Are these two equal in quality?
Are these two equal in quality?
the newer Tokais are MIK if that makes a difference. Interesting that I live in Japan makes a difference. Interesting that I live in Japan and rarely see Tokais in this city. They also offer models that run 2~3000 US dollars. Those are MIJ.
It's possible (back when Tokais were being made in Japan) that they were made in the same factory. I don't know this for a fact, though.Originally posted by rj52
Are these two equal in quality?
Persoanlly, I haven't laid hands on a Japanese made guitar that I wouldn't rank right up there with anything, anywhere. The craftsmanship has always been excellent.
I own two Japanese Fenders, a 50th Anniv. Tele with the Pearloid binding, and a beat up old Squire strat from the 80's. Both play like a dream!
I have an older Tokai 62-style slabboard copy, I have it hot rodded with Virtual Vintage pickups, Sperzels, and a John Mann whammy. I like to use it for recording as it is quiet and stays in tune when I use the bar. It is a fine quality guitar.
If you think about it, both use the same Gotoh tuning keys and bridge, so the only possible difference is the electronics. They both sound and play fine to me. I would take an old Tokai (and I have) over most MIJ Fenders just for the 'outlaw' appeal. There is one MIM Strat that I really, really like, but that's the exception.
Dave, how can you tell if it's a slab board and is there a difference in playability?
the late '70s/early 80's Tokai's were not made in the same factory as the Japanese Fenders - the Japanese Fender guitars come out of Fujigen Gaki... Tokai had a smaller factory - they may have shared one with Aria if I'm not mistaken - but I don't know any hard details on that... I like the Tokai Japanese Strats and Les Pauls; I think they're great quality guitars that suffer from the usual Japanese guitar-building-ills of the time, to whit: too-thick poly finishes and so-so electronics... Great players tho'!
& I like Fender Japan stuff a whole lot too! :)
The Tokai's are great guitars, I have my second Korean made Toaki. Sold the first , went the local music stores to get a guitar and ended up ordering another Tokai instead. Best bang for the buck IMO, it's sitting right next to my JV strat, the other best bang. These Tokai's are just flawless guitars. Of course I did make this one into a Fat Strat. You'll be hard pressed to find a guitar at twice it's 300us price that can compare. Of course your mileage may vary.
Buttafucco
I have played a buddy's old Tokai (is says Fender on the headstock). It is an incredible playing guitar. Really feels like a nice, vintage Fender. I'd love to get my hands on one, altho I hear the old Fender labelled ones are very difficult to find.
This has been a famous mortimer production
How did a Fender label get on a Tokai? Did someone do it or did it come that way from the factory? That would be pretty ballsy if the factory did it.
I am by no means an expert on this, but there was a time when they made a bunch of repros of vintage Fenders. From what I understand, most of em were cut up when they hit the US shores.
This has been a famous mortimer production
I haven't seen a Tokai 'Fender' that said 'Fender' on the headstock decal, but I have seen two Tokai Les Paul guitars that had 'Les Paul' on the headstock. It still said 'Tokai', but the pealr inlay looked enough like 'Gibson' from a few feet away, and the 'Les Paul' part really screwed people up. I have a chance to buy a Tokai Les Paul, but of course today the price is crazy. My Tokai Springy Sound cost me $150 years ago, but now desperate people on eBay pay $500 or more for them. The Les Pauls can get you around $1,200 for a nice flame top. The new Korean Tokai guitars all lack something you can't put your finger on. I know my old 'Love Rock' has the nitro finish, but it has to be more than that.
Just another thought/rant. The new Korean Tokai Love Rock/Les Paul guitars going for $1,500 today; why not buy an Epiphone Les Paul? Both Korean, both have ugly 'non-Gibson' headstocks, and you'll almost have the money left over to buy a MIJ Strat to go along with it :2c.
This subject came up on the FDP a while back and even Fender USA doesn't seem absolutely sure about who manufactured what MIJ Fenders. There have been at least three different contractors, and some of the Fender reference books out there are wrong about which ones they were and who built what.
The only sure thing is that Fender Japan doesn't build anything itself. If I remember correctly, there are at least two MIJ builders right now. Fender Japan's workings are typically inscrutable to a befuddled gaijin.
Build quality is supposed to be superb, equal at least to MIA standards. We'll see when my '54 Precision reissue (AKA "Sting") arrives in a few weeks. Fender just got it in from Japan a couple of weeks ago.
Last edited by Bongolation; 07-27-2002 at 04:10 PM.
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