Was a concert guitarist for 25 years, owned several guitars, 2 handmade in Spain. Became permanently disabled and had to sell all but still wanted a guitar to play with. Once bills settled I looked at many guitars in the $1-$1.5K range. After many visits to music shops, found the Takamine EC-132S. Was amazed at the sound quality when played acoustically(now that I’m homebound I won’t need electronics unless I decide to record). Clean,crisp & good volume. Pros: fit & finish (tight seams, light weight, flawless finish, fan bracing-which is why it projects so well I’m sure, frets filed perfectly, built-in elec. tuner in EQ, truss rod in neck-usually found in $4-$5K classical guitars-making small neck adjustments easy, even tone across fret board(highs, middles & lows).Cons: Action WAY too high out of box so still has to be set up professionally-adds approx. $75 to price. Truss rod is for minor adjustments. Overall, great investment, good instrument. Would replace if stolen.

It came from the factory with a high action and good but not great intonation. But I was entitled to a free setup and 30 day return, so I tried it out. The tech said the high action was due to surprisingly shallow nut slots from the factory, which actually was good because it gave him more room to adjust the intonation. After some nut shaving and new strings, it's a great instrument. Great action, wonderful intonation. One feature I love is that it has a truss rod. Makes me feel much more secure in my purchase.

I have only two complaints:

- The neck seems a little narrow, ie the spacing between the strings seems a bit tight, although in fairness I don't have the ideal finger shapes for fingerpicking.

- The built-in tuner does not turn off automatically, and this looks like a sure way to senselessly kill batteries.

One more note - I chatted up a takamine support guy who implied that this guitar was a wiser buy than the slightly more expensive EC132SC. The difference between the EC132C and EC132SC is that the EC132SC has a cedar top, which the rep said "ages like fine wine," giving a more pleasing tone as it ages. The EC132C has a spruce top, which means the tone won't mature like cedar, but is less prone to warping and the resulting intonation and action problems. Additionally he said that the spruce does not resonate as much as cedar, making it less prone to feedback when plugged in. Sounds good to me. This is, after all, an acoustic electric.

Overall, highly recommended, although you might also need a setup for the guitar to achieve its potential.

I needed a classical guitar for a specific gig and figured that,well,I might re-sell it at a future date.No way.I can't put it down. This is well made with superior electronics that are faithful in reproducing that distinctive classical sound;We all love the booming bass of a Spanish guitar & wish the top strings had more oomph..now they do without that tinny "ant-band" effect cheaper models tend to produce. Its a comfortable size and weighs next to nothing.Very highly recommended.Oh,and get a hardcase for it - help explode the dangerous myth of padded gig bags.

Excellent intonation & playability. Running it through "Fishman Aura" makes it sound better "plugged in". "Fishman Pro Blend" electronics preferred.

This guitar has one of the greatest tones and its playability is perfect. The action is set perfectly.