1985 LS##?

[ATO]

Just bought this from an old guy 30 mins away from me. It's 1985, one piece back, 2 piece solid plain top, & FEB. It's not had much use at all, no wear in the frets and glossy shiny condition on the body with a couple of tiny chips. Sadly the tuner holes have been drilled out messily and Grovers installed. 80 specs but it doesn't seem like 40yr old Nitro. Pickups and wiring replaced by the looks of it. Very light brown back.

 

[Sigmania]

Interesting.

The year before the TLS80 had a flame laminate top, but FEB would be an 80. Specs were somewhat inconsistent in this period.

Nice guitar. Congrats!

1984 specs

 

[Sigmania]

Weird. I think I am seeing a center seam? Might be my imagination. The grain is really tricky the way they matched them. You can look in a pickup cavity to see if there is a center seam or shine a bright light on the end of the body.

 

[ATO]

There is no centre seam however I have found one under light going through the horn curve and long through the wiring cavity. Also it's failed the acetone test, definitely poly. Tried to take a pic of it but it's very hard to see.

 

[ATO]

In fact I'm not sure it is a seam, the grain runs right across the line as if it is a crack! Weird.

 

[ATO]

Better pic of the line

 

[Sigmania]

Odd that it would have FEB and not be an 80.

TLC60 in this period has FEB on the JS models at least.

Btw, you wrote LC in the title.

 

[ATO]

Btw, you wrote LC in the title.

Ha! I keep doing that.

 

[ATO]

I believe 85 was the the most 'tokai' year of the 80s, anything goes!

 

[Sigmania]

Lol. WTH does Tokai mean? I see it used a lot in catalogs as though it’s an adjective instead of a pronoun.

 

[Sigmania]

As in the phrase "Extra TOKAI".

What does that mean? I honestly have no idea.

 

[Sigmania]

Maybe it's this guy? LOL

Icchy, the mascot of Tokai TV, is neither a bear nor a dog, but is “a fairy that came from a flower garden.”

 

[ATO]

Y'never know!

 

[ATO]

I was thinking an explanation for his guitar could be it was meant to be an 80, they noticed the imperfection in the body after it was completed & decided to sell at a lower price thus sent for poly instead of nitro. Or maybe they they felt the poly would hide the imperfection better than nitro. Who knows.

 

[Losangelestokai]

Just bought this from an old guy 30 mins away from me. It's 1985, one piece back, 2 piece solid plain top, & FEB. It's not had much use at all, no wear in the frets and glossy shiny condition on the body with a couple of tiny chips. Sadly the tuner holes have been drilled out messily and Grovers installed. 80 specs but it doesn't seem like 40yr old Nitro. Pickups and wiring replaced by the looks of it. Very light brown back.

Congrats beautiful Tokai I am sure it sounds amazing.

 

[Amp Guy]

"Tokai" as an adjective refers to the complex history of Tokai suggesting that multiple explanations can sometimes be found for various questions about model, year, specs, etc. See this thread assembled by Sigmania: Manufactured Under License For... Fakais

 

[J.E.M.]

As in the phrase "Extra TOKAI".

What does that mean? I honestly have no idea.

View attachment 24631

With regard to the Super Edition series and a couple of the other Original Series "the extra Tokai" is a reference to Tokai's 2 point Extra bridge system

https://vintagejapanguitars.com/tokai-1984-1985-original-series-catalogue/

 

[Sigmania]

With regard to the Super Edition series and a couple of the other Original Series "the extra Tokai" is a reference to Tokai's 2 point Extra bridge system

https://vintagejapanguitars.com/tokai-1984-1985-original-series-catalogue/

Thanks. Yeah I know that. I made at least one thread about the trem system, etc.

"Extra Tokai" ET

What I'm saying is that the phrase itself is awkward. Like how can you have more Tokai. It’s a brand not an adjective.

I think it’s an issue of translation. It probably is intended to mean something like super version.

Anyway, I’m comfortable not knowing for now. It’ll probably get solved unexpectedly the way I found the name for the flying dragon logo or the 1982 lawsuit. Never know what will surface.

 

[ATO]

Just compared serial numbers on Billy Gibbons '85 'Grind' Love Rock and there's only 830 between them. That's close enough for me, Billy may as well have touched it himself! I love early ZZ.

 

[Omiewise65]

So Billy Gibbons owns a Tokai LS ? Wow !