{"product_id":"tokai-200s-humming-bird-owned-by-jeff-tweedy-of-wilco-solid-body-electric-guitar-1968-14323","title":"Tokai 200S Humming Bird Owned by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco Solid Body Electric Guitar (1968)","description":"Tokai 200S Humming Bird Owned by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1968), made in Japan, blue finish, hardwood body, laminated maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, tweed hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImagine that while ravaging Tokyo in 1967 the flying monster Rodan had ingested a Mosrite Ventures model and then laid an egg; this \"Humming Bird\" is what we'd envision as the hatchling. A product of Tokai Musical Instruments Research Institute (later Tokai Musical Instruments Co., Ltd.) this swooping solidbody was the top of their initial electric line, a singular creation then and now! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTokai was established in 1947 but did not begin making guitars until 1965, initially making only classical guitars. In 1967 they expanded into electrics, with the \"Humming Bird'' line as their first products. This very distinctive line included several models, from the lower end the 190S to the advanced 230S, which included a built-in fuzz unit. This 200S was the top of the line, a visually spectacular take on the Mosrite \"reverse\" angled body paradigm also borrowing the German curve carved onto the top and angled neck pickup. There is a bit of Burns DNA in the sharply curved body horns, and a Fender-like rhythm circuit is included for good measure. The body is finished in a stately midnite blue, topped by a sharply pointed-end pearloid pickguard. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe neck is of multi-laminate maple construction with a dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard, sloping 3-on-3 headstock and a zero fret. The hardware is standard for the better Japanese guitars of the era, including a single-spring trem unit with a long swooping arm and an adjustable bridge with Nylon roller saddles. The single coil pickups resemble Mosrite units but with non-adjustable poles. The 200S has a lead\/rhythm circuit layout, but not exactly like the Jazzmaster. The lower setting on the small upper bout switch engages the lower 3-way toggle, with master tone and volume. The upper engages small roller volume knobs for the front and rear pickups allowing them to be variably blended, a very clever idea!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is certainly one of the cooler and more interesting of the myriad Japanese solidbodies of this period, well built and a better player than most. If not quite to the quality level of say, Yamaha, Tokai was definitely in the upper echelon of builders at the time. Later in the 1970s Tokai's excellent (and often comically named) Fender copies were quite popular, but this early line was only in production for a couple of years and fairly rare, especially in the US where they were not widely available. This is a substantial feeling and good playing guitar by the standards of its time, and certainly creates a dramatic visual impression! It was recently a denizen of the Wilco loft and comes with a COA attesting to that provenance.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 41 1\/2 in. (105.4 cm.), 14 1\/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1\/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1\/4 in. (641 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5\/8 in. (41 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis high-flying bird has survived nearly six decades in good order, showing fairly light general wear but appearing all original and in excellent playing order. The all-original finish has scuffing, small dings and chips but no heavy wear; the back of the neck has one tiny dink behind the first fret but is otherwise nice and smooth. The seam lines in the multi-laminate neck have a dark edging; perhaps the glue has leeched into the wood over time. This is visible but not feelable and the finish is not cracking or flaking over these lines. For some inexplicable reason there are three tiny screw holes along the treble side of the rear of the headstock; we have no idea what was screwed there. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe hardware is original and complete, working as it should. There is notable wear to some of the plating, especially the chromed vibrato arm which has heavy corrosion causing some of the plating to flake away. The original frets have been neatly crowned and this is a very good player for a Japanese guitar of this period. It comes in a more modern tweed Bass HSC case with the standard Wilco loft markings along the base. Excellent - Condition.","brand":"Tokai","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63755534925964,"sku":"14323","price":1950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_711d66c8-9f73-480b-bf2c-39c9941c8d2a.jpg?v=1794336825","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/tokai-200s-humming-bird-owned-by-jeff-tweedy-of-wilco-solid-body-electric-guitar-1968-14323","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}