HELP! Firebird neck problem?

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
K

keelbolts

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Hi,
I just pulled my new Tokai Firebird out of the case and I believe I have a problem w/ it. I don't think the neck is on right. My strings are over 3/4" off the body at the bridge (16mm for Tokai-Guy). I think the neck slopes too far back from the face of the body. If I sight across the raised center section, I can see as far as the 12th fret before the neck disappears behind the body. The bridge appears to be near its max extension and I don't see how the rear pickup could come up enough to be properly adjusted. This can't be right. I'd really appreciate any help w/ this. I need your input for comparison. If all of the Tokai Firebirds are like this I'm just going to send it back for a refund. If it's just this one, I'll ask for a replacement.
 
Okay, just relax, deep breath. there. Ok, let see. the strings are making contact with the bridge- correct ? Can you make a sound on the guitar ? ok, tune the guitar. Strike the high e open, then play the same string at the 12 fret. Does it sound like an octive apart ? Okay, get something to use as a straightedge, about 18 inches. Lay the straight edge on it's side lengthwise down the fretboard. Look at it from the side at the 7th fret. How much room between the straightedge and the fret? a whole lot ? that means the neck has too much relief. If it's none , then it's back bowed. Both of these will require a truss rod adjustment. You can take it somewhere and have this done, or if you feel up to doing it yourself just post again and we'll all walk you through.
 
Whitehall,
Thanks for your reply. Was my hysteria showing? The neck seems to be fine. I think the neck is just glued on wrong. Generally, the fingerboard on an electric is pretty close to parallel with the face of the body. A little angled on a Les Paul; parallel on a Fender. This one slopes back such that I can only see the neck to the 12th fret when I sight across the face of the body. The neck p/u has a pretty good sound, but the bridge p/u is so far from the strings that it sounds like it's in the other room. The p/u would fall out of the body before you could adjust it properly.
 
Is the tailpiece screwed down flush to the body , if not screw it down flush. How high is the action at the 21st fret ? Can you lower the bridge ? If the action is really high at the 21st fret but okay at the 1st fret, lower the bridge. If both the tailpiece and bridge are screwed down low and the action is still high at the 21st fret you have a problem .
 
:eek: Hey whitehall, ever thought about "Crisis Managment " for a living? :wink: Keep him calm and talk him through it, we will have that plane on the ground in notime! 8) TG
 
Geez guys, thanks for keeping me from blowing a gasket last night. Whitehall, Tokai-Guy posted a photo of his for me to see. T-G's photo along w/ one on eBay showed me that mine is not bad. I think my expectations were too high for any $560 guitar to live up to. I'm feeling much better now...
There's a traditional ship's boat called a whitehall that's a real beauty. Is there a nautical basis for your eName?
 
Hi everybody. A bit out of subject but... I have a burny firebird, and a greco , I'm -at the moment- looking fot an Orville by Gibson. Is there some Tokai Firebird MIJ ?
 
20thCB,
First, let me say I'm envious of your FB collection. I've seen Grecos that are true neck-thru construction! Unfortunately, even Japan says they weren't made left-handed so that's it for me. I've done a fair amount of research on the Tokai Firebirds and I've seen nothing to indicate that there is or was a MIJ version. Which is too bad 'cause I gather that the MIJ LPs are great. My Tokai FB is growing on me, but having had to have it shipped over drove the price to over $900 which I think is more than it's worth. I'll probably keep it, though, because it's "the only game in town" for a lefty. Would you please take a measurement between the face of the body and the strings at the bridge on you Firebirds. Mine looks high, but it may just be the nature of the beast. I'd really appreciate it as I'm 100% sure I'm not going to return it.
 
[i
tokai005.jpg
mg][/img]. This is a Firebird by John Dillion. He made 6. And will make 6 more in lefty around may. I know what you mean about the shipping. That's a Tokai explorer I had to get thru the UK . cost a ton with the shipping and exchange rate.
 
I like your Dillion. I was told by Jimmy @ Southpaw that Epi is not planning on making any LH Firebirds, so it looks like Dillion & Tokai are it. Would you please measure from the face of the body to the strings at the bridge? I thought mine was high, but I'm beginning to think that I've been looking at my Jazzmaster too much. I'd really appreciate a string heighth measurement.
 
HI. Honestly I've been filtering (almost) every MIJ firebird that surface the net for 3 years and i've never seen a thru-neck. I'm almost sure it doesn't exist. Most are set-neck.
I've mesured the space between the strings and the body at the bridge on my firebirds and it's 1,5 cm. But i'm not sure it will help you in anyway as they both have a vibrola.
 
Thanks for the measurement. It looks like mine is right after all. I have a photo at home of a Greco that really looks as if it's neck-thru. I'll send it out to you when I get home. It might have a seam that didn't show up in the picture. Thanks again for the measurement.
 
I can't seem to get my photo up on th chat line. If you can send your email address to me at [email protected] I will send a photo to you. The fellow who had this claimed it was neck-thru, though I've seen that claimed when they really meant set-neck. However, I just looked at this shot again & I just don't see a seam.
 
By the way, Whitehall, That's a very nice Explorer. I've never been a huge fan of those, but I feel that changing and yours makes me consider future acquisitions... Tokai makes those, do they? I saw an Epi Moderne on eBay a while back. It wa black w/ gold hardware and very attractive. Hmmmm...
 
Yeah, I think I just got very lucky with that one. It was the first Tokai I ever owned and the fretboard is perfect. Gibby never made a lefty Korina explorer or a Firebird so you have to look elsewhere. I put Gibby 490&498 pups in it and it's very sweet. A little bright though. You have to get them from the UK distributor. Which as we know is too bad if you're in the states becuse they charge you a fortune. Perhaps we could persuede Kevin (JD's) to try and get a run of explorers and firebirds from Tokai. Maybe if a few of us wanted them and paid up front he could get us a deal.
 
Yeah, tell me about the cost... My Firebird cost me over $900 by the time they put it in a case & shipped it to me! The only other guitar I paid that much for was hand made for me by James D'Aquisto!! Still, as long as Gibson doesn't want to play, You gotta do it. The neck on my Firebird seems to be pretty nice. I'm going to put my strings on it tonight & I'll have a better feel for it.
 
Whitehall,
I know of a guy that owns a left-handed Gibson Firebird. If you are interested, I'll try to recall where the photos are so you can see one. Talk about the "holy Grail."
 

Similar threads

M
Hey guys, thanks for having me.
Replies
4
Views
167
MarkyMark71
M
GemQuinn
Possible Tokai Breezysound neck (dated with a Fender stamp)!
Replies
8
Views
537
Sigmania
Sigmania
O
Need help indentifying Love Rock model
Replies
2
Views
200
onestone
O
Sigmania
CE1200S
Replies
0
Views
257
Sigmania
Sigmania
B
Help Identifying Model - Tokai Jazz Sound Bass
Replies
7
Views
415
beebop1983
B

Latest posts

Back
Top