Tacoma Guitars is a line of musical instruments from Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Tacoma brand guitars were originally manufactured in Tacoma, Washington.
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Tacoma Guitars began as a division of Young Chang America that made piano soundboards for export to Korea. In 1996, it was decided that they would create an American acoustic guitar company. In 1997, production of the unconventional Papoose model began. Since then, they have developed ranges of guitars, some with conventional round sound holes, others with the paisley sound hole introduced on the Papoose.[1]
A recession in the Asian economy caused Young Chang to sell the division to a local concern in Tacoma.
The company was purchased by Fender in October 2004 and is now a division of Fender.[2]
Fender has shut down manufacturing of Tacoma products, and new stock is unavailable to dealers.
Tacoma has incorporated unusual features in many of its guitars, notably its paisley soundholes and, unusually for acoustic guitars, its bolt-on necks.
Several of Tacoma's models feature an unusually shaped soundhole, called a paisley soundhole, on the left side of the upper bout. The purpose of this was to move the soundhole to a relatively low-stress part of the top, thereby increasing the strength of the top, reducing the amount of bracing needed, thereby making the top more resonant.
The group of Tacoma guitars that currently use the paisley soundhole are referred to as the Wing Series.[3]
Tacoma guitars utilize their Voiced Bracing Support system to various extents. The theory behind the system is to minimize bracing to what it needs to remain stable, such that the tone of the guitar is sacrificed as little as possible.
The full extent of this philosophy is applied to the Wing Series guitars, which use A-frame bracing instead of the more traditional X-frame bracing of conventional acoustics. A modification of the traditional X-frame bracing is used with their models with conventional sound holes. Two cross-braces are added to the outside of the X to improve the stability and rigidity of the sound hole while allowing the edges to be more flexible and resonant.
The braces are contoured such that they are thinner but wider near the edges of the top and thicker but narrower near the centre of the top. [4]
Bridges on Tacoma acoustic guitars are asymmetrically shaped to improve the response of each string. The bridge is curved rather than flat and has no sharp edges. This is done to improve the transmission of the vibrations from the bridge to the top.
Most Tacoma guitars have bolt-on necks without visible screw plates.
The P1 Papoose was the first guitar model made by Tacoma. It was designed by Terry Atkins and George Gruhn. It has a relatively short 19.1" scale and is tuned to "A" rather than the conventional "E", making it equivalent to a conventional guitar with a capo on the fifth fret. It introduced the paisley soundhole and the Voiced Bracing Support system. It is available as a 6-string or a 12-string (P112) guitar.[5]
Tacoma had offered solid electric guitars based on the Papoose's proportions. This model, desgnated the SP1 featured a solid mahogany body, a bridge-mounted Duncan Designed humbucker, and an onboard headphone amplifier.[6] It is no longer offered.
The C1C Chief has normal tuning and a scale length of 25.5". It was Tacoma's first full-sized Wing Series guitar.[7] It has a rounded body similar in style to a "jumbo" guitar.
Tacoma offered two archtop models based on the pattern of the Chief. The AJF22CE5 with its natural wood color and satin finish as well as the AJF28CE5 with high gloss finish. The AJF28 was offered in natural and tobacco sunburst as "standard" colors, but could be special ordered in many other colors schemes - both solid colors, and various colored sunbursts. All AJF's featured tops that were carved (as opposed to steam bent) from solid Sitka spruce by modern CNC milling machines. Backs were CNC carved from solid (versus laminated) maple with side panels also of solid maple. Originally, the AJF series (aka: "Jazz King") utilized the "Chief-style" bolt-on neck construction, but were changed to the more traditional method of a mortise and tenon (glued) neck to body joint. The AJF's had a conventional ebony bridge with a composite tailpiece and pickguard/finger rest. A passive humbucking pickup was specially designed by EMG for the AJF's, and with volume and tone control wheels cleverly hidden on the lower edge of the pickguard/finger rest. These high quality American made guitars are not currently being offered by Tacoma/Fender.[8][9]
The RM6C Roadking is a Dreadnought-style Wing Series guitar with a 25.5" scale length.
The BM6C Thunderhawk and BF28C Thunderhawk are acoustic baritone guitars tuned to "B". They have a 29" scale length.
The CB10C Thunderchief and CB28C Thunderchief are acoustic bass guitars with rosewood and ebony fretboards respectively. They have 34" scale lengths. They are available in 5-string versions as the CB105C and the CB285C respectively. Tacoma CB285C 5 String Jumbo Acoustic Electric Bass Guitar
Description: Tacoma CB285C 5 String Acoustic Bass Made in Tacoma Washington USA 5 String Acoustic Bass Wing Series Wing Series Model # 389-3190-021 Jumbo Single Cutaway Body Style Gloss Finish Solid Spruce Top Solid Figured Maple Back and Sides Bolt-On One-Piece Mahogany Neck Fingerboard: Ebony Fretboard No. of Frets = 20 Ebony Bridge Black Tuning Machines Scale Length 34" Body Depth 4.875" Width at Nut 1.687" Inlaid Pearl Logo Offset Paisley Soundhole Tortoise Shell Binding Pearl Dot Position Inlay Graphtech TUSQ Nut Compensated Saddle "Tone Shaped" bridge Voiced Support Bracing System Includes Deluxe Hardshell Case, P/N 3996260406 String Gauges .045, .065, .080, .100, .130
In addition to their paisley-holed Wing Series, Tacoma also makes conventional guitars in different series. The series differ in features, woods, and decorations used.
55 Series instruments feature maple bindings, rosewood backs and sides, abalone floral inlays, and hand-rubbed UV gloss finishes. They include a Dreadnought model and a Jumbo model.
28 Series instruments feature gold tuners, abalone trim, and hand-rubbed UV gloss finish. They include Dreadnought models in regular style (DM28), with cutaway (DM28C), as 12-string guitars (DM2812), and with rosewood back and sides (DR28), Jumbo models with cutaway (JK28C) and as 12-string gutitars (JF2812), a Little Jumbo cutaway (ER28C) and a parlor model (PM28)
14 Series instruments feature ebony fingerboards and bridges and hand-rubbed UV gloss top finishes. They include Dreadnought models and a Little Jumbo cutaway model.
9 Series instruments feature all-solid construction, mahogany back and sides and satin finish. They include Dreadnought models, a Jumbo model and a Little Jumbo cutaway model.
Tacoma makes Wing Series mandolins with spruce tops and mahogany or maple backs and sides.