New Tokai LC85S Binding

[scrinson]

Hi all,
Before I get horribly burned in the Tokai flames I would just like to thank all on the Forum who assisted me and pointed me in the right direction for the purchase of my first Tokai. The guitar plays beautifully but I was slightly disappointed with the finish on certain parts of the guitar given all the positive QC for MIJ. Now I know what you're all thinking why did you buy it if you didn't like the finish, well the answer is really simple, I'm a lefty Ive been looking for one of these for months the guitar itself isalmost brand new and I took my chance on Ebay. The main thing that struck me was that the profile of the binding at the centre top of the headstock dips below the profile of the headstock itself so the binding is around 1mm lower than the wood, there also appears to be an amount of overspray along the neck binding and also on the back of the guitar around the pot cavity. So what - well all in all I'm not overly concerned as I said it was an Ebay baby so my risk, but I just wondered if others of you had similar experiences with recent Tokais or am I just being picky.

 

[Diamond]

You're just being picky.

 

[marcusnieman]

Pictures would help to determine that

 

[scrinson]

Headstock profile, darker area in the centre is where the binding dips below the headstock

Control Cavity

Overspray all around, and a number of rough, raised areas

Neck Overspray?

There are quite a few other areas but almost impossible to illusteate on a white guitar

Thanks for your time

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[singemonkey]

I'm seriously confused. No offence, but the only part I understand is the rough edges around the backplate. A bit strange that. Presumably white finish has to be reasonably thick to be opaque?

I can't see the overspray on the binding at all. I see a line between the binding and the neck which is common on bound necks of every stripe.

And what do you mean the binding on the headstock dips below th profile? Doesn't the binding on ever Custom-type run along the edge of the headstock? It's not usually just a thin flake along the surface is it?

 

[skydog]

Hop on over to your local GC and check out some Gibsons. Then go home and admire your Tokai. You're just being picky from what I see.

 

[scrinson]

Cheers for the feedback and your right I probably am being picky, the bit about the headstock is that the binding doesn't follow the profile of the headstock wood it drops down below by about 1mm in the middle. Take your point about Gibsons but to be honest that was one of the reasons (apart from the price) that I didnt buy one and the fact that they're not that special doesnt make me feel any better!! I guess I was just looking for absolute perfection - maybe a little untrealistic perhaps

Thanks again

 

[jacco]

I do understand your point. Your expectations weren't that strange, hype is doing that. Funny how people say you're picky while they are the ones causing that (no offence intended).
There's no such a thing as perfection on a production guitar and this isn't even close to a high end model, which are also not perfect (inlays fi).

 

[marcusnieman]

Truth be told, I wouldn't have really noticed them until you pointed them out.

 

[scrinson]

Once again, thanks for bothering to reply - if anything your words have reassured me that what I have is quite normal. It plays well so thats the main thing

 

[marcusnieman]

Once again, thanks for bothering to reply - if anything your words have reassured me that what I have is quite normal. It plays well so thats the main thing

Atta boy! Since my post above, I picked up the four guitars I have laying around and studied them..... each one has some imperfections... ranging from tuner spacing, a little drip/run in the poly finish at the tail end strap button, slightly crooked trussrod cover placing...... all of which I didn't see before until I looked for them. Anything made by human hands can have an irregularity.... that's the human element.


None of these things matter at all and they certainly don't affect the playing of them....

 

[Diamond]

I do understand your point. Your expectations weren't that strange, hype is doing that. Funny how people say you're picky while they are the ones causing that (no offence intended).
There's no such a thing as perfection on a production guitar and this isn't even close to a high end model, which are also not perfect (inlays fi).

How many Tokais have you personally inspected?

 

[Diamond]

Cheers for the feedback and your right I probably am being picky, the bit about the headstock is that the binding doesn't follow the profile of the headstock wood it drops down below by about 1mm in the middle. Take your point about Gibsons but to be honest that was one of the reasons (apart from the price) that I didnt buy one and the fact that they're not that special doesnt make me feel any better!! I guess I was just looking for absolute perfection - maybe a little untrealistic perhaps

Thanks again

What did your guitar tech say when you took it in for a setup?

 

[JonnyFriendly]

Hello,

Curiosity got me and I've just gone to have a look at my (ebony) LC85 - it looks more or less the same an all counts - I'd never noticed most of them before, and the headstock in particular I took to have been made that way. There is some overspray around the control cavity too, but because mine is black you cannot see it anyway. No biggie - it's things like this that make guitars unique, and all the more interesting for it!

 

[scrinson]

What did your guitar tech say when you took it in for a setup?

Diamond, are you trying to trick me there :wink:

I'm guessing you're expecting me to say it didn't need a set up (it didn't) But I know exactly what he'd say
'Nice guitar but finishing is sloppy' admittedly he has very high standards but he has been building guitars from scratch since the 70's and knows what he is talking about. Ive taken all of my guitars to him for set up at some point in their life and I always know that my excitement on bringing my new purchase will be tempered by his words of wisdom on this imperfection or that.

 

[Diamond]

What did your guitar tech say when you took it in for a setup?

Diamond, are you trying to trick me there - I'm guessing you're expecting me to say it didn't need a set up (it didn't) But I know exactly what he'd say
'Nice guitar but finishing is sloppy' admittedly he has very high standards but he has been building guitars from scratch since the 70's and knows what he is talking about.

lol, not trying to trick you, I was genuinely interested in what your tech said if you needed to take it to him for a setup.

 

[skydog]

What did your guitar tech say when you took it in for a setup?

Diamond, are you trying to trick me there :wink:

I'm guessing you're expecting me to say it didn't need a set up (it didn't) But I know exactly what he'd say
'Nice guitar but finishing is sloppy' admittedly he has very high standards but he has been building guitars from scratch since the 70's and knows what he is talking about. Ive taken all of my guitars to him for set up at some point in their life and I always know that my excitement on bringing my new purchase will be tempered by his words of wisdom on this imperfection or that.

sounds like you should have bought one of his boutique offerings. a production guitar is just that; mass produced.

 

[scrinson]

sounds like you should have bought one of his boutique offerings. a production guitar is just that; mass produced.

Skydog,
Thanks for your constructive comments, I think we've already established that I was being picky. I bought the Tokai because that was what I wanted and I was merely trying to establish if my guitar finish was similar to other Tokais at this price point - mission accomplished

 

[Diamond]

What did your guitar tech say when you took it in for a setup?

Diamond, are you trying to trick me there :wink:

I'm guessing you're expecting me to say it didn't need a set up (it didn't) But I know exactly what he'd say
'Nice guitar but finishing is sloppy' admittedly he has very high standards but he has been building guitars from scratch since the 70's and knows what he is talking about. Ive taken all of my guitars to him for set up at some point in their life and I always know that my excitement on bringing my new purchase will be tempered by his words of wisdom on this imperfection or that.

sounds like you should have bought one of his boutique offerings. a production guitar is just that; mass produced.

How many guitars manufactured a day/month would you call mass produced?
If Tokai makes the same number of guitars a month as the Gibson Custom shop makes, is that still mass produced?

 

[luis]

I don?t think Tokai being a mass produced factory.It?s true production went fast than in early 2000s because demand and young people was recruited,but making good guitars still. I was able to be into Tokai factory and I didn?t feel into a big plant,not at all,Tokai it?s not a big factory.