Need more info on a tokai PLEASE (pics inside)

cyberpunk409 · Feb 5, 2009

Hey everyone. I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to Tokai's.

I was walking with my GF last night along the beach and saw a Tokai in a guitar shop window. Had no price so i rang up today and was told $1400 AUD (about $950 USD???)

Don't know if that's a good price because I don't know what model it is? They say it's an 80's model on their website but they're notoriously known for knowing jack **** about the 2nd hand guitars they sell!!!

Can anyone help me out please???

cyberpunk409 · Feb 5, 2009

BTW, it has fret edge binding if that helps at all

Ozeshin · Feb 5, 2009

Hmmm..looks like an LS80 to me but they don't have a full fret binding.
It's identical to my own LS80 from 1985.
If it IS a mid '80's LS80 that price is about right...if it turned out to have full fret binding then it may be an LS120 and that price is a bargain....but my money is on LS80.
Need to find out if it's a one piece back or two.

cyberpunk409 · Feb 5, 2009

cool, i'm gonna go check it out in person tomorrow.

It was at the very front of the shop window and fret edge binding was the first thing i looked for... it definately has that.

What else should I look out for to make sure it's an LS120 ???

If it is an LS120 or some high end tokai, would the flame cap be solid or just a flamed veneer over a maple cap??

and finally, what does an LS120 from that era usually go for??

Ozeshin · Feb 5, 2009

I BELIEVE the top would be solid rather than a veneer..LS80 is a veneer.
LS120 has a one piece back...LS80 has a two piece back(even though I can't see a join on mine).
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think the LS120 has a fretboard stamp?

leadguitar_323 · Feb 5, 2009

No love rocks had the stamped fretboard, i'm sure someone will correct me but i think this stopped with the Reborns around 1980.

Mick

JohnA · Feb 5, 2009

leadguitar_323 said:
No love rocks had the stamped fretboard, i'm sure someone will correct me but i think this stopped with the Reborns around 1980.

Mick

Exactly right Mick!

luis · Feb 6, 2009

6 DIGITS SERIAL NUMBER= FAKE.Be awared.
Also...see how odd is serial number,never seen it before.
Tokai always have got 7 digits.

It?s really frustrating seeing how Tokai guitars are misleaded by some avid sellers.
I see more fakes since 2 years ago than ever seen.

One thing I really hate is not preserving Tokai well won fame making quality guitars.I have choosen Tokai because this and have made people feeling Tokai as very good guitars and not... it?s a japanese guitar...you know...
I have critized hard Gibson for not meeting my quality standards,I hope Tokai will keep its quality ever.

My recomendation is contacting any real knowledge Tokai guy before buying...

Anonymous · Feb 6, 2009

cyberpunk409 said:
I was walking with my GF last night along the beach and saw a Tokai in a guitar shop window.

That sounds like the opening line from a song! Where in the world are you that you can walk along the beach AND check out the guitar shops at the same time?

Mike

cyberpunk409 · Feb 6, 2009

here's the latest scoop

held it in my hands today. 1 piece back, 1 piece neck (no seperate neck heel), fret edges bound, finish appears to be nitro, serial started 30xxx can't remember the rest.

condition was about 7 out of 10. Definately not fake, unless they were producing FAKE TOKAIS 15-25 years ago, as that is the apparent age of this axe.

So is $900 USD a bargain???

Mike - in Sandringham, Melbourne. Not exactly ON the beach, but across the road

leadguitar_323 · Feb 6, 2009

If you are sure of what you have seen it sounds like a good buy. If it is early eighties {1983} it sounds like a LS 120, if this is the case it would be a good buy. It looks a lot like Ozeshin's LS 80 but with fret binding and a 1 piece back that would definitely make it a higher model. Tokai's joins are very good but even if it has a 2 piece back, the fact that it has fret edge binding makes it a higher model. I will be very interested to see what is in the pickup cavities and what pickups it has.

Mick

cyberpunk409 · Feb 6, 2009

well there is a sticker on the back of the headstock

oval shape, black background, white or gold writing, saying just "80"

My first thought was LS80, but the fret edge binding has thrown me a little. The back certainly looked like 1 piece, but I may just not have seen a seam in the store lighting.

What are the chances that someone had the neck re-bound with fret edge binding added??

Wish i could check the neck cavity, dunno if the salesman would be keen to let me have a look though

Ozeshin · Feb 7, 2009

Nope...it's definitely an LS80 in that case.
Can someone post up a pic of full fret binding as opposed to the binding found on lower models like the LS80 please?
I know there's a pic in another string but buggered if I can find it.
I used to think that mine had full fret binding til I saw the pictures that shows the difference.
Just so he can see what WE refer to as fret edge binding. :wink:

In the pic above you can see the frets "sitting on top" of the binding...meaning...it HAS fret edge binding...but not full fret binding...the binding doesn't cover the fret itself...i.e.an LS80.

And below is actually a Gibson full fret binding but is identical to the high end Tokai/Greco etc etc:

leadguitar_323 · Feb 7, 2009

Hi Oze, in those 2 pics you refer too the first is usually referred to as a "bound" neck and the 2nd one is what we refer to as "fret edge binding".

Cheers...Mick

cyberpunk409 · Feb 7, 2009

yeah, the tokai I was checkin out had "fret edge binding", as in pic #2

I do know what the difference is between the two. I found it interesting that the tokai in question had frets that appeared to be almost new. Weird for a guitar of its age, especially considering the amount of wear and tear it had everywhere else. The first few frets didn't even show signs of cowboy chord wear. I know a fret level will fix that up, but I'm thinkin someone may have had the neck reworked (i.e. refretted AND rebound). But who would fork out that kind of cash to re-bind a TOKAI neck right?

Did ANY LS-80's have fret edge binding? I'll see if i can take some pics.

I'd hate to think that someone buys this guitar before me and it turns out to be worth twice or 3 times as much as what they're asking for it.

yngvai · Feb 7, 2009

Thanks for this thread, I recently acquired my tokai love rock and have never specifically identified it. Though when I received it I was suprised to see it had fret edge binding. It also has a plain 2 piece center joined top and was sold as a 1985 model, though I am not sure it's not 1995. I guess this means it is a higher grad e model than an ls80 (which I had thought it may be at best).

cyberpunk409 · Feb 8, 2009

ok, through some of my own online searching i've learned that the LS-80 series had fret edge binding until 1983, and that the tops on these were either plain solid maple, or plain solid maple with a flame veneer.

Having said that, the guitar i've been talking about is most likely an LS80 (due to the original "80" sticker still being intact on the back of the headstock), from 1983, with fret edge binding, and possibly a flamed veneer.

So is $900 USD cheap, average or expensive?

mattim · Feb 10, 2009

[

Did ANY LS-80's have fret edge binding? I'll see if i can take some pics.

[/quote]

I have seen fret edge bindings in many Tokai models in different price ranges. At the moment I have a 2004 LC80S with fret edge bindings.

http://www.dvdplaza.fi/galleria/showphoto.php/photo/17711

Matti

Ozeshin · Feb 10, 2009

My 1985 LS80 doesn't have fret edge binding....it also has a flamed laminate.
I do think that prior to 1985 you'll find quite a few LS80 with fret edge binding...'84-'85 was the transition time for this model so you'll find a few with odd features here and there.
$1400 is a little steep if you ask me....around $1200...MAYBE.
Mind you...my LS80 is priceless to me...with a set of EMG-HZ pickups in her it's the best playing best sounding LP I've ever experienced.

dombat · Feb 11, 2009

My 1985 SG60 has fret edge binding too

Need more info on a tokai PLEASE (pics inside)

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