Slight 335 GAS, liable to get worse...kill it or cure it!

[Schocker]

I have an extremely nice ES-100 and was a couple of minutes into a little strum session the other day when I broke a string. Annoying but only to be expected on occasions...however, it did make me think that if only I had another 335 type guitar hanging around, I could have just reached over and continued my casual strum session. Whaddya mean "tenuous argument for getting another one"..?!!

I blame eBay. There are all these great MIJ guitars on there! And here comes my question (in a roundabout way)...

...if I were to acquire another semi, what should I get? I know we all love Tokais here but we're also quite broadminded. I have a few criteria, some of which may seem slightly trivial to you but it's my game!

1. It must have a nice headstock, ie, close to the Gibbo shape.

2. It must be sunburst (I keep ending up with red semis, which I like, but I want a change!).

3. It must have humbuckers.

4. And a setneck.

5. No shallow/flat neck profiles.

6. A shrubbery!

I'll level with you. A friend of mine has become obsessed (due to me, I confess) with MIJ guitars and has bought a few Grecos and just recently an Orville by Gibson. All are LP clones. So now I'm applying his 'habit' to semis... The ObGs tend to go for too much money, especially lately. Epiphone Japans are a sore point, as I just missed out on one on eBay due to my procrastination. Edwards...well, nice pickups as standard, but the tobacco sunburst is a little dark and the name doesn't quite look right on the headstock...also, I've never tried one. I even enquired about an Epiphone Elitist in Japan but they've only got natural and they cost a fair whack (over ?800 once you've paid shipping and duty). So my thoughts returned to Tokai...

...but! Has my GAS reached a point where I'm actually considering buying basically the same guitar just in a different finish?!!

Whatever happened to the ES-125/130 with block inlays? At least I could point at those as a reason to buy!

 

[luis]

My experience regarding Tokai ES120 and Orville by Gibson 335.I regard Tokai suits more my taste as far as neck is wider(near to 60's slim neck on OBG).Top`was flamed in Tokai and lightly quilted inOBG both laquer finish.
Gotoh MK II in Tokai and 490's in OBG...

 

[gassyndrome]

you know there's no cure!

so just enjoy your affliction 8)

 

[PoorMan]

Buy! Buy!

 

[villager]

I have 2 greco SA900 handbuilt es 335's 1978 and 79 ...they are better than the ObG's ....

price is a bit negotiable ..

www.japanguitars.co.uk

mail me for bigger pics..

 

[Schocker]

The handbuilt one looks very nice, it must be said. Aren't the 1980-81 Grecos meant to be the really good ones, though? Feel free to persuade me!

How negotiable is "a bit"? I mean, for ?700 I could import an ES-120 and still have change; an ES-100 would give me a fair bit more change...sales pitch, please!

 

[Donkey Oaty]

I am just looking into buying a ES100 as well

 

[villager]

heh...for tokai forum members I will knock off a bit we can discuss that privately..use the email link on the website .....the greco's built after 1980 are not handbuilt, and for LP's I think they are better.. non pancake.....but I prefer the earlier pre 1980 335's. The SA1200 came in in 1980, before that the SA900 was top of the tree.. you are welcome to come try if you are near london...my sales pitch is

"..come and play her.."

an ES 120 in decent nick is about 98000 yen ..plus shipping of 70 quid plus 22% import taxes and parcelscum fees..= 690 quid thereabouts.....and you can't even try it out first.. with me you can have a cup of tea and play to your hearts content...then you can always say no ta ..but at least you have played them..... thats the service I offer..

cheers ..
markf

 

[Donkey Oaty]

an ES 120 in decent nick is about 98000 yen ..

New ES120's are 96000 Yen ?

http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ishibashi.co.jp%2Fwebshop%2Fguitar%2Ftokai%2Fes100.htm&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2



Although it dont matter any more, Ishibashi dont seem to be answering any of my emails regarding my enquiry to buy 2 ES100's and an ES120 ( a few of us were going to club together to save some money ).

One guy didnt feel safe buying from a coompany that failed to answer 15 of his emails ! and to be honest I feel the same way, so i bought a new Gibson 335 yesterday instead.

To much hassle for to little saving for the Tokai.

 

[villager]

thought you meant a nice 80's one not a new one ...

 

[Donkey Oaty]

thought you meant a nice 80's one not a new one ...

Na new one.


I got to play on a 3 month old ES120 this morning that a guy bought new in the UK for ?699 ( saving over ?300 I believe ). Some dealer was toying with the idea of stocking Tokai's, but was having trouble selling them.

So he sold the ones he had at trade price to clear space.


Nice guitar I will admit , but then only an idiot would slate it after trying to buy one :-? . How does it stack up to my Gibson 335 I just bought ? Not to bad. Its obvious looking and playing the two that the Gibson is built better and plays a little better, but the ES120 is pretty **** good for ?700. I would not pay ?899 for one, I would rather get an Ibanez Artcore.

 

[villager]

if you dont mind me asking ..how much did you pay for the new gibson?

 

[Donkey Oaty]

if you dont mind me asking ..how much did you pay for the new gibson?

?989 with Case.


In Plain Red of course

 

[villager]

hows the finishing on it? good?

 

[Donkey Oaty]

hows the finishing on it? good?

Perfect. You can study it all day long till the cows come home and there is not a blemish to be found ( unlike my 70's Les Paul which is worse then a ?50 ebay copy ).

 

[Schocker]

Villager, thanks for your replies. I'll chew it over, so to speak.

Donkey, who's your friend's e-mail provider? Ishibashi have always answered my enquiries, apart from when I used my AOL address. Similarly, I didn't get a reply from another Japanese supplier when using AOL, so I wonder if there's a problem because of that.

Ishibashi have provided me with the most courteous and efficient service I could have hoped for in my dealings with them.

But what I want to know is where you got a new 335 from for ?989!

(I'd still go for the Tokai because I prefer the necks but that's just me...)

 

[Donkey Oaty]

Donkey, who's your friend's e-mail provider? Ishibashi have always answered my enquiries,


But what I want to know is where you got a new 335 from for ?989!

(I'd still go for the Tokai because I prefer the necks but that's just me...)

I got an ex-display one from GuitarVillage that didnt have a mark on it :-? .

Plus some haggling and frantic waving of ?20 notes and the deal was secure.

You can get a nice Gibson ES333 for under ?900 these days if you wanted a more ES100 type. I sent a few emails by Wanadoo, Virgin, Tesco and friends did the same. This was al during the past 10 days.

I should imagine there is some email problem, but it did make me feel a little un -easy about spending that amount of money. After adding up all the delivery, import duy and hassle. The savings was not that great after you did a bit of 'haggle' bashing with a dealer.

 

[Schocker]

That's a shame about not getting any joy from the e-mails. I know what you mean about the hassle but it's kind of liberating, too. Especially getting Fender Japan guitars that aren't intended for export...not in an elitist way but in a "ha, you big Fender guys think we can't get/don't deserve these? Well, you're wrong!" way. Ahem! Little things, as they say..!

I was actually exchanging e-mails with Ishibashi between Tuesday and Sunday of the last week, so they were operating (well, apart from Tuesday, which was Noriko's day off).

If you're ever inspired to contact them again, try using the title "International enquiry for Noriko". Very helpful, polite, etc...none of which helps you, I know!

Those ES-333s don't really float my boat, I'm sorry to say. I'm grateful for you reminding me about them but I'm pretty firmly in the MIJ camp now. However, it sounds like you got a good deal with the 335 and I'm glad the old waving cash approach still works! You can almost see the calculations whirring in the sales assistant's eyes as they try to seal a deal...

 

[Donkey Oaty]

Just a quick update. We all got replys last night. So there must have been an email blockage. One of the guys is going ahead with his sale now.

So thats good news.


FWIW ( now that I have secured a 335 ) The email was very helpful and once again I would now consider buying from them if the need arose.

 

[Donkey Oaty]

If anyone still wants a new ES120 ( without case ) then this place in Sheffield as one on ebay.

Item number: 7359148772

So far its on ?469 with 9 hours to go, so I bet it makes around ?600. Add a case to that ( a puka Tokai one ) and your looking at around ?700.

Still cheaper to buy in from Japan.


I have noticed a few other dealers with high end MIJ Tokai's that are collecting dust hanging on there showroom wall. Seems the UK buying public still feel that Tokai are overpriced and trading of the so called ( bollox ) Law Suit nonsense. ( In other words Ibanez got a smack on the wrist back in the late 70's).

This guy said there is no way I can sell Tokais for ?900 when ( to most people ) the real McCoy ( meaning Gibson ) is not that much more.

I can understand the reasons and to a point I agree, I think Tokai are running before they can walk. Yes they are fantastic great guitars, but the price point in the UK is still way to high to make them worth buying over a Gibson.