Fat neck tokais

[Fatneck85]

Hey all,

Newby here interested in a list of models that sport big fat 50s necks. Looking for the LP models.

 

[guitar hiro]

I have owned a few vintage and non vintage Tokai LC, LS and LSS examples.
I have yet to come across a single example with what I would consider to be a, "big fat 50s neck."
My experience with Tokai ES examples is similar; I sold them all because the necks were thinner than I prefer.

I use a very accurate digital caliper to measure neck thickness at fret 1 and at fret 11; the same measurement locations as used in BOTB.
As a side note: some folks just measure neck thickness where ever the Hell they please; could be at the nut or at the neck heel. Over the course of ~53 years of dealing with guitars in general I have seen a huge amount of those within the guitar community that pretty much just make **** up and that has led me to conclude that there are many within the community that are either fairly brain dead, foist 'opinion' as technical fact, generally spew **** as gospel or all of the above. Beware of those folk.

Please see below a chart attributed to the book BOTB.
The Burst Neck Thickness Summary at the lower right of the data is a very handy resource IMO but the main chart is of course a more detailed data resource.
I have yet to experience a single in hand example from Tokai that would be considered, "a big fat 50s neck" based on the information in the chart below and based on the Tokai examples through my hands over many years.

Are there 'big fat 50s neck' Tokais out there?
That's a good question but I haven't seen any, yet.
Good luck .......

 

[les]

I can tell that my Reborn Old LS-80 (1980) did have rather fat neck. That is compared to the Washburn Falcon 1979 and Hawk 1983 (Wing series) 1979 and Goldstar Sound D shape neck (1984). Even more so by modern standards of the average neck thickness.

I did measure the thickness of my LS-80 neck and it was definitely around 23 mm (first fret), which aligns nicely with the burst specs you posted. I am not sure it went up that dramatically, though (such as reaching 25 mm at 11th fret).

 

[guitar hiro]

if you have a LS-80 with a neck thickness in that range then that may be a clue to your question in the OP

does your LS-80 have the embossed serial # or the inked serial #?

 

[les]

My Reborn Old LS-80 has a embossed "80" on the last fret - Reborn Old was the last series to have it like that (it's a sticker starting from the Love Rock era).

 

[Freebird]

I once owned a 1980 LS-80 reborn old. First fret 22.71. 11th fret 24.94 mm.
Also a 2009 LS-150. 22.10 and 24.79

 

[guitar hiro]

My Reborn Old LS-80 has a embossed "80" on the last fret - Reborn Old was the last series to have it like that (it's a sticker starting from the Love Rock era).

serial # ....... not model number ........


post # 4 = "does your LS-80 have the embossed serial # or the inked serial #?"

 

[CliffsGuitarWorld]

1979-82 Tokai LS-150 and LS-200 have fat necks also 1980-81 Greco EGF-1200/1800

 

[eborej]

1979-82 Tokai LS-150 and LS-200 have fat necks also 1980-81 Greco EGF-1200/1800

Just measured the necks on my 1980 Greco EGF-1800, 1200, 1000 & 850 with digital calipers. The thickest neck was on the 1000 and the 1800 & 1000 were the widest. The measurements for all four were very close so I don't think the necks on the 1200 & 1800 models were particularly larger.

My 2005 Tokai LS-150 has the biggest & fattest neck of all my Tokai LPs. It's on par with the big fat Navigator NLP necks.

 

[les]

serial # ....... not model number ........


post # 4 = "does your LS-80 have the embossed serial # or the inked serial #?"

Sorry for overlooking the question, my Reborn Old has got embossed serial. I haven't seen or heard of any original Reborn Olds (made only in 1980) that would have inked serials.

 

[frehley76]

1979-82 Tokai LS-150 and LS-200 have fat necks also 1980-81 Greco EGF-1200/1800

Hey Cliff, what is the thickness on one of yours if you remember? Thanks.

 

[Freebird]

1979-82 Tokai LS-150 and LS-200 have fat necks also 1980-81 Greco EGF-1200/1800

Had a few 1980-81 EGF grecos with fat necks and a couple 1982 Mint Collection that were fat too

 

[settebello]

2009 LSS 175
22.81mm
24,68mm

1981 LS100S OR
23,65
25,13

 

[CliffsGuitarWorld]

Hey Cliff, what is the thickness on one of yours if you remember? Thanks.

All are at .89 or .90

 

[chuckyz2]

I don't know, but I assumed a fat neck would be 1" or larger at the first fret.
I would also assume we are not talking about width. Or as some would say, nut width.
Nuts always seem to extend out a little from the binding so why people measure there is beyond me.
The reason for nut width is, for me anyway, an indication of string spacing.
Big handed gents like fat neck and wide nuts. I happen to know that there is another benefit to them.
Tone!. When I bought my CS Nocaster, it had a baseball neck. I have small hands so I had to shave it down some.
I had heard that it would change the tone so I would take it down a little at a time then play it.
The tone started changing a little so I stopped. It's still too big for me but the tone is too good to mess with.
All of my Tokais have new strings or I would measure them. I do know my ES 150 is the fattest.
I need to remember to check them and log it.