Thumb W-500 - Natural, Early Vintage, 1973

Thumb W-500 is a Japanese acoustic guitar, manufactured in 1973 at the Terada Gakki factory. This model is based on a Dreadnought body shape. The instrument features a solid spruce top plate and rosewood back and sides. After our service work, which included fingerboard leveling and refretting, the guitar is ready to play.

Technical specification

• Manufacturer: Thumb
• Model: W-500
• Year of production: 1973
• Body: Solid Spruce (Top) / Rosewood (Back & Sides)
• Neck: Mahogany
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: Medium Jumbo (Condition: 100% – new)
• Pickups: None
• Electronics: None
• Visual condition: Visible signs of use (details in description)
• Finish: Natural
• Weight: 2.16 kg / 4.76 lbs

Body and construction The Dreadnought-shaped soundbox features a top plate made of solid spruce, with the back and sides made of rosewood. The instrument is finished with a clear lacquer (Natural). A traditional glued neck construction (Set-Neck) is used. The back and sides of the body show a visible "clouding" (milky discoloration) of the lacquer coating. In our workshop, the lacquer went through a cleaning and waxing process.

Neck and ergonomics The mahogany neck is paired with a rosewood fingerboard. As part of the service work, the old frets were removed, the fingerboard was leveled, and brand new Medium Jumbo size frets (Blacksmith brand) were installed. The fingerboard surface was cleaned and conditioned with lemon oil.

Sound The instrument is a fully acoustic guitar with no electronic circuit.

• Characteristics: The use of a solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides in a large body generates a frequency response with a distinct bottom end and clear highs.
• Dynamics: The guitar responds appropriately to varied articulation strength, maintaining frequency clarity during chord playing with a pick.

Additional information

The Thumb brand was an internal product line (house brand) of the Terada Gakki factory, intended for distribution in the Japanese Domestic Market.

The W-500 model was a higher series in the manufacturer's lineup (with a suggested initial price of 50,000 yen in 1973), which involved the use of a solid top plate.

The clouding of the lacquer on the rosewood elements is a visual phenomenon often found in Japanese instruments from the 1970s, resulting from the coating's reaction with moisture in the wood.

The service work we performed included: fingerboard leveling, complete refretting to Medium Jumbo size, lacquer finishes conditioning, and setting the string action.

Hardware

• Bridge: Rosewood – the original component ensuring proper transfer of vibrations to the top plate.
• Tuners: Closed-gear, oil-sealed mechanisms. The chrome hardware went through a cleaning process and retains its mechanical efficiency.

Instrument condition

• Technical condition: The instrument is mechanically functional after a luthier verification. The truss rod works properly, and the frets are brand new.
• Visual condition: The guitar shows signs of use appropriate for its age (over 50 years). Minor dings and scratches are visible on the lacquer coating, along with characteristic milky discolorations on the back and sides of the body. The instrument has no structural wood cracks.
• Setup and Modifications: A complete refretting (Blacksmith Medium Jumbo), fingerboard leveling, cleaning of the finishes, and a string action setup for a new set of strings (12-53) were performed.

Why choose this instrument

• Solid top: The use of solid spruce on the top plate contributes to a richer acoustic resonance compared to fully laminated designs.
• Rosewood body: The use of this wood on the back and sides provides a different characteristic with a stronger bottom end.
• New frets and leveling: The complete fret replacement (Medium Jumbo) and fingerboard leveling eliminate the wear resulting from use and improve playing comfort.
• Ready to play: After our service work, the guitar is fully prepared for regular playing without the need for luthier visits after purchase.