Re: Japanese Jazz Bass Copy --- Help me identify this bass!

If you want an old Tokai I would try eBay, that's where I got mine, you
don't see them around much any more... SX also sell there, I think
Rondo Music (who distribute SX) have a web site too which a previous
poster gave the address of in his post.

Mick

petervh@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Thanks for the tips guys. Ideally I would like to find an old Tokai,
Ibanez, or Aria p-bass around town...but I am having trouble doing so.
Can someone send me some links towards good places to purchase these SX
basses? I did find a couple on ebay, but I haven't found a real
retailer yet.

Thanks,

- Peter

On Jan 24, 12:05 am, "theonethatplaysb...@xxxxxxxxx"
<theonethatplaysb...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello there,

I have owned a few Tokais over the years (got two at the moment
actually, including a 1978 P-bass) and all the pre-lawsuit Japanese
ones I have ever seen are pretty much indistinguishable from the
Fenders they copy. Even the logo on the headstock is written in such a
way that it appears to read Fender. The bass in the pictures on the
other hand looks only slightly like a Fender. The headstock is the
wrong shape, the wood in the neck is the wrong colour, the bridge
appears to be based on a Telecaster bridge, and the pickups and tuners
look wrong too. And the serial number is stamped into the neckplate,
not stuck on with a sticker. In fact the whole thing looks like nothing
like a Tokai now that I think about it. I have no idea who actually
made it but I'd bet money it wasn't Tokai. To be honest it looks like a
piece of crap. For what you are contemplating spending I would consider
an SX bass or a Squier.

Hope that helps.

Mick

pete...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hey guys,

So I am looking to pick up my first bass, and someone is offering me an
old Japanese copy of a Jazz Bass. He says that it is from the 70's, and
he thinks that it is a Teisco. I however disagree, and think it might
be an old Tokai "lawsuit" model -- as it looks so disctintively like a
mid 60's fender jazz bass. His price is $280 Canadian.

Here are some pictures of it:

Whole guitar:
http://chat.carleton.ca/~pvhaafte/personal/jbass/IMG_2498.jpg

Back of guitar:
http://chat.carleton.ca/~pvhaafte/personal/jbass/IMG_2499.jpg

Headstock and neck:
http://chat.carleton.ca/~pvhaafte/personal/jbass/IMG_2500.jpg

Body:
http://chat.carleton.ca/~pvhaafte/personal/jbass/IMG_2501.jpg

Can anybody confirm that this is in fact a Tokai? Any clue as to the
exact model/age? I am guessing it is one of the older Tokai's, before
they switched over to non-fender headstocks? Would this be a decent
deal for the money? I can't actually go and check it out myself as he
lives a few hours away from me, though I will certainly check the
obvious such as a straight neck and such before I actually give him the
money for it.

Thanks for any help!

- Peter

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