Tokai Cat's Eyes TCE-25

This instrument has some strange features but being built in the first year of production (1973)this can be explainable.
- Body out of laminated mahogany.
- Soundboard laminated
- Very secure inner bracing
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Brazilian rosewood headstock veneer (!)
- Mother of pearl lining somewhat similar to
the Martin D45 but that's abalone of course
- Gotoh chrome plated tuners
- Very decent fretwork
- Heelblock says: inspected by K. Suzuki

The discussion seems to be about which models have a solid top and
which haven't. In the end the sound is what counts. Remember that the famous 19th century luthier Antonio de torres used all kinds
of woods even in more than two parts for backs and tops.
His instruments are magic by the way of building!

This guitar sounds wonderful! Very open in all registers.
Way up the neck the tone remains substantial as it tends to be thinner on cheap instruments. As this guitar is Martinesque the
soundboard is supported by an X-bracing that became a standard on
more steelstrings. It is my believe that for that reason differences
on steelstrings in laminated or solid tops doesn't have to be that big. A laminated construction makes it possible to keep the top a
little thinner with the same stringtension. A slight bulb appears
behind the bridge but that seems to be quite common on Cat's eyes guitars partly due to the thin soundboard.
Yet the higher frequencies sound quite controlled to me.
The last owner supplied this guitar with light gauge strings while
mostly I like the medium gauge soundwise. But that could have caused
too much low end on this guitar.
This guitar reacts quite fast for an X-bracing so fingerstylepicking
as well as strumming is a joy to hear!

I'm a classical player and I really dislike all that fretbuzzing
because of too low action. This action suits me fine and allways because it's nice neckprofile playability is good.
There is a minor finish flaw on the right shoulder of this guitar
but who cares. It offers so much to a decent player!
Nut and saddle were properly fitted, no comments on that.
I've removed the original bridge saddle in favour of a ivory one.
I can recommend this to any of you. It dramatically improves the higher frequencies, sustain and makes it sound more substantial.

As I stated earlier: Because of the thinner soundnoard a regular check of the set up is recommended. With other Japanese makes (Terada)I found loose bracings. I had to reglue one bracing as well
in this Cat's Eyes but you have to keep in mind that this instrument is 35 years old now and after repairing this: no problem.
The neck is beautifully straight with no bulb around the twelfth
fret is often appears on steelstrings.
You can certainly gig with this one without a back up!

Never delt with Tokai. Besides this instrument I owe a Springy sound
from around 1981 (pre lawsuit anyway) that is really wonderful so
I know they deliver great work. This company is still growing in esteem by a lot of guitar lovers and so will prices do for vintage
examples. When you're able to buy an instrumenet like this, be critical but more than often this brand won't disappoint you!
And in the future prices only tend to rise for these first ones
produced.

I think I can be of help for a lot of younger players as besides being a professional player I was allways interested in construction
of guitars and that means the best of both worlds to write reviews.
I don't have to be a guitarsnob anymore. I owe two Martins (D28 and
D35) a Guild F40, a Levin W32 (wonderful guitars!)Ovation Custom
Legend and besides that several gutstring topinstruments and electric
guitars. Why buy an expensive Martin (though they are still carefully built) when you can achieve the same with a nice Cat's Eyes or another high end copy of one of the following Japanese brands: Tama, Terada, Ibanez Artwood (around 1980)Yamaki or Greco.
This one isn't the real top regarding materials but it's sound is!