I havent disappeared. I am still waiting on a few sets of photos before I confirm supporting text but I have drafted a fist shot at an introduction and welcome any comments you may have. I didn't feel it was worth reproducing tables of changes that appear on the registry. let me know what you think (wrtiting an intro by committee may be 'fun'):
In the late 70?s and early 80?s guitar players around the world became aware of some very good quality Japanese electric guitars paying ?homage? to the vintage Stratocaster, Les Paul and other classic designs. These guitars were produced by the Tokai Gakki Co., Ltd, founded in Hamamatsu, Japan in 1947.
Many of these guitars, some now over 30 years old and considered vintage themselves, are still being enjoyed by their owners to this day. Good word of mouth and cheaper, lower quality copies have resulted in a strong resale market on the likes of electronic auction site eBay. Guitars are reaching over twice their original purchase price (do people want me to comment on price for fear of pushing them up further?). Many players comment that these extraordinary instruments are as good, if not better that contemporary re-issues by the manufacturers of the original models!
Part of the appeal of these guitars is the myth and mystery surrounding them. Rumoured lawsuits resulting in logo and design changes all the way to customs officials sawing headstocks off impounded guitars have been hotly debated. There were also changing specifications of the models through the years including wood types, paint finishes, lacquer specifications, hardware materials and logos, pick ups etc. you name it. Many people seek the model or year of manufacture of their Tokai to confirm where their guitar fits in to the legend.
This book was created out of a love for Tokai guitars by players and collectors who frequent the online Tokai Forum, part of the Tokai Registry website. It was decided to concentrate on the Stratocaster design for the first volume of what is hoped will be a series of photo books. The aim was to capture the breadth and diversity of the stratocasters that Tokai have produced over the years. We have tried to cover all paint finishes and detail the specifications of the main elements that vary throughout the Tokai models. There are some duplicates that show the differences even in the same or similar models and this mirrors what was seen in the classic guitars that they aim to emulate.
Some of the members of the Tokai Forum even got together in the UK in early 2009 to meet and share our love of these guitars (see cover for photos). We hope that this book serves as a record of these great instruments that will continue to be played and admired for another 30 years and beyond.
For more information on Tokai guitars please visit the following sites:
http://www.tokaiforum.com/
http://www.tokairegistry.com/
