Takamine Hirade model 15

Presented hereis a Takamine Hirade model 15. This is not my

guitar but for the time being I'm using these pictures to present

this guitar I bought in an auction in England. It was one of the 

top models in Takamine classical guitar series. 

Apart from the model 20 and 25 this is the highest in range 

Hirade built for the Takamine company but most likely other 

workers were involved. Indian rosewood and a spruce top.

Top: Kohno style bracing / thin coat of tainted lacquer

Here the fine grained top can be studied as well as the graceful

rosette. Strangely enough the "sprayed" back can be seen as

was done in the Juan Orozco / Kohno guitars for the world

market in those times (Eighties)

Ebony fingerboard and good quality tuners.

Scale 650 mm and width at nut: 52 mm

And nice purfling around the edges. This model No15 at the time

of its release in early 1980s was priced 150 000 yen, the same as Masaru 

Kohno model 15 relabelled in 1984 to model “Concert”. The prices for 

both guitars were being raised year after year. By the end of 1980s both 

guitars were priced 200 00 yen. 

This terrific and powerful instrument certainly deserves 

a title of Grand Concert Guitar. It shouldn’t be however 

considered as the copy of Kohno guitars. It has its own 

beautiful tonality, with deep, colorful and full of overtones 

basses and thick, round, sweet trebles, all well balanced, 

with great note clarity and separation and impressive sustain. 

It is super lyrical instrument.