1975 Takamine Elite TW-30

The Takamine Elite TW-30 is a beautifully made vintage Japanese dreadnought, built in 1975 during the early era of Takamine’s highly regarded Elite series.

Made in Japan, the TW-30 features a solid spruce top paired with rosewood sides and a distinctive three-piece rosewood back. It is a beautifully constructed instrument with the quality materials and attention to detail that make early Japanese acoustics so appealing today.

The three-piece back is particularly attractive, with beautifully figured rosewood and decorative centre strips giving the guitar a distinctive, high-end vintage appearance.

After more than 50 years of natural ageing, the solid spruce top has matured beautifully. Tonally, this is a particularly good-sounding guitar — rich, open and resonant, with a strong low end, warm mids and clear trebles. It has plenty of projection for strumming while retaining good clarity and definition for fingerstyle playing.

The guitar has been cleaned, polished and set up for comfortable playability, with a low action of approximately 2.5mm (low E) / 2mm (high E) at the 12th fret.

It has also been upgraded with a set of bone bridge pins (approx. £35 upgrade), a tasteful addition that complements the guitar’s traditional appearance.

Condition is good for its age, with cosmetic marks, surface scratches and signs of use expected from a 51-year-old instrument. The cream binding has naturally yellowed with age but remains intact with no separation. This natural ageing gives the guitar a wonderful vintage character and patina — exactly the kind of detail that makes an original vintage instrument feel special.

Please note that the visible line around the lower section of the spruce top near the bridge is natural wood grain and not a crack.

The guitar comes complete with a hard case.

🪵 Features

• Year: 1975

• Model: Takamine Elite TW-30

• Series: Elite

• Origin: Made in Japan

• Body Type: Dreadnought

• Top: Solid Spruce

• Back: 3-Piece Rosewood

• Sides: Rosewood

• Neck: Mahogany

• Fingerboard: Rosewood

• Bridge: Rosewood

• Finish: Natural gloss

• Binding: Naturally aged cream binding

• Bridge Pins: Upgraded bone bridge pins (approx. £35 upgrade)

• Action: 2.5mm (Low E) / 2mm (High E) @ 12th fret

• Included: Hard Case

✅ Condition Notes

• Good vintage condition

• Cosmetic marks and surface scratches consistent with age

• Naturally yellowed binding with no separation

• Beautiful vintage patina throughout

• Neck is stable

• Comfortable low action

• Professionally cleaned and set up

• Visible line near the lower bridge area is natural wood grain, not a crack

• Hard case included

🎼 Why buy this guitar?

Early Takamine Elite acoustics are wonderful examples of 1970s Japanese guitar craftsmanship, and this 1975 TW-30 has now had more than five decades to mature naturally.

The combination of a solid spruce top, rosewood sides and distinctive three-piece rosewood back gives it a rich, full and beautifully mature acoustic voice. This example sounds particularly good, with plenty of warmth, resonance and projection.

The naturally yellowed binding and small signs of use are part of what makes a genuine vintage guitar special. Rather than trying to look new, this TW-30 proudly shows its age and has developed the kind of character and patina that only comes with time.

With its comfortable 2.5mm / 2mm low action, upgraded bone bridge pins and included hard case, this is a genuinely playable 51-year-old Made in Japan acoustic with bags of vintage character and a fantastic sound.

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