Thumb W-250 - Natural, Lawsuit Era, 1980

Thumb W-250 is a Japanese Dreadnought acoustic guitar, manufactured in 1980 at the Terada Gakki factory. The instrument features a laminated spruce top and laminated rosewood back and sides. After our service work, which included fingerboard leveling, refretting, and a full setup, the guitar is fully ready to play.

Technical specification

• Manufacturer: Thumb
• Model: W-250
• Year of production: 1980
• Body: Laminated Spruce (Top), Laminated Rosewood (Back and sides)
• Neck: Nato
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: Medium Jumbo (Blacksmith 2.1 mm / Condition: 100% – new)
• Pickups: None
• Electronics: None
• Visual condition: Very good (details in description)
• Finish: Natural
• Weight: 2.07 kg / 4.56 lbs

Body and construction The Dreadnought resonant body is built using a laminated spruce top and laminated rosewood back and sides. Inside, standard X-bracing for this type of guitar is used. The instrument features a high-gloss Natural lacquer finish. The lacquer coating went through a cleaning and conditioning process in our workshop.

Neck and ergonomics The neck is made of Nato wood and features a "Soft V" profile. It is paired with a rosewood fingerboard. The nut width is 43.3 mm. As part of the service work, the fingerboard underwent a leveling process (flattening of the surface). Brand new Blacksmith frets with a height of 2.1 mm were installed.

Sound The instrument is a fully acoustic design with no built-in electronic circuit.

• Characteristics: The use of a large Dreadnought body, combined with spruce and rosewood, translates into a frequency response with an exposed bottom end and highs, and slightly scooped mids.
• Dynamics: The guitar is characterized by loud acoustic projection, directly responding to the strength of the pick attack.

Additional information

The Thumb brand was produced by the Japanese Terada Gakki factory during the so-called Lawsuit era, offering replicas of popular American designs.

The 1980 unit has been preserved without deep signs of operational wear on the body and neck.

Nato wood, used to build the neck, has physical and acoustic properties similar to mahogany, offering similar structural stability.

The service work we performed included: fingerboard leveling, fret replacement (Blacksmith 2.1 mm), hardware cleaning, lacquer conditioning, and a full setup.

Hardware

• Bridge: Rosewood – classic design with a standard saddle.
• Tuners: Grover closed-gear mechanisms. The chrome hardware went through a cleaning process and retains its full mechanical efficiency.

Instrument condition

• Technical condition: The instrument is 100% functionally and structurally stable after the luthier service. The truss rod works properly, and the frets are brand new.
• Visual condition: The guitar is preserved in very good condition. It only shows minor signs of age (micro-scratches visible against the light), with an absolute lack of deep damage or defects resulting from intensive playing.
• Setup and Modifications: Fingerboard leveling, refretting to Blacksmith 2.1 mm, precise saddle setup, coating and hardware conditioning, and a full setup for 12-53 strings (truss rod, string action, and scale length adjustment) were performed.

Why choose this instrument

• New frets and fingerboard: Wood leveling and the installation of new frets eliminate curvatures resulting from age and ensure perfect neck geometry.
• Soft V profile: The specific shape of the back of the neck provides stable support for the thumb, useful for playing chords.
• Visual condition: The very good state of the lacquer finish and the lack of mechanical damage are an asset on the market of Lawsuit era instruments.
• Ready to play: After our service work, the instrument is fully prepared for regular playing without the need for a luthier visit after purchase.