Tokai 57 Strat

I am not sure if this is a Tokai, Fernandes or what. I found it in pieces in a music store I went ot work for 18 years ago. From the research I have done. it looks like a 57 strat. Nice Sunburst finish. Great vintage style "V" neck. I don't know why it was ins pieces, but I put it back together and it has been my main guitar ever since. I replaced the origianl pickups with Seymore alnico vintage staggered. I kept them in for about 6 months. They were great pickups, but not what I was looking for at the time. They were replaced with an EMG SA assembly. I had these in for about a year and was very happy with the sound. My friend who owns a recording studio lusted after the EMGs, so we did some trading for studio time and they now grace his strat. I then went with Bill Lawrence pups. A "HENDRIX HARNESS" out of his black lable vintage PUs with the hottest one in the neck position. I used these exclusivley for the past 15 years. They are excellent sounding pups. As a gear junkie ( and always looking for "THE SOUND" ) I replaced them with a carvin loaded pickguard, AP11's I belive, with the MOTS pickguard. I still have the Lawrence PUPs and they will go on another guitar I am building. The extra PU settings ( being able to get all three PUPs and the bridge and neck ) are great.At various times this guitar has had a dimarzio shock block preamp, a torres vari tone, a torres mid range control, blah blah blah. I think it will stay the way it is now for quite some time. I replaced the tuners with Dimarzio vintage style and they have never let me down. This thing stays in tune so well it is scary. In 1985, I wanted to upgrade the whammy bar, so stupid me, I put a rockinger trem in it. I just recently put the original trem back in with graph tech saddles. The graph tech saddles really made this puppy come alive!! I really do not use the trem at all. I have it set with all the springs so it's like a fixed bridge. If this guitar had a fender decal, you would think it's the real deal. Maybe it was one of those "lawsuit" strats you here about. Who knows? I just think this is one of the finest strat type guitars I have come across.

I play blues, blues, blues with some oldies, classic rock, country and a bit of jazz thrown in and this guitar does everything I ask of it and more. The AP11 s sound great. My buddy has a PRS EG with the Lindy Fralins on it and this guitar smokes it hands down. The single coil noise is something I live with. In the quack settings it is hum cancelling, so it works for me. The sound of this guitar is very silky and stringy. I use it with a Roland Blues Cube 60 amp. The two fit very well together. I really have no dislikes about this guitar. I have played ( and owned ) many guitars and this has to be one of the nicest palying and sounding strats I have had the pleasure to play. It has stood the test of time, playing out 6 to 7 nites a week for 10 years without a backup. I no longer play out, but this guitar is still in tune even after sitting in it's case for a month or two at a time. One of these days I hope to find the "10" guitar. until I do, this gets a solid 7.

Well, since it was in pieces when I got it, the set up was all mine! The neck joint is as tight as a drum. The PUPs are adjusted to my liking. It still has the original nut. I though I would replace it...but, if it aint broke.......The sunburst finish on this is very nice. I take good care of my gear, so aside from the usual wear and tear, it still looks like a new guitar. I have had several offers to sell this guitar over the years but I think this one will stay with me. I paid $20.00 for it. With the various PUPs, pickguards, tuners and cusomization over the years, I've probably put $500 in it. Of course, I have sold and traded the things that were replaced, so it's about a wash. I may replace the carvin pickupselector as it seems a bit noisy.

As above, the guitar is the most durable, reliable one I have ever owned. As long as I take care of it, I don't think any thing on it will break. I played for years without a backup, and when I did bring a backup, it never was used as this thing does not break strings, go out of tune ( even with Albert style bends!! ) or quit working! I can depend on this guitar. I put a Dimarzio locking strap system on it when they first came out and it has been on ever since. Never been dropped or came of the strap. I even smacked a drunk in the head with it one time when he was giving our female singer a bad time and trying to "tune" my guitar when I was in the middle of a solo. After that bash, it stayed in tune!!

Since I'm not even sure who made it, I'm the customer support. I can do all the repairs, customization and maintenence myself.

Been playing 30 + years. Worked and managed several music stores so I have played and owned some very nioce guitars. This guitar has been a joy to own and play. I have use it to learn the in's and outs of repair, changing pikups, customizing etc.