Product: Tokai ES-120 335-Style
Price Paid: 900 (uk pounds)
Submitted
11/19/2001
at
10:33am
by
steve
Email: stephen<dot>goulden at btopenworld<dot>com
Features
:
9
Japanese made 335 replica - made 2001 - 2 humbuckers individual tone/vol - vintage sunburst with quilted (maple?) top and pearloid block markers. hardware is gotoh. no case included but dealer supplied one at cost
Sound
:
10
I play mainly bluesy rock but also some jazz and this guitar does the lot- which is why Ted McCartys design has become a classic. I alternate between a couple of boogies (dc5 combo and studio 22+) and a marshall jcm900 50watt combo - it sings through them all - I also use a les paul standard which will obviously take higher preamp gain settings without feeding back but that is half the fun of 335s anyway - you have to learn to control it.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
after buying it I replaced the factory fitted strings and lowered the action which was a bit high and it now plays beautifully - the only real criticism I could find (and its being picky) is the nut is cut a fraction high - however this is easily sorted. in all other respects though the construction quality is fantastic- the top and back have a beautiful quilted effect which would , on a gibson, probably neccessitate forking out for one of their custom shop models!
Reliability/Durability
:
10
as well put together as a gibson - nuff said
Customer Support
:
5
Tokais website is not too up to date as the es100 and es120 models are merely stated as being introduced in april 2001! I sent them an email asking why there is no info 9 months later - still waiting a reply.
Overall Rating
:
10
been playing approx 25 years - about 10 years ago I sold my early sixties 335 - doh! and so have recently been on the lookout for another 335 - however new Gibbo prices are becoming silly in the uk and even decent second hand ones are another four or five hundred quid more than the Tokai so for value for money its got to be ten. No Tokai dealers in Sheffield - in fact not many in the country.I had to travel to doncaster to get this but it was worth the effort to track down. The dealer,Wizard guitars are well worth a visit by the way - some tasty vintage pieces and they couldn't have been more helpful.
