1970s 1975 Tokai Cat's Eyes Catalog Hi Res Scans

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Sigmania

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Not the best translation with Google Translate.

Not sure what the word “Romania” actually is? It is used for the top 3 models (CE2000, 1500, and 1200). Romanian spruce as other members, luis & HAMAMATSU, have suggested?

And I think they are using the word “veneer” in a different way than I do. I think it may possibly even mean the opposite, as in solid versus plys or laminates? That is speculation and may just be an issue with the translation. Hard to know, but I noticed the top models are referred to as veneers and the others are not. Also, I saw this with the translation for Love Rocks when they called the mahogany body a veneer. Obviously they are solid.




CE 2000. Romania ¥ 200,000
Front: Spruce veneer,
Back & side: Jacaranda veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Grover,
Strings: Marquis Medium,
Body: D-41 model (Inlay Mexican shell),
Original case Attached

CE 1500. Romania ¥ 150,000
Front: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Jacaranda veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Grover,
Strings: Marquis Medium,
Body purfling: Herribbon,
with original case

CE 1200. Romania ¥ 120,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rose veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Grover,
Strings: Marquis Medium,
Body Purfling : Herringbone

CE 1000. ¥ 100,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rose veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Glover,
String: Marquis Medium,
Body Purfling: Herringbone

CE 800. ¥ 80,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Jacaranda,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Black turret,
Tuners: Glover,
String: Martin Light,
Body Purfling: Herringbone

CE 600. ¥ 60,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Glover,
String: Martin Light

CE 500. ¥ 50,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Rotomatic,
String: Martin Light

CE400 ¥ 40,000 M

CE 300. ¥ 30,000
Front plate: Spruce,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Nato,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Rohtomatic,
Strings: Martin Light

CE 250. ¥ 25,000
Front plate: Spruce,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Nato,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Rohtomatic,
String: Martin Light.


CE200
… ¥ 20,000
 
Bingo! The origin of the brand name!

Translation from catalog:

Cat's Eyes is a masterpiece created by a technical partnership with Martin Guitar, which is known as "a synonym for acoustic guitar" and is recognized by people all over the world !! The basic design is 1933. Due to Martin's original D.45, of which only 91 were made between 1942 and 1942, the shell pattern found in the headed stock is called a flower pot and is an inlay on the fingerboard. Are also given their respective names as described above. In particular, the shellfish embedded in the 12th fret is called "Cat's Eyes", and the brand name was decided from here. The basis of our most important acoustic guitar is a sturdy, consistent and good sounding, thimble and stubborn design. Cat's Eye guitars are built on these basic policies with the utmost care by the most experienced and talented craftsmen.

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Note that none of the Martin guitars are described as a veneer in the chart at the end whereas the Cat's Eyes are.

Not saying this is proof that the Cat's Eyes are laminates though. It could be that they are just presenting Martin's own description of their guitars? Apples & oranges?

But it is interesting to note that there is a difference in the descriptions between the two brands in the same catalog.
 
Sigmania said:
Not the best translation with Google Translate.

Not sure what the word “Romania” actually is? It is used for the top 3 models (CE2000, 1500, and 1200). Romanian spruce as other members, luis & HAMAMATSU, have suggested?

And I think they are using the word “veneer” in a different way than I do. I think it may possibly even mean the opposite, as in solid versus plys or laminates? That is speculation and may just be an issue with the translation. Hard to know, but I noticed the top models are referred to as veneers and the others are not. Also, I saw this with the translation for Love Rocks when they called the mahogany body a veneer. Obviously they are solid.




CE 2000. Romania ¥ 200,000
Front: Spruce veneer,
Back & side: Jacaranda veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Grover,
Strings: Marquis Medium,
Body: D-41 model (Inlay Mexican shell),
Original case Attached

CE 1500. Romania ¥ 150,000
Front: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Jacaranda veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Grover,
Strings: Marquis Medium,
Body purfling: Herribbon,
with original case

CE 1200. Romania ¥ 120,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rose veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Grover,
Strings: Marquis Medium,
Body Purfling : Herringbone

CE 1000. ¥ 100,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rose veneer,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Ebony,
Tuners: Glover,
String: Marquis Medium,
Body Purfling: Herringbone

CE 800. ¥ 80,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Jacaranda,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Black turret,
Tuners: Glover,
String: Martin Light,
Body Purfling: Herringbone

CE 600. ¥ 60,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Glover,
String: Martin Light

CE 500. ¥ 50,000
Front plate: Spruce veneer,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Mahogany,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Rotomatic,
String: Martin Light

CE400 ¥ 40,000 M

CE 300. ¥ 30,000
Front plate: Spruce,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Nato,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Rohtomatic,
Strings: Martin Light

CE 250. ¥ 25,000
Front plate: Spruce,
Back & side plate: Rosewood,
Neck: Nato,
Fingerboard: Rosewood,
Tuners: Rohtomatic,
String: Martin Light.


CE200
… ¥ 20,000

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203732488192?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20210609151224%26meid%3D69e0c8b4e4694f50883f45699005ffb9%26pid%3D101112%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D24%26sd%3D203732493836%26itm%3D203732488192%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2563228%26algv%3DSimplAMLv9PairwiseWebMskuAspectsV1&_trksid=p2563228.c101112.m1982&amdata=cksum%3A20373248819269e0c8b4e4694f50883f45699005ffb9%7Cenc%3AAQAGAAACEBN4FHrbC%252FIFg9CeXgg2LtmvGowsWxjXxEo2iEf8OE0Eg%252BkZRisuWTGlVA7wRjfkKALP5s9yWMjVT8A5XSQqp2iP%252BbHVaz%252Fi82gz2K7x3WjYCH%252Bv0l0ej4kUcN8cpoE9AL7dwiIljtcUTpV3K2sA1A1QTsTto%252F8m4mT4cIidMVr0ic7m%252BO9%252B2BszsvXU7CC4meYoLPWR3T1rgjFn7rAqtWxBFo2d27eEgCXei1KufxL5FnIHS3G0ONN3i7Dt8LLTbjyxVgxOJc%252F1KW%252B8bYOXiPdTXFUi%252BUWd2ZUkGqeM8JhwZIlgnrei22JiXsEa5Qd1R8DziCTPAkUpBwYraTLk0NO%252FqZmpaf4YRfw3kSlb3z85TYUJPxoPGhDANLMVyg7jZmVfIUzQ9DcgQ2XiTimKf0qjYiAAkkPAt9iAKVET0MeiEyIjfPFFTcPH8jbTGQQdMtMkZBwKx4Uh78A2%252BazkXWb24JnmMRI%252B0ZrImiE9aQicGit8zkymi1xcSFA94DatBLLoAX876qCkyT8Qz83Beuh6myKqvJSISN6teAbZkC586Wf45YhsZEB06oqOFJbtfybyr6u7HxlOpTh1sEYi9TC8%252B7bDOStwchWThDfP1Cq2AUmvb4GU01D1Qs1L%252F%252FzQ268%252FRU5bt8YmwsTVcoefjrBM8%252BAdrYlOo6M3zwFewgKg2qWQq55tYiBhVYF5wbiXGQ%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2563228 I think that you are abso0lutely right about the use of the word veneer, it does mean exactly the opposite. For example it used to signify that this Yamaha guitar has a solid top
 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275051732879?hash=item400a5c5f8f:g:md0AAOSwEAthqtpi Here's another all solid high end guitar from Japan described as "all veneer".
 
It gets more confusing because in the 1979 catalog where they are listing Martins as well, they describe the top Cat's Eyes model as veneer and the Martins have no mention of veneer. I am betting that is because Martin supplied their own description and they stuck with what they said and obviously had control over how they described their own guitars. It is murky though.

I don't have any Cat's Eyes, but asked luis in the thread on the 1979 catalog if his 1976 CE1000 is solid or a laminate. That will tell us a lot.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=26135
 
Romania, is an european country with a region called "Carpatos" (Caphatian),. There are high mountains there with a cold weather (Alpine type). It is a Balcanes and Switzerland/German mountains extension . So I guess Tokai got the lumbers from there. I know for a fact Maderas Barber (Valencia,Spain) famous world supplier have a facility there. Maybe Tokai got some woods from them or maybe directly who knows., I am pretty sure some Japanese musical instruments firms got lumbers from Barber.

Similar spruce to german/Swiss/Italian Alpes. If you see CE solid tops, they are of high quality and close grain. My ´76 CE1000 has this kind of top and sounds superb. I had a 1979 onealso and '76 sounds better. I did not believe when I got it!

 
Last edited:
I guess it is a solid spruce top. Since CE800 are surely solid tops.
I think the word "ply" does not means the same to us westerns.
I must have a video showing the inside of a CE1000 somewhere, will post when found.
 

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