Brace yourself, it's like dynamite, about to explode! I had a nearly identical Bradley about 15 years ago. It was very pretty to look at, but area around the neck joint seemed to be a weak point and the guitar was impossible to set up properly. It might have been fully hollow except for a block under the bridge. A lot of earlier MIJ hollowbodies are weak where neck and body join; once the neck angle gets out of whack they're miserable to deal with.
If I were buying a Japanese semi/hollowbody now, my personal rules would be:
- get a brand that you know for sure was made by Mats or another good factory
- don't buy anything made before, say, 1979, and for Mats nothing after 1985
- if Mats, look for the 3 (or is it 5?) piece neck, it's more likely to be a good one
I still might get suckered into buying something pretty that's not a good guitar, though.
-Steve W