Hi all. Can somebody tell me firstly what is the difference between the different numbered ES Tokais 60/100/120 etc. Are they the same size as a Gibson ( I have a Freshman 335 that is 3/4 size of a Gibson. Very nice all the same!) And finally are Japanese models better than Korean or is there a bit of snobbery there?
ES Series
- Thread starter slimbo
- Start date
Help Support Tokai Forum:
ES-60 = Korean
ES-100/120 = Japanese
Both are a nice quality but the Japanese version is top notch, its hand made in Japan with better quality woods, electronics and also features a one piece mahogany neck, the Korean model has the standard three piece rock maple neck. The Japanese model is on par with any 335 out there, even surpassing the quality of the "original".
ES-100/120 = Japanese
Both are a nice quality but the Japanese version is top notch, its hand made in Japan with better quality woods, electronics and also features a one piece mahogany neck, the Korean model has the standard three piece rock maple neck. The Japanese model is on par with any 335 out there, even surpassing the quality of the "original".
QuattroSte
Well-known member
Slimbo,
I have an ES 100 in cherry red. This guitar is beautifully made(except for the nut!!) and sounds super. There is a massive range of tones available. When I am all played out I just hug the guitar cos it feels so good
Save and go for it is my advice. There are a few on Ebay but they are commanding a high enough price.
I have an ES 100 in cherry red. This guitar is beautifully made(except for the nut!!) and sounds super. There is a massive range of tones available. When I am all played out I just hug the guitar cos it feels so good
Save and go for it is my advice. There are a few on Ebay but they are commanding a high enough price.
chrisheyes
Well-known member
You don't have to wait Slimbo. There is an ES120 on e-bay right now going for a song. The reseve has been met at ?300 !!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7321937334&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
Bargain or what !!
I've just imported an ES120 from Japan for a lot more money than that !! :-?
This is my baby
DPH
Member
... best guitar I've ever owned. http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/photo.php?id=15238
btw, how can I post a photo, like the post above?
btw, how can I post a photo, like the post above?
hans-j?rgen
Well-known member
You have to use the image tag in the forum editor where you can fill in an URL to the picture, i.e. with the file name ending on .jpg or .gif. So you have to upload it to a web server, too (which you did already, but not with the correct URL), because you cannot simply attach the picture to a posting in this forum.DPH said:
Chris ? great spot, love the natural finish on that ES120 ? price is great, though with 3 days left I expect it?ll go up a lot, unfortunately (otherwise someone should jump on that ? Slimbo maybe you should email the guy and see if you can agree a price to end auction early?). Lovely photo of your 120 too, nicest one I?ve seen in that colour :-? .
DPH ? re Photos? sign up at Photobucket.com (it?s free), as soon as you sign up you?ll be given a space called ?MY ALBUM? (enough for 4 free pictures). Click on ?MY ALBUM?, then click ?BROWSE? (that will let you browse through the picture files on your own PC). Highlight the picture you want (ie as shown on your PC), then click ?SUBMIT? (that will upload the picture from your PC to the Photobucket website? takes a few mins). When the photo is uploaded (you?ll see it displayed on the page), go to the box below the picture marked ?IMG?, highlight all the text in that box & ?CUT? it into temporary memory using the ordinary Cut & Paste function from the Edit menu at top of your screen. Then just go to the Tokai Forum (or wherever), type your message/post as usual, & drop the picture in using ?PASTE? in the normal way (ie from EDIT menu at top of every screen) :-? .
Ian.
DPH ? re Photos? sign up at Photobucket.com (it?s free), as soon as you sign up you?ll be given a space called ?MY ALBUM? (enough for 4 free pictures). Click on ?MY ALBUM?, then click ?BROWSE? (that will let you browse through the picture files on your own PC). Highlight the picture you want (ie as shown on your PC), then click ?SUBMIT? (that will upload the picture from your PC to the Photobucket website? takes a few mins). When the photo is uploaded (you?ll see it displayed on the page), go to the box below the picture marked ?IMG?, highlight all the text in that box & ?CUT? it into temporary memory using the ordinary Cut & Paste function from the Edit menu at top of your screen. Then just go to the Tokai Forum (or wherever), type your message/post as usual, & drop the picture in using ?PASTE? in the normal way (ie from EDIT menu at top of every screen) :-? .
Ian.
TheNasties
Member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2005
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 0
Hi,
i thought the ES are available in cherry red, nature finish and sunburst, what's up with this?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=7322723136&rd=1
Is it really cherry red and looks like orange because of the light?
greets, Stefan
i thought the ES are available in cherry red, nature finish and sunburst, what's up with this?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=7322723136&rd=1
Is it really cherry red and looks like orange because of the light?
greets, Stefan
hans-j?rgen
Well-known member
I've never seen such a color on an ES before either, maybe the cherry red nitro finish of an original Gibson can change to that tone if exposed to day light for 40 or more years like Les Pauls do, too, but I'm not sure about that... If you look at the back of the neck in that smaller picture, it looks like a dark cherry red though, so my vote is for a refinish done later or a special order done by Tokai.TheNasties said:
chrisheyes
Well-known member
The listing states the colour as Cherry Red. Some serious daylight bleaching, or a bad camera exposure under
Looking at the trus rod cover I'd say it's an older guitar than the nautral flame finish one in
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7321937334&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
Note that the headstocks are different. The natural one has the dimple, and so made for export. Whereas the cherry red model has the Gibboesque open bok style.
Both these guitars are in the same town in the UK !!
:roll:
Looking at the trus rod cover I'd say it's an older guitar than the nautral flame finish one in
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7321937334&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
Note that the headstocks are different. The natural one has the dimple, and so made for export. Whereas the cherry red model has the Gibboesque open bok style.
Both these guitars are in the same town in the UK !!
:roll:
I think it?s probably just the lighting ? look at the paper id label through the f-hole, those labels are normally quite red, but that one looks even paler & more orange than body. General quote/description from Registry is less useful than telling us what his guitar is actually like, eg date, originality, wear etc ... but I guess anyone could email him if really interested :roll: .
Ian.
Ian.
QuattroSte
Well-known member
I noticed the decal was missing on the headstock?? So what I hear you say! Well........ yeah, OK then, so what! :wink:
Quattro ? good spot, well done ? easy to overlook that :-? . Actually it relates directly to that thread about Carlos?s LP-Custom with Split-Diamond headstock.
Take a look in 1981 Catalogue (ie first Cat. to show ES models), the ES guitars appear to be without any inlay at all (apart from Tokai name), ie just like the ?orange? ES in above link. Same for LC Custom models in that 81 catalogue, ? appears they have no headstock inlay at all. Note this was approx. date when Gibson were threatening lawsuits based on various details, particularly inc. headstock & split-diamond inlay on Customs. In the next Cat., 1982, the ES guitar does have an inlay motif, but it?s NOT a copy of Gibson "flower pot" design,?instead it?s something completely different made up by Tokai.
Conclusion? Looks like, Tokai succumbed to pressure from Gibson around 1980-81, and changed inlay & decals on all their headstocks. The ES without any inlay seems to indicate date around 1980-81 :-? .
Ian.
Take a look in 1981 Catalogue (ie first Cat. to show ES models), the ES guitars appear to be without any inlay at all (apart from Tokai name), ie just like the ?orange? ES in above link. Same for LC Custom models in that 81 catalogue, ? appears they have no headstock inlay at all. Note this was approx. date when Gibson were threatening lawsuits based on various details, particularly inc. headstock & split-diamond inlay on Customs. In the next Cat., 1982, the ES guitar does have an inlay motif, but it?s NOT a copy of Gibson "flower pot" design,?instead it?s something completely different made up by Tokai.
Conclusion? Looks like, Tokai succumbed to pressure from Gibson around 1980-81, and changed inlay & decals on all their headstocks. The ES without any inlay seems to indicate date around 1980-81 :-? .
Ian.
Thanks for all your help guys I'm keeping my eyes out for a good ES. Not going for a 60 though prob a 100. My Guitar tutor would laugh at me if I bought a Korean Tokai, but he likes the Jap models and had an early strat copy that he regrets selling.
He did say not to get too excited about them as he thinks they are basically just good copies but not as good as the originals. What do you say? Or am I asking a silly question?!!! :wink:
I'm keeping my eyes out for a good ES. Not going for a 60 though prob a 100. My Guitar tutor would laugh at me if I bought a Korean Tokai, but he likes the Jap models and had an early strat copy that he regrets selling.He did say not to get too excited about them as he thinks they are basically just good copies but not as good as the originals. What do you say? Or am I asking a silly question?!!! :wink:
Hutton Steel
Well-known member
Buy your ES100 Slimbo and don't listen to your tutor. This snobbishness regarding guitars has got to stop. Yes, of course an old Gibson is a nice guitar. But do you have enough money to pay for the privilege of owning one? I have just purchased an ES120 which is only a couple of years old. I bought it after looking at new Gibson 335s. As far as I am concerned there was no competition. If both guitars had cost the same I still would have gone for the Tokai. Forget the headstock Slimbo. Buy the Tokai, get a better guitar, and save your money.
Hutton
Hutton
Similar threads
