Tokai Nitro/Laquer aging?

[Tompski]

Will the so called Nitro/Laqcuer finish on my LS150 age in the future, will it eventually crack or discolour like some of the older Les Pauls you sometimes see? or will it survive a nuclear war and still look new in 40 years time?

 

[Tompski]

wow 137 views and no comment?!
none of you have an old japanese Tokai with the Lacquer finish that has either aged or not over the years?

Thanks
T

 

[felixcatus]

I took a picture from this Faber (made by Tokai ?) at the musikmesse. Don?t know about the finish, age or specs.

I thought Faber guitars weren?t that old. But I?ll leave it to the experts.
I know it doesn?t help much. But at least you got a response.

 

[marcusnieman]

That goldtop is most likely a relic.

Tompski, you made no mention of how old your LS150 is. Checking and cracking also has alot to do with climate changes (hot to cold and vice versa), smoky bar gigs over many years, etc. If you keep it in a case and don't gig with it, you might be in an old folks home before you notice much difference.

 

[felixcatus]

That goldtop is most likely a relic.

Than the person who did the cracked finish really knew his job. Very authentic, in real even more than on the picture.

 

[spikeymikey]

I took a picture from this Faber (made by Tokai ?) at the musikmesse. Don?t know about the finish, age or specs.

I thought Faber guitars weren?t that old. But I?ll leave it to the experts.
I know it doesn?t help much. But at least you got a response.

That looks nice - lovely case too.

 

[marcusnieman]

That goldtop is most likely a relic.

Than the person who did the cracked finish really knew his job. Very authentic, in real even more than on the picture.

Yeah... it looks very nice

 

[jacco]

As far as I know the Faber LPs come from the Chinese Tokai factory. 2P maho back, 2P maple top, Faber hardware & pups, poly fin.
So this finish is a special.

But on topic. My 1979 Tokai LS80 has, apart from some fading done by me through sunbathing, no lacquer aging/cracks at all. The vintage Tokai has the softest and most authentic nitro in comparison with Greco or Burny imo. The Greco will not age at all, only chip. I have over 2000 MIJ pics in my library and I have seen no natural lacquer ageing like on the old Gibbo's, so don't expect that to happen.

 

[Emiel]

What about this 1980 LS-80? Found the pics on japanaxe.com

 

[marcusnieman]

That one looks like it's been scraped up with something abrasive rather than finish checking.

 

[Tompski]

My LS150 is less than 2 years old, and we don't have smokey bars or hot weather in this country and i'm between bands so thats that then, but it definitely doesn't live in its case, I just put Lollar Imperials in it and it is godlike! yesterday I finally got a pedal I have been waiting for for months from the states, a Strymon Lex (Leslie speaker simulator), I just couldn't put the guitar down! The pedal is very impressive as well!

 

[marcusnieman]

My LS150 is less than 2 years old, and we don't have smokey bars or hot weather in this country and i'm between bands so thats that then, but it definitely doesn't live in its case, I just put Lollar Imperials in it and it is godlike! yesterday I finally got a pedal I have been waiting for for months from the states, a Strymon Lex (Leslie speaker simulator), I just couldn't put the guitar down! The pedal is very impressive as well!

Cool, yours is about the same age as mine...... we do have extreme weather here in Texas. If you've got your guitar in your trunk in the heat of summer, temps can reach 120 degrees or more.... then to go into an air conditioned bar or club with a 50 degree temp drop, it can have some profound effects from the contraction of the wood..... same thing in winter in going from freezing temps to a heated room. I don't like to do that but sometimes it happens.

 

[jacco]

What about this 1980 LS-80? Found the pics on japanaxe.com

Hmmm that does resemble that strange vertical checking UNDER the top/clear coat also seen on recent Navigators, here?s a pic of my former NLP-480?

 

[villager]

pics arn't so great but look at the left, plenty of proper checking there..

1978 reborn ls-80

 

[Koubayashi]

What about this 1980 LS-80? Found the pics on japanaxe.com

Hmmm that does resemble that strange vertical checking UNDER the top/clear coat also seen on recent Navigators, here?s a pic of my former NLP-480?

In my experience, guitars with vertical checking has a lot of plastic in the nitro. Can also be seen on guitars finished in plastic (poly) from the late 70s - early 80's.

 

[felixcatus]

lot of plastic in the nitro.

Apparently, the main factor in finish checking.

I?ve read that you can have finish checking on a new guitar during the first year. When a special developed nitro without plastic is used.

 

[chrisheyes]

Hi all

Yes. Tokai's nitro paint does crack and check, just like Gibson's
Not the easiest thing to photograph.

See photo's of my first edition Les Paul Reborn Retrospec below:-

 

[JonnyFriendly]

Oh lord - that is a handsome looking guitar! Very very nice indeed.

 

[jacco]

Beautiful LP!
Hmmm mine's about the same age. Do you know what has caused the checkking in this case?

 

[chrisheyes]

Beautiful LP!
Hmmm mine's about the same age. Do you know what has caused the checkking in this case?

The Retrospec's were specially made in 2001, 12No. Relic'd guitars, list price ?1800

The paint is very, very thin

Chris.