2000 Hirade H8SS

This  2000 Hirade (made by Takamine) is an outstanding instrument for someone looking for a nylon string guitar to add to their arsenal without breaking the bank. This one is in great condition for its age, with only a few minor scuffs. There is bit of noticeable play wear on the top where a pick guard would be on a steel string guitar. Original hard case included.

Takamine might be best known for pioneering the steel-string acoustic-electric guitar, but when the luthier Ohzone started the company in the Japanese Alps in the late 1950s, he and a small team of craftsmen made nylon-stringed instruments, and these instruments have been a part of the company’s lineup ever since.

Takamine’s Hirade series takes its name from Mass Hirade, the brilliant luthier who was assigned as head of production and design in 1968, and who in the 1970s oversaw the company as it expanded into the international market. The line includes both traditional guitars and models with cutaways and electronics, all handmade at Takamine’s shop in Sakashita, Japan. I auditioned the H8SS, a lovely concert-classical model.

The H8SS is built from the time-honored tonewood combination of a spruce soundboard and rosewood back and sides, all solid; the neck is mahogany and the fretboard ebony. All of the woods on the test model appear to have been carefully chosen. The quarter-sawn Indian rosewood has a beautiful deep-brown coloration and the Sitka spruce possesses tight, straight grains and no cosmetic anomalies; the ebony is inky black. With its simple but elegant appointments, the guitar cuts a nice figure. Engraved gold Gotoh tuners with pearl buttons are a classy touch, as is the multicolored marquetry pattern used for the rosette.