Tokai Breezysound on ebay- is it legit?

Hello,

I spotted a Tokai Breezysound on ebay in roughly the colour, and with roughly the spec, I'd be interested in, and I was wondering if anyone here could confirm that it's not a fake, basically? It looks ok to me (based on the ones I've tried in shops), but you guys know more than I do... it's one of the newer ones (judging by the headstock), but if I can get it for a decent price, I figure it might be worth it (if you disagree, please say!). It might be academic as if the price rose much further I could just hold out for one of the early ones (the reserve hasn't even been met yet), but it's safer to know for sure if it's ok, just in case the reserve isn't much higher...

Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=360095230824&Category=112670&_trksid=p3907.m29

I asked the seller for the model number, date of manufacture and serial number, but he didn't know any of these... probably a long shot at being sure it's ok without these...

Thanks very much in advance for any help (and apologies if it's being sold by someone on the forum),

Dave.

Headstock and logo don't look right. Look here (from the Dating and ID section here on the forum):

http://www.tokairegistry.com/tokai-info/tokai-fender.html

Thanks for the very quick reply- isn't the logo and headstock the same as the pic second from the bottom, on the right (in your link)? it's one of the newer-style headstocks (from after they got sued i think)...

I could be wrong, just it looks similar to that one to me, unless i'm missing something.

Looks like a 'TST model with the later headstock shape, someone else will come along soon and help.

Mick

This looks like one of the newer models that were for sale in the UK--I think stratman323 may have had a similar one in grey with no binding. It looks real to me but it might be worth a pm to him, or maybe he'll jump in....

It's definitely not from the 1980s--there's no serial# on the neckplate. For that price though, I'd suggest holding out for a vintage model--there's something to be said for aged wood.
________
Herbal Vaporizer

Dave_Mc said:

Thanks for the very quick reply- isn't the logo and headstock the same as the pic second from the bottom, on the right (in your link)? it's one of the newer-style headstocks (from after they got sued i think)...

I could be wrong, just it looks similar to that one to me, unless i'm missing something.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's the angle of the headstock in the eBay picture and it's logo script looks thicker than that of the one from the forum link IMHO.

cheshirecatsmile said:

This looks like one of the newer models that were for sale in the UK--I think stratman323 may have had a similar one in grey with no binding. It looks real to me but it might be worth a pm to him, or maybe he'll jump in....

It's definitely not from the 1980s--there's no serial# on the neckplate. For that price though, I'd suggest holding out for a vintage model--there's something to be said for aged wood.

Click to expand...

Correct, I had a metallic grey one, also with the binding. It was OK, but it didn't have the magic that the 80s ones seem to have. I remember that the switch was a cheap plastic type - indicative of a drop in quality by Tokai on the later models, in my opinion.

The blue one is a gorgeous colour, & I think it's genuine, but I wouldn't pay much more than it's current price of ?255. When I sold my grey one earlier this year, I got ?235 for it....

:-?

Mike

I would say it's definitely an ATE55 and genuinely MIJ - IMHO

In the UK at the end of their F-style days (2004 or 2005), Tokai did an ATE50 which I've got and is a plain 50s replica and an ATE55 which was the 60s bound custom replica. They didn't have serial numbers at this point and, according to some people, had stopped putting serial numbers for the previous 10 years.

I know Mike wasn't impressed with his and sold it on shortly afterwards. However, when I was buying mine - and sure, it hasn't got the feel of older Tokai's - I compared it to as many sub-?600 teles as I could, including Mexican standards, the higher spec Mexican reissues, MIK G&L ASATs and up to US built Fender Highway 1s and a NOS US tele standard. In my opinion, the Tokai was the best tele-style and playing of any of these other guitars costing up to ?599.

So I bought it and still have it 4 years later... Would buy it again and would certainly buy another if I hadn't already filled the spaces in the wardrobes and under the beds with Tokais.

This particular example looks good value at anything under ?300 and even higher when you take my own comparisons into consideration.

Anyway, good luck if you decide to bid,

John.

big post coming up, sorry

EDIT: ^ you posted just before i did! Funny you should say that, a local store often has some second-hand tokais in stock, and I've tried some newer (i assume, they had the newer headstock shape) tokai breezysounds and goldstars, and I came to a similar conclusion to you- not just as nice as the old ones (well, based on the one i've been able to try, mine), but still far nicer than anything currently available on the market for a similar (or even quite a bit bigger) price... my main concern is, how long might i end up holding out for an 80s one? I've already been waiting for the guts of a year, and one (in the colour/spec i want) hasn't come up... :lol:

Thanks for your input- do you happen to know what the body is made of? is it alder, and is it 2-piece, 3 piece (or more? :-? ) construction?

by the way, does anyone know why the breezysounds seem to be a lot rarer on ebay etc.? is it just simply because less were made and/or sold?

marcusnieman said:

Maybe it's the angle of the headstock in the eBay picture and it's logo script looks thicker than that of the one from the forum link IMHO.

Click to expand...

yeah, it's definitely possible. it's not a great pic (on ebay). :lol:

thanks for the other replies, mike and cheshirecatsmile... you're right about the price. I was bidding on a similar one (which had a dent in the side, though) about 6 months ago, i think, and it ended up going for ?220 or something like that (it went over what i was willing to pay)... with hindsight i probably should have bid a little more, at the time i didn't realise the breezysounds (especially in the colour, and with the spec, i wanted) were a lot rarer than the goldstars/springysounds... :lol:

i know what you mean about the 80s ones, i bought an 84 goldstar off a member here about 8 or 9 months ago, i think, it definitely has great tone...

I'll see how the price goes, but considering it hasn't even reached the reserve yet, I'm not holding out much hope... Actually, I've just checked and it's up to ?280, with the reserve still not met. I'm out, I think... sorry for giving you all the bother to check up on it...

Thanks again for your help, I appreciate it.

Johny642000 said:

I compared it to as many sub-?600 teles as I could, including Mexican standards, the higher spec Mexican reissues, MIK G&L ASATs and up to US built Fender Highway 1s and a NOS US tele standard. In my opinion, the Tokai was the best tele-style and playing of any of these other guitars costing up to ?599

Click to expand...

You could probably get a MIJ Fender Tele for under ?400 secondhand, & that would be the real competition - I reckoned that they were better than the MIJ Strats, though I have no idea why they should be.

But I agree with John about the Mexican re-issue Teles - I briefly owned a white MIM 62RI, but I wasn't impressed at all. The MIM Standards are even worse!

yeah, the couple of MIJ fenders I've tried felt pretty similar to the newer tokais I've tried (weren't they made in the same factory?)... here they go for more like ?500 second-hand (but obviously a bit cheaper on ebay)... from the little i've been looking into it, they seem to go for a bit more on ebay than the tokais, but i could be wrong...



EDIT: agreed wholeheartedly about the MIMs, I have no idea why they're so popular... :-? i think the big name on the headstock clouds people's vision (hearing?) perhaps...

Dave_Mc said:

yeah, the couple of MIJ fenders I've tried felt pretty similar to the newer tokais I've tried (weren't they made in the same factory?)... here they go for more like ?500 second-hand (but obviously a bit cheaper on ebay)... from the little i've been looking into it, they seem to go for a bit more on ebay than the tokais, but i could be wrong...



EDIT: agreed wholeheartedly about the MIMs, I have no idea why they're so popular... :-? i think the big name on the headstock clouds people's vision (hearing?) perhaps...

Click to expand...

Yep, the last I heard, Tokai were making at leat some of the MIJ Fenders - smart move by Fender, IMHO. I think you pay more for the Fender name, which makes a certain amount of sense. You also get the correct shape headstock.

I wish I knew why the Mexican stuff was such a let-down - it shouldn't be really. Parts are allegedly interchangeable with the US stuff, & Fender say they are as good. But unless I've been unlucky, they just don't cut it.

^ yeah. they do seem to be quite variable, though (like a lot of cheaper guitars), so i guess it's possible you might find a nice one somewhere, but more often than not, anytime any of the fenders gets raved about, i come away thinking, "meh"... not terrible, by a long shot, just not so good you'd really consider buying one either... though i've tried some of the american-made ones which I wasn't that fussed on either...

I'm not really too keen on paying extra for Fenders, mainly because I don't care less about the name, and while the correct shape of headstock would be cool, I'm not willing to pay extra for it (plus for the price of most MIJ Fenders I've seen, I could just hold out for an early 80s tokai which'd be nicer and still have the correct headstock...).

I'll post these couple of questions again in case they got lost up in my earlier edit:


(to John) Thanks for your input- do you happen to know what the body is made of? is it alder, and is it 2-piece, 3 piece (or more?) construction?

by the way, does anyone know why the breezysounds seem to be a lot rarer on ebay etc.? is it just simply because less were made and/or sold?

Dave_Mc said:

by the way, does anyone know why the breezysounds seem to be a lot rarer on ebay etc.? is it just simply because less were made and/or sold?

Click to expand...

I believe so. Strats sell more than Teles do anyway.

That's what I figured, thanks. shame I hadn't realised that when i first registered on ebay about 9 months ago when they seemed quite common for some reason... :lol:

Hi Dave,

Regarding woods, the ATE50s and ATE55s were alder bodied. Mine is a 2 piece back but, as always, you struggle to see the join as it's been done very well. However, they would have also done 3 piece backs depending on the wood at hand.

I think that there was a higher level custom shop Breezy - ATE70 - and the woods used might well have been sen ash on this model.

Best,

John.

Excellent, thanks John.

I guess now I just have to decide whether to pay a bit over the odds for a newer model, or hold out for an elusive 80s model which may never materialise... and i'm not great at making decisions (understatement) :lol:

It always amazes me how people can go wrong with making a Telecaster. It's just a plank cut out on a bandsaw after all! :lol:

I'm not blown away by MIM Fenders either personally, although the Jimmie Vaughan Strat is supposed to be a good one. Hmm...

Goestoeleven said:

It always amazes me how people can go wrong with making a Telecaster. It's just a plank cut out on a bandsaw after all! :lol:

I'm not blown away by MIM Fenders either personally, although the Jimmie Vaughan Strat is supposed to be a good one. Hmm...

Click to expand...

Teles are rough & crude & a bit ugly, but the noise that bridge pickup makes.....



I tried a couple of Jimmie Vaughan Strats a couple of years ago, & I really wanted to like them, but they just didn't grab me, no idea why.

How about this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260297970587&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123