Comments on: Hondo II guitars circa 1980

By: ROBERT BROWNHILL

ROBERT BROWNHILL — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 20:32:41 +0000

I Bought a Hondo 732 deluxe LP around 1985, loved it, heavy and responsive Humbuckers. In 89 I bought another Korean guitar, a squier strat . both worked for me in bands. sadly i loaned the hondo out and it returned with a damaged nut (high E had a piece broken). both lived in early low protection gig bags and were knocked about . 2002 carpal trouble meant they were put in the loft , strung, tuned and abandoned. 2020 I decided to give them an airing having returned to playing with a new epiphone LP and epiphone 335. unbagged them both and found they required minimal retuning, electrics and pickups fine, necks spot on. both play excellent after a rough life and the last 20 years abandoned. summary, my epi LP is tuned to DADGAD for playing, my nearly 40 yr old Hondo is tuned EADGBE for blues and heavier rock, my 30+ YR OLD STRAT does hendrix and deep purple and the epi 335 does whats left. the two veterans hod tune best, play well and I love them even if they are ignored by history.

By: Gary in Mo

Gary in Mo — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 17:09:25 +0000

I have a Hondo 2 professional made in Japan that I play regularly. I read somewhere they came with Dimargio pickups. I play this strat copy more than I do my American made strat. Plays great and has that woody tone on the neck pickup. Bought it for $10 at a flea market in around 1980.

By: Doug in VA

Doug in VA — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 16:55:40 +0000

In reply to Alan. I have had a few Tokais and they were top notch and hard to get any more. As electrics, they were almost unparalleled! I have kept one called a 'Dragonfly' and it is superior, yet plain.

By: Doug in VA

Doug in VA — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 16:52:50 +0000

The Hondo II made in Korea were quite good. I bought a classical that plays and sounds fine, but then bought another even cheaper online , used. The Korean guitars back in the 1980s were well made and that is part of why the Hyundai and KIA cars from 2000 forward are bought and kept… they run well and are reliable and affordable. Korean made guitars were nice guitars for cheap as Fenders and Gibsons were getting out of reach back in the 1980s.

By: Tom Q

Tom Q — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 18:37:37 +0000

In reply to Tom Q.. UPDATE - First review for the Hondo II Strat was right out of a cold car. Once it warmed up, it came to life. The pickups are hot! Nice tones in all five positions. I've been playing it every day!

By: Tom Q.

Tom Q. — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 03:54:50 +0000

I had that Hondo II double-cutaway bass guitar in the middle of the ‘classy chassis’ picture. I had it in the early eighties and it was a great bass. I recently bought a Hondo II Strat with the covered single coil pickups for $50. The fret ends are brutal. The intonation stinks.
Some of the pictured guitars look like the MIJ Westbury guitars, which were pretty decent.

By: John B

John B — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 15:00:15 +0000

Just got a 1979 HL5 Fatboy- gorgeous and great shape-weighs a ton.
Searching for a 1980 Hondo 1060 ( 335 replica) in wine or walnut. The Tokai made version is rumored to be the equal of the Yamaha copy which goes for big $ now. My Fatboy headstock lacks the inlays below the script- is this what Samick Wikia refers to as ” stingers” ?

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 07:23:35 +0000

Tokai made some Hondo guitars and I just happen to own one of only 100 ever made!! A true delight to play and it is my go to guitar to this very day and I’m a player of 60 years now. This wonderfully made acoustic electric “”20EC”” one piece solid arched back made of rare Brazilian rosewood and matching rosewood sides, single cutaway, solid spruce top soundboard with mahogany neck. The pickup has an incredible tone with lower playing action than my 1969 Gibson SG and my 40th anniversary Fender Strat. No kidding the action in around 1mm at the 12th fret. Hardly no one knows about this instrument, but I worked at IMC and just happen to luck out when finding it on a back shelf of the warehouse around 1984-85. A Killer Guitar and very very few people even know about it. I play it almost every day and it is one if not the best guitars I’ve ever played!!! Tokai set a standard on this one that just can not be matched…

By: Marisa Erb

Marisa Erb — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:33:33 +0000

I bought a Hondo Nomad 3x in Switzerland. On the neck they write Johnny Powersound, but it is definitly this Hondo Nomad with the speaker and made in japan. Does anyone know anything about it? It really feels awesome to play

By: Prico

Prico — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 18:16:59 +0000

In reply to William Johnson.

i always google it, they are several ways to wire these… depending on sound what size or type capasitor you use… but one thing it needed… CTS pots are the biggest and most important tools of a great sounding guitar