Crafted at the Takamine factory in Japan, the Takamine CP7MO TT is a responsive and lively OM-style guitar. Using their Thermal Top aging process the CP7MO sounds broken-in from day one, and Takamine's precise craftsmanship and exclusive Takamine electronics will make this your your go-to guitar for both recording and live performances.
The Thermal Top process -- also known as Torrification -- is a high heat/low atmosphere process intended to bake out all the moisture and impurities in the wood and rapidly "age" the top to respond more like a vintage instrument. Acoustic guitars almost always get better with age, and the Thermal Top is intended to get you there quicker. And the baking process imparts a nice toasty finish, also much like an older guitar.
Ovangkol is an African Hardwood that has a look similar to the Mahogany, but it's a harder wood and has a brighter tone that is less mid-focused and a little more complex. Paired with the Orchestra shape, the CP7MO has great detail, clarity and projection. It's a guitar that sounds bigger than it is, but also has the touch response and sensitivity to appeal to finger pickers. While the low end of Ovangkol is not quite as rich sounding as Rosewood, the single note clarity and detail of the mids and high end is delightful.
And if you are playing out, good electronics are a must. Since the late 70's, Takamine has made a name for itself as a leader in quality acoustic guitar electronics. Instead of the usual square control panel, the CP7MO uses a Takamine 9V-powered TLD-2 Line Driver -- which devoid of any controls on the guitar -- sends to clear, neutral signal to your acoustic preamp or amplifier. And as with all MIJ Takamine it has their "Palathetic" bridge transducer. In Takamine's own words, the Palathetic pickup is not your usual under-saddle piezo (also see last photo in listing):
"Using six individually shielded piezo-electric elements, one for each string, the Palathetic pickup is not a just a UST (under-saddle pickup). In fact the Takamine design employs twelve times the element mass of the typical under-saddle pickup. The six elements penetrate the bridge plate, soundboard and bridge to make direct contact with the saddle creating a sonic linkage with the string. 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 possesses the articulation of an isolated string signal and the rich harmonic content delivered by the resonating soundboard for a full, complete and accurate acoustic guitar tone at high sound pressure levels."
Plugged directly into our GR acoustic amp, the CP7MO with line driver sounded excellent, with a clear and natural tone that is remarkably detailed and devoid of any piezo artifacts. Other than not being able to adjust volume directly at the guitar, we did not miss having the onboard controls one bit. Sometimes the simplist signal path is the best, and the CP7MO is a great example of that.
If you are a fan of smaller-bodied Orchestra and Concert guitars, the Takamine CP7MO TT is an impressive instrument that will appeal to flat pickers and finger stylists looking for a detailed and articulate voice.
The Takamine CP7MO TT OM features:
- OM Ochestra body shape
- Solid Spruce Thermal top
- Solid Ovangkol back and sides
- Multi-layer body binding
- Bound Mahogany neck, joined at the 14th fret
- 12" radius Ebony fretboard
- 1.75" nut width
- 25" scale
- Split saddle for accurate intonation
- Rosewood bridge
- TLD-2 Line Drive electronics
- Takamine Palathetic transducer assembly
- Takamine hybrid hard case
- Made in Japan
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