Tokai '57 basses - APB/TPB difference? Good?

All the Tokai basses I have played were great instrument's. Many were built better then the Fender's of those years.

 

Welcome to the forum!

I can't tell you the difference between APB/TPB is although I've owned a number of Tokais during the 80s and 90s and hold them in very high regard. The general feel of the instrument is as close as you'll get to "the real deal" without taking the AVRI route. I ended up swapping PUs on most of mine - both guitars and basses - but that's really a matter of personal preference. They didn't sound bad at all with stock pickups, it was just me looking for a particular sound at the time.

Tokais are not all that often seen nowadays, and I've seen some "brave" pricing...

Bottom line is that if you can find one in good shape, go for it, presuming that it's reasonably priced.

My $0.02 only...

 

I certainly hope that you end up grabbing it, and that the bass ends up serving you well in return. Do keep us posted.