. I don't usually gush about a guitar's looks -- sound is paramount. But it would be an injustice not to mention how beautiful that polished koa really is. And the case it came in is a beautiful chocolate leather covered affair with gold accents, a perfect match for the guitar itself.

If you're hesitating about giving this guitar a try, don't. It will live up to your expectations, and then some.
by Sweetwater Customer on

Pleasantly surprised!!

This guitar is quickly becoming my favorite. Warm tone, plability, appearance. Takamine has a great item here at a reasonable price. If you've looked at this guitar and wondered if is a great deal. It is!!
by Mike Severson from Marysville Wa on
Music background: 50 year guitar veteran!

My Precious

I have so many guitars, that I just name them with a number now. This is #15. This is my first Takamine but let me tell you that if all of the guitars that are "forged in the fires of Mount Takamine" are this good, it will likely not be my last.

The action is great. I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but it is a better playing guitar than my Taylor that cost twice as much. It is definitely a different sound than the Taylor, but a nice sound none the less. Excellent craftsmanship and I have a love for KOA wood.

Sweetwater packaged this instrument very well, so don't worry about safety in shipping.

Biggest problem with this purchase was simply the amount of candy I received. I mean, c'mon guys!!! I could at least get an xtra fireball and Bit O Honey!
by KK from Louisiana on
Music background: Self Proclaimed Greatest Guitar Player... in my house!

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

First of all let me say that I was a little hesitant to make an online purchase of a guitar that I couldn't physically hold in my hands , that being said , I was reassured by Israel @ Sweetwater that I could return it if for any reason I didn't like the guitar . I have a Takamine EN-10C ( cedar top , mahogany back and sides ) that I LOVE !!!! Always has been my go to acoustic , but I played bass in our band of 40 plus years , after the passing of our longtime guitar player , and Covid , and the bar scene diminishing , we called it quits ( no regrets , who gets that kind of a run ) and for a couple years I didn't play , I got the opportunity to do a single act at a local eatery and pub and it was a little out of my comfort zone , but I was jonesing to play ! Put some new strings on the Takamine and my $200 Fender ( surprisingly enough , a nice little guitar ) and played a few gigs , now the part all you musicians will understand , that got me thinking I should buy a new guitar , after weeks of browsing the web and local stores and almost pulling the trigger several times , I SAW IT , right before my eyes on the Sweetwater site , a Takamine Legacy EF508KC koa ! They had two to chose from , but it was an easy choice , put it in my cart and tried to talk myself down off the cliff to no avail , I picked up the phone and called Israel ( my rep ) @ Sweetwater before someone else snapped up MY guitar . Applied for and was approved in minutes for a Sweetwater card and have easy no interest payments on my new guitar ! Now the good part , my package arrived during a snow storm at my father in laws house ( where we have our packages delivered cause of our driveway ) , I purposely left it there overnight to acclimate to temperature . Went the next day and opened up the very well packaged box , Sweetwater always packages things well , and it came with a hard shell case so it was well protected , a few people have said in their comments that Sweetwater's pictures , which are great , didn't do it justice , they were right , I opened the case and WOW , it's f—ing gorgeous , picked it up , it was in tune and not a fingerprint or mark of any kind . I take two guitars when I play cause I tune one down a half step , which was in this case my other Takamine , I use a Ultrasound DS4 amp , always thought the electronics in my old guitar were good , the new guitar blows it away ! To say I love it would be an understatement , the neck , which was my biggest concern buying it sight unseen , is perfect , a little thicker than my old guitar , but I Love it , the sweet sound of the beautiful Koa wood is superb , it is just beautiful , the luthiers of Takamine are truly among the best , if your looking at this guitar and are on the fence about buying ,I think you would be very pleased , my buddy has a high end Taylor and I am not a big fan of it , this guitar at a third of the price , smokes that Taylor ! I opted not to have Sweetwater's techs do any adjustments on my guitar , and it is perfect , no adjustments necessary , the case had a couple small blemishes on it , that I documented with them in case it worsens , Sweetwater is a great company to work with , thanks to Israel and Josh for all their help , will buy again !! P.S. back to my first sentence I dare Israel to come and try to pry this from my hands , this baby ain't goin no where , Andy
by Andy from Upstate NY on
Music background: Mediocre musician

Great sounding quality Guitar!

I have been playing guitar since I was six years old. I am now 66. This is my first Takamine guitar I have owned. What caught my attention on this one is the Koa wood and the different sound that it produces. It sounds incredible acoustic and plugged in to an amp. The neck is perfect for my older hands and plays great up and down the neck. The set up out of the case was perfect. Easy and fast. But the ring that this guitar has is like no other acoustic guitar I own. I own a lot of guitars. I have Martins, Epiphones, Gibsons, Fenders and Gretch along with one Ibanez. To compare this one to any other acoustic it is sweet sounding and rings like a bell. I truly love this guitar. If you are on the fence about owning it don't hesitate you won't be sorry. Trust me on this one, it is one fine guitar. And buying it from Sweetwater is even better! You can't beat the price or the service! They are top notch above anyone in the business! The only place I shop for my musical needs!
by Dale from Alden NY on
Music background: Semi-Retired Professional Musician
See also: 6-String Guitars, Takamine, Takamine 6-string Acoustic Guitars, Takamine Acoustic / Electric Guitars
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