Takamine GC5-NAT Classical Guitar Review

The GC5-NAT looks and feels like a guitar that should be much more expensive than it is. It has a spruce top, mahogany sides and back, rosewood bridge and fingerboard, and diecast tuners.

The natural high-gloss finish is beautiful and the sound is amazing: strong trebles with excellent projection and bass response for an instrument in this price range.

The GC5-NAT is very sturdy, well made, and ready for almost any playing situation. It would do just as well on stage as it does in the studio. The action is set high enough that metal players will have no problems with having to press down hard on the strings to get a clear note or bend.

Takamine GC5-NAT Classical Guitar, Natural
  • The GC5 is an elegant classical guitar that features deluxe cosmetic appointments, solid-top construction and a warm, resonant sound that will bring...
  • An ideal choice for players looking for a refined and well-balanced classical guitar, the GC5 combines a fan-braced solid spruce top with rosewood...
  • The comfortable mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard provide great feel and playability, while the dovetail neck joint provides superior...
  • Other great features include a beautiful inlaid mosaic rosette, synthetic bone nut and bridge saddle, rosewood head cap, gold tuners with white pearl...

Last update on 2024-10-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Table of Contents

Design and Structure:

The GC5-NAT is designed for classical guitar, but I would say that anyone who plays any kind of music can appreciate it. If you are into fingerstyle guitar, you could certainly use the GC5-NAT to play fingerstyle, since it has quite a bit of bass response without strangling the higher strings.

The GC5-NAT comes set up for classical playing with extra relief in the fingerboard and individual strings made thinner for easier bending. That gives the GC5-NAT a bright, lively sound that’s quite easy on the ears. It’s easy to get into harmonics and one never needs to press down hard on the strings with the GC5-NAT to get plenty of bass response.

This instrument would make a great classical guitar for students of any age, but it would also make a nice classical guitar for an adult beginner who is looking for something that looks and feels classy but still has enough action to be playable.

Specification:

The GC5-NAT has a spruce top, mahogany sides and back, rosewood bridge and fingerboard, and diecast tuners. The neck is made from mahogany and is quite comfortable.

I think the GC5-NAT looks very good on stage or in the studio. It’s sturdy enough to be used for stage performances of any genre, and it also looks good in a recording studio. It’s best to keep an eye on it while I am playing it: I have dropped my guitar a couple of times and it takes a lot for this instrument to suffer any damage.

Sound:

The GC5-NAT has a bright, lively sound with a lot of bass, which is what I like in a classical guitar. Strumming on the top four strings produces a nice full sound without being too bright. When playing fingerstyle, the action is nice and high and all strings sound clear and strong. I can play some pretty intense music on my guitar without any problem so far.

The only thing that’s keeping me from really pushing this guitar hard is the short scale length of 21 1/2″. Playing intense music on an instrument with a short scale length can be dangerous because it makes it easier to break strings or pull out frets when you’re trying to get a strong sound.

Features:

The GC5-NAT has a smooth, comfortable neck that’s well made and quite sturdy. It’s well polished so it doesn’t get too slippery when I am playing in the studio. The guitar stays in tune pretty well for an acoustic instrument, given the fact that it has a short scale length of 21 1/2″.

This guitar is very easy to play, and it sounds nice and loud even on lower volumes. I would recommend this product to anyone who wants a guitar that is versatile enough to play fingerstyle music as well as traditional classical music. The natural finish looks just as nice as the high-gloss finish of more expensive guitars so there’s no sacrifice in looks either.

Pros:

  • Very strong trebles with excellent projection and bass response for an instrument in this price range.
  • The GC5-NAT is very sturdy, well made, and ready for almost any playing situation. It would do just as well on stage as it does in the studio.
  • The action is set high enough that metal players will have no problems with having to press down hard on the strings to get a clear note or bend.
  • It’s best to keep an eye on it while I am playing it: I have dropped my guitar a couple of times and it takes a lot for this instrument to suffer any damage.

Cons:

  • The only thing that’s keeping me from really pushing this guitar hard is the short scale length of 21 1/2″. Playing intense music on an instrument with a short scale length can be dangerous because it makes it easier to break strings or pull out frets when you’re trying to get a strong sound.

Conclusion:

The GC5-NAT is a nice classical guitar for both fingerstyle and traditional classical music. I have been playing it hard for a couple of weeks now, and I am happy with my purchase. It’s a good addition to my collection, and I think anyone who wants a classical guitar with a lot of bass without strangling the higher strings would enjoy the GC5-NAT.