Tōkai Gakki

nihongo|Tokai Gakki Co., Ltd.|東海楽器製造株式会社|Tōkai Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha, often referred as Tokai Guitars Company Ltd., is a Japanese guitar manufacturer founded in 1947 and situated in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka prefecture. Tokai have produced acoustic guitars, electric guitars, electric basses, autoharps, and melodicas. Tokai first started making classical guitars in 1965 and started making Hummingbird electric guitars in 1968 and Hummingbird Acoustic guitars in 1970.

Tokai have also made Gibson and Martin Acoustic model replicas. In 1972 Tokai went into a joint venture with Martin to supply Acoustic guitar parts and also to build Martin's solid body Sigma guitars. In 1973 Tokai started making the "Cat's Eyes" Martin Acoustic replicas. In 1983 Tokai started making a metal body guitar called the Talbo which the band Devo played at one time. Tokai have built various Gibson and Fender replica models over the years such as the "Love Rock Model", the "Les Paul Reborn", the "Springy Sound" and the "BreezySound".

The Tokai "Les Paul Reborn" model started in 1978 and by 1980 Tokai had changed the name from "Les Paul Reborn" first to "Les Paul New" and then to the "Love Rock Model". Tokai also made Fender replicas starting in 1977 and Stevie Ray Vaughan played a "Tokai Silver Star" Stratocaster replica at one time. Finnish guitarist, Jari Mäenpää continues to play a Tokai Telecaster replica. Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom's first guitar was in fact a Tokai Stratocaster Replica. Brian May from Queen used a Tokai Hummingbird Acoustic on some recordings. Billy Gibbons [http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/ads/marshall-ad.jpg] from ZZ Top and Robert Fripp have also played Tokai guitars. Tokai have their own instrument making factory and have built guitars for well known brands (OEM). Tokai and Dyna Gakki currently build the Fender Japan solid body models and have done so since 1997.

Characteristics

The original selling price in Japanese Yen is often included in the model number for example TLS-100 = 100000 Japanese Yen. The higher priced Tokai Gibson replicas have nitrocellulose finishes and long tenon neck joints. Tokai guitars have been made in Japan, Korea and China. Korean production started around the mid 1990s. Tokai guitars made in Korea (MIK) are lower priced guitars, similar to the Korean Epiphone guitars. The MIK guitars can easily be differentiated by the truss rod cover. Japanese guitars have a 2 screw truss rod cover whereas the Korean guitars have a 3 screw truss rod cover. The MIK guitars usually have a different Nashville style bridge instead of the usual ABR-1 bridge. Furthermore MIK Gibson replica guitars usually have a neck made from maple and the body wood is usually made from either alder, agathis or nato.

erial Numbers

Tokai uses a 7 digit serial number usually pressed into the back of the headstock for the Gibson model replicas.Love Rocks use the first digit of the serial number for the year, 10XXXXX=1981 and starting in 1989 Love Rocks use the first 2 digits for the year, 89XXXXX=1989.Reborn models use only the first digit for the year, 800XXXX = 1978.

There is an major exception to this in that some Les Paul Reborns(very rare) and Love Rock models have inked serial numbers on the reverse of the headstock (often referred to as "Inkies"). These guitars are, it is generally agreed, from 1980 although there are those who disagree with this.

The Tokai Fender replicas have a production number serial number that contains no year information.

Sources

2005 Interview with Mr Shohei Adachi president of Tokai Gakki.http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=4434

Tokai catalogues.

ee also

*Tokai Talbo Bass Guitar

External links

* [http://www2.wbs.ne.jp/~tokai/ Official Tokai Guitar Company homepage in English]
* [http://www1.odn.ne.jp/tokaigakki/ Official Tokai Gakki homepage in Japanese]
* [http://www.tokaiguitar.de/ Stunning Vintage Tokais]
* [http://www.tokairegistry.com/ Information and forums- excellent resource]