Tokai Hard Puncher

[Glorianah]

Hello Does anyone in here have a Tokai Hard Puncher? What can you tell me about this bass?

[White Cloud]

I owned one back in the 80's. I can vividly recall it being significantly better than the USA Precision that I owned at the same time.

[Lozz196]

I had one for a while, nice basses. Not far removed from a Precision, felt a bit different underhand but not significantly so.

[nick]

I've got an '84 Hardpuncher. It's one of the best precisions I've ever played. and heard. A lot of basses have come, and gone through the years. This one has stayed...
It has a lovely neck, 70's style narrower (B width) than the standard width neck, though not as narrow as a Jazz bass, and a deeper profile though not a bassball bat.
The standard pickups are not much cop IME. I've put a vintage Dimarzio in mine, plus CTS pots, PIO tone cap & switchcraft jack. I've slso swapped the original b/w/b pickguard for a nice tort one.
Here it is:

[url="http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/nickonbass69/media/84Tokai_zps73b20dc5.jpg.html"][/url]

Edited April 19, 2015 by nick

[Turnaround]

I've a real soft spot for 80s Tokai guitars and bass's. They're better than a lot of 70s Fenders and close to but ultimately only replicas of the 60s Fenders that inspired them. Excellent instruments though in every way.

[Glorianah]

Wow, such a beautiful bass nick! How do you know/find out which year it is from? I'm guessing mine might be from the 80's aswell.. It's hard to find enough info online i think i've been surfing a bit about it. Just got this guitar from my uncle, he said i could sell it if i wanted to but i thik i will hold on to it for a while ^^

[3below]

Highly rated in the 80s at the time.

[nick]

[quote name='Turnaround' timestamp='1429470691' post='2751710']
I've a real soft spot for 80s Tokai guitars and bass's. They're better than a lot of 70s Fenders and close to but ultimately only replicas of the 60s Fenders that inspired them. Excellent instruments though in every way.
[/quote]
I know they did replicas of 50's & 60's classic Fenders, but the neck on mine is closer to a 70's P-Bass

[quote name='Glorianah' timestamp='1429470881' post='2751712']
Wow, such a beautiful bass nick! How do you know/find out which year it is from? I'm guessing mine might be from the 80's aswell.. It's hard to find enough info online i think i've been surfing a bit about it. Just got this guitar from my uncle, he said i could sell it if i wanted to but i thik i will hold on to it for a while ^^
[/quote]
Thanks...I worked it out from the serial number & the logo shape. Check out the Tokai registry website, but I'd guess yours is maybe an 83/84 one. I'd keep it, get a decent pickup in it & you've got a killer P-bass there.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1429470957' post='2751714']
Highly rated in the 80s at the time.
[/quote]
You know, I remember in the 80's a lot of people (wrongly) treated them as second rate to Fender, same as a lot of other Japcrap. TBH, I think Tokais as well as Grecos are now more highly regarded than back then IMHO.

Edited April 19, 2015 by nick

[luckman67]

As said above in the 80's Tokai made good basses & guitars, I wish I'd bought a couple of them back then .

[JoeEvans]

I don't know about this one but I've got an old Tokai jazz copy with Bartolini pickups which is my favourite bass ever - I've played lots of other much more expensive basses but nothing else quite does it. I've spoken to other bass players and had the same opinion: old Tokai's are great!

[Spike Vincent]

1980's Tokai Hard Puncher.Quality instrument.

[White Cloud]

Agree with the above posts.

I was lucky enough to own both a great Hard Puncher and fretless Tokai "Jazz sound" jazz bass during the 80's - they were both absolutely fantastic basses and much cheaper than my more expensive 70's Fenders.

[Spike Vincent]

I still have mine.

[barkin]

Don't know about basses, but I've owned a couple of '80's Tokai guitars - Strat & Les Paul copies - and both were very, very good.

[Qlank]

Had a fretless jazz and a fretted Candy Apple Red that I put a chrome scratchplate on. Both quality basses I should never have sold.
Thinking about the fretted one the other day, remember having a real good sound out of it. Rose tinted specs maybe but I found some old demos and live recordings and yes, it sounds the business alright.
I'd keep that OP if I were you.

[40hz]

Where can you buy a Tokai these days? I always hankered after a hard puncher.

[FuNkShUi]

Second hand ones pop up from time to time at a really good price in the for sale section

[philw]

My memory of the 80s is that [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Tokai was the brand that finally pushed Fender into the arms of Japanese manufacturers. I think the first Squires are actually re-bedged Tokais. In other words, 80s Tokais are actually early MIJ Fenders.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]P[/font][/color]

[jhk]

Bernie goodfellow has one for sale in his Brighton shop

[40hz]

I'm just praying they don't do a black, maple necked one. For if that was the case, I would be forced to purchase it.

Edit - oh sh*t.

[Mattmit]

I got a 1981 hard puncher and I just can't get rid of it.

[40hz]

[quote name='Mattmit' timestamp='1429600199' post='2752924']
I got a 1981 hard puncher and I just can't get rid of it.
[/quote]

In a good or bad way?!

[Geek99]

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1429526190' post='2752190']
Don't know about basses, but I've owned a couple of '80's Tokai guitars - Strat & Les Paul copies - and both were very, very good.
[/quote]
Me too

[Geek99]

[quote name='40hz' timestamp='1429535637' post='2752339']
Where can you buy a Tokai these days? I always hankered after a hard puncher.
[/quote]
All over the bay
Item 271843505560 or 291381310187 as examples

Think they are Chinese made now

Edited April 21, 2015 by Geek99

[Spike Vincent]

Current ones are made in Indonesia