The Takamine GN93CE brings a touch of luxury to Takamine's affordable G Series, pairing a solid spruce top with a striking three-piece back of black walnut and quilted maple. Its NEX body shape dates back to 1992, when Takamine set out to scale a jumbo down to dreadnought dimensions with a slimmer, more comfortable waist. Add maple binding, gold tuners, and Takamine's upscale TK-40D preamp, and the GN93CE checks a lot of boxes, delivering excellent performance and superb playability at a great price.

The generous lower bout of the NEX body produces satisfying low end, while the tight waist and narrow upper bout keep the top end clear and present. Compared to a typical dreadnought, you get a more balanced frequency response with less midrange boom. The black walnut back and sides add more attack and top-end sparkle than mahogany, and that center stripe of quilted maple is a real head-turner. If there is such a thing as a do-it-all guitar, the GN93CE comes very close. There is plenty of low end to satisfy strummers, while the responsive top and slim waist add clarity and touch sensitivity. We dig it.

Takamine has long been known for some of the finest acoustic-electric systems around, and the TK-40D offers plenty of tone-shaping options. Beyond the 3-band EQ and gain control, you get a mid contour switch to clean up the middle frequencies, an adjustable notch filter for taming resonant peaks and feedback, an EQ bypass switch, and a built-in chromatic tuner. There is plenty of high-frequency response to make your acoustic sparkle on stage, and the EQ sliders have enough range to handle just about any playing environment.

The Takamine GN93CE is a great choice for players who want a big sound that cuts through the mix, with enough nuance for fingerpicking and lighter playing styles.

The Takamine GN93CE features:

• NEX cutaway body shape
• Solid spruce top
• Three-piece black walnut/quilted maple back
• Black walnut sides
• Mahogany neck
• 12" radius laurel fretboard with abalone dot inlays
• 1.69" (42.8mm) nut width
• 25.3" (644mm) scale length
• TK-40D preamp with 3-band EQ, gain, mid contour switch, notch filter, EQ bypass, and built-in tuner
• Maple body, neck, and headstock binding
• Dark wood rosette and body purfling
• Synthetic bone nut and split bridge saddle
• Laurel bridge
• Gold die-cast tuners with black buttons
• Natural gloss finish
• No bag or case (fits Takamine GC-WN case, sold separately)

In the words of Takamine:

Featuring Takamine's sleek and curvaceous NEX-style body, the GN93CE is an acoustic/electric guitar with a solid top and special back construction that give it an upscale feel and distinctive sound. For players seeking a well-balanced guitar with great performance features and refined looks, the GD93CE has a solid spruce top, black walnut sides and a beautiful three-piece black walnut/quilt maple back. The slim mahogany neck and 12"-radius bound laurel fingerboard provide great feel and playability, while the onboard Takamine TK-40D preamp system gives you a built-in tuner, three-band EQ and gain controls, mid contour switch, notch filter and EQ bypass switch for the ultimate in versatility and sound quality. Other premium features include maple body, neck and headstock binding; dark wood rosette and body purfling; synthetic bone nut and split bridge saddle; abalone dot inlays; gold die-cast tuners with black buttons; and a beautiful gloss finish. Available in Natural.