One man's junk is another man's treasure...
Have been looking for a nice, affordable "beater" guitar for some time, one that I can bring along just about anywhere and not be worried a great deal about others playing it or being marred by scratches and light dents.
A few weeks ago, I chanced upon this
ugly duckling at a garage sale. The moment I saw it I knew I was going to buy it - dusty sound cavity, rusty strings and all. Heck, I didn't even bother to play it. Just gave it a once-over and when I was certain there were no structural damage, I brought home an MIJ '73
Tokai Hummingbird Custom W-300...
Scarred as it is, it sounds marvelous - the best sounding 70s MIJ I've played and heard. Definitely solid top (spruce) and from the way it projects, vibrates and resonates, solid back and sides as well (rosewood). Some Tokai Registry forumites speculate that this model's back and sides may even be made of...Brazilian Jacaranda. But even if it isn't, I still consider this a great catch. Got it very cheap too - Elixirs being sold in the local market cost a bit more
Neck angle is ok and the fret wires are as good as they can be considering the guitar's age. Strung it with a Rotosound PB Light (11-52) and it really booms! This is a real loud guitar. I expected the action to be high but to my surprise, it's just a millimeter or two higher than my preferred setup.
Can't wait to have this properly tweaked by my
suking luthier and fitted with my favorite brand of strings.
Definitely ugly, yet definitely beautiful
Now, I still have to find a "beater" guitar...