New Tokai 335 copy, please help!

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Is this the sort of thing you guys are talking about?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Dillion-Semi-Hol...49QQihZ001QQcategoryZ2384QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm thinking about getting either one of these or maybe one of the nifty looking Dillion LP Jr. copies that JSD has. Clearly there are a lot of mid-range guitars being produced for a lot of companies in the same factory or factories in China. The reviews I hear about their quality are actually pretty good though. Supposedly the Epi dots are made in the same place. Anybody know or purport to know? :D
 
Is this the sort of thing you guys are talking about?

Yes, It's the exact same one I bought a couple of weeks ago. Like the message I wrote that started this thread there's not one mark on it as to serial number or place of manufacture. The consensus is that it's from China. That said, for under $300 I'm quite pleased with it. It appears to be as good a quality as you'd find in any Epi.

... Dan
 
The bodies for most semi hollow body guitars in the 335 style come from the same factory from what I hear so part of what you were told about that guitar was true, the rest.....BS. Selling that guitar under the Dillion name is false advertising.

Those Tokais were Chinese made and are not Dillions. There were no Dillions produced in China at that time, almost two years ago when those were made. There hasn't even been any 335 style Dillions produced in a long time. A few of the lower priced Dillions just started being produced in China in late 2006 for the first time using a new factory and made under the supervision of our regular Korean factory.

The main thing is you found a decent guitar you like at a good price, where its made and the name on it shouldn't be important.
 
Hi JSD,
I fully agree with your comments. Many of us get caught up in the name and place of manufacture. At the end of the day I want a quality guitar that sounds great. We should play for ourselves and hope that others appreciate the tone, not the name on the headstock.

play on!
 
JSD - let me ask a question.

I have the box here and it says Made in China. Model DH-502 BL.

It says Tokai on the headstock.

Are these Chinese built Tokais ...or are they Chinese built copies of a Tokai.

I guess my question is ...did Tokai build a bunch of these in China at some point....and why don't you sell them.

They seem like a whole lot of guitar for the money.
 
rgrabows said:
Tokais ...or are they Chinese built copies of a Tokai.

I guess my question is ...did Tokai build a bunch of these in China at some point....and why don't you sell them.

.

This subject has been flogged to death on here and the threads get locked, but let me give you my perspective as a Guitar Builder and Importer.

Around 3 years ago we imported 5000 guitars from China. 3000 were from one factory and the remaining 2000 were what they term mixed example orders.

We paid around $9 USA for each one at port.

Amougst them were several Tokai's. All of the Tokais were offical guitars built for Tokai at a Chinese plant.

All the factorys we dealt with in China were top quality factorys producing Guitars for Ibanez, Yamaha , Washburn , Epi and Jackson . They would have lost a lot of contracts producing and selling overuns ( ie build 2000 guitars for Tokai, but produce 3000 and sell the other 1000 on the black market ).


Are they good ?

Lets us put it this way, China has Nukes, they are not a backward nation. There engineering skills and education puts the UK in the dark ages. They let themselfs down on quality control ( hence why the big names like Yam, Ibanez overseer production of there brand names ).


Some Tokai lovers could not accept that China makes Tokais, but I assure you they do. I have seen the production line in China when we visited the factory.
 
rgrabows said:
JSD - let me ask a question.

I have the box here and it says Made in China. Model DH-502 BL.

It says Tokai on the headstock.

Are these Chinese built Tokais ...or are they Chinese built copies of a Tokai.

I guess my question is ...did Tokai build a bunch of these in China at some point....and why don't you sell them.

They seem like a whole lot of guitar for the money.

Yes its a Tokai. Around 2 years ago Tokai started some Chinese production, I believe these were from that time. Like many other guitar brands they have moved production from Korea to China because its cheaper.

I never bothered to bring any in because it wasn't worth it when you have clowns selling them at almost cost on e-bay. I also didn't care to get into any Chinese made stuff at the time. They are no longer available here and whatever remains is being blown out and cheaper than ever.
 
To BillyWizz and JSD,
Thank you!!! That's exactly the info I was hoping for when I accidentally started this "taboo" thread. My apologies as I certainly didn't intend to kick the hornet's nest, I was just curious about my new axe.
While I totally agree that it's the guitar itself that's important and not where it's made or whatnot I just like to know the history of the instruments I own. Maybe I watch too much CSI but I just got to know the forensic details if for no other reason than to be able to accurately describe it to a potential buyer sometime down the road. I've owned many guitars and sold a lot of them over the years as GAS sufferers often do.
When rgrabows asked "are they Tokai's or are they Chinese built copies of a Tokai?" I think it's a valid question for someone who owns or is tempted to buy one of these guitars because quality or not, prices can vary by perception alone.
Perhaps the details you describe should be put into a FAQ for the other 1000 or so people who inadvertantly find themselves with one of these guitars and come to this forum for answers.

Thanks again for clearing this up!
 
Yes - thank you.

I think both of us are quite happy that we just bought a pair of Tokais that are a **** good bang for the buck.
 
Heard back from Mike he no longer has any of the Red copies...so I'll also be getting a blue one.
 
I have bought two Chinese Tokais (and one Dillion) from VOS guitars in Canada. One is the 335 model, the other a 6120. Joel states on eBay that he got them from his Dillion rep and that they say Tokai on the headstock. He's not trying to rip anyone off or pass them off as Dillions.

I got my 335 for $200 USD and the 6120 for $300. They're fun guitars that I jam or gig with instead of my real Gretsches or Gibsons.
 
Got DH502 at Mother's Music in Calgary, Alberta, Canada today for $299.00 CDN. They have 2 left...a red and a blue.
 
See..the trouble here is that genuine Tokai ES replicas have the model number written clearly on a Red label inside one of the F-holes.
These chinese models that you have are NOT officially made by Tokai(to the best of MY knowledge).
There is a Chinese plant manufacturing for Tokai but they don't cover every model and I'm pretty sure they don't make ES models as I've only ever seen SG/LP and Explorer models to date.
 
Ozeshin said:
See..the trouble here is that genuine Tokai ES replicas have the model number written clearly on a Red label inside one of the F-holes.
These chinese models that you have are NOT officially made by Tokai(to the best of MY knowledge).
There is a Chinese plant manufacturing for Tokai but they don't cover every model and I'm pretty sure they don't make ES models as I've only ever seen SG/LP and Explorer models to date.

I just found out that Tokai is making it's Cat's Eyes acoustic line in China as well. I e-mailed guitar universe about ordering one. They in turn called Tokai who told them they're all being made in China now. I was very surprised to hear that they're outsourcing the high end stuff now too.

Jason
 
Just bought a red one without the bigsby at Guitar World and just can't put it down.I couldn't care less where it's built because the sound,quality and playability are very pleasing.They still have a blue one and I'm thinking about it.
 
Hey sunbird,
Nice guitar. I have the same guitar. I agree, I can't put mine down and I could care less where it is built.
 

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