Tokai "Custom Shop"

Scruffy56 · Guitar God Joined: 21 Apr 2002 Posts: 60 Location: Canada

Hi all!

Once in a while I see an Ebay ad for a "Custom Shop" Tokai.

Does (or did a "Custom Shop" ever exist?

Thanks,
Rob

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loverockerUK · Guest

ned · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2003 6:10 am Post subject:

LB is right. The LS-320 is as close to a "Custom Shop" guitar as you will get. Tokai will make a limited run of guitars is the distributor or retailer places a minimum order.

Ned
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javelin70 · Guitar God Joined: 09 Sep 2001 Posts: 822 Location: Sweden

I found a PRS Santana replica in Japan made by Tokai, apparently a few of them were made for a japanese music store. It was the most expensive Tokai I've ever seen, $3500 USD - used! There was no Tokai logo on the guitar but I don't doubt it was made by them, it looked fantastic on the pictures.

Mike

Scruffy56 · Guitar God Joined: 21 Apr 2002 Posts: 60 Location: Canada

Hey again,

I had to wonder as there are 2 listings that use the term "Custom Shop" on Ebay ... first is a really average looking Tokai Tele:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2546543756&category=2384

and the other is a Mikes Music guitar:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2545811332&category=2384

Unless it is a really high end, LR, I will take the term with a grain of salt.

Cheers,
Rob
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sneakyjapan · Guitar God Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1871

Hi. My Tokai strat was not listed on this site, at least I couldn`t find it, so I sent an e-mail to the company asking for help. From the pics I sent they told me it appears that it is not a regular production model, however they never used the word custom shop when informing me of mine. I am new to the Tokai world so I don`t really know about a custom shop. I have never heard of one here in Japan from any of the shops I frequent.

luis · Guitar God Joined: 15 Sep 2001 Posts: 2353 Location: Spain

As someone told before there is no Tokai custom shop,but custom order guitars made for shops or particulars under request.Tokai is a small factory with less employess than USA big boys you know to own a custom shop.There is some Masters Luthiers working for Tokai,this is true and I was lucky having seen one making a Tokai 335 by hand and it was amazing,great quality guitar.Tokai also owns a lot of great quality woods so they can make excellent guitars.I was told Tokai made a short run of 5 goldtop guitars for Universe,one of them you can see it hanging on the Universe guitarshop walls and another was bought by Rod Stewart guitarist.Besides this,wich will be Gibson Custom Shop and Tokai LS-320 differences besides price and value?

Peter Mac · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 12:10 am Post subject:

Both Gibson and Fender have a specific section of their factorys purpose built for the creation of One-Of, custom made guitars. This area is specifically referred to as the "Custom Shop" The luthiers that work here do not take part in any other guitar production.
Tokai has no such set-up, however, custom made guitars can be ordered and built to customer specification as required by Tokai craftsmen, even small production runs for Dealers can be incorporated, but they have no specific "Custom Shop" Thr luthiers that built LB's LS-320 kept building regular production guitars also.
Hope this answers the question

Peter Mac
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