Takamine F309

This is a Martin OM copy by Takamine that I picked up at a used music store in Colorado Springs in the mid 90s.  I went there a lot for work and one time, I was there for over 2 weeks and decided I needed a guitar to kill boredom.  This is an F309 model made with mahogany and has an aged red brown finish to it.  For a Japanese acoustic made in the early 80s, this one is very well made and had obviously lasted over 30 years.

I'd be the first to tell anyone who wants to play a mahogany top guitar, the sound is not for everyone.  It is not particularly loud (compared to a dreadnought) nor has the same projection as a spruce top guitar.  However, I used it mostly for fingerpicking tunes.  The other feature that is unique is the Martin clone headstock shape and type.  I've read that Martin did file a lawsuit because of the (obvious) similarity.

Not sure what this guitar is worth these days but it's the oldest guitar in my collection.  I did pay a decent price for it but haven't really played it in the last 10 years.  The Takamine label and model are actually burned into the strip of wood that binds the bookmatched back of the guitar.  Inside the guitar is a sticker with the Takamine logo and the serial number 82070274.  From what I this tells me, this is the 74th guitar manufactured of July 2, 1982.