Tokai ES-Custom (335 style)

Semi-acoustic 335 style guitar, similar to Tokai's other models in the ES range (ES-150 etc) but a limited run (of 6, according to the supplier) made in 2008 in Japan. High end spec including Honduras mahogany neck and Honduras rosewood board, slightly fatter neck profile, aluminium tailpiece, brass saddles, nitro finish, cloth wire and CTS pots etc etc. I assume this is a higher spec than the top of the range standard model, which is currently the ES-205 I believe (model numbers reflect yen price, so ten years ago the equivalent to today's ES-205 might have been the ES-150 or something like that).
This one is in a beautiful sunburst finish, with a lightly flamed top and rather more flame on the back. Came with hard case and elegantly inscrutable instruction book in Japanese.
It has the standard layout of pickups and controls you get on a 335 type guitar. Personally, I'd like to be able to coil-tap and switch out of phase, so those would be valuable extra features, but I'm not quibbling, not on a guitar this good.

It sounds like a 335 does in my dreams. It does full and smooth, and it does hair-raising wail, it barks and it whispers. Massive dynamic range and a big range of tones if you work the controls and your playing attack. I find it works very well with the same amp settings I use for my Strat, so no need for tweaking when I change. I've also found it's not hard to get a very usable tone with an unfamiliar backline at jams - not always the case with other guitars I've got. The pickups are great, and although before I got the guitar I was intending to change them for my fave handwound buckers, I'm not so sure now. Acoustically, it sounds much better than I expected it would, which is a bonus: it's nice to have it around to play without plugging in.
I think probably the real essence of the sound comes from the guitar's impeccable build quality, which is in all honesty as good as I've ever seen, and I'm comparing it to masterbuilt custom shop US guitar in my collection. Certainly it's way better than any Gibson 335 I've played, although I expect if I had enough time and money I could track down a Gibbo that would be as good.
Overall, it's a very rewarding guitar to play because notes just seem to leap off the board and fly - very responsive and alive under the fingers and against the body.

As I said, the fit and finish is perfect. I expected it to be that way, because Tokai has such a good reputation, but it's still a bit of a surprise how good it is. When it arrived off the courier's van all the way from Japan, the action and intonation were perfect and it was still in tune!
I may raise the action a little and fit my usual 11-52s, which will mean a slight setup adjustment, but even though it's not the way I usually set my guitars up, I don't find that a problem at all because it's so playable.
A slight adjustment I have to make when playing is because the strings do seem a little closely spaced towards the nut - something other players have noticed - but nothing that can't be dealt with.
The frets are just beautifully finished - easily the best I've experienced on any guitar. I've had guitars plek'ed and they don't come out this good. Not looking forward to the day when I have to have this one refretted.
The neck profile is nice and full without being in any way a stretch from a skinny-necked Strat - I was expecting a little fuller profile, but it's very comfortable.

It's as solidly built as I could wish for, so I wouldn't expect any problems. Nitro finish so that will weather in the usual way. I'm going to get one of those magnetic-snap cables to save cracking the top if someone trips over the wire.

I really have no idea about support from Tokai. Never heard any complaints though.

Playing for 40 years and own a lot of guitars of varying value, from custom-shop Gibson and Fenders to Japanese and even Korean strats and teles - all damn good guitars. I usually use a Fuchs ODS 2x12 amp.
I got this Tokai because I've always wanted a 335 and despaired of finding a good Gibson. Last time I was in a shop trying a Gibbo, the dealer walked over after a while and asked me what I thought. Not bad, I said. OK then, he said, try this, and gave me a Korean-made Epi 335, which completely blew the Gibson away. Sums up the difficulties of buying a Gibbo 335 for me.
Anyway, although this Tokai was the most expensive they do, it's still somewhat less expensive than the base level 335 from Gibson at least in the UK, and there's no comparison in quality. So it's a huge bargain, and being a very limited special run is no bad thing for resale value I should think.