Vintage Tokai Catalog Threads With Scans & Translations

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Sigmania

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1979 Les Paul Reborn Foldout Catalog (White)

"Les Paul Reborn" Fold Out Hi Res Scans and Translation

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1979 ST Foldout Catalog (Beige)

1979 ST Foldout Hi Res Scans & Translation (Beige)

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1979 ST Foldout Catalog (Orange)

1979 ST Foldout Catalog Hi Res W/ Translation (Orange)


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1979 LC & LS Foldout (yellow) (Vol. 4)

1979 LC & LS Catalog Foldout Hi Res Scans & Translation (Yellow) (Vol 4)


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1980 Foldout Color Photos (Vol. 3)

1980 Tokai Catalog Vol. 3 Hi Res Scans & Translation


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1981 Flat Top (Vol. 4)

1981 Flat Top Series Catalog Hi Res Images

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1981 Arch Top (Vol. 4)

1981 Arch Top (Vol. 4)[/URL]



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1980s - 1982 Vol. 5 Spring Catalog Spring Version (FULL)
 
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Notes after translating many catalogs now.

1. Would be great to have someone who speaks Japanese go through and help with the rough spots.

2. As early as 1978/79 the folks at Tokai were fanatics about the details in creating reproductions of the Old Models (these words often capitalized with reverence), paying attention to details few others at that time did, like the design of:
-mounting screws,
-tuning machine gears,
- using stamped metal for the saddles and bridge instead of casting,
-the thickness and type of finish on metal parts like the trem arm,
-escutcheon profiles,
-shielding of wires, controls, and routing,
-shaping of the body and neck pocket,
-neck profiles,
-selector switch construction to reduce noise,
-etc. etc. etc.

They even felt that the number of screws mounting the pick guard contributed to the tone and springy nature of early Strats along with the light weight of the tuners and the use stamped metal for the bridge and saddles.

3. Tokai then took it a step further in 1981 and copied "rare models" of guitars that few guitarists had ever even seen, and made them available to modern players, focusing on body and neck construction.

4. After reading so much of this material it is hard to not become an even a bigger Tokai fan. They really went above and beyond in these early days and developed the reputation to detail that the rest of the world was slow to catch on to. Including Fender and Gibson. 8)
 
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