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Takamine Hirade Guitar H8 Solid Wood Concert Guitar
Estimated price for orientation: 600 $
Category: Classical Guitars
Class:
Description Brand: Takamine MPN: Does Not Apply Model: Hirade H8
For immediate sale: Takamine Hirade H8 Spruce-top nylon string classical guitar manufactured at the Takamine factory in Japan in 1997. Includes sturdy Takamine hard shell case. Provenance: The original owner purchased this Hirade from a dealer in Syracuse, New York in January 1998, for $1,492 and, upon retiring, took it to Florida. He seems to have played the guitar minimally, and, insofar as it has a first-rate spruce soundboard it is possible that this guitar's voice could develop still further if it were played regularly. The owner's surviving son posted the Hirade on eBay in 2011 as part of an estate sale, and this seller purchased it for $1,000 plus shipping. About the guitar: The H8 series – which is still in production in Japan (and hence the prices of new ones can be readily found) – is constructed of solid woods and boasts a top quality solid European spruce soundboard and straight-grained East Indian rosewood back and sides, plus genuine ebony fretboard. The guitar has a high luster gloss finish. The rosette on the H8 series is particularly beautiful and is real wood inlay. Binding (where back, top and sides meet) is plastic – the only detail that distinguishes the Hirade production from top of the line luthier-made instruments. This guitar is every well built, has excellent tone from bass to trebles, projects well without amplification, and, like all Hirade guitars, has a very playable neck. It is a well crafted instrument and can serve well in a variety of roles, including recording and student recitals. Cosmetic issues: There are two minor blemishes that prevent me from listing this guitar as "pristine". First, a ding about the size of a small pea on the upper left bout, near the fretboard, which the original owner disclosed and which can be seen in one of the photographs; it has been subsequently filled. Second, a fairly difficult-to-see crack in the finish that spans about four inches between the rosette and the bridge, on the glue line where the two sides of the spruce top were joined (see relevant photo). This finish crack developed two days after the guitar arrived in Montana from Florida in 2011, and presumably the guitar had been over-humidified during its stay in Florida, and that it had released moisture too quickly on the week-long summertime UPS truck journey across the country. Because the guitar had arrived without this finish crack, I chose not to dispute it with the seller, but I later took the precaution of having it checked out by a luthier who determined that the crack was superficial and did not extend into the underlying fan brace, and who nevertheless elected to prevent the crack from ever expanding further, by gluing a small wooden block underneath the rosette. A flexible cyanoacrylate was then used to fill the finish crack. This solution has worked as planned structurally and cosmetically and in following years there have been no further problems. In sum: this H8 Hirade is a bargain compared to new H8s and will reliably deliver fine music and memories for many, many seasons to come. It is a perfect instrument for a serious student of classical guitar or a travel guitar for a professional musician.
Description
| Brand: | Takamine | MPN: | Does Not Apply |
| Model: | Hirade H8 |
For immediate sale: Takamine Hirade H8 Spruce-top nylon string classical guitar manufactured at the Takamine factory in Japan in 1997. Includes sturdy Takamine hard shell case. Provenance: The original owner purchased this Hirade from a dealer in Syracuse, New York in January 1998, for $1,492 and, upon retiring, took it to Florida. He seems to have played the guitar minimally, and, insofar as it has a first-rate spruce soundboard it is possible that this guitar's voice could develop still further if it were played regularly. The owner's surviving son posted the Hirade on eBay in 2011 as part of an estate sale, and this seller purchased it for $1,000 plus shipping. About the guitar: The H8 series – which is still in production in Japan (and hence the prices of new ones can be readily found) – is constructed of solid woods and boasts a top quality solid European spruce soundboard and straight-grained East Indian rosewood back and sides, plus genuine ebony fretboard. The guitar has a high luster gloss finish. The rosette on the H8 series is particularly beautiful and is real wood inlay. Binding (where back, top and sides meet) is plastic – the only detail that distinguishes the Hirade production from top of the line luthier-made instruments. This guitar is every well built, has excellent tone from bass to trebles, projects well without amplification, and, like all Hirade guitars, has a very playable neck. It is a well crafted instrument and can serve well in a variety of roles, including recording and student recitals. Cosmetic issues: There are two minor blemishes that prevent me from listing this guitar as "pristine". First, a ding about the size of a small pea on the upper left bout, near the fretboard, which the original owner disclosed and which can be seen in one of the photographs; it has been subsequently filled. Second, a fairly difficult-to-see crack in the finish that spans about four inches between the rosette and the bridge, on the glue line where the two sides of the spruce top were joined (see relevant photo). This finish crack developed two days after the guitar arrived in Montana from Florida in 2011, and presumably the guitar had been over-humidified during its stay in Florida, and that it had released moisture too quickly on the week-long summertime UPS truck journey across the country. Because the guitar had arrived without this finish crack, I chose not to dispute it with the seller, but I later took the precaution of having it checked out by a luthier who determined that the crack was superficial and did not extend into the underlying fan brace, and who nevertheless elected to prevent the crack from ever expanding further, by gluing a small wooden block underneath the rosette. A flexible cyanoacrylate was then used to fill the finish crack. This solution has worked as planned structurally and cosmetically and in following years there have been no further problems. In sum: this H8 Hirade is a bargain compared to new H8s and will reliably deliver fine music and memories for many, many seasons to come. It is a perfect instrument for a serious student of classical guitar or a travel guitar for a professional musician.