School me on Tokai acoustics

[Emiel]

We all know that Tokai made high quality electric guitars in the late '70s and early '80s.

Are the acoustic guitars from this period as high quality as their electric counterparts? Every now and then, one pops up and the prices seem quite low.

[Emiel]

Bumping this one. Any views on these instruments?

[mdvineng]

yes very high quality as you go up the number scale, after all they made the original Martin's before Martin moved production elsewhere.

[Peter Mac]

Hi guys,

Tokai made entry level and high-end acoustics as Cats Eyes.
From 1974 they were building the CF Martin and Co acoustics and had access to the American lumber yards.
Most CatsEyes are replicas of either Vintage Martins (CF) or Modern Martins (CE). As with most things Tokai, the number indicates the retail price in Yen - ie CE600 = 60,000yen. Once you get above the '600' mark, the tops become solid Sitka Spruce, the backs and sides become solid and the fingerboards and bridges start to use Ebony.
Keep in mind Tokai also made original style acoustics also as Cats Eyes, but the vast majority are Martin replicas - mainly D-18, D-28 and D-35.

Hope this helps.
Peter

[Emiel]

Cheers Peter.

I've managed to pick up this '76 CE600 for a good price. Lovely guitar!

[eborej]

Hi guys,

Tokai made entry level and high-end acoustics as Cats Eyes.
From 1974 they were building the CF Martin and Co acoustics and had access to the American lumber yards.
Most CatsEyes are replicas of either Vintage Martins (CF) or Modern Martins (CE). As with most things Tokai, the number indicates the retail price in Yen - ie CE600 = 60,000yen. Once you get above the '600' mark, the tops become solid Sitka Spruce, the backs and sides become solid and the fingerboards and bridges start to use Ebony.
Keep in mind Tokai also made original style acoustics also as Cats Eyes, but the vast majority are Martin replicas - mainly D-18, D-28 and D-35.

Hope this helps.
Peter

Thanks for the info Peter. Where do the TCM series of Cat's Eye acoustics fall in the mix? Seems like the TCM series had similar specs to the CE & CF series. Was there a difference?

[Loudmouse]

Here is a CE-1500 for sale in my area that is probably a great guitar. $1100
I know nothing about it or the seller, just passing it on.
https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/msg ... 73931.html

I had a couple high end T. Haruo that I never got along with and sold off.

[Peter Mac]

Hi guys,

so from what I can tell, the TCM series began in 1983 when Tokai seemed to add the 'T' prefix to all its Models and again were 'Tokai C. Martin' replicas but in most models they ended with 'CE' or 'CF' - kinda like TCM600CF etc to distinguish the Modern from the Vintage styles.

To my hands, the Vintage style have more of a "V' neck shape whereas the Modern have more of a 'U'.
As I have a TCM 50V and a 1980 ST-80, the 'V' neck is more comfortable.

regards
Peter

[ghubell]

yes very high quality as you go up the number scale, after all they made the original Martin's before Martin moved production elsewhere.

[mdvineng]

yes very high quality as you go up the number scale, after all they made the original Martin's before Martin moved production elsewhere.

stop spamming ffs

[cuthbert]

Hi guys,

Tokai made entry level and high-end acoustics as Cats Eyes.
From 1974 they were building the CF Martin and Co acoustics and had access to the American lumber yards.

Interesting, for what I know they made Sigmas for Martin, I have never seen any made in Japan Martin guitar.