Mine for instance has a laquer finish and very high quality nickel fifnishing including the tuners. The Blue Label casino has a higher spec in some regards to the later tan label, from what i have seen anyway. The difference with the Matsumoku guitars in general is that you are buying an older guitar and some people prefer the matured look and sound where some people want a new guitar.
The build quality, playability and sound are very very good. I tried a couple of Elitists, a natural one and a sunburst, and they are very good guitars. I was looking for an Elitist when i saw my Blue Label for sale in Japan.
Anyone have any first hand experience on how they stack up against an Elitist in build quality, playability, & tone? These seem to be going for around the same price as a used Elitist Casino.
