Epic Axes is a musician-driven showroom in Los Angeles. Each guitar is personally selected, inspected, and tested to ensure top performance - only instruments we would play ourselves become part of our collection. Text us to book a visit.

Up for grabs is a beautiful 1981 Tokai TE-70, finished in a stunning See-Through Red with elegant double binding. Built in Japan during Tokai's legendary golden era, this is a true vintage axe with tons of character, killer looks, and all the mojo you'd expect from a guitar that's been around for over four decades.

The transparent red finish really makes this one stand out, showing off the wood grain underneath while the double-bound body gives it that classy vintage Tele look.

The neck position has been upgraded with a DiMarzio Super Distortion, delivering a fat, powerful sound with plenty of punch, while the bridge retains its original single-coil pickup for that classic Tele twang and bite. A seriously cool combination that makes this guitar much more versatile than your average vintage Tele!

The guitar is in great vintage condition for its age, with no major issues or significant damage. It shows honest signs of use accumulated over 45 years, but nothing that takes away from its beauty or playability. The frets are in good shape, showing moderate, even wear with no deep grooves or divots and plenty of life left.

One particularly cool detail is a small burn mark on the headstock, most likely from a cigarette - a little reminder of the days when guitars lived in smoky bars and rock clubs. Call it a battle scar, call it mojo - either way, it fits this guitar's personality perfectly.

All electronics work exactly as they should, with no issues. Professionally set up and ready to rock!

This isn't just another Telecaster reissue. It's the real deal - an early-'80s Japanese vintage axe with personality, history, and a sound to match.

Weight: 8.50 lbs. Case not included.

The following work has been done: full cleaning, fret polishing and string height setup (2.3 mm at the 12th fret on the low E string), pickup height adjusted for balance and clarity, and a fresh set of D'Addario XL 10/46 strings installed.

Body
• Construction: Solid body, bolt-on neck
• Wood: Most likely Sen Ash
• Finish: See-Through Red, gloss
• Body Shape: Telecaster, vintage-style TE-70
• Binding: Double-bound body, front and back
• Pickguard: Vintage-style Telecaster pickguard
• Contours: Traditional Telecaster slab-body design
• Condition: Very good vintage condition, with normal signs of age and use; no significant damage or major issues
• Weight: 8.50 lbs

Neck
• Material: Maple
• Joint: Bolt-on
• Profile: Vintage-style C
• Fingerboard: Maple
• Inlays: Black dot markers
• Radius: 7.25" / 184 mm
• Frets: 21 vintage-style
• Fret Condition: Good vintage condition, with moderate, even wear and no deep grooves or significant divots; plenty of life remaining
• Scale Length: 25.5" / 648 mm
• Nut Width: 42 mm / 1.65"
• Headstock: Vintage Tokai Telecaster-style headstock
• Neck Finish: Gloss
• Neck Condition: Good vintage condition, with a small cigarette burn mark on the headstock, adding authentic vintage character

Hardware
• Bridge: Vintage-style Telecaster bridge
• Saddles: 3 vintage-style barrel saddles, 2 strings per saddle
• Tuners: Vintage-style tuners
• Hardware Finish: Chrome
• Knobs: Chrome knurled Telecaster-style knobs
• Control Plate: Chrome
• Strap Buttons: Standard

Electronics
• Bridge Pickup: Original Tokai Telecaster single-coil
• Neck Pickup: DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker (upgraded)
• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
• Switching: 3-way selector (Bridge / Bridge + Neck / Neck)
• Configuration: HS
• Electronics: Passive, fully functional with no issues

Additional Information
• Brand: Tokai
• Model: TE-70
• Year: 1981
• Country of Manufacture: Japan
• Setup: Professionally set up, ready to play
• Case: Not included