Project Team of “Guitar Freaks”

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Sigmania

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I just noticed the term “project team” in the Spring 1982 Tokai catalog description for a guitar. I’ve seen other similar references while translating these early catalogs.

I had been wondering who the “guitar freaks” were at Tokai that were designing guitars based on very rare vintage models? They often used the term “guitar freak” in catalogs and would no doubt consider it a compliment to be called one.

And they were obviously targeting other guitar freaks who would appreciate the attention to detail in these vintage style guitars that Fender itself was not making anymore. They were targeting us....

Just wondering if anyone has any information about who these unsung heroes were that brought along so many vintage guitar models 40 years ago?
 
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8) "project team" is the tokai engineers. "guitar freaks" are the people, not the tokai people but the guitar crazy people in the world like us. i guess!
 
Not so sure there is that distinction..... Note: "Made in Japan By Rock and Roll Fanatics" on block logo head stocks.

bluejeannot said:
Tokai STs with the slogan "Made in Japan By Rock and Fanatics" adorn both block logo Springys and very early Goldstars. This slogan was dropped very quickly and by 84 changed to "The Quality Musical instruments of the World" I think I prefer the "Rock and Roll Fanatics slogan" :D

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=25979&p=195394&hilit=block+logo#p195394

I think the engineers/design/project team were every bit the guitar freak that any one of us are. They were knee deep in it and obviously loved vintage guitars.
 
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https://reverb.com/uk/item/11851323-tokai-springy-sound-1983-block-logo-st55
 
It has been really fun translating older catalogs and realizing the extent of their enthusiasm. It is contagious.

One of my takeaways was that they were genuinely guitar fanatics and likely were hurt by Fender when they were snubbed in 1981/82 when Fender awarded the contract in Japan to FujiGen. Especially since they had worked so hard to emulate the early Fender models at a time when Fender was making junk and had strayed far from their earlier Leo Fender masterpieces. Would be interesting to hear how that affected their spirits.

I see the replicas of the late 70s and early 80s as the emulation of a true fan rather than a ripoff or trademark violation.

Can you imagine Disney execs and lawyers strolling through Comic Con and suing people for trademark infringement with their costumes? Or the Grateful Dead suing fans for taping their shows? It's a different mindset. The Dead embraced that enthusiasm/fanaticism, and that in turn inspired a dedicated core of followers.

I think that is us, the folks who are left on this forum. Guitar freaks following a company of guitar freaks.

(Gratuitous Beatles fan pic. :lol:)

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And to me this looks more like a comic book or a fan zine than a product catalog.

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"Tokai Electric Guitar Project Team"

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Wonder if any of these folks are part of that team?

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First mention I have seen of the size of the project team.

From the 1978 catalog:

"Superior to The Old Electric Guitars

A powerful sound with a withered taste. Beautifully completed design ・ It is possible to accurately restore these excellent old guitars, which can be said to be the origin of vintage guitar electric guitars that are embraced by many artists and are on stage all over the world ... So, to make these players' dreams ... come true. A project team consisting ... of about 10 people, including musicians and ... craftsmen who are continuing ... the actual research, has ... completed a series in which not only ... the original restoration but also the performance has been upgraded"


Note: ... is for parts of the text that are so blurry they are hard to translate optically.

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Hi Geoff,
It is interesting to note your comment about the Fujigen contract from Fender.
From what I have read, Mac Seshimoto (who was the go-to guy at Tokai )has stated that Tokai turned down the Fender contract first.
This would have been in 1980 I would imagine as in 1981 all the Springys had changed to "Fender-specs" and it was just prior to a launch into the USA Market. I can only imagine THAT problem had they accepted the Fender Japan contract and then marketed against Fender in the USA.
To this day, all 1981-1986 Tokai Strat/Tele/PB/JB are interchangeable with MIJ and CIJ Fenders.
Hmmm, so Springy parts on a CIJ Fender is still all Tokai . . . LOL

regards
Peter mac
 
OK. Tantalizing clue... Mac Seshimoto... 8)

Sigmania said:
....

Reviewing new instruments for you guitar buffs out there is not quite the easy, pleasant task you may imagine it to be. By and large, there is more to depress the budding muso than there is to impress him, But once in a while along comes something that really catches your eye. The something that caught my eye is the new Tokai range of guitars from Japan, and the reason for this is Tokai made a 'new line' of instruments that are closer to forgeries than copies, so closely do they resemble the real thing.

The Tokai factory in Hamamatsu, just outside Tokyo, has for some time now been producing instruments under license for some of the major names including the Yamaha company. The factory is huge, ten times the size of either the Gibson Kalamazoo or Fender Fullerton plants. Word has it that Tokai owner Mac Seshimoto has done a deal with Fender, and he will now be producing instruments for them at his factory.

The distributors in the UK for Tokai (pronounced tock-aye) are Blue Suede Music of Lancaster, and initially they will be importing around 55 of the 100 or so models in the Tokai range; they've already sold the first shipment. Amongst these will be an amazing copy of a 1958-1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard, complete with tiger stripe top. Though this is more expensive than Gibson's Own ill-fated reissue, the Heritage series. It is a much more accurate copy, the pickups don't sound mushy and the neck angle is correct. If bass is your thing then Tokai have several choices for you, six variations of the Precision Bass (more of these later) and a choice of nine Jazz basses, three of them fretless. If dot fret board 335's are your turn on take your pick from four of these. You may have had trouble finding one of those beautiful old Custom Telecasters, the type with the double binding that Andy Summers uses. Tokai have one of these too. Where these Japanese 'pirates " are really going to score is with their range of Stratocasters which number around two dozen. Tokai have copied the neck profile of the 1964 Fender Stratocaster (pre CBS of course) and come up with the ST 64 range. They've also copied a 50s maple neck Strat and given us the ST 54 range, which to my mind is the biggest thrill in guitars since way back when.

....

Max Kay
E & MM
FEBRUARY 1982


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26140
 
1980 TE Series catalog

Makoto Kubota carefully checks the prototype in the playroom:

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Probably was just an artist.

It has been hard trying to figure out who was on that Project Team. I have been looking for clues for years.
 
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