Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Absolutely. I think this will last for years to come. I know the likes of Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and various country stars use this particular model. Obviously it's dependable to them. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've only had this for a couple weeks, but I did own an earlier model (with the same preamp, etc), back in 2004-2005. It stood up to about 50 gigs in a band setting with absolutely no issues. Overall Your general opinion of this product. I've owned many guitars over the years and keep coming back to this particular model. For the price you won't get anything like it in the same range. You're looking to pay double for a Martin, Gibson, or Taylor with the same features (trust me, I've owned all these brands and paid 2-3 times the price of the EF341SC but have eventually sold them off). Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? The neck is medium, not real thick like a Martin V Neck but not pencil thin either. I find the playability to be similar to en electric almost, it's that easy to play. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Bright and snappy given the cedar top and maple back and sides. You can tewak the EQ to your taste though when plugged in which is nice. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The black finish is beautiful. Obviously it'll need more maintenance to keep it looking nice and shiny, but it's well worth it. Action How was the action out of the box? Perfect - about as low as you can get without any buzzing. Just above 4/64" on the 12th fret bass side, 3/64" on the treble. You'll never get that low on a Gibson or Martin acoustic without buzzing and/or losing tone.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Excellent quality by today's standards. A real value. If you can't afford this model, I strongly recommend the Takamine EF340SCGN. Several hundreds cheaper and a fine instrument as well! Reliability How has it stood up over time? Their reliability & performance is unquestioned by pros and players everywhere. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Although I would love to buy American made products, the Takamine line of pro series guitars ahs no equal for the price! Sound, fit action are all superb!! Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Great weight, slim but substabtial neck, super action, great electronics and amplified sound as well. Extremely versitle controls and easy to reach. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Full, but also bright. great for lead and chord work. Pickup was amazing for stage or recording use. I do both and have used it in both arenas. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Perfect. Action How was the action out of the box? If Takamine has one flaw, its the way they are set up at the factory. The good news is that simple saddle shaving is all that is typically needed to have them playing perfectly. Within 20 minutes, I had mine with inbelievable action. A minor inconvenience if you know wj=hat you're doing. If not, take it to a repair man and have him set it up for you: its worth the effort and funds!

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Made in Japan. Excellent quality and craftsmanship...for both the guitar and the electronics. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Overall Your general opinion of this product. Best guitar I've ever owned...by far. I couldn't find a local store that had one in stock so I took my search to the web. I found American Musical Supply and they had 5 in stock. I called to make an order (LOVE the 24/7 phone service), purchased the EF341SC and had it sent (next day shipping) to my brother-in-law's place in New Hampshire, cause I was going there for the weekend. I saved the taxes that I would have paid in Quebec (about $180 CDN) and had no trouble crossing the border after my 54-hour stay in the U.S. (my wife and two kids were in the car, upping our allowable purchase amount to $1600). Of course I had to pay a little extra because the American dollar is slightly better than the Canadian one at this point but the difference Excellent service and my dream guitar is now mine. It's a week later now and I just called AMS and found out that I qualify for the "4th of July Sale" they just advertised. I just saved another 15%! I could not be happier with the whole experience. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Easy on the fingers from the first second...and gets easier every day. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Action How was the action out of the box? Amazingly playable. I thought I'd have to get it adjusted but don't have to...it's perfect.