'Barn find' Tokai Hard Puncher

[hakvoort]

Hey everyone,
Last weekend, my parents-in-law were helping clean out a neighbor's house after their recent passing. During the process, my father-in-law discovered what appears to be a (presumably old) Tokai Hard Puncher. The heirs wanted to discard it, so he brought it home.

Since my father-in-law doesn't play bass (or any other instrument for that matter), he gave it to me. I mainly play guitar, but I've been on the lookout for a bass, so receiving this beauty was a wonderful surprise!
Now, I'm working on fixing it up and giving it the care it deserves. I have a few questions that I hope you can help with:

1. What model is this? Is there any way to determine its age? (Serial number: 105002)
2. There's some noise when turning the (volume?) knob. Does anyone know how to fix this? Please find a video attached.
3. The coating on the headstock is quite damaged. Does anyone know what type of coating is used on these headstocks and where I might find it?
   • Should I just touch up the areas where the paint is peeling, or would it be better to redo the entire headstock for the best results?

I appreciate any guidance you can offer.
Thanks a lot, and have a great day!

 

[Sigmania]

Very interesting.... You scored!

The bass is bit curious.

The color is metallic blue (MB) I would say. Possibly Lake Placid blue (LB).

The code under the pickguard will tell you the color as well as the month it was made.

The serial number dates it to 1982/83.

Looks to me like a Hard Puncher with an added bridge pickup.

If you share a pic of the back of the headstock that may help with narrowing down the model.

Here are others for comparison:

Hard Puncher Six Digit Serial Number 10xxxx Gallery

 

[Sigmania]

I think it is a late 1982/early 1983 TPB50 MB R or TPB60 MB R.

If the tuners were 3 screw it is the 50, if they were 4 screw it is the 60.

1983 mid year catalog specs

 

[Sigmania]

As for the headstock, it looks like the decal was under the polyurethane finish.

So to remedy it you would probably have to sand the face clean to the edge as best you can. The decals are available on line. Just look at originals to try and find a close match. Look at the letters and the gold color.

Someone else had to deal with this recently and used a lacquer that reacted with the decal.

1984 Hard Puncher Headstock Restoration





Not sure about polyurethane. I would put the decal on top after it dries just to be safe.

 

[hakvoort]

Thanks for your quick reply!

I already took the tuners off to clean them. Looks like there's three screws indeed.

Also, there seems to be no code under the pick guard (or I'm just not looking in the right place )

 

[Sigmania]

So TPB50 MBR.

And basses are weird. Is there a control cavity with a brass ground plate attached to the body? If so, the code is probably under the plate.

 

[Sigmania]

And the scratchiness you are hearing with the pot is a pretty common issue with vintage instruments.

I would get some contact cleaner for electrical components and try to spray it inside the pot.

Those pots are probably the original ones and should be pretty good ones. Worth keeping if you can fix the problem.

 

[hakvoort]

Thanks, I'll be sure to put the decal on top.

 

[hakvoort]

So TPB50 MBR.

And basses are weird. Is there a control cavity with a brass ground plate attached to the body? If so, the code is probably under the plate.

The brass plate is there, but as far as I can see, there's no code to be found. Would it be on the bottom?

Well, if that's all that we can't figure out..

Looks to me like a Hard Puncher with an added bridge pickup.

Out of curiosity: was the bridge pickup added later?

 

[hakvoort]

And the scratchiness you are hearing with the pot is a pretty common issue with vintage instruments.

I would get some contact cleaner for electrical components and try to spray it inside the pot.

Those pots are probably the original ones and should be pretty good ones. Worth keeping if you can fix the problem.

Good to hear that it's a common issue. I'll get some contact cleaner!

 

[Sigmania]

Hmmmm. So no code in the control cavity?

How about under the pickups?

Color is definitely looking like metallic blue (MB) in this pic.

And looks like someone routed out a space in the control cavity. Wonder it that was for a battery or something for the circuit? Pretty wild, but looks like a neat job.

 

[Sigmania]

This is what that cavity would have looked like originally.

Tokai electric bass HARD PUNCHER

 

[Sigmania]

And just to be clear, there were not a lot of basses made in metallic blue.

It's very cool.

 

[sgrexa]

As for the headstock, it looks like the decal was under the polyurethane finish.

So to remedy it you would probably have to sand the face clean to the edge as best you can. The decals are available on line. Just look at originals to try and find a close match. Look at the letters and the gold color.

Someone else had to deal with this recently and used a lacquer that reacted with the decal.

1984 Hard Puncher Headstock Restoration

View attachment 72012

View attachment 72015

Not sure about polyurethane. I would put the decal on top after it dries just to be safe.

View attachment 72011

Yes that was me who refinished the headstock.....Odd to see another one here in almost same condition!? Congrats though! Some good comments above from the long time knowledgeable folks here. A couple of observations I have made but certainly do not express as fact:

1) I notice on the "lower" Hard Puncher models (I'll say less than TPB-60) the bridge saddles do not have the unplated saddles with the tight ridges (I think Tokai calls them spiral saddles). Yours, like mine are smooth, plated and with the one string slot grove.

2) The metal knobs do not have a screw to tighten the knob onto the pot. They just slide on with a tight fit.

3) The three screw tuners are a definitely a good clue. Mine look identical to yours and the bass came from a reputable dealer in Japan who called it a 1984 TPB-45 or maybe 48. Serial number is 108859. I thought serial numbers were not a reliable way of identifying Tokai model years but again, folks here know more than me.

A few shots of mine:

 

[Sigmania]

I thought serial numbers were not a reliable way of identifying Tokai model years but again, folks here know more than me.

The serial numbers can be helpful with the models to a point. And definitely to narrow down date of mfr. once you know what the ranges are.

See this table explaining the serial number system that was used from Feb. 1982-early 1986.

See the 6 digit serial numbers and the models covered.

Notice that Hard Punchers (PB) fall into this 6 digit category, but Jazz Sounds (JB) do not.

It is all based on the period being replicated.

 

[sgrexa]

Also, those tuners might have some play in them. If you simply hand tighten the part that is exiting the bracket and connects to the tuning machine heads (turn it clockwise) it will fix this problem. I was also very surprised to see they used Sen Ash on these "lesser" TPB models as it is generally more expensive and also has to be grain filled making it more labor intensive to finish!?

 

[hakvoort]

First, let me start by thanking you both for sharing your insights. It has been very helpful so far!

Hmmmm. So no code in the control cavity?

How about under the pickups?

Color is definitely looking like metallic blue (MB) in this pic.

And looks like someone routed out a space in the control cavity. Wonder it that was for a battery or something for the circuit? Pretty wild, but looks like a neat job.

Third time's a charm! I took off the pickups tonight and there it is!




Regarding the extra cavity: it is used to house the extra pot / knob. It appears that the brass plate was extended using a piece of cardboard.

2) The metal knobs do not have a screw to tighten the knob onto the pot. They just slide on with a tight fit.

There seems to be a slight difference with mine: the tone and volume knobs on my bass have screws to secure them.

Additionally, one of the knobs is different from the others (which seems explainable, given the extra cavity + pickup?)

Love the vibrant red colour on yours and the matching headstock - very nice!

 

[hakvoort]

What type and brand of polyurethane finish would you recommend? I've read that water-based versions work best, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[sgrexa]

What type and brand of polyurethane finish would you recommend? I've read that water-based versions work best, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

There you go, you have screws on your knobs, but bridge is the same, and wood looks like alder, so another Tokai mystery lol? Totally
guessing but might be a TPB-50 or 60?

What is the deal with these guys who roughly sanded off the decal and just left it like that? I have seen at least 3 or 4 so maybe some famous rock /punk player in the 80's did it and they were copying him / her lol?

I got the decal from Nuno at voodoodecals in Portugal. Google for his contact info, his prices are reasonable, decals are nice and shipping to NJ USA was only a couple days. I am a lacquer fan but have used and would recommend Minwax fast drying spray polyurethane. If you are going to try and match the 40 year old color of the maple, I have had good success with a product Montana cans makes called Montana Vintage 400ml Filter Spray Paint, 13.5 Fl Oz. It is a White / Yellow aging toner (I use Amazon $12 delivered). It is designed for making stuff look old, and works well for "aging" maple. Spray lightly until you feel you have the color match. If you decide to spray over your decal with the poly, go very light first coat or two. I love the color of your blue bass, but would have no idea how to match that color? It doesn't really look like any of the typical Fender colors like Lake Placid Blue, etc. Best of luck to you!

Sean

 

[Sigmania]

Cool.

It's a TPB50. I thought I already said that. The 60 had 4 screw tuners.

The MB stamp confirms that it is Metallic Blue.

And the month of mfr is February, so that would be February 1983.

Wood on yours looks like alder, the red one is sen.

As far as the polyurethane goes, Tokai applied a very, very thin coat. Many people mistake it for lacquer. Water based is easier to work with.

And I would be very careful sanding so you don't change the shape of the edge. The sand paper needs to be kept flat so it doesn't wrap around the edge and round it off.

A chemical stripper would help, but if it gets on other surfaces you will have a bigger problem to correct. Masking is your friend. If you haven't used chemical strippers before I wouldn't use one.