Just out of curiosity, which Tokai 335 model do you guys have? I'm asking because I'm starting to worry that my ES135 has some kind of odd neck/body angle...
I was pretty surprised the Gatorcase was such a bad fit for my ES135. Considering (among other things) that Gatorcase is the main HSC brand at one of the most known Tokai dealers, one could assume that GC would be a safe bet for a Tokai 335. But I guess not - the neck/body angle support in the case I got was totally off. I'm not talking a few mm here, it was more like a seesaw experience with the head/neckjoint two inches above the upper neck support in the case.
I don't have a tokai ES any more. Used to have one but sold it a couple of years ago. Now I've got at Matsumoko made Epiphone Riviera which has the same body dimensions as a Gibson 335 or Tokai ES120 etc. Which Tokai model is yours? It should be on the red label inside left F hole.
Headstock don't make any difference - it sits in free space.
My ES-330 fits really well in the Hiscox case I got for it, which is the same one used for an ES-335.
The neck angle seems pretty shallow. Any chance you've been given the wrong case? If not, that case will either have to go back, or be modified.
I had to modify slightly, a TKL Les Paul case for the same reason as you - the nut area of the neck was up off the padding, but it was only 4 or 5mm in my case.
A bit of pounding down on the U shaped part near the neck joint lowered it enough to fit. Or you could raise the body with some foam rubber.
(**Edit - although 2 inches to make up is probably too much)
JVsearch described the problem better than I could. The neck angle of my ES135 is way too shallow for the insides of the Gatorcase. It's like the case was made for a 335-style guitar with a much steeper neck angle and it is not fixable by minor modifications. Maybe I got a mislabeled case, like JV suggested? The outline of the the guitar shape in the compartment is a perfect fit though - it's the depth of the support areas (two for the neck + the area that supports the body) that is off.
Oh well, the Gatorcase had other issues too so I've sent it back. I'll look into the models you guys suggested. Again, thanks for the input.
It fits my ES 130 like a glove and you could drive a tractor over it ( I think if you did the guitar might be dented but a small car wouldn't make a scratch!)
I was looking for a sturdier case for my '02 ES-120 and bought an SKB. When I got it, I was surprised to see that the case didn't accomodate the neck angle. The neck wouldn't it in the rest, but rather the guitar sat on the edge of the headstock which was sitting on the bottom of the case - recipe for a broken headstock.
Anyways, I did a quick fix by raising the neck rest with a pair of strategically folded sports socks as I dont want to mod the case in case I sell it. I'd love to find a Hiscox here for it but they only sell the LP and strat cases here. Frickin pricey too.
Anyways, if your neck angle is the same as my ES, don't get an SKB.
Bought one of the Gator Cali Girl cases for a Love Rock a little while back, and that doesn't accommodate the neck/headstock angle either. Rests on the headstock, too. Currently using a spare wheatbag on top of the accessories compartment to give full support to the neck and move the headstock to safety.
Best of the cases in my collection would have to be the high-end TKL that an acoustic came in.
Bought one of the Gator Cali Girl cases for a Love Rock a little while back, and that doesn't accommodate the neck/headstock angle either. Rests on the headstock, too. Currently using a spare wheatbag on top of the accessories compartment to give full support to the neck and move the headstock to safety.
Best of the cases in my collection would have to be the high-end TKL that an acoustic came in.
See, that's what I don't get/understand about the SKB case. I tried my LS-150 in a SKB-56 and it fit fine. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't it have the same neck angle as the ES? Strange why it fits and the ES doesn't if that's the case. :-?
Has anyone tried the Thomann economy case for semi-hollow guitars? The price is certainly right, and I assume the quality is not great. But how about the fit?
