Tokai ES135 for sale

[Tripler]

Tokai ES135

For sale is my 2007 Tokai ES135, which is in truly spotless condition with no marks, dings, dents, buckle rash, scratches or any other signs of wear other than a few feint pick marks on the pick guard.
This is a high-end guitar that retails for ?1,000.00 new, with a beautiful flame sunburst arch top and high quality fittings and rare abalone block inlays. Tokai is well known for producing high quality guitars and this is no exception. The ES135 sits at the top of their Japanese built range and is easily a match in terms of quality and performance for any Gibson custom 335. You would have to spend well over ?2,000.00 to get anything like this level of quality from Gibson.

Technical specifications of the ES135 are as follows:-
Made in Japan
Flamed Maple Arched Top
Flamed Maple Back and Sides
Mahogany One Piece Set Neck
Headstock angle 18 degrees
Rosewood Fingerboard - Radius 300R
22 Frets
Scale - 625/312.5mm
HLS-VB Bridge
HLS-VT Tailpiece
Gotoh SD90-SL Tuners
Bone Nut - 41mm
Block Inlays
Shorter 60s Style Pick Guard
2 x PAF Vintage MK2 Pick Ups (see below)
3 Way Toggle Switch
2x Volume controls
2 x Tone controls
Switchcraft Jack

My guitar has also been professionally upgraded with handmade Bare Knuckle Pickups, which cost ?200.00. I am including the originals with the guitar should you wish to refit them. While these guitars are highly regarded for their build quality, in common with other Japanese guitars the pickups can sometimes lack clarity, which is why I replaced them.
The result is an amazing sounding guitar that produces clear lively cleans, mellow mids, filthy blues crunch and an amazing overdriven sound that only a semi-solid can deliver.
I have also replaced the standard machine head tuners with genuine Gotoh nickel kidney shaped tuners. It?s a personal thing, I?ve never been a fan of the green plastic tulip tuners and so I ordered the replacements direct from Japan as a direct swap with no modifications so it?s easy to change them back if you choose to.
I am also included a hard shell hiscox case with the guitar and Levys leather strap.

I?m selling the guitar for ?750.00, which represents a considerable saving over a new one plus the new pickups.

Please email me for pictures of the guitar.
I think it would be unwise to post this guitar and would therefore prefer home collection or I may be able to meet somewhere convenient.
I'm based in North Herts but work in Oxford so I can be flexible around those areas.

 

[AlanN]

That's a bargain price. Have a bump!

I'll mail you for pics and post them for you.

 

[Tripler]

Thanks Alan

 

[AlanN]

 

[AlanN]

 

[marcusnieman]

Very nice. Doesn't look bad at all with the button tuners.

 

[Anonymous]

I paid the same last year for my ES130 with stock pickups, so it seems like a fair price to me. Mind you, mine is natural, so it's much nicer.

:wink:

And I like the tuners too, I'm not keen on those plastic ended tuners either, they feel a bit cheap to me. I imagine those feel like standard Strat tuners?

Hmmm, I feel GAS!

 

[AlanN]

Not quite; Gotohs are typically 18:1 so feel much nicer and offer better tuning control.

 

[Anonymous]

Not quite; Gotohs are typically 18:1 so feel much nicer and offer better tuning control.

Better than Strat Klusons, or better than the ES originals?

 

[AlanN]

Both! Depends though: a lot of people don't get on with such a high ratio as it's pretty painful to get up to concert pitch without a string winder when changing strings!

 

[Anonymous]

Surely the originals are Gotohs, aren't they? I thought it was just the buttons that were different on these?

 

[Tripler]

Yep, the original tuners are Gotohs as are the replacements I fitted

 

[AlanN]

D'oh, of course they are. Still, the ones on my ES120 at least aren't 18:1 as it doesn't take me three hours to restring it unlike my LP...

 

[Mole Man]

I paid the same last year for my ES130 with stock pickups, so it seems like a fair price to me. Mind you, mine is natural, so it's much nicer.

:wink:

And I like the tuners too, I'm not keen on those plastic ended tuners either, they feel a bit cheap to me. I imagine those feel like standard Strat tuners?

Hmmm, I feel GAS!

Don't be so greedy, Mike - you've got one already!!

Love the replacement tuners. Might even do the same on my ES130...

Best regards,
Darren

 

[Anonymous]

Don't be so greedy, Mike - you've got one already!!

I meant for the tuners! And I don't really need those.

Nope, no more Sunburst guitars for me thanks.

Unless it's a '63 Strat.....

 

[jyster]

I'm sure I could find this info. somewhere, but I'll ask anyway:
Nitro or poly finish?

Thanks

 

[AlanN]

Nitro skin over polyurethane finish on these.

 

[Tripler]

Yep, couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[Mole Man]

Hi Tripler,

Am I right in saying that this guitar is now advertised for sale on e-bay for a BIN of ?790?

Item number: 160326942057

It strikes me that it would be good form and also help head off any possible confusion to state that fact here (as other classified sellers on the forum usually do).

Best of British with selling her (if I didn't already own a ES 130 I would be all over this one).

Best regards,
Darren

 

[DaveWW]

Me too - that's a nice guitar at a good price. Shame I'm spent out as I'd like to get an nice ES model again.

Dave