Tokai is Coming…

Eric Dixon on August 18, 2013 at 4:45 pm

I designed and published that ad on the back cover of Music UK magazine. At the Frankfurt Music Trade Show that year I noticed four ‘suits’ looking at the ad and tut-tutting. “Hey guys, that’s my ad. Do you like it?” “You should be ashamed of yourself for publishing such a disgraceful ad!” “Oh really? Now, without opening the magazine, tell me who advertised on the previous page” (They had no idea). “Well, it was Doug Chandler’s Music shop. Seems he wasted his money didn’t he? Not only did you notice my ad, but you’re stood here talking about it! What’s the whole point of advertising? Do you know how many 40 foot containers of Tokais that ad has sold?” Crack a smile boys…. it’s only rock & roll!

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Guitar Fail on August 27, 2013 at 10:38 am

Cool story bro’… I wonder if that would be possible to publish such ads nowadays ? 🙂
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K on June 20, 2021 at 11:26 pm

I had my first wank to that advert, I shit you not! It was reprinted in Making Music…..I think I was 10 years old when I saw it!!! THANK YOU!! haha…I even own a Tokai guitar so it’s had more than a lasting effect on me!!!
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Sigmania on July 5, 2022 at 11:57 pm

Just hoping Mr Dixon is still out there? Would love to ask some questions about Tokai history if you would be willing to talk about it.
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- David Micklethwait on August 28, 2022 at 7:28 pm
  
  I was counsel for Blue Suede Music, whose ad this was, and who imported the Tokai copies of the Fender Stratocaster. The Fender business had been taken over by CBS, and it was generally thought that the CBS Stratocaster was not as good as the Fender original. Tokai were makers of replica instruments, and claimed that their guitar was an exact replica of the Fender original. Eric Dixon’s advert was announcing that the Tokai guitars were soon to arrive. CBS sued them, claiming that the shape of the headstock was distinctive of their product (passing off), but we were able to show that there were many more copies than “real” Stratocasters. The only point on which CBS succeeded was that the Tokai guitar had printed on it “This is an exact replica of the original Strat”, and “Strat” was a registered trade mark. The judge was rather disposed to dislike the defendants because he thought this advertisement very rude. Tokai were upset at being treated as if they were making inferior “fakes”, whereas their guitars were actually of better quality than those made by CBS.
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