They were still made in the Tokai factory for a while then moved to Korea and I think Cor-Tek make them. I think it was around 1998 that Tokai and Rockinbetter parted company. Its said that Tokai sent over some of there top staff to set up plants in China. I belive the first Rockinbetters were made by Tokai but then switched from Japan to China in the 80s I'm not really up on these things, but does anyone know if they've actually initiated legal proceedings against another company? I know the Hipshot dispute was (is) quite long running, but I don't think that even then any papers were served. Still, they've had a trademark on their headstock for a year now, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they go after companies that can afford to get lawyers to write back and wouldn't be surprised if there had already been some communication. Ebay/Gumtree just roll over on any Vero request, so again it's something easy to initiate. It's far easier to go after the small time importers who are essentially one man operations and threaten them with legal action they could ill afford to even get to the preliminary stages. Sure, they can compel companies to reveal their suppliers but that costs money. How do the manufacturers of the Rockinbetters avoid the legal grief that threatens nearly all manufacturers, sellers or even owners of basses that look like that, especially given that the brand name is so clearly designed to reinforce the link?Īt a guess, I'd imagine it's as hard for the IP holders to find the origin of the Rockinbetters as it is for us. However don't be swayed by the Tokai name and don't expect the quality of a MIJ Tokai because it's not there. If you like it and the price is reasonable then buy it. I do believe though that the price of the Rockinbetters has become overinflated due to the Tokai name. But the supposed connection to Tokai is tenuous to say the least and there is no actual proof other than the word of those who have a vested interest in selling them. Of course that doesn't necessarily make the Rockinbetter basses bad instruments. I have never seen a Rickenbacker bass copy with the Tokai name on it. I have a Tokai Japanese catalogue from 2001 that features 3 such instruments. You can still get MIJ Tokais but expect them to come with 4 figure + price tags by the time they reach the UK.īTW Tokai has not had a problem with making Tokai branded Rickenbacker copies in the past. The current MIK and MIC Tokais are probably a cut above most of the instruments from those countries with other branding, but they are not of the same standard as the classic Tokais from the 80s upon which the reputation of the Tokai brand has been built. However the real quality that is associated with Tokai instruments is from those made in Japan. IMO the association between Tokai and Rockinbetter is a myth perpetuated by the internet and the importers of Rockinbetters in an attempt to give the instruments some added kudos. Someone is paying them to make Rockinbetter basses but it's almost definitely not Tokai. They build to different standards as specified for anyone who will pay them. That's how the big instrument building factories in the Far East work. It may well be that the Rockinbetter basses are built in the same Chinese factory that also builds some Tokai branded instruments, but unless they were commissioned by Tokai in Japan and built to Tokai's specifications all it means is that they come from the same factory. What makes these instruments Tokais apart from the the name on the headstock is not the factory that they were built in but the specifications and QC that they are built to. The problem is that Tokai no longer make all their own instruments in Japan but outsource to Korea and China for the cheaper end of their ranges. IMO it's safest to say that unless the word "Tokai" actually appears on the instrument somewhere it's not a Tokai.