Nittono Guitars is a handmade guitar brand by Japanese luthier Toru Ito.
It is also known for being favored by numerous big names such as Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, and Robben Ford.
Mr. Ito's career began in Japan in the 1970s.
After learning the fundamentals of guitar making and repair at domestic instrument manufacturers and guitar factories, he was invited by L.A. Guitar Works, with whom he had a partnership, and moved to the United States in the early 1980s.
He then spent approximately 18 years in Los Angeles engaged in repair and custom guitar making, working with numerous vintage guitars and instruments belonging to top players.
L.A. Guitar Works, located next to Norm's Rare Guitars, was a renowned repair shop that routinely handled valuable vintage guitars from the 50s and 60s, including Fender, Gibson, and Martin.
The “repairman's perspective” cultivated there forms the core of Mr. Ito's guitar making.
The Model T, while based on the classic T-style, incorporates structural rationality and sound balance derived from Mr. Iritono's years of repair experience throughout its design.
This particular instrument is an early example, manufactured in 2002 with serial number #07.
The body top utilizes a two-piece Western Maple supplied by Gibson.
Finished in a natural finish, the archtop combines tortoiseshell binding and hardware for an elegant, vintage-inspired look.
The back employs chambered Mahogany construction, achieving both lightweight feel and rich resonance.
The neck is Flamed Mahogany, with a Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard.
Pickups include a Gibson '57 Classic in the Neck position and a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover in the Bridge position.
From sweet, thick clean tones to dense vintage crunch, it delivers a three-dimensional sound unique to the combination of a chambered mahogany body and PAF-style pickups.
The bridge is a Wilkinson/Gotoh wrap-around, and the tuners are Gotoh, offering a simple yet highly reliable specification.
Its appeal lies in how incredibly comfortable it feels in your hands, as if you've been playing it forever, even on first touch.
This is a highly valuable piece, both as a collector's item and as a workhorse instrument.
We encourage you to consider it at this opportunity.
Approximately 80% of the frets remain.
The truss rod is stiff but confirmed to move about 90 degrees.
The neck condition is good.
The body and finish show some dullness on metal parts, changes in finish on the body back and near the endpin, but overall it's a nice used piece with only minor scratches.
The electronics are in good condition.
No obvious modifications were found.
Controls: 2 Volume, 1 Tone (pull for bridge pickup coil tap), 3-way selector
Nut width: 44.5mm
Bridge string spacing: 10.5mm
Scale length: 24.625 inches
Year of manufacture: 2002
Country of manufacture: Japan
For setup, we use Pitbull Strings, which we import and sell.
These premium strings deliver a natural sound, maximizing the instrument's performance and character. Enjoy them together with your guitar.
TONIQ craftsmen deliver this instrument after rigorous inspection.
Accessories: Hard case
Text: Teppei Ozawa
Inspection: Takahashi
Product Photos: Murai
TONIQ 3-Month Warranty Included
◯ About GIB and TONIQ Warranties
● Maintenance: Free for Life
Instruments purchased from our store qualify for free “String Vibration Setup” (normally ¥4,400) for life. (Reservation required)
・Please present your warranty card with your name filled in.
・Only applies to the original purchaser who bought the item at a GIB or TONIQ physical store or online shop.
・Please cover shipping and other associated costs.
●Resale Value Guarantee
If you decide to sell your purchased item within 6 months of purchase, we guarantee its resale value at our store. The guaranteed value is 50% for new items and 70% for used items.
●Defect Warranty
Basic Co., Ltd. provides a warranty against defects for products it sells. Except for some items like consignment goods, we will repair free of charge (or, if repair is impossible, accept returns or provide refunds) for failures occurring within a specified warranty period after purchase, provided the item was used within normal parameters.
The warranty period is 3 months for used items and 1 year for new items.
Please note that the following cases will incur charges even within the warranty period:
・Failures or damage caused by transportation, moving, dropping, etc.
・Replacement of consumable parts.
・Failures or damage caused by fire, earthquake, salt damage, gas damage, or abnormal voltage.
・Failure or damage caused by handling contrary to the precautions in the instruction manual.
・Failure or damage to parts repaired or modified by parties other than our company.
・If the warranty card lacks your name, model name, serial number, etc., or if any text has been altered.
・If the warranty card is not presented or has been lost.
(Warranty coverage applies only to purchases made within Japan)
● Trade-in available for up to 15% OFF
When purchasing, using our trade-in service reduces the sales price by 10%. (Commissioned items excluded. Applicable only when the trade-in value is 20% or more of the sales price.)
Furthermore, if you trade in an instrument eligible for our monthly Buyback Boost Campaign, the discount rate increases to 15%.
We ship using sturdy cardboard boxes.
We also ship internationally.