Unusual Tokai Tele ? What do you think?

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Voidoid56

Voidoid56

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Just missed this one on ebay. I was tempeted but didn't pull the trigger, because it seemed a bit odd to my (admittedly untrained) eye.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251284543890?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Looking through the catalogs, I found a very similar one in the -85 edition (TTE-60 TM), only with rosewood fingerboard. In the -86 catalog, there's another not-quite-dead ringer, a TTE-70 that looks identical body- and neckwise (the pic is slightly fuzzy), but with a white pickguard.

So, what's the expert opinion on this one? If it's kosher, is the price fair? There's no interior pics, so I know it's hard to be sure. But it didn't sell, so it might be relisted, that's why I'm asking.

thanks very much,

/Hans
 
Your right. It?s in the 85 catalog http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/tokai859.jpg

From my understanding it could be ordered with either 1pc maple neck or rosewood-fingerboard.
In the catalog there?s TTE60TM NR written under the picture. N denotes natural finish and R stands for the rosewood fingerboard.
So the ebay model is a TTE60 TM N.

Looks legit to me. Think of it as a TE50 with a mahogany top & top binding.
It?s a quite interesting model.
 
Many thanks, great info! I'm hoping it'll get relisted, it's a very nice-looking instrument.
 
I managed to get the price down a bit and nabbed it.

It's almost unnessarily pretty for a Tele, actually. :) The venerable old shillelagh looks almost self-concious in all this quilted finery, and it has very little of the "vintage vibe" you normally associate with old MIJ's. But it plays beautifully and, putting alla bias aside, looks stunning. It could do with a new nut and some TLC to the electrics, but it has great potential. It's my first-ever maple-neck Fender(ish) guitar, and I'm surprised how much more glassy and peircing the sound is, compared to my '67 rosewood original.
I'm thinking of going against my normal practises and tinker a bit with it. Any tips on good Tele replacement pups?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57584632@N05/sets/72157634178830140/
 
congrats on your new guitar!

can?t see your picture of it unfortunately .. yahoo wants me to sign in.

just a thought... the breezysounds usually have 1mOhm pots & a treble bleed circuit ... why not try 250k pots & standard wiring first ? you can still change the pickups then
 
Hm. Don't know my way around Flickr too well, I'm afraid, probably got some setting wrong... how about this link instead?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57584632@N05/

If that doesn't work, I'll have a look around for a photo sharing service I can actually understand... :)

Ok, so THAT'S what it is then, a treble-bleed circuit? There is definitely a difference in how the pots work compared to my original Tele. The word on the Telecaster forum seems to be that it's not necessarily the best mod for a Tele, as it tends to thin out the basic tone as well. I'll talk to my guitar tech about it, thank's for the tip!

/Hans
 

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