Takamine GJ72CE 12-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Natural Reviews

This is an amazing instrument. Full disclosure. I have no financial ties to Takamini Guitars or Sweetwater instruments. I have been a professional musician for 50 years. I have owned numerous 12 string guitars. Bang for the buck. This thing is amazing. While all 12 strings have a bright sound like this one. With the on board Equalizer, you can adjust the sound through your amplification to have the mellow sound that you might like. The guitar is gorgeous. The set up is extraordinary. I am dazzled at the quality of this instrument for the price. The reason you will not see this guitar in a brick and mortar guitar Shop is because it would cannibalize other 12 strings that are two or three or four times the price. I am very pleased with Sweetwater and their service and shipping and Takamini with again providing a over-the-top instrument at an outrageous price. Good vibrations. Patrick.

The guitar arrived wirh the action perfect and pretty much in tune. The build quality is awesome and the sound is everything I expected. For the price this is an amazing 12 string that sounds huge!

I've had a 6 string Takamine for about 15 years and I love it. It sounded better than the "big names" and it was less than half the price. About 5 years ago, I did buy a "big name" 12 string and have been greatly disappointed. Neck twisting out of place, bows in the body and the last time I took it in for work, the tech said he'd try to help me get a couple more years out of it. And this was after I'd spent as much in repairs as I paid for it. That was it for me. I started researching Takamine 12 strings, reading reviews and watching videos and I was sold, for the same reasons I bought the 6 string all those years ago. I called Zac Borland and had it in 2 days. I was amazed at how great it sounded and played right out of the box. Incredible tone and resonance. And on top of that, it's BEAUTIFUL! When it comes to acoustic guitars, I am 110% Team Takamine!

I fell in love with it the minute I took it out of its case and it was still in tune! It's loud and boisterous when you want it to be and yet it can be as mellow as a whisper. The natural finish just enhances the beauty of the wood, Mother Nature is a true artist and some woods must be clear coated to show it, just like the GJ72CE 12-string Natural. Cutaway is another feature I like, it gives my hand room to place my fingers on the frets near the sound hole. Don't worry about intonation either Takamine in their infinite wisdom added a split saddle, my G is a dream.

Ive had this guitar for 2 months. Ive had 3 other 12 string guitars that I ended up selling or trading because I just could not play them well because they were hard for me to play. 12 strings are always harder to play because of the extra smaller strings. If you dont press the strings harder, the smaller string wont sound.
This Takamine, at first, seemed harder for me to play. I read all the reviews and everyone said it played like butter. Not mine. So I went on Youtube to find reviews of this guitar and lo and behold, I found out that it comes with shims under the saddle. 2shims. You cant shave the saddles. So, I took a chance and took off the strings and removed the saddles. Sure enough, both saddles had 2 shims under the saddle. I removed the shims, replaced the strings with elixirs and restrung the guitar. Bingo, What a major difference it makes. Much easier to fret. Dont know why anyone else has not mentioned this, but this is very easy to do if you dont like the action.
I love the sound of a 12 string! Nothing like it. And Takamine, like Yamaha, makes great guitars. I have nothing to complain about this guitar. I purchased a Demo, and could not find any "blems" when I looked it over. This guitar is gorgeous to look at and everything from the gold tuners to the electronics seems 1st rate. Others have said that it looks and sounds as good as any guitar costing much more. I agree. Does not come with a case as someone else said, so i purchased a Takamine case to store it in. Worth the money.
I have purchased Many guitars and some amps from SW over the past 20 years. I now have 6 and 5 are from SW. Great company.
Most I have sold or traded over the years.
I am not a gigging musician. I only play for the enjoyment as a hobby when I have the time. Have always loved guitars.
I highly recommend this 12 string!

This jumbo Takamine 12 string is the best! The guitar has a built in tuner that is very precise. The guitar stays in tune and the sound is memorizing. Each string sounds out when plucked individually making the chord transition blend. The finish is beautiful and the build id flawless.

Needed a 12 string for some projects. I did a fair amount research, and in this price range chose to go with this Takamine. Acoustically it shimmers when you need it to and can fill a room with sound. The deal sealer for me was the electroinics which include EQ and tuner. The fit and finish is spectacular! I got it last week and haven't been able to put it down yet! No fret sprout, very good tuners, straight neck with the slightest bit of relief, required no adjustment or setup. Plays up and down the neck like butter, no fret buzz. I highly recommend this box.

This guitar is amazing.
I have had it for over 6 months.
It looks good, feels good and sounds phenomenal.
Best 12 string under $1000.

Awesome guitar,action perfect right out of the box.Plays and sounds beautiful.Stays in tune !!!

This 12 string is simply incredible, especially at this price point. I currently have and have owned many top instruments over the last 30 years, and I know quality when I see and hear it. This Takamine plays and sounds fantastic both acoustically and plugged in, and would be justified at a much higher price point. Excellent craftsmanship and detail. I haven't found a flaw yet. This instrument is a steal. Buy it.

I've played multiple 12 string guitars in my 30 years of playing, and this one simply blew me away. I actually sold an Ovation Double neck and bought this in its place, and I'm grateful that I did. The tone, build quality, looks, electronics, this guitar has it all. Got a great deal on a hardshell case from my Sweetwater rep, as well. I highly recommend this beauty, hands down the nicest acoustic I've ever owned

This is fantastic. Plays beautifully with zero issues and great electronics.

Looking for a replacement for my brother-in-laws Takamine EG-523SC-12 I came across this as the replacement model. He loves this guitar.
Will seriously look at this. He can't say enough about these guitars and makes them sound like a million bucks. The review before this one stated solid woods on sides and back. I just wanted to chime in on the specs of these models just so people are aware that like the EG-523SC the maple sides and back are indeed laminated. Nothing wrong with that. Gibson, Guild and a lot of other makers use laminate. If the specs list woods with solid before wood type good "solid", if not it is a laminate. Guild F-2512E, Takamine GJ72CE-12 or Fender CJ-290S All have laminate sides and back. This is not to deter anyone. These are great guitars. Also Sweetwater is a great resource. Purchased several guitars and recording equipment through Joe James hassle free.

Takamine has done it, superb in all respects! At this price point was quality thru and thru, all the woods used in production are solid real wood, not laminated like competitors at this price point. Indian Laurel used for fretboard and bridge, are great wood, first ran into on Jackson guitar I own feel in love with feel, more dense than rosewood yet not as dense as ebony,and though maybe modern technology was used in producing this guitar, there was a craftsman involed in design and making of first, where upon approval, was put into computer program design, it's a quality instrument, responding to your ever touch and nuance, and neck is superb for 12 string not to wide or thick, if that is worring you about acoustic 12 string! Buy play enjoy life to short!

I've had it for a while now and I enjoy playing this every time. It's hard to set down and hard to not pick up every time I walk by it. It sounds great. It plays beautifully. It's one of the only guitars that I've never had anything done on. Frets were perfect. Action is amazing. Tuners are okay. They're not the great expensive ones but they don't slip or fall out of tune. No fret buzz. No u wanted vibrations. No neck bow. It's a solid 12 string. I would expect this quality at well over $1000. It's beautiful to look at as well. I love it as much as my Taylor. Shhh. Don't tell my Taylor that. This thing is inspiring. I'm getting strings for it. The strings on it are serviceable. I prefer coated strings with less noise, but there's nothing wrong with what is there. Takamine absolutely crushed this one. Just buy it already.

When you receive this luxurious 12 string, you'll know you made a great choice. The jumbo body sends out sonics that will cheer your ears! The on board tuner works great. I mainly use this guitar for recording and playing acoustically but it has a full sound and it's so loud I don't need to amplify it. Barre chords are a breeze but playing melody is much more challenging than a six stringer. This has become my favorite guitar to play (much more than my Taylor). It's so beautiful I get a thrill every time I take it out of its' case to play. The case that came with it was defective and won't close correctly. It seems Sweetwater checks out the guitars super well but not the cases. Strange that it ships separately from the case. I give the guitar 5 stars, the case 3. At any rate, I'll play this guitar more than the case and I'm very satisfied with my purchase. Thank you Sweetwater. You guys are the best.

This was my first NEW Guitar purchase from Sweetwater and I was not disappointed. I had the best experience from my sales engineer to unpacking the guitar. The guitar was just what I expected from Sweetwater, It was in tune right out of the box, it played like butter. What a sound cannon. I had always wondered about holding 12 strings at a time but Takamine does a wonderful job in this build. Action was so sweet and easy to play. I actually made 3 of my friends mad because I let them play it and now they want one too. This guitar looks great, plays great and sounds great. If you play this you will not be disappointed.
Thank you Sweetwater. Fine experience from start to finish.Kris

Wow!!! Take this thing out of the box and it sounds so full .I always wanted a Taylor 12 because they have always sounded great but when the pick hit the strings on this Takamine it sounds every bit as good ...you can't go wrong and also very easy to play for a 12 string. Thanks to Brendan as always for great service.

This is an amazing guitar sound incredibly amazing just a little disappointed because it doesn"t come with case but guitar is just amazing

This guitar is fun to play, has full sound from low-middle- treble. Sound literally explodes from this guitar.
It also looks great and is easy to play. It may not be a $2000 guitar but I am very happy with it and feel the sound is better than many more expensive 12's that I tried.

Never in my 62 years on this planet have I ever ordered a guitar online. I decided to go with Sweetwater due to other reviews I've read. I called Sweetwater and spoke with salesman Greg Savino and expressed my concerns. Greg informed me of their 55 point evaluation on every instrument that leaves their store. He was very courteous and answered my every question. I'm so glad I chose this Takamine 12 string. The picture online doesn't do it justice. Once I unpacked it I was immediately impressed with the beautiful finish and hardware. It was already tuned and ready to go. It plays like a dream and it's loud. I mean the jumbo body really projects. There are D'Addrio strings and the tone is unbelievable.

Just like you said here..came in tune,beautiful guitar,plays like butter!!..wow!!

My first Takamine but not my last! The sound that comes out of this 12 string jumbo blows me away. It came in setup perfect! The TK-40D Preamp with 3-band EQ sounds great. I also love the Built-in Tuner! I also want to thank IsRael Foster for the great service!

Sweetwater Rock!!

Love that sparkle. This guitar is very well made and sounds much better than I'd imagine it would. All the parts and tuners look like they'll last forever. Was in tune when it arrived and requires just minor tuning now and then as would be expected. Action and set up are spot on. My hat is off to Jason Koons who once again steered me in the right direction with this baby plus other gems in the past. Sweetwater has some amazing service and sales folks. I'll be back now that I'm eyeballing a semi hollow body Gretch.

Special thanks to Adam and the gang for a great price and perfect setup. This 12-string is at least the equal, and in most cases superior to instruments costing three times as much. The workmanship on all the binding, the frets, the electronics, are all first rate. A word about laminates. Most of them sound the same. This guitar is maple. If it were mahogany, rosewood, or other woods, you would not detect much of a difference in sound. For solid woods you can. Guitars age mostly from the top. The top on this Takemine is a VERY fine grain spruce of surprisingly good quality. The tuner is very good and the electronics sound very fine through my Marshall AS100D. Intonation is spot on, and the lows are very good. The guitar is well balanced. If you want a lot of guitar for the money, this is it.

I've been playing this 12 string for just over 2 weeks now, here's my take.
Great sounding 12 string.
Top shelf overall build quality.
My primary concern buying online was the tone, if it was going to be full enough.
Out of the box, this guitar delivers the goods.
The tone was what I was hoping for.
Fat, thick tone, nice highs, full lows.
Neck - easy to play
The only thing preventing 5 stars are the tuners.
Though they do the job, they're just short of the overall excellent quality of the guitar itself.
I'm a Schaller guy, I'll probably change them at some point.
Other than that, right out of the box this guitar was good to go.

Recommend highly..
John R
Age: 59

Reliable, plays well, classic 12-string sound. Stays in tune better than other 12s. Despite the jumbo size, not boomy in timbre. Good value. Thanks or the tip, Lindsay B.; Sales Engineer!

So I didn"t buy this guitar from Sweetwater but from another online retailer. That being said, I hope Sweetwater publishes my review anyway because I think that it could be helpful to others. I honestly didn"t know what to expect from a 12 string in this price range but, having played a few Takamine guitars in my day, I knew enough to know that Takamine produces some of the finest acoustic guitars in the world. The fit and finish of this guitar I would give a 9 out of 10. I absolutely love this guitar and how it sounds. The reason for my 9 rating is because there are a few ( and I say a few but, 2 of the spots are so close together that it could actually be considered as one spot because one part is on the fingerboard binding and one is on the neck binding) discolored spots that looks like they might have missed wiping the glue off the binding. These spots do NOT effect the tone or playability of the guitar. The next thing being that there are sharp fret ends on both sides of the neck. I have been very fortunate that I have never had to deal with anything like this before. I kind of expected that I may have to put a little bit of time into getting it in great playing shape. Again, not a deal breaker by any means and definitely not enough to dissuade me from buying another Takamine acoustic. This guitar sounds absolutely amazing! She is more beautiful than I could ever have hoped. The neck has super low action with absolutely no fret buzz whatsoever. Being a 12 string, it is a little neck heavy as I suspected she would be but, not a deal breaker either. The clear finish on this guitar allows the true beauty of the wood grain to show through. I am not a huge fan of gloss finishes on the necks of my guitars but, I don"t seem to mind it on this guitar. Whenever I strum a chord, it"s like the entire guitar comes to life. It just feels like this primal feeling that is finally being satisfied. There"s just something about the way this guitar sounds, feels and resonates that is unexplainable. Is this a "perfect" guitar? Absolutely not but, I am not one that has to have everything perfect. Every little thing about this guitar that someone would pass over because it isn"t "perfect," I think gives it character. If something catastrophic happened to my guitar, I would be crushed because I know that I may get one very similar but, it wouldn"t be exactly the same but, I would buy the same thing again. I kinda wish this guitar came with at least a nice gigbag but it didn"t. However, the Gator Cases GWJUMBO will fit this guitar if you can"t get the Takamine case that will fit this model.

I really love this guitar. I actually purchased and returned to other sellers two other 12-strings by different makers. One of those had an excellent pick-up. This guitar's pick-up is pretty typical for the price point and is why I held back a half star on the rating. But the acoustic performance is far and away more to my liking. It's not difficult to play, although the neck is slightly wider. This makes it easier to play for me because the string pairs are more discrete. Also easier for right hand performance. But I look for tone and projection in an acoustic instrument. The other two makers I tried at this price point seemed to focus on studio use because the sound was tinny and quiet. Again, the other was better for that, possibly, because of the better pickup. But I want to record acoustic guitar with quality mikes anyway. But this beautiful hunk of blonde wood has a fantastic balance of rich tone, shimmering sympathetic strings, and live performance volume. I was put off at first by the "jumbo" size but it's totally fine for me and not as large as I feared. It might not be for everyone but I'm in love.

This is a very playable 12 string guitar at a reasonable price. Quality is very good and the guitar is beautiful. Electronics are supurb and the sound unplugged and electrified is big and bold.
I am frustrated by the fact that it did not come with a case, no case was/is available and the size of the guitar (jumbo) makes it hard to find a case. As I travel and do local shows I have been unable to use the guitar anywhere but my home studio.

I absolutely LOVE this Takamine JG72CE 12 String. It's everything I hoped it would be, especially plugged in! Factory setup is decent and I will gig with it and cherish it always. The case I ordered for the guitar will arrive in a few months and l asked the salesman if he would throw in an inexpensive hanger to protect my new purchase for the interim. He agreed and the received ukulele hanger, no charge, now repaired, hangs a light banjo perfectly. Can't wait for the case so I can play out with my beloved new Twelve String!!!

Only one problem with this appears to be the split pickup,i replaced the original and still the same problem with the G" string when plugged in,,it is very weak as opposed to the other strings,other than that,a great playing 12 string and beautiful..only down point is i would have to send this back to sweetwater and ca'nt afford being without..thanks!!

The finish is nice looking, albeit laminated side and bookend back. Still nice. Top is a good spruce and resonate. The overall sound is what you can expect from laminate. The neck is already maxed. Frets are adequately level and dressed. Contacted Takamini Japan to confirm existence of four shims, two under each saddle. Removed. Installed steel wound silk strings. The sound is softer and mellower. Still an $ 12 string. I've been a Takamini player for over 45 years. I'm satisfied with the price to quality ratio.

Because of the pickup design, the g string is weak compared to the rest..other than that, a nice 12 string

After verifying under saddle shims and removing, the action is still too high. Because of the palathetic pickup unable to shave compensated saddle either. The tuners are sub-par also. Nuts too tight. After my technician did all he could, over $, still no noticeable difference in the action. Save your money and get the $ Alvarez jumbo. The sound is big. Craftsmanship good.

Bought this guitar less than a year ago. Did the normal let it sit to acclimate. Upon playing it the action seemed awfully high. Eyeballing it the relief was pretty pronounced. Took the strings off only to find the truss rod was already pretty tight. Backed it off and tried straightening the neck then tightening the rod. I cant turn it anymore and the relief is no better. Next to impossible to play beyond the 5th fret. I have spent what amounts to several months trying to get it right with no success. tried going from 10's to 9's with very little change. I've about given up. Out of all the neck adjustments and setups Ive done in 30 years of playing guitar Ive never had as many issues as Ive had with this guitar. Not happy think it will go unplayed sitting its case in the back of the closet

Cheap wood and craftsmanship. Can't stand the stress of 12 strings. Will crack over time.