Northwest Vintage Guitars presents an all solid woods Tokai Cats Eyes CE1500 with solid Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. This 1975 dated Cat's Eyes is one of the earliest CE1500s we've seen and it's stunning. No crack repairs, great setup and neck angle. Tokai entered an agreement with Martin USA to manufacture dreadnought parts for Martin's new Sigma line. Tokai was initially making tops, backs, necks, and sending them to Nazareth for assembly. But, as the popularity of the Sigma line outpaced Martin's capacity for assembly, Tokai was tasked with crafting completed instruments in Japan and shipping around the world. By 1975, Tokai was making some of the best Martins available at the time. Enter the Cat's Eyes line of premium dreadnoughts. And the CE1500 was the absolute best you could get. It was introduced in 1976 so this 1975 is one of the earliest and it would explain the non pareil Brazilian Rosewood example you see here.
And the tone is so sublimely perfect. Very even tonality across all courses with no strings standing out. Like a well practiced and conducted choral group. It's a warm and clear D28 through and through without the boomy bottom that makes them a challenge in some circumstances.
The nut measures 1.71", neck depth is .88"-1.06" at the 1st and 12th frets respectively. It's a very nice subtle V profile that doesn't feel as big as it measures. The neck is straight, the truss rod turns in both directions, and the relief is currently set for optimum playability. There is a little wear visible in the cowboy chord area under a few strings, but the freshly polished frets play flawlessly with no unwarranted buzzing and no dead spots. The new Phosphor Bronze 12's are easy to play on very low action not unlike an electric. 25.5" scale, 16" radius.
Our Local Legend Luthier repaired a number of loose braces and gave it his blessing. He's a fan.
All our guitars are deep cleaned and receive a professional service and setup. You will not get a filthy guitar from us. There are scattered dings, scratches and finish imperfections as pictured. It remains in excellent playable condition.
We offer a 7 day money-back return on all used guitars. Buy with confidence.
All guitars are guaranteed to arrive in the condition as described, and a full refund will be issued if not. Additionally, all our guitars are fully insured, and we will assist with any claims that may arise.
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We are in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, so humidity levels can vary greatly within the US and around the world. Your guitar may need a truss rod adjustment when it arrives.
