Tokai Firebirds

After playing (mainly) strats for 30 years, I've fallen in love with the sounds and design of the great Firebird models. They've always fascinated me but I've never owned one until I bought a used Epiphone a while ago. The Epi's not good enough so I'm shopping for a better one, and Gibson is just too overprized. My previous experience with Tokai guitars is very good, so I wondered if there's anyone out there who has any experience with Tokai's Firebirds? I've seen a couple secondhands around, are these as good as the 80's strats and can anyone tell me something about when/where Tokai made these models? Anything?

Thanks
Gregert

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Thanks anyway, Barry. Even Gibson has straight tuners on their recent model, at least in the catalog I got from the Norwegian dealer. I'm afraid it's only the more expencive reissues that comes with banjo tuners.
The Tokai has a glued-in neck, at least the model at eBay. The guy never made the reserve price, I mailed him and he wants 640 US dollars for it.
I have no idea wether this is a fair price or not.
But nice job on your 'bird,- looks good!

Gregert

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Thanks again.
Yes I also thought the priced seemed a bit high. When it comes to Gibson check here www.luthman.no and choose "Produkter. Produkttype", then "Elgitarer", and scroll down til you find Gibson Firebird.
There it is - a Gibson Firebird without banjotuners.... And the price is somewhere around 2.300 US dollars. But that's maybe a matter for the Gibson forums?

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Hi Barry and Gregertt.I am very curious about Firebirds and Exolorer models.I was told they are made from several(5-7)layers,but I have never seen any,in photos only.What can you tell me about this extrange guitars?

Strange thing is there's no such model on Gibson's website,- they're all banjotuners over there. I think I'm gonna have to give this Norwegian dealer a call to find out what's happening.

Anyone else out there with any experience with Tokai Firebirds? I can't find them in any catalog before 99/00 (I think it was), and if this means they didn't make any such models before that, I guess they're Korean made and probably not that much better than the Epiphones?

Hi Luis!
The 'bird is hard to comparewith any other guitar, I guess it can best be described as "the missing link" between Gibson and Fender. It has the bite from Fender and the warmth from Gibson. Mini humbuckers, so it's not very powerful, but it can cut through any mix. Very big and very neck heavy so get yourself straplocks and a padded strap, allthough the guitar itself doesn't weigh that much cause the body is very thin. It was originally only made from '63 through '65, at least the famous "reverse" models I'm talking about.
Not you favorite "death metal" axe, but it's a great allround guitar with a personality all of it's own. Listen to Johnny Winter's recordings from the 70's,- Firebird all over the place.
Hope this was the info you wanted!

Gregert

Forgive me bumping my post, but is there really no one out there with any Tokai Firebird experience? I really don't wanna spend 15 gigs worth of money on a Gibson, so Please..... Anybody?

Gregert
aka Slowbrain
-A Guitar Legend in his spare mind

Gregert,in a few days I will look for a Tokai Firebird replica and will tell how it plays.Be patient.

Hi guys,

I have only seen the Tokai replica of the '63 ~ '65 "reverse body" Firebird V's. There are definately a few differences between the Gibson and all the replicas I've seen.
The most obvious is the banjo tuners and the 7 layer maple/walnut/mahogany neck-thru-bodywith mahogany "wings" construction used on the originals and the Custom Shop re-issues.
If anything, the absence of the banjo tuners make the replicas better balanced as the banjo tuners are sssoooo heavy. I suppose that having kluson tuners would be like playing a left-hand neck upside down.

Tokai did not make a Firebird replica until the late '90s but did do an Explorer from as early as 1983 thru to around 1986. The Explorers are all mahogany body and neck.

regards
Peter

Thank you guys!
What I'm most interested in is if these replicas holds the same standard as the guitars Tokai made in the 80's.
The Epi 'bird I have is a Firebird V which also is the cheapest 'bird they make. So I have to make a choice between going for an Epi 'bird VII (which are said too be way better than their V models) or a used Tokai.
I'm grateful for all the info I can get.

I can now (probably) get my hands on a Tokai Firebird for the price of US $550 plus shipping. (It sells from Canada).
How does that sound to you folks?
A bit much, or what? He says there were only made a handful of these models so they're hard to get, and it will "kill any Epi Firebird".

What do you say? The response hasn't been overwhelming on this thread so far, so it's obvious these guitars are "rare birds"......

ps - it's the three pick up model, but without the trem.

I have been debating on whether or not to buy the Tokai Firebird up here in Canada. I know of a couple, and the one I can see pictures of looks like a Firebird V, with Kluson tuners. It's either that or a TV Yellow LP Junior. The Junior is actually more expensive, but at least it looks 'right'.
Everybody seems to have the Les Paul, so we all know how to reccomend them. The Red Firebird VII up here is very pricey; I know the guy who has it on eBay right now. He can't sell it. I may take his TV Yellow Junior off of his hands, but that Firebird V is just as tempting :-?.

Ranjam,- will you please settle for that TV Junior?

I think we're talking about the same guitar here, he's promised selling it to me unless it meets the reserve price at eBay.

Yes, it is a bit pricey but I look at it this way,- including shipping and taxes it will cost me just a little more than a new Epi 'bird VII here in Norway. And choosing between a secong hand, well kept, Tokai and a new Epi is easy..........

Since you know the guy,- have you ever tried the 'bird? Is it as good as he says?

Gregert

If it is this guitar;

I think it is a decent guitar. I can't get an exact price out of the fellow, and that is because we are discussing a package deal, with a bottom-line price on two or three guitars. I can tell you his average price is under $800US for a Tokai '58 Les Paul flametop, and under $800US for the '58 Korina Flying V. The '61 SG he has is under $600US. The 'plain' Tokai Firebird V is $800, and the ES335's are $900. To be honest, I never started with the Firebird VII, so I never got a starting price. It has just been bandied about if I happen to buy a bunch of guitars, the price drops like a three-foot putt. I don't like the looks of the Firebird VII, although it does play nice, and is not as neck heavy. The Klusons bug me, though. He does have a super nice flame top, one of the higher end models, and that one is pricey; something like $1,400! However, I paid a lot less for my two flame tops and gold top. It's up to the time of day, and whether the bills are due, I think.
I would try it. If you really don't like it, you can always eBay it :wink:. Me, I'm just a Les Paul guy. I may think about the Firebird V just for the Johnny Winter factor, and the package deal makes it pretty interesting. Those regular Gotoh Klusons still bug me, so you may think about changing them while your at it. Just my two cents, so don't take my babbling as Gospel.

Thanks for sharing your babbling.
Yes, it is the same guitar. Guess I'll have to agree with you on the tuners, but as I've said in an earlier post, even Gibson makes them without the banjo tuners these days. It's only the reissues that has those.
It's on eBay now, guess I'll just have to wait and see. Problem is I havn't got the cash right now but he seemed willing to cut me a deal if it didn't sell this time either.

Gregert

That Bird has been on E-bay for the last year! He can't sell it cause he wants too much for it! There is also a red 335 he has had on E-bay forever that the price is too high! For a Korean! Just MHO, 8) Later

Funniest thing happened,- out of pure frustration I e-mailed Tokai in Japan regarding the production of Birds yesterday, and less than 24 hours later they actually mail me back!
AND,- they confirm that they have been making Birds in Korea since '98 and still make them! To top it all they go on to say that they actually has a dealer here in Norway,- maybe I should apply for that job cause this is the most invisible dealer I've ever "seen".........

But all is good, guess what I really wanted to share was that I've never experienced that kind of quick response (if any) from ANY international company before in my life, no matter what product.
So Tokai is obviously alive and rocking!!


Gregert