CNC At Tokai?

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Sigmania

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NOTE: CNC use is noted in the earliest flyer I have on Springys from 1978 (?). Which means it was likely in use in 1977 at the very beginning of the Springy and then Les Paul Reborn production.

1970s - 1978 ST Series Flyer (Japan)


TOKAI appears to have been a company that embraced this technology and in tandem with getting their hands on original vintage American guitars was able to create very faithful reproductions beginning in 1977 using the CNC technology which had been pioneered in the same town, Hamamatsu, in the 1960s.
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I have read in multiple sources that Tokai did not have a CNC Router until the mid 80s, and that FujiGen had one before them.

However, looks like they had this numeric control, NC, router by late 1981 based upon this translation and photos from the Spring 1982 catalog??

Not sure how this NC router differs from what folks call a CNC router?

It says in the description that it is the first one in the world.


Translation:

Strict material standards for the perfect guitar

Use of the world's first NC router.

....Amazing body processing: "NC router" boasting unrivaled and overwhelming accuracy. With this pneumatic control router, the LS series and LC series will be revived over time.

With the introduction of the "3D router" that can process not only the outer circumference and drilling, but also all three dimensional objects, high-performance Vintage models are born one after another. which is exactly the hometown of quality models.

Of course, Tokai is the first in the world to make a guitar with this NC router.

The body created in this way is now modified by an experienced craftsman to create a more perfect and accurate guitar with a neck joint. Neck processing & joint: The neck that is recommended in parallel is the mahogany 1-piece neck that Tokai adopted for the first time in Japan. With a head angle of 18 ° and no heel joint, this neck is extremely difficult to machine, and after the truss rod is set accurately, the grip shape is handed by a delicate craftsman….


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From the catalog translation:

"Amazing body processing: "NC router" boasting unrivaled and overwhelming accuracy. With this pneumatic control router, the LS series and LC series will be revived over time. With the introduction of the "3D router" that can process not only the outer circumference and drilling, but also all three dimensional objects, high-performance Vintage models are born one after another. which is exactly the hometown of quality models. Of course, Tokai is the first in the world to make a guitar with this NC router. The body created in this way is now modified by an experienced craftsman to create a more perfect and accurate guitar with a neck joint. Neck processing & joint: The neck that is recommended in parallel is the mahogany 1-piece neck that Tokai adopted for the first time in Japan. With a head angle of 18 ° and no heel joint, this neck is extremely difficult to machine, and after the truss rod is set accurately, the grip shape is handed by a delicate craftsman, and the flea and swordsman canna.. Swords, woodworking rods, trusses, and other well-used tools are used to finish the work. And the rose fingerboard is laminated and the body and perfect joint. Once again, we will enter the painting process, which is the highlight of Tokai's technology."
 
Very interesting stuff.

Until now I assumed that Tokais started using cnc for the first time in 1983 or so.

I was in a (friendly) discussion about who first started working with a cnc machine for building guitars.
Fender Japan was given...to have started in 1982.

This info is very useful. 8)
 
I’m still not sure if this is a computer controlled numeric router. I know next to nothing about them. But they mention and picture it in the 1981 Flat Top catalog which means they probably had it in 1980.

They call it an NC router in the captions of the pictures below from the 1981 catalog.

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So it is a pneumatic, 3-D, numerically controlled (NC) router. I am not sure how you would do that without a computer (CNC)?

I know there are members with industrial engineering backgrounds on this forum. Hopefully someone will chime in with more knowledge on these machines.
 
Here it is..... it says “computer controlled”…

This changes the guitar history commonly shared on line. 8)

Spring 1982 catalog:


③ "NC router" This is a marvelous machine that changed the common sense of making guitars in the world. It is a computer-controlled "3D router".

● Unrivaled accuracy "NC router" With this numerical control router, all series such as ST, SS, TE, PB, TB as well as LS and LC series are timeless. It will come back to life. With the introduction of this "three-dimensional router" that can process not only the outer circumference and drilling, but also all three-dimensional, high-performance Vintage models are born one after another, which is exactly the hometown of high quality models.

Of course, Tokai was the first in the world to make a guitar with this NC router.

● The body created in this way is now modified by an experienced craftsman to create a more perfect and accurate guitar with a neck joint.

Neck processing & joint: The neck recommended in parallel is the mahogany 1-piece neck that Tokai adopted for the first time in Japan. With a head angle of 18 ° and no heel joint, this neck is extremely difficult to machine, and after being accurately gusseted with a truss rod, each grip is hand-crafted by a delicate craftsman to create fleas, swords, and knives. , Woodworking file, scraper, etc. are used to make full use of used tools. And the mouth fingerboard is laminated and the body and perfect joint. On the other hand, the maple 1-piece neck such as ST, SS, TE, PB, JB is one of the super necks that require advanced technology. In particular, Tokai has perfect four types of maple 1-piece neck flat rose fingerboard laminated neck and rose are fingerboard laminated neck, including the maple-attached fingerboard.

There is no example in the world where there are so many variations that are faithful to the traditional model, and it can be said that Tokai is the only place. And then again, we will enter the highlighting process of technology


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Translation:

(2) Only the one selected from many materials is given the right to become a guitar.

● Material check & body neck material composition: Seasoned material undergoes strict checks such as plate thickness, phase, kanawai, and kusare, and is steadily removed. Only carefully selected materials are recognized as guitar materials and are left as body neck materials. For the first time, LS book-matched 2-piece maple top ST, TE, PB, TB, etc. 2-piece alder body, mahogany / piece neck, maple piece neck, etc. body composition and neck configuration etc. are finally performed, and body processing is finally performed.

● The process progresses to neck processing. .. I've mastered it as a guitar factory The Kodonji NC router is also the world's first

PHOTO is processing the front part of the ST model.

The official name is Numerical Controller.

Anyway, a super machine that creates anything.


PHOTO is ST neck ST model body group that has finished processing up to PU cavity.


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And it sure looks like the same router is being used in the 1980 Electric Guitar catalog...

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You are welcome. That was a surprise! Pays to translate these catalogs!
 
They seem to name it in one of the catalog sections above from 1982.

"The Kodonji NC router"

I looked, but can't find another one. Might be a translation issue.
 
Here is a metal working business in Hamamatsu that started using CNC routers in 1968....

Makes sense that Tokai would be aware of the technology and pursue it if it had been used in the same town for 12 years.

"Shoda Iron Works was started in 1926 in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Shoda introduced their first CNC router in 1968 and has been a leader in high precision ultra reliable CNC solutions ever since."

http://www.coffeymachinery.com/httpswww-coffeymachinery-com/manufacturers/shoda/
 
And then this about Shoda...

SHODA

Shoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.

Shoda is a Japanese manufacturer of CNC woodworking machinery. The company launched the world's first CNC woodworking machine...

1968 The world's first CNC machine for wood is launched and since then established in more industries, for example the aerospace


https://wtp.hoechsmann.com/en/lexikon/17432/shoda

So they were in Hamamatsu and also launched the first CNC machine for woodworking...

May put a new spin on Tokai's claim that it was the "world's first NC router". Maybe they meant they were using one of Shoda's machines???
 
Shodas were green back then.

Here is one from about 10 years later, 1989

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https://www.preownedwoodworkingmachinery.com/products/shoda-nc516p-2132
 
Anyone recognize this logo?

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Or this one on the front of the table.

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And interesting handwritten notes on what appears to be the jigs for Les Paul tops.

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From the Spring 1982 catalog:

●As you know, Tokai adopts an amazing "computer-controlled 3D router". Precise, unrivaled mechanical power and delicate craftsmanship. The perfect replica model has been born one after another with the participation of.



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