Takamine guitars begins in the serene foothills of the Takamine mountains in Sakashita, Japan. In 1962, after being in business for three years, the owners of the small shop decided to expand. In honor of the surrounding mountains, the company became known as Takamine.
By 1968, renowned luthier, Mass Hirade joined Takamine, bringing with him keen attention to detail and breathtaking talent. Hirade proved invaluable to the success of the company and contributed greatly to the improvement of design and quality of Takamine guitars. Many of his contributions remain integral features of present day Takamine models.
Consistently striving to bring positive change through innovation and improvement, Takamine became a pioneer of acoustic-electric guitar design with the release of the PT-007S, in 1978. Much of the success of the original model can be attributed to the engineers and luthiers who collaborated on its revolutionary design. Brilliant minds, stunning talent and persistence have been the cornerstone of Takamine since its inception.
Takamine is also known for invention of the Palathetic pickup, a feature that remains the core of their electronic guitar components, today. The unique design completely isolates the pickup from feedback and vibrations produced by the body, resulting in the distinct, natural sound that can only be attributed to Takamine guitars. With the introduction of the Palathetic pickup, Takamine again pioneered a design that raised the bar on industry standards.
Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Takamine was quickly becoming widely recognized by famous American musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne and Ry Cooder. The Eagles’ Glenn Frey used a Takamine guitar in the 1976 recording of Hotel California, resulting in the unmistakable introduction of the classic rock piece.
In 2012, Takamine celebrate the 50th anniversary of crafting top-quality guitars that have achieved global recognition. Aside from releasing multiple signature editions to commemorate the success of revolutionary collaboration with some of the most brilliant minds and talent in music.
Keep Rockin’!
Takamine by Sancho Papa taken on February 8, 2007
Jackson Browne by wfuv taken on July 29, 2012
