With most major guitar manufacturers now using Chinese facilities in order to remain competitive, Takamine has sensibly followed suit.
Production of high-end models will continue in Japan, but G Series acoustics will now be built in China (as well as Korea and Taiwan).
Korg UK (Takamine's UK distributor) endeavours to keep its Takamine range as logical and well-pruned as possible.
But there may be some confusion as residual stock of certain discontinued G Series models will still be on sale while lower-priced Chinese-built replacements start appearing, some with the same model codes. So how do does this new arrival shape up?
Overview
This is the full body, purely acoustic version of another Takamine model, with a natural matt-satin finish to deliver the entry-level point for the G Series.
Solid spruce tops can vary from model to model - this one is darker than normal due to its denser orange streaks; and this results in an aesthetically pleasing earthiness.
Bar the lack of cutaway, and its non-compensated saddle's intonation issues, the G220S-NS is much the same to play as other Takamines.
However, this review model features a particularly extreme example of neck pitching, with more than enough 'spare' on the saddle - there's more poking out than there is sitting in the slot.
This definitely ensures that the strings make a healthy rake angle over it, which improves volume and tone.
While, overall, it sounds pretty light up against a dreadnought, it retains some of the earthy, woody colours in the tone that gives Takamine guitars their pleasing character.
It's true, however, that the guitar's naturally tempered response leaves you feeling that it is not giving out all that you're putting in.
