Vintage vs Tokai vs Tagima... what say ye on these bass brands?

[popfilter7]

These brands seem comparable in the 21st century, do any members own them and what are your likes or dislikes?

Interested in the Precision or Jazz configured models from these brands and their strengths or weaknesses of models made after 2010.

Additionally any knowledge of where they are actually manufactured would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance to those who contribute to my post.

[Bolo]

I only know these brands from the 90s. Back then they were considered functional. Not particularly easy to play, nothing interesting tone-wise. Dependable starter kit that could last you a while. 

 

It's a surprise to me that they are still in production!

[Guest]

The likes of Tokai were at one point so good they were making serious inroads into Fender sales.  

 

Working on the "If you can't best them, join them" principle Fender came up with Squier and the likes of firms such as Tokai were contracted to make the product on Fenders behalf. This took very little effort to accommodate, necessitating effectively little more than a headstock decal change and a range of equipment and finishes to suit Fenders request.

 

It was win-win.  Tokai still got paid, while Fender got a decent quality product to sell to the budget conscious, and more cash kept within the Fender family. Early Sqhiers from the likes oF Tokai are now highly prised.

 

I'd have no issue at all with an 80s or early 90s Tokai.

 

 

[Japhet]

I have a 1986 Tokai Hardpuncher (Precision) and I love it. I fitted a high mass bridge instead of the flimsy Fender style one and a Fender custom shop 64 pickup and it's as good as any genuine Fender I've ever played. The neck on it is fantastic and every note rings true on it. I think this was the best era for Tokai's although I'm happy to be corrected on that.

[White Cloud]

In the 80's I owned a Hardpuncher ...which was a significant upgrade on any 80's Fender. It was a fabulous instrument. 

Edited January 18, 2024 by White Cloud

[JoeEvans]

I have an 80s Tokai jazz, lined fretless. It's a superb instrument, certainly up there with US Fenders. The original pickups were a bit dull though, Bartolinis made a big difference. Possibly also worth upgrading the bridge although I haven't bothered.

[KingPrawn]

I still have my Tokai Jazz. Hands down one of the most effortless basses to play  I've ever owned. They got it so right. The closest to a JV Squire you will get

[Rayman]

There are great basses and s**t basses, regardless of the origin of the manufacturer. 

 

My Chinese Tokai Thunderbird is my number 1 bass. It's the only bass I use live. Admittedly I've modded it pretty significantly,  but the pickups and the neck/body are original. It's awesome. I love it and the band love it.

 

I have 12 other basses, Warwick and Ibanez etc... but the Tokai is number 1.

 

It doesn't matter who made it, where it was made, when it was made, or how much it's worth. If it's good it's good. If it's s**t it's s**t. 

[Rayman]

Sorry that turned into a bit of a rant

[Lozz196]

I’ve had a Tokai Hardpuncher and a Vintage Tony Butler Precision, both were very good, if pushed I’d say I preferred the Vintage. Really nice bass, played & sounded great.

[JoeEvans]

To be fair I've played other Tokai basses over the years that weren't as nice as mine. My sense is that quality and detailing wasn't consistent over the years, so there's more variation than there might be with a company like Ibanez or Yamaha. I think I'd want try try a Tokai before buying.

[BigRedX]

Never heard of Tagima, but MiJ Tokais are well worth tracking down.

 

As has been said the original 80s instruments were probably better than those they were copying, and their original range of Talbo aluminium bodied instruments were great too. However since then they have diversified in price point and manufacturing location, and unfortunately most of the instruments that don't come from Japan are not so accurate or well made, which IMO does a huge disservice to the Tokai name.

 

I've owned two early 2000's Tokais, a Talbo Bass and a Talbo Jr travel guitar and both were excellent. However I wouldn't buy any Tokai not made in Japan without trying it first.

[NikNik]

I had the Vintage 'Jaco' Jazz. It was a POS. Awful body finish and horrendous neck-dive. A weak-sounding instrument.

[steantval]

I was a guitarist back in the 1980’s and the very first early Tokai products were exceptionally well made copies of the USA brands, as Bassfinger mentioned earlier, the quality and playability at one point was considered better than the USA guitars.

I had the Strat and ( Love Rock ) Les Paul and both were superb instruments, I still wished I had them, as they are now very collectible and worth some serious money.

Edited January 19, 2024 by steantval

[Lozz196]

Good point, I know a good few guitarists who bought Tokai Love Rocks as backup to their Gibson Les Pauls only to decide the Tokai was better.

[Cliff Edge]

 Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Tokai also sell bodies and necks for self builds back in the 70’s, 80’s. I seem to recall a guitarist of my acquaintance having a telecaster built using them. 

[prowla]

I rather like a vintage Japanese Tokai - some of their stuff was really good.

I've always thought of the Vintage brand as in the same bracket as Squier, Epiphone, etc.

Dunno about the other one.

[steantval]

37 minutes ago, Cliff Edge said:

 Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Tokai also sell bodies and necks for self builds back in the 70’s, 80’s. I seem to recall a guitarist of my acquaintance having a telecaster built using them. 

I’m pretty sure you are correct.

[Steve Browning]

There's also Greco. They are similar. 

[Bassassin]

21 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

The likes of Tokai were at one point so good they were making serious inroads into Fender sales.  

 

Working on the "If you can't best them, join them" principle Fender came up with Squier and the likes of firms such as Tokai were contracted to make the product on Fenders behalf. This took very little effort to accommodate, necessitating effectively little more than a headstock decal change and a range of equipment and finishes to suit Fenders request.

 

It was win-win.  Tokai still got paid, while Fender got a decent quality product to sell to the budget conscious, and more cash kept within the Fender family. Early Sqhiers from the likes oF Tokai are now highly prised.

 

I'd have no issue at all with an 80s or early 90s Tokai.

 

 

 

Tokai (and Fernandes, Greco, ESP/Navigator etc) & their replica-standard copies were the reason Fender launched Fender Japan/Squier, but Tokai didn't get involved themselves until the late 90s CIJ era. In 1982 Fender did a deal with Kanda Shokai to produce Japanese Fenders at Fujigen Gakki, which meant Kanda stopped producing their Greco-branded Fender clones. Anecdotally the very first JV Fenders & Squiers started their trip down the production line as Grecos.

[steantval]

1 hour ago, Bassassin said:

 

Tokai (and Fernandes, Greco, ESP/Navigator etc) & their replica-standard copies were the reason Fender launched Fender Japan/Squier, but Tokai didn't get involved themselves until the late 90s CIJ era. In 1982 Fender did a deal with Kanda Shokai to produce Japanese Fenders at Fujigen Gakki, which meant Kanda stopped producing their Greco-branded Fender clones. Anecdotally the very first JV Fenders & Squiers started their trip down the production line as Grecos.

 

[ratman]

A mate of mine has an 80s Tokai Breezysound, their Telecaster copy. It's one of his favourite guitars.

[barkin]

22 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Good point, I know a good few guitarists who bought Tokai Love Rocks as backup to their Gibson Les Pauls only to decide the Tokai was better.

No first hand experience of their basses, but I've owned a Tokai Love Rock (Les Paul) and one of their Strat copies from the 80's (I think it had something cheesey like "oldies but goldies" on the headstock) and both were fabulous guitars. 

 

I do have a Vintage (brand) P bass - possibly a VB4, not sure - and it's... OK. Decent Wilkinson hardware - nothing to get excited about, but I'd happily gig with it. 

Edited January 20, 2024 by barkin