Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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kimson
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Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Post by kimson » Sat Apr 14, 2018 12:02 am

I bumped into this the other day and thought some of you might find it interesting. A music store here in Finland has a somewhat accurate Tokai Jazzmaster copy listed on their site:

https://www.musamaailma.fi/tokai-tjm-14 ... re=default

I'm pretty sure all the Tokai offsets I've seen so far have been copies in body shape only: hardtails w/humbuckers or something like that. Anyway, here are the most interesting specs:

* Fender headstock
* 22 frets
* SD JM pickups
* trem unit w/lock button advertised as being MIJ

I'm pretty sure the "Custom Shop" thing is just marketing talk, but this model must be some kind of special run because the only references to this model I can find are somehow related to this specific store.

But then again, I don't know who'd pay €1,500 for a Tokai when an MIJ Fender can be had for less.
Last edited by kimson on Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Tokai "Custom Shop" TJM-140 Jazzmaster

Post by Marc » Sun Apr 15, 2018 1:05 am

Hi - it's interesting but very expensive for what it is. I agree with you that Custom Shop is hype it most likely means they made a batch in low numbers. Bearing in mind at different periods Tokai were the makers of Fender Japan guitars (possibly they are the current makers again) the buyer would be paying extra for a basically a new MIJ JM made by the same people probably on the same production line only with a different neck, non branded baseplate and a nicer set of pickups. If I was in the market for a Japanese Fender (I love them!) I'd go for one of the new series reissues which are a bit more accurate in detail.

I bought a new MIJ Mustang Bass about a year ago which would have been made by Tokai and is better quality woodwork and finish than the CiJ I owned around 15 years ago which would have been made by one of the previous contractors.

In the mid 80s there was rumour Tokai we're going to make offsets but none were imported to the UK and the first Fender MIJ offsets arrived. If any prototypes were made back then they would be of some collectors value.

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Re: Tokai "Custom Shop" TJM-140 Jazzmaster

Post by s_mcsleazy » Sun Apr 15, 2018 6:53 am

1400 euro, and we still have to change the bridge.

in all seriousness. i have never tried a bad tokai. i would love to see a tokai jazzmaster around the £500 mark. while it would be a tough sell at that price. i think if they got the quality better than the squiers/mim fenders..... they could do good.
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Re: Tokai "Custom Shop" TJM-140 Jazzmaster

Post by Larsongs » Sun Apr 15, 2018 7:38 am

It would be cool if Fender partnered with Tokai to build some low to mid priced Guitars. I've never seen a bad Tokai.

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Re: Tokai "Custom Shop" TJM-140 Jazzmaster

Post by sunburster » Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:45 am

Looks like they come in daphne blue, vintage white, and sunburst:

https://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index ... azzmaster/

Still has a junky Japanese tremolo and probably rubbish electronics. I also don't like the skunk stripe on the neck. :whistle:

You can get a good American JM for the same price, so why bother.

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Re: Tokai "Custom Shop" TJM-140 Jazzmaster

Post by kimson » Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:12 pm

Okay, doing the search without the model number produced this result: Tokai Silver Star AJM-140 for €1,170 in Spain, available in Ocean Turqoise Metallic, Metallic Red and 3TS.

https://www.stringsfield.com/en/tokai-a ... lver-star/

https://www.fanaticguitars.com/en/produ ... metal-red/

The only difference compared to the TJM-140 seems to be the lack of SD pickups.

*** EDITED THE THREAD TITLE TO REFLECT THIS FINDING ***

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Re: Tokai "Custom Shop" TJM-140 Jazzmaster

Post by gusgorman » Tue Apr 17, 2018 1:47 am

sunburster wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:45 am
Looks like they come in daphne blue, vintage white, and sunburst:

https://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index ... azzmaster/

Still has a junky Japanese tremolo and probably rubbish electronics. I also don't like the skunk stripe on the neck. :whistle:

You can get a good American JM for the same price, so why bother.
Are the electronics in all Japanese guitars really that bad? I know they are poor in the MIJ/CIJ offsets... but my impression of Japanese made stuff (not just in the guitar world) is that its usually of the highest quality.

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Re: Tokai "Custom Shop" TJM-140 Jazzmaster

Post by kimson » Tue Apr 17, 2018 4:10 am

gusgorman wrote:
Tue Apr 17, 2018 1:47 am
sunburster wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:45 am
Looks like they come in daphne blue, vintage white, and sunburst:

https://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index ... azzmaster/

Still has a junky Japanese tremolo and probably rubbish electronics. I also don't like the skunk stripe on the neck. :whistle:

You can get a good American JM for the same price, so why bother.
Are the electronics in all Japanese guitars really that bad? I know they are poor in the MIJ/CIJ offsets... but my impression of Japanese made stuff (not just in the guitar world) is that its usually of the highest quality.
I think Tokai uses (or at least used to use) pots labeled "Japan" and they are just fine. IIRC they are also used on Japanese Fenders. Anyone happen to know who makes them? Göldo distributes the same (or similar) pots here in Europe, but they don't mention the manufacturer on their site.

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Re: Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Post by dylanafghjkl » Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:28 pm

maybe if it was half that price otherwise why not just buy literally any other jazzmaster

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Re: Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Post by Marc » Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:31 am

Just checked on Wiki - it is indeed Tokai who now make new MIJ Fenders.

"Fenders produced from 1996/1997 until 2015, after Tōkai and Dyna took over the Fender Japan manufacturing contract."

So for that kind of money buying a Tokai branded version IMO would be pretty pointless if you can have the 'real' version made by the same people for less money.

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Re: Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Post by 601210 » Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:50 am

Perhaps the high prices in Europe are due to the fact that there's a lower demand for Tokais than MIJ Fenders, so the cost to ship them over increases?

Even with MIJ Fenders there's actually quite a discrepancy between how much people abroad pay for them vs how much less they cost in Japan.

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Re: Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Post by kimson » Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:55 am

601210 wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:50 am
Perhaps the high prices in Europe are due to the fact that there's a lower demand for Tokais than MIJ Fenders, so the cost to ship them over increases?

Even with MIJ Fenders there's actually quite a discrepancy between how much people abroad pay for them vs how much less they cost in Japan.
Good point. Had to check.

In Japan, the AJM-140 would retail for ¥140,000, which is roughly €1,150, essentially the same price they are going for in Spain.

Looking at Ikebe Gakki's listings, the price of non-discounted MIJ Fender JMs seem to hover around ¥150,000-180,000 (or €1,200-1,450). The only brand new MIJ Fender JMs I could find in Europe are the Pink Paisley and Blue Flower models that are marked at €1,300 at Thomann.

But here's the kicker: the Pink Paisley and Blue Flower JMs are on sale right now (¥121,000!) and the regular Traditional 60s JMs go for only ¥99,000 (€800).

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Re: Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Post by s_mcsleazy » Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:56 pm

hey kimson. one thing i noticed when i was in finland is there seems to be more tokai's than fenders. why is that?
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Re: Tokai TJM-140/AJM-140 Silver Star Jazzmaster

Post by kimson » Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:53 pm

s_mcsleazy wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:56 pm
hey kimson. one thing i noticed when i was in finland is there seems to be more tokai's than fenders. why is that?
I wouldn't say Tokais have ever been more popular than Fenders/Squiers, but yeah, there are lots of them around because they have been imported since at least early/mid-80s.

I guess it boils down to the usual factors: price, availability, good reputation & value for money.

But the main thing I suppose would be the fact that unlike the US (and also the UK I think?), the Fender headstock shape is free game here. The Finnish market is also so small that I'm sure it's much more attractive for a mid-sized manufacturer like Tokai than a major player like Fender anyway.

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