2005 MIJ Goldtop.

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen alder with grain like that.

Mike

 

[leadguitar_323]

It is mahogany....very easy to tell when you know what you are looking for.

Mick

 

[Toker]

**** these post ebay jitters. Curse you eBay!! Guitar shipped yesterday & refund deposited in my paypal. So far so good. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks again for all your wisdom. You guys are too much.

 

[marcusnieman]

Just chill. You did your homework before you pulled the trigger - not after the guitar arrived.

 

[Toker]

Chillin.

 

[marcusnieman]

:wink:

 

[Toker]

Got the Tokai GT on Tuesday. Awesome feel & playability as is. Took some quick pics before rushing it to the luthier for a pro setup & detailed inspection for hidden flaws. I couldn't see any. Awesome guitar. Not a collectable but would make a great player & workhorse. Not familiar with the neck pickup. GFS label on it. Anybody know these? Bridge pickup SD pearly gates. Body 3 piece back. MIJ Gotoh bridge & tailpiece. I kind of like the Sperzel locking tuner mod. Immaculate condition & tough SKB case to boot for $635 USD shipped. Can't wait to get it back.

 

[JohnA]

A brilliant guitar considering the money you paid!! Nice photo's too, looks great against the black!!

Some more info on the lighting/camera and general photo tips would be appreciated, all my guitar shots turn out rubbish!!

 

[marcusnieman]

That is badass guitar. Tokai does one of the best goldtop finishes out there IMHO. The color on yours is gorgeous - certainly lighting has something to do with it (and your lighting is superb for those shots) but dang, that sho is a pwetty thang!

 

[leadguitar_323]

Love that southern drawl Marcus.. :wink:

Mick

 

[Toker]

Thanks. Photos were a rush job. I used a Nikon D80 but I can get the same results with a Canon Elf & Canon Power Shot or any point & shoot camera. I used natural lighting coming from the left. No flash. Tripod. Zoomed in tight on the body & locked the camera internal light meter readings in program mode & zoomed out to compose shot & shoot with a 2 second timer on the shutter to eliminate blur. Let the program mode decide the aperature & shutter settings based on the zoomed tight body light meter reading. Use the built in light meter & your shots will always have a pro look. Alway meter the subject & not the overall scene. That's it. Maybe a topic for another post. Guitar photography 101.

 

[leadguitar_323]

Oh is that all.... :lol:

Mick

 

[JohnA]

Oh is that all.... :lol:

Mick

Yes, it confused me a bit too!! I'm going to have to go home and read my manual! All I've ever done with my camera is point and shoot, but those pics do inspire me to put a bit more effort in!

Natural light in the UK in winter might be a bit of an issue though!

 

[Anonymous]

Some more info on the lighting/camera and general photo tips would be appreciated, all my guitar shots turn out rubbish!!

John - just buy a black leather sofa! :lol:

I guess you'll be entering the long days of permanent winter darkness soon? It must be tough up north....

:wink:

Nice guitar Toker - there's no better colour for a LP than gold.

8)

 

[JohnA]

Some more info on the lighting/camera and general photo tips would be appreciated, all my guitar shots turn out rubbish!!

John - just buy a black leather sofa! :lol:

I guess you'll be entering the long days of permanent winter darkness soon? It must be tough up north....

:wink:

Nice guitar Toker - there's no better colour for a LP than gold.

8)

Not as daft an idea as it sounds Mike, I've been thinking about a sofa for the music room, if it can double as a photo backdrop all the better!!

Yes, the long nights are here and the bears will soon be down from the pack-ice!! As long as they keep their paws off my goldtops!!

 

[marcusnieman]

Love that southern drawl Marcus.. :wink:

Mick

That's just the liquor talking :wink:

 

[Toker]

Here are some pics of my MIK with the wife's point & shoot Canon Power Shot A700. Looked at the tiny manual & it's way too complicated & filled with clutter. Camera manufacturers are notorious for terrrible manuals. These tiny cameras are sophisticated & way underutilized & have a lot of potential. It's simpler that you think.
Set camera on tripod or chair or stool.
I put the camera in P for Program Mode.
Set METER METHOD to SPOT.
Turned OFF the FLASH.
Set a 2 second Timer.
Zoomed in on flame & PRESS & HOLD the SHUTTER halfway to focus on part of the subject on which you wish to lock exposure settings.
Press AE LOCK button.
Re-aim the camera to compose the shot as desired & press the shutter button fullly.
Got this from the manual but I had to dig & was getting discouraged after a couple of pages.
I grabbed the black tablecloth from the dining room table & threw it on the couch as a back drop on one of the shots to show that you don't need a fancy couch.
I'm not happy with the color. Setting was on Vivid color. Could be better.
It's a sunny day so the lighting is a bit harsher. Cloudy days are best for diffusing the light.
You don't need an expensive fancy camera & lense to take amateur pro looking shots.
Took 5 minutes & probably could have tweaked it some more.

 

[Pegcityrocker]

Great shots Toker and thanks for the tips. I think we'll all be taking out our guitars for a photo shoot now. :lol:

We've got to start a thread showing off our one best shot of our Love Rock's. Could be kind of fun.

The GFS pickup in your goldtop is a chinese made pickup from Guitar Fetish; not a bad pickup for the price but not worthy of your Tokai. There's a custom pickup maker here in Canada by the name of Jon; he winds amazing pickups however you want them. You can pick up a set for the price of one SD. I've purchased three sets from him and they are fantastic. His website is called tonefordays.

 

[Toker]

Thanks pegcityrocker for the pickup info. Good stuff.
Retook the shots.
Changed AUTO WHITE BALANCE for AUTO to DAYLIGHT. Big differance. More natural.

 

[Kenmac]

Great shots Toker and thanks for the tips. I think we'll all be taking out our guitars for a photo shoot now. :lol:

We've got to start a thread showing off our one best shot of our Love Rock's. Could be kind of fun.

The GFS pickup in your goldtop is a chinese made pickup from Guitar Fetish; not a bad pickup for the price but not worthy of your Tokai. There's a custom pickup maker here in Canada by the name of Jon; he winds amazing pickups however you want them. You can pick up a set for the price of one SD. I've purchased three sets from him and they are fantastic. His website is called tonefordays.

I know exactly who you mean, Jon Moore. I bought a set of Telecaster pickups from him awhile back that I'll using in a Tele "Partscaster" I'll be putting together. I've got pretty much everything for it except the neck and the button for the toggle switch.