MBX Bass Gallery

[Sigmania]

Introduced in 1983

1984 Catalog

"Reality, playability, medium scale."

LIMITED EDITION



MBX Series

MBX45 / ¥45,000 A much-talked-about model that hits rockin' bassists in pursuit of super high cost performance. The unparalleled performance that inherits the highest peak base sound quality and playability is a masterpiece. It is already a bestseller from ladies' rockers to professionals.

MBX55/¥55,000 The definitive medium scale base that guarantees the highest level of play performance. A variety of sound colors and dramatic power are the beasts of the live stage. A high-quality bass that not only sounds dynamic, but also accurately expresses the subtle nuances of the bassist.

MBX70/¥70,000 A masterpiece medium scale MBX 70 that responds to the sensibilities of professional bassists. Accurate, machine gun-like sound, outstanding playability boasts a wide range of adaptability from rock to fusion. The fulfillment and content that can be handed down for a long time as the definitive edition of the medium scale base.








(From the 1983 (& 1984) catalog):


Super detachable neck system

Tokai's world-class detachable neck revolution. Unlike the conventional plate system, 10% deep brass nuts are passed through and 4 screws are made independent for a perfect joint, which boasts outstanding strength and long sustain.

In addition, we have changed the shape of the body and the heel part of the neck, which was impossible with the conventional plate method, and succeeded in heelless cutaway even though it is a detachable neck system.

The bold cut of the heel part and the shape of the neck joint that allows it to flow have achieved outstanding playability in high positions.

New Pace P.U. P6-11B (MBX & LBX)

Newly developed split type pickup P6-11B.

6 powerful alnico magnet ball pieces and an original number of turns of the unit produce a dynamic bass sound.



New Pace P.U. : P7-14B (MBX & LBX)

Original double-coil type bass pickup that shuts out noise.

The humbucking P.U.'s distinctive straight punchy deep bass and versatile sound are unique to the original. This is Tokai's ambitious work that challenges the limit of bass pickup.

In addition, because of its 4-core configuration, it is a versatile pickup that can create a more attack and bright sound character if used in a dual sound system, coil tap system, etc.




Newly developed heavy duty bridge and tailpiece for all MBX LBX series models.

Perfectly shuts out bridge top (saddle) pres due to vibrato and bending.

Another feature is that the screws that hold the bridge are not visible from the surface, and the body is sandwiched with strong bolts from the back of the body, and the double structure with the sustain block produces amazing long sustain.




1984 catalog:



1984 catalog:




1984 1985 Original Series catalog:

 

[Sigmania]

MBX50 AMRR

No.022523 東海楽器 TOKAI Five Star WHT/R JAPA... - ヤフオク!

 

[Sigmania]

1986 MBX45 ABBR

Tokai MBX-45 トーカイ オリジナルシリーズ ベー... - ヤフオク!

 

[Sigmania]

TOKAI MBX70 / トーカイ エレキベース【現状品】 - ヤフオク!

 

[Sigmania]

Tokai Guitars​
by Jon Lewin

Talbo A100D (front); VX65 (right); MBX45 (behind).​

Tokai make guitars. They do it in Japan. One Two Testing reviews guitars. In Britain. Between the two is the distributor. Sometimes the distributor will say, "These are on sale, waddya think?" Sometimes the distributor will say, "These might be on sale, later in the year, so bear in mind that..." and a host of conditions and riders will follow. Sometimes they just buy you a drink and let you get on with it, but not often.

So, should you be deliriously excited with any of these three, there could be a couple of months to wait before they dock at a convenient port. And they're only a selection from the sizeable catalogue, but at least they'll give you an idea of how the Tokai mind is working.

The nicest thing about Tokai's VX65 is its case. If you stare at the yellow-and-brown tweedy cloth covering for long enough, it causes little retinal flashes every time you move your eyes. In their infinite colourblindness, Tokai chose for my turquoise VX65 a violent plush-red lining which assaults the oculars. If you can get the instrument out of its case without damaging your eyesight, you'll find the VX65 is a familiarly shaped six-string with – gasp! – two humbucking pick-ups, one volume and one tone control, and a three-way pick-up selector.

The guitar also comes equipped with Tokai's new patented Super Vibrato and its accompanying Lock-Nut unit. These "amazing" (the catalogue again) units lock the strings in position at the bridge and at the nut, preventing slippage when the tremolo arm is wiggled about.

It works, as far as I can tell, though I am a little dubious about the extra pressure put on the strings where they pass through the body behind the bridge.

The bolts locking the strings are provided with Allen keys, I would not recommend anything greater than finger-tightness if you intend using the guitar on stage, as fumbling about in the dark trying to change a string is hard enough without having to undo bolts at either end of your guitar neck.

The VX65 is well-finished, barring a slight gap between the neck and the body. Tokai seem very proud of their butch new neck fastenings, the "Super-Detachable Neck Joint System. This revolutionary... joint system that Tokai takes pride in throughout the world" involves four independent brass bolts being passed through 10mm nuts on their way through the body, giving a strength and firmness which actually is "quite outstanding".

This feature was standard on all three models I tried, and felt most effective in all.

Access to all 22 frets on the VX65 is good, and the neck itself is tolerably playable on a fat, round style. It feels wider and flatter across the fingerboard (rosewood on maple) than yer average you-know-what, which means making a slight mental adjustment (back two notches) before the guitar begins to feel comfortable.

All three pick-up positions sound reasonable, but they're just not special enough. The R.R.P. of the VX65 is nearly £400; that means in green folding terms, you'd be lucky to get one for less than £250.

MBX45 bass: "adequate punch".​

The bass reviewed was the MBX45, a ¾ scale, 22 fret P-bass look-alike. At the moment there is some doubt as to whether this guitar will be imported, in preference for the full-scale LBX series, but the workings and shape are identical. As with the VX, the MBX feels a bit light to wear, though both are well-balanced and thankfully free from running away from your fingers as they flash manically up and down the frets.

I liked the neck more than its six-string equivalent. Although the frets are high, they don't quite achieve railway line status, shredding the flesh from the ends of your fingers. The spacing of the strings is good – lots of room to grapple with pulls and slaps – as the neck broadens considerably towards the body. The two tone controls on the bass give it an edge over the VX65, enabling a versatile mix between boom and crack, with adequate punch at both ends of the scale.

Sustain is good ("Super-Detachable Neck Joint System"), which is perhaps not surprising given the weight and enormity of the heavy-duty bridge and tail-piece. Strings are passed through this fist-sized lump of ore on their way to the individually adjustable saddles – they're not body-bound as in the six-strings.

The pick-up is supposed to be a split-coil type, but my model had one double-coil fitted; the double-coil is standard for the rear position of the two p/u MBX70, so what it was doing sitting on my MBX45, I can only guess.

When a new guitar arrives in a case emblazoned with the bold statement "TALBO – The New Legend Of The Guitar History", you are quite within your rights to expect a turkey to come flapping out when you undo the catches, especially if the distributor has already described it to you as looking like "a turd on a stick."

From the nameless VXs and LBXs, we are now presented with a superfluity in the Tokai Talbo Blazing Fire. Back to the catalogue: "The original Talbo guitar, employing new materials never before used, is a new sound concept that has definitely advanced the electric guitar world a step further." Definitely?

This week's big deal is the metal body – maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, gold hardware, and a metal body.

And it is heavy.

The glossy black polyurethane finish and black scratch-plate look good, though I managed to chip it in my efforts to remove the backplate. This indicates either great ineptitude on my part (surely not) or rather hurried application of coats of paint. Underneath this shiny piece of metal there lurks a hole, just right for the installation of a Super-Vibrato, or the concealment of illicit substances should you be so inclined.

Moving back round the front of the Talbo, we find the same double coil pickups as the VX65 nestling up to the same basic volume and tone controls. The gold bits are new-looking, and seem well-finished, though only time will tell how they stand up to months of acidic muso sweat. One item that will survive, much to the detriment of the appearance of the guitar, is the name "Talbo" which is varnished into the lower horn.

Although it may look like a Vox Phantom that sneezed, the Talbo has a surprisingly distinctive sound. The remarkably undetachable Super-Detachable Neck Joint, coupled with the density of the body gives excellent sustain, and a pleasingly positive live feel to the neck, which plays not dissimilarly to aluminium-types such as the Travis Bean.

It sounds clean and bright, but with enough body to give solos warmth and strength to cut through in either front or back p/u setting. Middle position is mushy and Fenderish in tone, and is good for rhythm work. But as with the VX, it is debatable that the sound is distinctive enough to merit the cost (around £350, although that is the distributor's estimate).

It's not revolutionary but it does make you want to play it, which neither of the other two quite manage. One niggle is the accessibility of the strings. Using the Talbo in rehearsal, it took two minutes of concerted effort to remove the ball-end of a broken string from the back of the instrument. Again, this could be a nuisance on stage.

Tokai have obviously put considerable effort into making these three guitars, as they are all well put together, and tidily finished. It's a shame that the same amount of thought wasn't put into design and development, for it must be said that the world really doesn't need another original Japanese guitar.

VX65: £394
MBX45: £305
TALBO A100D: £350±

Tokai Guitars (One Two Testing, Apr 1984)

 

[T.M.D]

I got LBX80 and MBX55, nice design, very comfortable. Share same P and H pickups. I compared these to Ibanez MC924 and Yamaha BB2000...Yamaha and Ibanez win.
MBX has active circuit, maybe a fixed gain booster, not sure.

 

[Sigmania]

I’m not a bass player but I once had an MC924. I should have never sold it. I could actually play Stanley Clarke’s “Lopsy Lou” on that thing. My Tokai JB40 is not the same animal.

 

[Sigmania]

1983 MBX55 PGR

TOKAI MBX-55 bass (1983)

 

[Sigmania]

1987/88 MBX45S

[Project] Tokai MBX-45 electric bass guitar (Black) - neck back bow | eBay

 

[Sigmania]

1983 ad

Experience for yourself the power of super specifications that create the 21st century music scene, starting with Tokai's original models, down to the smallest details.
●SX series SX38 ¥38,000 SX45 ¥45,000/SX55 (E.T.) ¥55,000/ SX65 (E.T.) ¥65,000
●MBX series: MBX45 ¥45,000 /MBX55 ¥55,000/ MBX70 ¥70,000
●VX series: VX45 ¥45,000/ VX55(E.T) ¥55,000/ VX65 (E.T.) ¥65.000/ VX80(ET) ¥80,000
●LBX series: LBX50 ¥50,000 / LBX60 ¥60,000 / LBX80 ¥80.000
●TZ series: TZ45 ¥45,000 / TZ55 (E.T.) ¥55.000 / TZ65 (E.T.) ¥65,000 / TZ80 (ET) ¥80,000
●SX38 / SX45 / VX45 / TZ45
●Colors: SWR / BBR / MRR / PGR TZ /VX / LBX VFR / CSR / GRR

Jauce



Explosive popularity

Finally, the SS type E.T. is here! It is an E.T. that can also be attached to modern head stocks. Released nationwide on March 1st. ●E.T. Chrome/SS...Y21,000 ●E.T. Gold/SS...26,000 ●E.T. Black/SS・Y26,000 15 minutes if you're quick! Amazing easy mount system and shocking arming sound Nowadays, it captures the attention of musicians. The long-awaited gold and black are also urgently released! ● E.T. Chrome... ¥20,000 ¥25,000 ●E.T. Gold... ●E.T. Black... ¥25,000

 

[Sigmania]

MBX55 PGR

SN 3029249

TOKAI MBX-55 トーカイ エレキベース ミディア... - ヤフオク!

 

[Sigmania]

1986 MBX45 ?

SN 206605

1982年製 Tokai MBX-45 東海楽器 日本製 フルオ... - Yahoo!オークション

 

[Sigmania]

Then this guy selling the same MBX, but took different pictures and blacks out the serial number...

東海楽器 Tokai MBX-45 1982年製 日本製 国産 オ... - Yahoo!オークション