The Takamine LTD2024 is a limited edition guitar that pays homage to the solar system.
Each year, musicians and instrument collectors alike look forward to the annual special Limited Edition Series LTD model from Takamine Guitars (NAMM Booth 208A/B). For year’s release, Takamine has debuted LTD2024.
“Takamine's LTD2024 honors the solar system, humanity’s home in the galaxy,” says Tom Watters, Director Product Development for Takamine Guitars. “Everything from its faded finish to its color-matched component materials allow the theme of the solar system to shine through. It’s one of the most unique and spectacular LTD models that Takamine has ever created, and we’re excited to show it off at NAMM!”
Painstakingly handcrafted in extremely limited quantities by Takamine’s respected luthiers in Japan, LTD2024 offers a finish that fades from a very deep Penumbra Blue to the natural gloss of its solid Sitka spruce top. The faded finish is matched on the guitar’s headstock. Intricate inlays on its striped African ebony fingerboard represent all eight planets, with the Sun located at the 12th fret position. Other aesthetic details on the LTD2024 include abalone purfling around the guitar’s body and in its circular rosette, and black chrome hardware on its tuners.
The internal bracing on LTD2024 uses wood that is hand-voiced by Takamine’s master craftsman Tohru Hirokawa, shaved thin to reduce its mass to offer the most resonant interaction with its top. Its back is solid Indian rosewood, while its neck is African mahogany. Its NEX cutaway shape is a longstanding favorite among Takamine players, providing the power of a dreadnought with balanced tone that perfectly complements the vocal range. LTD2024 also includes Takamine's renowned Palathetic pickup system and the retro-inspired CTF-2N FET preamp. Design details of this guitar include a lively-sounding carbon graphite saddle, and bridge pins with black marble-textured inlays.
For more information, please visit esptakamine.com.
Grammy-nominated session guitarist, producer, mixer, and engineer Paul Moak stays busy on multiple fronts. Over the years he’s written, played, produced and more for TV sessions (Pretty Little Liars, One Tree Hill) and artists including Third Day, Leeland, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. But most recently he’s worked with Heart and Ann Wilson and Tripsitter.
Time Traveler
Moak is most loyal to a 1963 Stratocaster body that’s mated to a 1980s-vintage, 3-bolt, maple, bullet-truss-rod, 1969-style Fender Japan neck. The bridge has been swapped as many as four times and the bridge and neck pickups are Lindy Fralins.
Cool Cat
If there’s one guitar Moak would grab in a fire, it’s the Jaguar he’s had since age 20 and used in his band DC Talk. When Moak bought the guitar at Music Go Round in Minneapolis, the olympic white finish was almost perfect. He remains impressed with the breadth of tones. He likes the low-output single-coils for use with more expansive reverb effects.
Mystery Message Les Paul
Moak’s 1970 L.P. Custom has a number of 1969 parts. It was traded to Moak by the band Feel. Interestingly, the back is carved with the words “cheat” and “liar,” telling a tale we can only speculate about.
Dad Rocker
Almost equally near and dear to Moak’s heart is this 1968 Vox Folk Twelve that belonged to his father. It has the original magnetic pickup at the neck as well as a piezo installed by Moak.
Flexi Plexis
This rare and precious trio of plexis can be routed in mix-and-match fashion to any of Moak’s extensive selection of cabs—all of which are miked and ready to roll.
Vintage Voices
Moak’s amps skew British, but ’60s Fender tone is here in plentitude courtesy of a blonde-and-oxblood Bassman and 1965 Bandmaster as well as a 2x6L6 Slivertone 1484 Twin Twelve.
Guess What?
The H-Zog, which is the second version of Canadian amp builder Garnet’s Herzog tube-driven overdrive, can work as an overdrive or an amp head, but it’s probably most famous for Randy Bachman’s fuzzy-as-heck “American Woman” tone.
Stomp Staff
While the Eventide H90 that helps anchor Moak’s pedalboard can handle the job of many pedals, he may have more amp heads on hand than stompboxes. But essentials include a JHS Pulp ‘N’ Peel compressor/preamp, a DigiTech Whammy II, DigiTech FreqOut natural feedback generator, a Pete Cornish SS-3 drive, Klon Centaur, and Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man.
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