Product:
Tacoma DR16C Cutaway Dreadnought with a Fishman Active E4 Pickup

Suggested Retail with Hardshell Case:
$1639.00

Hairball Music Retail: $1229.99

Tacoma DR16C Cutaway Dreadnought Series Basic Features-

• Body: Solid sitka spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides.
• Fingerboard: Rosewood.
• Bridge: “Tone Shaped” rosewood.
• Head: Rosewood peghead with inlaid Ivoroid logo.
• Inlays: Abalone dot inlays.
• Binding: Ivoroid body and neck binding.
• Electronics: Active Fishman Prefix Plus piezo electric film pickup.
• Controls: Volume, notch, treble, bass, brilliance, contour and phase.
• Hardware: Chrome Tacoma sealed Tuners.
• Other Features: Clear see-thru pickguard. Slim neck (1.687” nut) with low shoulders for comfortable play. Immaculate construction and attention to detail. “VS” triangular bracing. Deluxe hardshell case.
• Finish: Gloss body and head, satin neck.
• Origin of Manufacture: USA.

Without a doubt, the Tacoma line of acoustic guitars is the new ‘Holy Grail’ of acoustic guitars. Tacoma has put their heart and soul into every instrument they manufacture, and with the addition of Laurence Juber to their talented staff, Martin, Taylor and Larivee better start looking over their shoulder.

Tacoma is known for their unique acoustic design innovations with models such as the Chief and Papoose sporting a sound hole located in the upper left side of the top face near the fingerboard. The DR series sports a traditional sound hole with innovative Tacoma bracing and bridge design that translates to full clean sound anywhere on the neck. The harmonics are crisp and clean and make this guitar difficult to put down. The action is excellent from the factory but can be improved with slight saddle modifications.

To truly test the performance of this guitar, I utilized a Hughes and Kettner Montana acoustic combo amplifier and was blown away with the clarity and fullness of the sound. The Fishman E4 piezo pickup and electronic controls gave this guitar more versatility than many guitars at twice the price. The Fishman Prefix Plus allows you to tailor the EQ to any venue or recording situation. A great feature reducing the need for backup guitars and electronics. A comparison of Martins and Taylors on the basis of construction quality, electronics and sound, found most comparable guitars were more than double the price of the Tacoma.

What makes the Tacoma stand out in a crowd is the beautiful tone and craftsmanship. This is a guitar that will spoil you because it sets standards way beyond the norm at an affordable price. It is rare for me to complete a review without finding something to bitch about, but the Tacoma DR16C guitar is a rare exception. This guitar is visually striking with a clean rich full sound.

And now for the official Lighter Guy rating of the Tacoma DR16C with an E4 pickup: 9 lighters out of a possible 10 lighters. An exceptional value for an exceptional acoustic guitar.