What's the name of Tokai factory?

ganzua · Oct 21, 2006

sneakyjapan said:
the manager of a local shop told me FJs were made in 2 factories with the basses being made in another.
If you want a real nice FJ tele, don`t forget Van Zandt or Seymour Duncan...both make great guitars. The VZs are not cheap, even used they can be expensive but they are outstanding guitars. SD`s Traditional line was his low end sries but by no means cheap in quality. The higher up you go in the SD line the better the wood, but any of his would be recommended. I own 3 of the SDs, one from each series and I have a VZ strat...Leo would certanly be proud.
The SDs were made for him by ESP but in 2006, he drastically changed the number of models as well as the design and I believe they are no longer made by ESP. The VZs are made by a company called PGM over here, they make high end guitars for a few brands...Moon being another. The Japabnese are making some excellent guitars these days...keep watching the Ishibashi U-Box and if you see a Duncan or VZ...jump because they go fast.
Also...the Edwards/Duncan teles are very very nice.

Thanks! sneakyjapan.

I've been reading in the Fenderforum that MIJ Fender Telecaster 52s are very nice instruments, and if they built in Tokai Factory they must be right. Unfortunately I've never had one in my hands.

I wonder which one of these pick ups are the closest sounding pups to the classic Telecaster, like the Bruce's guitar;

http://fenderjapan.co.jp/fender/2006fender/telecaster.htm

tl52-78us-> US vintage telecaster pups (these pups are sopposed to be the same pups that in the US Telecaster '52)
tl52-88tx -> US texas special pups (these are not the sound because I heard some samples and are quite more bluesy)
tl52-120dmc -> DiMarzio DCT-1 Classical Vintage (I have no idea)

or in case of changing the pick ups, which brand/set would be the closest sound to the classic tele?

bruceboomstick said:
It's definitely an Esquire - if you look at the cover of "Born to Run" you can see Esquire on the headstock

Nine Acres said:
I'm not a fan of Bruce Springsteen, in fact there's only so much of the man's music I can listen to. However, the comments made about his guitar in this thread had me reaching for my copy of "Six Decades of the Fender Telecaster (The Story Of The World's First Solid Body Electric Guitar)" by Tony Bacon (published by Backbeat Books, 2005, ISBN 0-87930-856-7) On pages 78 & 79, commenting a photo of the cover of the "Born To Run" album, it reads: "Bruce Springsteen hit it big in the middle of the decade with Born To Run, and on the jacket here you can see him ... brandishing his Esqire, complete with severe pickup modifications". On page 81 we read: "Bruce Springsteen strummed a hard-working Esquire (Telefied with a second pickup)".

Hope this helps clarify things.

Then It must be an esquire :wink:

Does the Tony Bacon book say which pick ups are in Bruce's esquire?

By the way, I have a book by Tony Bacon as well; "The ultimate guitar collection", a very nice book.

bruno · Oct 21, 2006

I told you ganzua... (you also didn't believe me when I told you there are "double esquires" from the beginings of the 50's, but indeed there are some.)

The pickups in that guitar (at least in the rear) are standard fender 50's esquire pickups (much like tele's) and the neck pickup appears to be some sort of 50's tele pickup that Bruce installed there...

I think the 52 american reissue pickups or the dimarzio collection ones will get you close enough to that tone.

8)

edit: like I also told you, I think you'd be well served if you got a 52 japan neck off ebay, and bought an allparts body, and then assembled the whole thing... after all you're buying it without playing anyways.

ganzua · Oct 21, 2006

bruno said:
I think the 52 american reissue pickups or the dimarzio collection ones will get you close enough to that tone.

Thanks Bruno!

Which set of dimarzios do you mean here; http://www.dimarzio.com/ ?

Twang Kings?

bruno said:
edit: like I also told you, I think you'd be well served if you got a 52 japan neck off ebay, and bought an allparts body, and then assembled the whole thing... after all you're buying it without playing anyways.

I really have no idea of how to assemble a whole guitar, specially the electric parts.

ganzua · Oct 21, 2006

By the way, I've just found the boss hand;

bruno · Oct 21, 2006

No I was talking about the dimarzios put on the DMC (dimarzio collection by fender japan, the ones with lacquer finish).

I believe you could assemble the guitar really, just ask around the internet (telecaster forum for example is one place to start) pretty soon you'll have plenty info to do it yourself.

If in doubt use msn, I'll try to help you out with whatever I can.

Nine Acres · Oct 22, 2006

Hi Ganzua - I'm sorry but there is no information in Tony Bacon's book about the pickups in Springsteen's Esquire.

frpax · Oct 22, 2006

whitehall said:
It is guarded by... schoolgirls in plaid skirts.

whitehall said:
No Gajiin allowed.

:-?

Talbo394 · Oct 23, 2006

bruno said:
you could purchase a 52 japan neck off of ebay, get a nice ash body from allparts and assemble a great 52 yourself.

That's what I did except I didn't use a Fender neck. I used an Allparts vintage neck ('C') that I bought with nitro already on it. I also used a USA Fender bridge and neck plate and put sperzel machines on it. I got a EMG T set cheap on ebay and although they don't look vintage the guitar has the '52 vibe all over and it plays and sounds better than any Fender Tele I've played too. All for under $AUD1K

bruno · Oct 23, 2006

That's what I would do too, most definetly... :wink:

ganzua · Oct 23, 2006

Nine Acres said:
Hi Ganzua - I'm sorry but there is no information in Tony Bacon's book about the pickups in Springsteen's Esquire.

Thanks for checking the book!

There are rumours that the pickups are waterproofed to prevent all the sweat that falls in the guitar

Talbo394 said:
bruno said:

you could purchase a 52 japan neck off of ebay, get a nice ash body from allparts and assemble a great 52 yourself.

Click to expand...

That's what I did except I didn't use a Fender neck. I used an Allparts vintage neck ('C') that I bought with nitro already on it. I also used a USA Fender bridge and neck plate and put sperzel machines on it. I got a EMG T set cheap on ebay and although they don't look vintage the guitar has the '52 vibe all over and it plays and sounds better than any Fender Tele I've played too. All for under $AUD1K

bruno said:
That's what I would do too, most definetly... :wink:

You have to bear in mind some things;

* I've never ever built a guitar. I don't know even all the parts that I need, specially the electronic parts.

* I've never ever used a welder

* I don't know where to purchase the parts and I will probably to import some of them to europe which it is expensieve.

* This one is quite clumsy, let's face it

* I'd like a good guitar and I like '52 model, Fender Japan are nice and I can get a tl52-78us well under 1k$

jawilluk · Oct 23, 2006

Ganzua, if you think you need a welder maybe leave it to an expert. :wink:

ganzua · Oct 23, 2006

jawilluk said:
Ganzua, if you think you need a welder maybe leave it to an expert. :wink:

Yep, I will probably build the first cubist guitar ever

.

Don't you need welder and hidraulic hammer to ensamble a telecaster?

jawilluk · Oct 23, 2006

ganzua said:
Don't you need welder and hidraulic hammer to ensamble a telecaster?

Only for fine tuning!

bruno · Oct 23, 2006

LOL that sure looks like a very complex "welding" job...

Ganzua the pickups weren't water proof, the whole guitar cavities (electronics, pickps and in fact part of the body of all his guitars are), he's tech uses water sealent to prevent damage to the guitar. Aparently Bruce likes to dip his head in a bucket of water from time to time, during his shows, and if the sealent wasn't applied his guitar would... well would just not perform!

I doubt you're want to do this to your guitar however :roll:

ganzua · Oct 24, 2006

Thanks for the explanation

bruno said:
I doubt you're want to do this to your guitar however :roll:

No, I don't go surfing with the telecaster, don't worry.

I'm starting to like the idea of getting me one of those welders and a saw hand

. Does anybody know Warmoth body and necks? They look nice and can have them painted to your taste.

bruno · Oct 24, 2006

Save your money buy them from allparts uk, that way you don't have to pay customs fees... because you'll be in the european union. They have nitro finished neck and unfinished bodies you can order...

ganzua · Oct 24, 2006

bruno said:
Save your money buy them from allparts uk, that way you don't have to pay customs fees... because you'll be in the european union. They have nitro finished neck and unfinished bodies you can order...

Hey, thanks again Bruno!

I'm not sure about custom fees when importing spare parts to the EU. I think it shouldn't be fees.

A big problem is DHL shipments that charge an extra fee for their clearence services. When my Tokai arrived from Japan I was charged customs+vat + DHL fee+vat again.

bruno · Oct 24, 2006

oh there will be fees believe... be it spare parts or not, if it's outside the EU, unless you get really lucky, you'll have to pay the customs...

By the way, many people talk about warmoth, if I had to buy from the US usacustomguitars is where I would go. Stick with allparts, their parts are really good quality and within the EU.

ganzua · Oct 25, 2006

bruno said:
By the way, many people talk about warmoth, if I had to buy from the US usacustomguitars is where I would go. Stick with allparts, their parts are really good quality and within the EU.

Regarding spare body and necks I don't know why everybody talks about Warmoth, maybe because they sell abroad. Besides I think they have somekind of agreement with Fender and all of their fender replacements fit ok with other Fender parts.

bruno · Oct 25, 2006

I prefer usacustomguitars a lot more...

but if I have to buy in europe, all parts is the way to go (and believe me buying in europe will be much cheaper, with equally great results)

What's the name of Tokai factory?

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