Amazing cheap Strat...

I recently bought a 1984 Tokai St40 Strat...It cost me £400 and is in absolutely mint condition...!!!

I just gotta say that this strat is amazing...the build quality is fantastic...the sound is just incredible...!!! Through a vintage fender amp it's tone is pure old school strat...through a Marshall or modern high gain it has the sustain and thickness of a Les Paul...!!!

I would have to say to anyone thinking of buying a strat...try to find a good condition St 40 or St50 which has even better pickup's...they cannot be beaten for the money you will pay...mine cost me about the same as a made in mexico fender and mine would blow it out of the water...I've owned much more expensive guitars in the past but I have never gotten so much for so little money...

My £700 Ibanez super strat is about to go on ebay because the Tokai just blows it away...

Long live vintage Tokai's...:)

Nice score! I love finding deals like that, maybe you could post some sound bites when you get a chance?

Originally Posted by: Neal WalterNice score! I love finding deals like that, maybe you could post some sound bites when you get a chance?

Your wish Sir...Is my command...!!!

Follow the link to the track called Falling and you shall hear the lead tone of the Strat in question...the track isn't finished yet...needs to be a bit longer and I haven't put a proper drum track on it yet but I think it shows the guitar off quite well...The lead is recorded through Amplitube using the Mesa Boogie dual rectifier amp with some digital verb and a bit of delay...I just have a one track mind when it comes to guitars...Can I make it sing...??? I think the Strat sings pretty damn good...!!!

http://www.bandmix.co.uk/craigyj/

:)

Tokai is a great brand, and nice that you got it;)

Yeah really nice score,
I bought my son a Tokai Telecaster. It sounds great. My uncle(I'm part Japanese), will sometimes come to the states bearing gifts. Even the outlawed Fender and Gibsons. They even have Gibson and Fender on the headstock. Since that fiasco about 20 or so years ago, these companies, who were making guitars for these companies, started designing their own. Observe Fernandes, Ibanes etc. I some times send a guitar to luthiers in Japan and Korea. The same ones used my all the greats. Don't tell me you think they use off the rack guitars? At some point sending you guitar to someone who knows what they are doing can have an amzing effect on the guitars sound and your playing. I've discovered that playing the guitar through different amps causes me to play differntly and vis versa. You need to spend at least 30 minutes per amp/guitar but you will start to notice. Take whatever guitar you have and play it through 3 or 4 decent tube amps. They'll sound different but, your playing will be different.
Have Fun,
Steven

I remember these 'vintage tokais' I think they came out around the late 70's early 80's. It was the advent of these Jap copies that prompted Fender to re- introduce the Squire brand and have them manufactured in Japan.
They were known as the lawsuit brand because Fender took them to court and lost. The quality was in fact so good they were indeed favoured even over the US Strat although get a purist to admit that lol
Back around the early 80's I bought my first real guitar I had the chance to buy one of these for about £150 but I opted to buy an Ibanez Blazer instead, attempting to be different lol . Alas for me it has to be said that the Tokai is a far superior and indeed more valuable guitar.
I would say well worth the money good find

Phil