Need help with ES model comparison

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ATZR

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Hi everyone, long time lurker, first time poster :)

I've recently entered the market for an ES style guitar (left handed). I also live in Australia which makes things a bit more difficult.

However, I saw this come online recently:

IMG_0788_7d2dc691-2a02-436e-b6ff-b3fb32bd3d11.jpg


https://therockinn.com/collections/used-1/products/tokai-es-78l-semi-hollow-electric-guitar-made-in-japan-pre-owned

I had a few questions and I would greatly appreciate if anyone would be so kind to offer any information as this is my first foray into the ES market.

1. First is the actual body shape.

Is this the EXACT same shape as a regular Gibson ES 335? I mean, if you drew an outline around it, would it match up precisely with the 335? Or other Tokai ES copies for that matter? I know the 339 is definitely smaller than the 335 and I'm wondering if this is based on another variant.

The reason I ask is, I simply can not get over the sense that the "horns" of that guitar above, look a little bit.. short? Stubby? Less rounded than they should be?

Compare them to this:

3255999_orig.jpg

Which is the ES-224 taken from the Tokai NL website.

I don't know if it's the lighting, the angle of the photo, the lens of the camera, or maybe I'm just insane. But based on those photos at least, they look really different. I called the store and the guy assured me they were the same but he didn't fill me with confidence to be completely honest as he also said it was MIJ, when everything I've seen online says the 78's are made in China.

2. The guy also assured me that the fretboard is rosewood.

However, my understanding is that the 78 comes with Carbonized Jatoba per the NL website:
http://www.tokai-guitars.nl/es78.html

and Australian webstie:
https://tokaiguitarsaustralia.com.au/collections/hollow-style/products/tokai-es-73-sb-traditional-series-es-style-hollow-body-electric-guitar-with-gig-bag

So. I'm guessing the guy is wrong? Was there a time the 78 came with rosewood fretboard?

I'm extremely interested in this guitar, but I don't know whether I should take my chances and wait for a different Tokai ES to show up on the used market somewhere..
 
Agree with the above. If you’re that obsessed with the smaller details, go with a Japanese made. Tokai is one of the few non-Gibson manufacturers that also get the horn bevels correct.
 
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