It’s hard to imagine Grace Amos without her Takamine guitar. It comes as no surprise that the company have chosen her as their latest brand ambassador.
It’s amazing the worlds that Grace Amos can conjure with just her voice and the six strings of her guitar. A country-pop connoisseur, the 16-year-old songstress knows how to swell melodies into sparkling reflections that trace intimate and universal experiences.
Fresh off the release of her debut single Listen Real Closely, the singer/songwriter has shared an essay detailing her relationship with the acoustic guitar, the Takamine brand, and her role as their newest ambassador.
Grace Amos and Takamine Guitars: a perfect match
My love affair with the guitar recently came about in 2019. Things have been moving pretty quickly for me since then.
I won a scholarship to attend Australia’s Academy of Country Music in 2018. I turned up with my trusty keyboard and a new guitar that hadn’t been used much. By the end of the Academy, it was clear that the guitar was now my favourite instrument. This came after long nights of jamming with my mates, writing songs, and being mentored by some of Australia’s best musicians; including Fanny Lumsden, David Carter, Melody Moko, Roger Corbett, Lyn Bowtell, and Simon Johnson.
My 20,000 followers on Instagram immediately noticed that all of my posts became acoustic guitar covers and original songs also began to flow. I became obsessed with trying to learn about different guitar brands.
I first noticed Takamine Guitars, made in Japan (the Pro Series Models & Limited Editions), after watching their USA endorsee Bruno Mars in the epic video clip for his song Billionaire. I checked out the other artists who were playing Takamine Guitars, they are some of the biggest names in the industry; including Bruno Mars, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Troy Cassar-Daley, and many others.
Takamine Guitars welcomed me on board to be a newly-appointed Takamine Endorsee Artist and Brand Ambassador. A family-owned business, they also offer many other well-known brands for the music industry as well and have been in operation since 1978. I was absolutely thrilled to be invited into the Takamine Australia family in August 2020.
Becoming an official endorsee for this incredible brand, at the age of 16, is something I take seriously. I want to make sure I’m producing great music to show Australia what these guitars and my unique voice can do.
I wanted to choose a Takamine that would suit my style of music and would also, aesthetically, look amazing in my performances. When I saw the Ltd2020 Peace guitar, I honestly fell in love.
Every year Takamine produce a limited edition guitar which is exclusively unique and different, they are very special indeed. For 2020, they have produced a Gloss Foliage Green Finish Limited Edition, a Takamine Peace Guitar that represents the word, which I currently own. My favourite part of this guitar is the intricate olive branch and dove motif inlaid on the fingerboard, using multi-coloured stone and shell.
It’s a beautiful acoustic-electric guitar. I love the on-board CT4DX tuner and preamp system and the electronics deliver such a clean and clear sound. The guitar was made entirely by hand by expert Japanese luthiers and there are some cool videos online showing the production process.
My goal is to continue to learn and grow as a musician and I know that Takamine Guitars and Pro Music Australia will be joining me for the ride.
Find out more about Takamine Guitars here. Check out Grace’s new song Listen Real Closely below:
