Vintage Tokai Lacquer Finishes

[Sigmania]

This topic has come up a lot recently.

I am using this thread to place references to the lacquer finish coming from Tokai literature from the period.

I am trying to find a reference from Tokai that I have seen referring to a combination of polyurethane and lacquer on some models.

 

[Sigmania]

"Old style lacquer finish"

1979 PB80 GSR Ad

 

[Sigmania]

LS200. Should be cashew finish.

"...the old cherry sunburst body is finished with a special natural resin paint for a rich feel."

1979 LS200 "New Product" Ad

 

[Sigmania]

"Lacquer finish"

1979 SS80 "New Series" Ad

 

[Sigmania]

"lacquer finish body"

1979 ST80 GS Ad

 

[Sigmania]

High Gloss Polyurethane (LS50,60)

Hand Rubbed Lacquer (LS80, 100, 150, LC100, 110)

1978 Tokai LS Series Flyer

 

[Sigmania]

1982 Spring catalog:

●Special Old Finish

Painting not only protects the guitar, but also expresses its beauty as a musical instrument. Tokai uses three methods to recreate the old colors:

(1) polyurethane finish,
(2) lacquer finish, and
(3) cashew finish.

In particular, the lacquer finish and cashew finish have a warm and unique special finish that boasts a taste, beauty, and protection that even threatens traditional models.

1982 Vol. 5 Spring Catalog Spring Version (FULL)

 

[Sigmania]

"Finish is from ST45 to ST65 polyurethane finish, ST80 or higher lacquer finish.

1982 Vol. 5 Spring Catalog Spring Version (FULL)

 

[Freebird]

Remember the polyester finish on the LS 50s when they farmed them out to other factories? It’s in the catalog. when the inkies were around.

 

[Sigmania]

Remember the polyester finish on the LS 50s when they farmed them out to other factories? It’s in the catalog. when the inkies were around.

Yep. I just realized yesterday that the LC60M and LC60 also had a polyester finish in the 1981 catalog. I was thinking it may have been related to the whole inkie thing.

 

[Freebird]

This topic has got me thinking. I have owned a few high end Greco Super Real EGFs that Supposedly were finished in some sort of lacquer and also a 1980 LS 80 Reborn Old. Thinking how great and hard the finish was, with No checking whatsoever. So it got me thinking that I really don’t think I’ve ever seen any higher-end guitars from Greco or Tokai, Supposedly finished in lacquer, that have any checking. Leads me to believe that it’s not the same as the nitro cellulose I’m familiar with on Gibson and other manufacturers in the USA. I own two old Gibsons, one from 1959 and the other for 1964 and they both have checking in their finishes.

 

[Jlee]

My ‘81 LS120 has a fair amount of checking. I’ll try and capture it with my phone camera.

My other guitars don’t have any checking at all. All from 80-81. Greco SS-700, LS80 and ES100J.

Seems pretty rare for these finishes to check. I think I’ve only read of less than a handful of owners reporting checking.

 

[Jlee]

It’s so hard to capture the checking on a camera! Zoom in on the photos to really see the checking.

Here’s a pic of the top bout around the pickup selector. There is more checking around the body. Really hard to capture the rest of the checking. I didn’t even realize how much checking there was, until the other day.