New guitar - Tokai ES 130

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pongotux

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OK, after a lot of searching, I finally managed to get myself a MIJ Tokai ES335 copy.

It's a 2005 ES 130, in red.

I've owned many guitars over the years and, so far, this is the 'nicest'. The previous owner has really taken care of it, and it looks pretty close to brand new. Fit and finish is superb. 7.5 lb. It has a lovely flamey red finish, with some of those mineral streaks you sometimes get in a figured top. A nice fat neck. The original pickups sound pretty good and authentic to me, I don't think I'll be swapping them out.

A few questions:

- Is the finish likely to be nitro? From what I've read online, it has a poly base coat. If that's the case, will it wear and dull like a 1981 ES100, or were the 80s ES guitars all-nitro?
- Does anyone know what spec pickups went into the 2005 ES 130?
- I assume a 2005 ES 130 wouldn't have a 'Honduras' mahogany neck?
- The rosewood on the fretboard is nice and dark and quite porous. Would this be Indian?

Many thanks!
 
my 2005 ES-120 was for sure a nitro finish; it reeked of nitro every time the case opened :) don't know if it had a poly under coat

pickups? don't know

seriously doubt the neck is Honduran

fingerboard is likely Asian rosewood

great guitars for the $$$
 
Pickups should be different, Gotoh engraved on the back in 2003 and plain no engraved maybe Keiyo in 2005. I had a 2005 sunburst finish and it was a really good 335 a bit thin neck on the nut just like early 60s 335.

About honduras mahogany in Tokai necks I asked for it at that time and as far as necks are smaller than bodies you can use it easily, big blocks no needed. It was implemented in some models afterwards to my surprise, glad to help them with some ideas.
 

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