Tokai Hard Puncher Date

[Bass_Guardian]

Hi Guys,

Very good chance I'll be picking up a lovely Tokai Hard Puncher in the near future.

Just wondering how to date these things without going through all those catalogs.

The serial is CN11060112

Any ideas what year it might be?


Thanks in advance,

Alex

[Geek99]

2011 perhaps, china?

[Bass_Guardian]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1466687750' post='3077898']
2011 perhaps, china?
[/quote]

Did they even make Tokai basses in China?

[Dave Vader]

They do now, it might be one of them

[Bass_Guardian]

I think the previous owner bought it in 2010 but even that was second hand.

I'll upload a pic of the headstock. Don't know if it looks like an 80's headstock.

[Bass_Guardian]

[attachment=222119:FB_IMG_1466586080979.jpg]

[Geek99]

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' timestamp='1466689462' post='3077918']


Did they even make Tokai basses in China?
[/quote]
Yes they do, mr sarcastic

[Bass_Guardian]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1466696171' post='3077983']
Yes they do, mr sarcastic
[/quote]

Sorry wasn't trying to come across that way was under the impression they were all Jap made this is why I need this forum.

[gjones]

Hmmmmmm......I saw that Tokai on Facebook. I assumed it was an early one due to the logo and the Fender like headstock. The newer ones have slightly different shaped headstocks like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Excellent-Tokai-Jazz-Bass-AJB-70-MIJ-150411-/231707819252?hash=item35f2dcbcf4:g:Y-YAAOSwstxVKREj

[Geek99]

The 80s ones were jap, and very very close to the real thing, I had a Tokai Strat; the Chinese ones have a different to fender headstock. I can't talk about the quality as I didn't try them yet


Example jap http://basschat.co.uk/topic/286578-fs-tokai-jazz-sound-mij-1981/page__fromsearch__1

Edited June 23, 2016 by Geek99

[KK Jale]

If it is '80s (looks like it to me), the serial number won't help you.

I remember chatting to Tokai's UK distributors Blue Suede Music back in the '90s and they said the neckplate numbers were basically meaningless, and there are no records.

[alexpea]

I think Tokai may have gone back to the Fender copy headstock on some models...

https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/right-handed-bass-guitar/tokai-apb-44-yellow-sunburst-electric-bass-guitar

Interestingly some Tokai basses on this site have the slanted headstock and some have the lawsuit era one.

[Bass_Guardian]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1466702785' post='3078053']
Hmmmmmm......I saw that Tokai on Facebook. I assumed it was an early one due to the logo and the Fender like headstock. The newer ones have slightly different shaped headstocks like this [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Excellent-Tokai-Jazz-Bass-AJB-70-MIJ-150411-/231707819252?hash=item35f2dcbcf4:g:Y-YAAOSwstxVKREj"]http://www.ebay.co.u...-YAAOSwstxVKREj[/url]
[/quote]

Yeh I'm buying it off the guy on FB

[DaytonaRik]

The Tokai logo changed in '83 to block, then again in '84 to the heavier script logo above. The spaghetti Fender-a-like 'law suit' logo was discontinue in '82.

[attachment=222221:IMG_0009.jpg]