1981 Takamine J-15E Vintage Round Soundhole Archtop Acoustic Electric Guitar w/ Case, Japan

Up for sale, a 1981 Takamine J-15E archtop acoustic electric guitar in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. Introduced at the 1981 NAMM show as a prototype for Ry Cooder, the J-15E was a short lived model produced for only a couple of years. Crafted in Japan, this Takamine features a solid arched spruce top, with rosewood back and sides, and a mahogany neck. Tailored for Jazz, this guitar has a natural singing midrange with a throaty warmth and plenty of barky projection. Plugged in, the Palathetic pickup accentuates the rich character of the instrument, with excellent articulation, harmonic content, and a natural response. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar, this Takamine has been strung with fresh 12-53 bronze strings and comfortable action. The mahogany neck has a full U-shaped profile with "baseball bat" proportions, measuring .945” deep at the 1st fret and 1.060” at the 9th. The bound ebony fretboard features pearloid dot inlay and stock medium jumbo frets. The frets have their full height with well-rounded crowns, showing a hint of uniform wear on frets 1-2, faintly extending exclusively beneath the plain strings to fret 8, and virtually no wear further up the fretboard. The scale length is a full 25 1/2”, and the nut measures 1 11/16“ in width. The bound headstock features a rosewood veneer with carved Takamine logo, and the stock set of gold Takamine tuners turn smoothly and hold pitch well, showing light surface patina. Takamine’s Palathetic pickup uses six individually shielded piezo-electric elements, one for each string. The six elements penetrate the bridge plate, soundboard, and bridge to make direct contact with the saddle, while the pickup casing is mechanically attached to the guitar's top and bridge, creating a sonic linkage with the soundboard. The result of this design is a signal that presents an accurate acoustic guitar tone at high sound pressure levels. Slider controls for Gain and EQ are located on the bass-side upper bout. And while the serial number suggests a 1980 build date, it's safe to say this was one of the first J-15Es out of the factory after its '81 NAMM show debut. The adjustable ebony bridge features the original compensated saddle, and the brass trapeze tailpiece shows light patina. The top and back of the body are framed by thick cream binding which has lightly ambered. The solid spruce top is crack-free, while there is a small 1” diameter professional repair located at the treble side lower bout edge in the rosewood, with a very clean patch and finish touch-up. Cosmetic wear is limited to small marks on the top, with faint scattered scuffs in the finish mostly relegated to the back of the body. The neck profile sports a pristine smooth gloss finish. The original hardshell case is included.