Tofino Review 6695 Tue, 12/01/2020 - 16:11

I was looking for a robust, all around great sounding guitar to use for recordings. Previously, my go to guitar was a '66 Gibson B-25, which has a very sweet sound, but . . . it sounds small . . . because it is small. I wanted a bigger sound, and I tried out the Tofino. When it arrived, I was a bit skeptical, because it's not much bigger than my B-25; but it sounds bigger! That bigger sound just rolls out. It just sounds great. Great for strumming, single note flat picking, finger picking, and Ohh the harmonics! You will feel a primal need to play the intro to "Roundabout."
This guitar has a few characteristics that I had to adjust to: I have long been using heavy picks, but on this guitar, using a thin pick for strumming chords gives a sweeter sounding attack. I think it makes a significant difference. Also, if you do any big band style rhythm guitar, like chords on the beat with a little silence between each strum, you will find that you don't get that silence in between; because the section of string above the nut is still vibrating. I stuck a piece of felt up there, and that was the end of that. That portion of the string vibrating probably adds some richness and complexity, but in that style, I had to dampen that stuff. And, . . I didn't put that silly pickguard on. If you strum with an absolute reckless abandon, maybe you would need it, or maybe you would find a better one. I'm perfectly happy with no pickguard.
Great guitar. Beautiful finish. Great value. Came with a nice case, too.