Slothead - Tokai "Carefully Finished"

[Sigmania]

Wow.... fascinating label...


TOKAI GUITAR

Carefully Finished

*TGK*

Its fun to play a SELECT GUITAR
handy, harmonics and of outsandingly
high quality with expert craftsmanship
....it's this
TOKAI GAKKI SEIZO KAISHA, LTD. Hamamatsu Japan

中古品・音出し未確認 TOKAI guitar トーカイ ... - Yahoo!オークション

 

[Sigmania]

クラシックギター特価品 TOKAI GUITAR 東海楽器... - Yahoo!オークション

 

[Sigmania]

人気ブランド TOKAI guitar トーカイ アコース... - Yahoo!オークション

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Baffled by the "TOKAI GAKKI SEIZO KAISHA" (Tokai musical instruments manufacturing corporation) vs. the usual "Tokai Gakki Co. Ltd" (=kabushiki kaisha)

 

[Sigmania]

Yep. Me too.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

For comparison, here's what's on the PC-1 pianica (plenty of mystery around those too, but they are believed to be 50s/60s production)



(Note the slothead screw. I know, very vague and weak indication of anything, but the tendency is that they got phased out in the 60s, particularly after the patent for Phillips heads expired in 1966)

Edit: Looks like the PC-1 may have been produced between 1961 and 1967 and Tokai has supplied Yamaha with those until they started making their own models. It seems these strange instruments were pretty popular in Japan!

That would mean that this style of company name and label dates the guitars into the 60s, and possibly not the late 60s.

 

[Sigmania]

I noticed that in the legal documents for the sale of Tokai to Grace that the name is written this way in part of the contract. Many different names for one entity it seems.

HasTokai factory been sold?

株式会社GRACE、楽器製造の老舗メーカー東海楽器製造株式会社を完全子会社化｜株式会社GRACEのプレスリリース (prtimes.jp)

JDZ:

Run through a different translator, none of which are perfect:

"GRACE Corporation makes Tokai Gakki Seizo Co., Ltd. a wholly owned subsidiary, a long-established manufacturer of musical instruments

[3R Promotion] Bringing Made in Japan Musical Instruments to the World! New Initiatives for Business Development Utilizing the Technology of Tokai Gakki, a Manufacturer of Musical Instruments

GRACE Corporation
January 20, 2022 11:00 AM

(Head Office: Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director: Yuta Sawamura; hereinafter referred to as "GRACE") announced that it has acquired the shares of Tokai Gakki Seizou K.K. (Head Office: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Representative Director: Shohei Adachi; hereinafter referred to as "Tokai Gakki"), a well-established manufacturer of musical instruments, and made it a wholly owned subsidiary as of November 12, 2021. (Head office: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture; President: Shohei Adachi; hereinafter referred to as "Tokai Gakki"), a well-established manufacturer of musical instruments.


Background

Japanese musical instruments, of which we are proud to be a part of the world, are currently lying unused and unused. We see many such instruments in our business of purchasing used musical instruments. We buy them at a reasonable price, repair them carefully, and deliver to the world the instruments made in Japan that the world wants. The reverse is also true. The instruments that we have worked on will play new music and bring music to the world.

At UNISOUND, GRACE's musical instrument business, we want to convey the joy and wonder of musical instruments through the sale and purchase of used instruments. We want to make music more accessible! We want to make music more accessible!

We will find new market values and expand our business to many countries in the future, not only domestically, but also exporting to Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia."

 

[Sigmania]

TOKAI クラシックギター 東海楽器 現状品 TC1601 - Yahoo!オークション