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Steel-String Acoustic Guitar with Pickup

  • Type: Dreadnought with cutaway
  • Top: Solid spruce
  • Quartersawn X Bracing
  • Back and sides: Black walnut wood
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fingerboard: Laurel
  • Fingerboard binding
  • Scale length: 643 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • 21 frets
  • Pickup system: Takamine TP-4TD preamp with built-in tuner
  • Abalone rosette
  • Bridge made of laurel
  • Gold-plated hardware
  • Colour: Natural, high gloss
  • Available since October 2018
  • Item number 449907
  • Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
  • Top Spruce, Solid
  • Back and Sides Walnut
  • Cutaway Yes
  • Fretboard Laurel
  • Nut width in mm 43,00 mm
  • Frets 21
  • Pickups Yes
  • Colour Natural
  • Case No
  • Incl. Gigbag No
475
All prices incl. VAT
In stock
1

A modern dreadnought with a pickup on board

Takamine GD51CE-NAT, dreadnought acoustic guitar

The Japanese brand Takamine has long been recognised as one of the leading manufacturers of acoustic instruments worldwide. These decades of experience in building acoustic guitars are also reflected in the Takamine GD51CE-NAT. With its dreadnought body shape, it delivers a strong, powerful acoustic voice, while also boasting a number of practical features: Some, such as the generous cutaway, enhance its playability, and other more technical innovations like the integrated pickup-and-preamp system contribute to its on-stage flexibility. Alongside its arrestingly full-bodied tone, the GD51CE-NAT also really leaves a lasting visual impression. The cream binding along the edges of the body and neck, together with the gold-plated machine heads and distinctive Takamine headstock, give it a refined and eye-catching appearance.

Natural spruce top with pickguard on the Takamine GD51CE-NAT, dreadnought acoustic guitar

The name says it all

The D in the name Takamine GD51CE-NAT stands for "Dreadnought", a term which originally referred to a particularly awe-inspiring class of battleship, giving a good idea of how big guitars of this design typically are. For the body, walnut for the back and sides is paired with a solid spruce top, and the latter is supported by quartersawn X-bracing, which provides the necessary stability while still allowing it to resonate freely. The laurel fingerboard and bridge not only create an appealing visual contrast, but also round out the instrument's tone and timbre. The CE in the model name in turn stands for "Cutaway Electric", referring to both the cutaway that allows access to the higher frets and the onboard electronics. The TP-4TD preamp, complete with a three-band EQ, makes it straightforward to amplify the guitar with minimal setup.

Dark walnut back of the Takamine GD51CE-NAT, dreadnought acoustic guitar

Take the next step

Positioned in the mid-range price category, the Takamine GD51CE-NAT is aimed primarily at players who have moved beyond their first instrument and are ready to take the next step. With its integrated piezo pickup and TP-4TD preamp, along with an onboard tuner and three-band EQ, it's well equipped for rehearsals with a band and live work. At the same time, the full-sized dreadnought body provides plenty of acoustic volume even without amplification. The GD51CE also represents an interesting option for electric guitarists looking for a high-quality acoustic instrument: The onboard pickup system delivers a direct, ready-to-use signal that can be integrated into existing setups with minimal effort – a clear advantage for players who want to move between electric and acoustic without complicating their rig.

Headstock on the Takamine GD51CE-NAT, dreadnought acoustic guitar

About Takamine

In 1959, a family-run business was founded in Sakashita, Japan, initially focusing on classical guitars. As the company grew, it was named after the mountain at the foot of which it is located: Takamine. Under the leadership of guitar maker Masa Hirade, Takamine guitars gained an excellent reputation worldwide. The real turning point came with the development of the patented Palathetic pickup and the first electro-acoustic guitar it was fitted to, paving the way for what Takamine instruments are known as today: the ultimate stage guitars. An impressive roster of artists highlights the popularity of the brand across the wide range of models. Illustrious Takamine users include Glenn Frey, Garth Brooks, Bruno Mars, Bruce Springsteen, and Jon Bon Jovi.

Amplify that dreadnought anywhere, any time

Takamine's experience in acoustic guitar design is evident throughout the GD51CE-NAT. The walnut back and sides, paired with a mahogany neck and a solid spruce top in a natural gloss finish, create a solid, well-balanced foundation with plenty of projection, while the integrated TP-4TD preamp works alongside an under-saddle piezo pickup to capture the string and top vibrations directly and convert them into a clear, feedback-resistant signal. In practice, this means the guitar can be plugged straight into an amp or PA system while retaining its natural acoustic character. Equal attention has been paid to the visual details: Gold-plated tuners and an abalone rosette around the soundhole add a distinct touch of refinement – because appearances do also matter, after all. For those who prefer a different look, the model is also available in a sunburst finish.

42 Customer ratings

4.7 / 5

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23 Reviews

h
Decent guitar for the money...
hewhoplaysguitar 15.12.2021
...but not a keeper. She has decently low action for an acoustic, comes with a horrific factory smell that will get on your fingertips and not leave even after many washes (after more than a week it still reeks at times), has a truss rod that can hardly be adjusted after 3 full turns (mine still has not changed the action at all after a week of settling and adjusting), tuners that do not quite work as intended, plays unexcitedly (it has a sound that closely resembles wood, but sounds more like carton), most of the upper frets are dull-ish, the strap button is awkwardly placed and does not allow for good reach of the 21st fret effectively making it a 20-fret guitar as described at Thomann, the fretboard is flat and wide.

I'm not a salesman and have no interest in telling anyone this guitar has a little something for everyone. It lets me go through my chops while I'm studying away from home and that's enough, but I think the overall quality is overestimated in terms of price. The guitar to me feels more solid than natural, the glossiness of it doesn't help with this.

My conviction is that I will not look to keep the guitar indefinitely, and perhaps I'll be better off selling it. Of course this is all my biased, subjective opinion. Having played it, I'd rather have bought a second hand Yamaha from the 90s, for half the price.
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Good sound and playability - nut needed filing
zuma_tom 09.11.2022
Nice guitar all around. Like playing it. Just one small issue was that the nut had a pretty sharp edge on and I cut my finger on it. So I just filed it down a bit and solved the problem. Mass production guitars - no surprise.
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g
Tolle Saitenlage und wunderschöner Klang
g00dg1rl 08.08.2019
Erstmal ein großes Lob und herzlichen Dank an Thomann für Euren exzellenten Service!

Optik: Die Decke meiner Gitarre sieht deutlich heller aus als auf den Bildern. Tatsächlich wie eine klassische Fichtendecke. Boden und Zargen wiederum sehen in Natura bei mir deutlich dunkler als auf den Bildern aus. Die Gitarre ist insgesamt ein echtes Schmuckstück.

Für die Verarbeitung gibt es vier Sterne. Die Hochglanzlackierung sieht absolut perfekt aus. Die Vergoldung der Mechaniken ist auf den Unterseiten bei mir teils nicht ganz akkurat. Das Griffbrettbinding hat an einer kleinen Stelle eine leichte Verfärbung. Beides schmälert den insgesamt wirklich gut verarbeiteten Eindruck aber kaum. Alle verwendeten Hölzer wirken sehr edel.

Den Klang finde ich einfach wunderbar. Die Saitenlage ist ausgesprochen gut.
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R
Muy buena compra
R.Mont 30.08.2020
Una guitarra preciosa, con unos acabados excelentes. Es cómoda de tocar, el sonido es cálido y la electrónica es bastante decente. Me habían hablado bastante bien de las Takamine y la verdad es que no me ha defraudado en absoluto. En cuanto al servicio de Thomann, magnífico. La excelente relación calidad-precio la convierte en una compra muy recomendable.
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