jacman Posted October 19, 2003 Report Share Posted October 19, 2003 i haven't picked up a guitar in 10+ years. but when i did play, i played a Tokai Tele, 2 or 3 (can't remember) color sunburst . maple neck, rosewood finger board. SWEET!. i only paid $100 for it. sorry i sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Jacman, I've heard great things about those Tokais. I played one in the 80's and it was nice. 7/4, Nice to see a G&L S-500 fan around here. Those are my favorite strat-style guitars. I had two myself until recently. I've been on a Tele kick, so I picked up an ASAT 3 (which is basically an S-500 in a Tele shaped body). I traded one of my S-500's in for a ASAT Z2 (of which there were only 10 made). I have to admit I sure miss my S-500. Red, if you're still reading this thread. Did you ever get the guitar for your brother? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 7/4, Nice to see a G&L S-500 fan around here. Those are my favorite strat-style guitars. I had two myself until recently. I've been on a Tele kick, so I picked up an ASAT 3 (which is basically an S-500 in a Tele shaped body). I traded one of my S-500's in for a ASAT Z2 (of which there were only 10 made). I have to admit I sure miss my S-500. I have photos of me playing my S-500s all over my web site. I have a ton of equipment, but I also own a Fender Roland ready Strat, a '93 Strat Plus that is my main whammy bar guitar and I just purchased another Strat Plus that is going to be a fretless guitar. Things getting out of hand? Why do you ask? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 7/4, I checked out your website. Nice guitars! I knew G&L made microtonal guitars, but I hadn't heard any. I'm listening to your mp3s right now. I LOVE overtones! I used to have a band that would use overtones as our base (using a bunch of delays, loops, instead of using drums) and we'd have the songs over them. Cool stuff! I figure you can never have too many guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacman Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Jacman, I've heard great things about those Tokais. I played one in the 80's and it was nice. i think they had 4 "Lawsuit" models. a Tele (which i had), a Strat, a Fender Jazz Bass and a Les Paul. all of them were copies/replicas of the originals. they even copied the number of winds in the pickups, hence to lawsuits. oh shit i almost forgot. this guy i knew owed me some $$$. he didn't have any cash (crank), so he gave me his Tokai "Jazz" bass instead. it had a rosewood fingerboard and was fretless. it had a funky greenburst finish, and played like a dream. sold it for $800. (needed the $$$ for tuition). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Jacman, Here's a link to the Tokai guitar registry website. They have quite a following. Tokai Registry Another japanese maker that made great copies in the eighties was Fernandes. I don't think there newer stuff is of the same caliber, but the eighties Fernandes copies I have played were nice. :rsmile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 7/4, I checked out your website. Nice guitars! I knew G&L made microtonal guitars, but I hadn't heard any. I'm listening to your mp3s right now. I LOVE overtones! I used to have a band that would use overtones as our base (using a bunch of delays, loops, instead of using drums) and we'd have the songs over them. Cool stuff! I figure you can never have too many guitars. Thanks! A third party company fretted the necks, they have a deal to get unfretted guitars from G&L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacman Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 thanks for the link AB. did you check out the Butterscotch Blonde Tele? jeeze i wish they made drums too. i'd buy a 60's Ludwig set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 All this talk 'bout Teles is getting me all hot and bothered. I never owned one, but a buddy owns a '52 reissiue and I dig that. At Winter NAMM last year, I had a chance to try the G&L ASAT Bluesboy, hollow body w/ a humbucker in the neck. Both are sweet but quite different....what to do, what to do.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 7/4, Your question is right up my alley. I have a Fender '52 reissue Telecaster and a semi-hollow G&L ASAT Z2. I also have an ASAT Classic. I don't know how you feel about smaller vintage frets. The Fender is going to have them. I know a lot of people who don't like them. I dig them, but it is something to consider. Also, the Telecaster is going to have a Nitro finish, so the neck may be sticky in the beginning. Some people complain about that too. It doesn't bother me, mine's getting worn in very nicely. I played Strats for years and ignored Teles, now I've become a huge fan of Telecasters. They really have brought something out in my playing. As for the ASAT Bluesboy. I really would like to get one sometime. My semi-hollow ASAT is a fabulous guitar. ASATs don't sound exactly Teles (maybe Teles on steroids), but they are amazing guitars. If I was making the choice, I'd probably go for the G&L. Since you have G&L's already and love them, you know all about how well they're built. The resale isn't that great, but if you can find a used one, you've got it made. One ASAT model you might want to check out is the ASAT Jr. that was done in a limited run a few years ago. It has a semi-hollow mahogany body instead of an ash or alder one. I've heard great things about those guitars. They're fairly easy to find used online. If you haven't already, you should check out the Guitars By Leo website. They have some good sections on various models. But if you really want the classic Telecaster sound, go for the Fender. You might want to look into one of the Mexican made Fenders such as the 50's Classic or the Muddy Waters. Those have incredible bang for the buck. Please tell us what you decide on! :rsmile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maren Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 I LOVE overtones! I used to have a band that would use overtones as our base (using a bunch of delays, loops, instead of using drums) and we'd have the songs over them. This sounds great, AB -- did you ever record? Anything you can burn onto a CD, or put online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 Thanks for the interest, Maren! I've got a couple things on mp3.com, but they're not the really weird stuff. I think you can click the "www" button below and get to my website. The stuff up there is just some 4-track stuff I did years ago. One thing that we did, but never recorded was a cover of "Within You Without You" by the Beatles. It was one of the few covers we ever did. The band I was in only had two of us in it. We both had a bunch of looped delays and misc. effects. We'd get a great Tamboura sound going with the guitars through the delays and I'd sing and play the melody on my electric guitar while the other guy played a hammered dulcimer. :rsmile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 Also, the Telecaster is going to have a Nitro finish, so the neck may be sticky in the beginning This is true, I used copious amounts of "Pledge" until I wore mine in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 Also, the Telecaster is going to have a Nitro finish, so the neck may be sticky in the beginning This is true, I used copious amounts of "Pledge" until I wore mine in. I haven't tried Pledge. I'm afraid my guitar will smell like lemons. It sure will be nice when the finish wears in. There's something about a Nitro finish that knocks me out. My Epiphone Casino has one. The guitar feels like it's 30 years old already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 The "nitro" is key, over time the finish breaks down in a most pleasant way, that allows the real character of the wood to come out. Anybody own a B-Bender? I had one for a few years. Never really utilized it to it's full potential, however, it was fun to mess around with. Loved using it simulate steel pedal licks, while playing "Wild Horses", "Ripple" and a few other oldies but goodies. Clarence White I'm not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 (edited) I've got a hipshot on my ASAT Classic. I really wish I had a Parsons-White bender instead. Maybe I'd get closer to Clarence White myself. Edited October 22, 2003 by AfricaBrass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 7/4, Your question is right up my alley. I have a Fender '52 reissue Telecaster and a semi-hollow G&L ASAT Z2. I also have an ASAT Classic. I don't know how you feel about smaller vintage frets. The Fender is going to have them. I know a lot of people who don't like them. I dig them, but it is something to consider. Also, the Telecaster is going to have a Nitro finish, so the neck may be sticky in the beginning. Some people complain about that too. It doesn't bother me, mine's getting worn in very nicely. I played Strats for years and ignored Teles, now I've become a huge fan of Telecasters. They really have brought something out in my playing. As for the ASAT Bluesboy. I really would like to get one sometime. My semi-hollow ASAT is a fabulous guitar. ASATs don't sound exactly Teles (maybe Teles on steroids), but they are amazing guitars. If I was making the choice, I'd probably go for the G&L. Since you have G&L's already and love them, you know all about how well they're built. The resale isn't that great, but if you can find a used one, you've got it made. One ASAT model you might want to check out is the ASAT Jr. that was done in a limited run a few years ago. It has a semi-hollow mahogany body instead of an ash or alder one. I've heard great things about those guitars. They're fairly easy to find used online. If you haven't already, you should check out the Guitars By Leo website. They have some good sections on various models. But if you really want the classic Telecaster sound, go for the Fender. You might want to look into one of the Mexican made Fenders such as the 50's Classic or the Muddy Waters. Those have incredible bang for the buck. Please tell us what you decide on! :rsmile: Hmm....that ASTAT jr. sounds sweet. And I have played both of these guitars, that's why I lust after one. Or both. The real problem is I don't need a Tele, except I'd like one. Hell, I'd like both a '52 reissue and an ASTAT BluesBoy, but I doubt I'll ever use them in public. I tend to cycle around my "normal" guitars, playing blues and trying to play jazz at home. This is more like exercise for my music., which I play on the G&Ls and a no-name-steel around NYC. Too bad there's no girlfriend or wife to talk some sense into me (Uh oh! Be careful what you wish for!) One thing about G&L is their stunning sunbursts, the photo you posted proves it! My fretless is a red burst and it looks amazing. I asked them if they could do a purple burst and they said no, but they're working on it. The multi-fretted microtonal S-500 is cobalt blue: yek. I was rushed on ordering that one. So now I'm looking forward to picking up that Strat Plus at UPS in the morning. Next week I'm ordering a frettless neck from MusicKraft, and after I get my tech to set it up, I'll buy some monofillament line for tye on frets. The ultimate tuning lab. I can change my mind. So why am I dreaming about Tele's and ASATs leaping over fences like sheep? What's up with that? I may have to get a mexi tele to kill the jones.... And then I'll find a reason to change the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I've got a hipshot on my ASAT Classic. I really wish I had a Parsons-White bender instead. Maybe I'd get closer to Clarence White myself. Stunning, but you get any closer to Clarence and you'll be dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I've got a hipshot on my ASAT Classic. I really wish I had a Parsons-White bender instead. Maybe I'd get closer to Clarence White myself. Stunning, but you get any closer to Clarence and you'll be dust. Good point! I guess I don't want to be that close. It sounds like you have G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome). I find I get it really bad if I hang out on the guitar bulletin boards. My poor wife doesn't understand my constant desire to add another guitar to the family. I agree with you about the finishes on those G&L's. They're really nice. I've been dreaming about a tobacco sunburst for a while. Your post made me think of something. Since you're into putting replacement necks on your guitars. How about looking into a Tribute model. I know they're not as nice as a regular G&L, but they're pretty close. They use the American made G&L pickups. I've heard that G&L will be releasing a semi-hollow Tribute ASAT soon. One route that I've done well with is to pick up blem models from www.musiciansfriend.com - I was able to get a double bound '62 US Telecaster reissue for $699 and a '69 thinline reissue for $399. They had minor dings, but the price was right. I just go to their website and do a search for "Fender blem" - the deals aren't always there, but if you check daily over a few months, you might get lucky. :rsmile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 It sounds like you have G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome). I find I get it really bad if I hang out on the guitar bulletin boards. My poor wife doesn't understand my constant desire to add another guitar to the family. I'm OK for now, I picked up my latest Strat at UPS this morning. As for GAS...for me, I think it's a reaction to stress. After 9/11 I bought all sorts of equipment (I live real close to NYC. I was lying on the couch in the living room, looking at the beautiful clear sky thinking about what beautiful day it was going to be since I had to visit DA MAIN CUSTOMER. Then I turned my head towards the tube and saw CNN). Now a days...I don't think I'll get into it, but the last seven weeks have been rough. And it doesn't help that some of the people I work with are musicans, one has a real GAS problem. At least I crank out some music and play some gigs. But I've never owned a Tele. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 (edited) I agree with you about the finishes on those G&L's. They're really nice. I've been dreaming about a tobacco sunburst for a while. Your post made me think of something. Since you're into putting replacement necks on your guitars. How about looking into a Tribute model. I know they're not as nice as a regular G&L, but they're pretty close. They use the American made G&L pickups. I've heard that G&L will be releasing a semi-hollow Tribute ASAT soon. I don't know if I'll do the microtonal treatment on a ASAT/Tele. If I did, I'd have to get a second Tele! Tele's make me want to play La Grange for twenty min. But a semi-hollow Tribute ASAT sounds likely, I'd hope it has that BluesBoy vibe. We'll see...If I've been thinking about the Tele issue for about two years, is it still GAS? Edited October 23, 2003 by 7/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Congratulations on the Strat, 7/4! I love when the UPS person brings me one of those big boxes. It's like Christmas! I find that stress contributes to my purchasing also. In the last two years, since my son was born, I have gotten rid of 9 guitars and added 12 new ones to the herd. It's so much fun! I'm sorry it's been rough on you. I couldn't imagine how it must feel to be in NY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 But I've never owned a Tele. You ain't lived yet! B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Congratulations on the Strat, 7/4! I love when the UPS person brings me one of those big boxes. It's like Christmas! I find that stress contributes to my purchasing also. In the last two years, since my son was born, I have gotten rid of 9 guitars and added 12 new ones to the herd. It's so much fun! I'm sorry it's been rough on you. I couldn't imagine how it must feel to be in NY. Stress: that might explain my buddys GAS, he's got a wife, two very young boys and a second home in Woodstock, but he's been at the GAS for many years. The coolest thing he showed me a few years back was a prototype or custom electric mandolin that looks like it was made by Alembic, no markings showing who made it of course. As for being in NYC, most of the 9/11 worries have faded with time. Things are back to normal now, no one gives a ****. Now my problems consist of DA MAIN CUSTOMER, my elderly parents health problems, why my sisters are not around to help, one relative failed his parole piss test, women problems, why can't the dealer fix my car: the battery light keeps coming on and so on. I hope I'm not giving a negative impression! It's just a bad time and I'd really like to have a Tele! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 But I've never owned a Tele. You ain't lived yet! B) Well....you see? That's why I should have one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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