Sometimes A Great Notion - Tacoma AJF-22

[Sam Sherry]

We are lucky here to observe masterwork instruments featuring offset soundholes. Guitars from Tom Ribbecke, Steve Anderson and Ken Parker make their way across these pages in the hands of elite players and collectors. The Tacoma AJF is not them, for many reasons.




By the numbers:
17" x 25.5" x 3" archtop
5.6 pounds
3.5 -- this is the third Tacoma archtop I've owned if you don't count the one that was crushed by UPS.

Rightly or wrongly, Tacoma's approach to archtop building was about like this: A great model and great solid wood are more important than great handwork. The model is a long-scale Johnny Smith with the Gruhn paisley tonehole, the CNC did the carving and the wood speaks for itself:



Briefly:

It really feels good. The classic JS model feels large but manageable. I've got it set up low and easy even with the 0.013s it shipped with. Something about this guitar feels like home to me, which is why I keep coming back to it. At one point about ten years ago I was down to one guitar and it was an AJF-22.

This guitar sounds great unplugged -- clear, deep and even. The EMG Hi-Z floater never became a star but it's a solid unit that calls to mind the Bartolini pickups I grew up on.

It is what it is and it ain't what it ain't. For a small fraction of the cost of an offset-soundhole masterwork it's an instrument that I wanted to get back to. Go ahead and laugh -- I do too! -- but I hope to hold onto it this time.

[mr. beaumont]

Can you post a video of the unplugged sound?

I've always wanted to try one of these. Tacoma made some very cool guitars.

[StormyMonday]

Funny, I had a lesson with my teacher via Zoom last week, I was using my Tacoma through a Loudbox mini and he was blown away by the sound. I use it in a duo with my partner on either a Breedlove or a Taylor and they sound so good together. Been using it since 2003 when I bought it, various hand issues have me using #11 Elixers right now which are growing on me. The background - when I got married (40 years next month) I didn't have any money for a honeymoon so I sold my '51 ES175 to the guy who played our wedding so we could have one. But my wife told me once we get on our feet you can buy a new one. I had a blank check, well within reason, and tried a lot of guitars but this one just made a home on my hand and in my ear. I did get "the rash" on the headstock but a local guy fixed it for me and thankfully it never spread. But I think that issue did a lot to hurt the Tacoma's reputation. Enjoy it!