DavidE Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Anybody interested in this? I'll probably keep the neck (Allparts, just sprayed with nitro, vintage logo, locking tuners and roller nut). I'd prefer to sell the body with parts, but would consider selling the entire thing. I don't think I'd sell the neck alone unless the offer were substantial.
serial Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 What year is the body? I take it you don't have the neck from that.
DavidE Posted August 21, 2007 Author Posted August 21, 2007 What year is the body? I take it you don't have the neck from that.Is there a place on the body I could look for a date? I never had the original neck.Here's about all the information I really have from the person I bought it from:"The pick ups are the grey felt bottom 80's Tokai pick ups, the last of the "good ones". They do not have a letter on them, but they still sound nice - very Straty."I'll take it apart and see what I can find out.
luiss Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 David you have to lift pickguard and see cavities pickups for any inscription.Check how many pieces is body made.If finish is original then it would be a special colour(if metallic or natural).Also let me know what it say on saddles to try to date it....Regarding pickups if original they must have a letter and knowing the letter we can know the model....For example a TST-80model would be 1 piece body with "E" Dimarzio made pickups and laquer finish....
DavidE Posted August 21, 2007 Author Posted August 21, 2007 David you have to lift pickguard and see cavities pickups for any inscription.Check how many pieces is body made.If finish is original then it would be a special colour(if metallic or natural).Also let me know what it say on saddles to try to date it....Regarding pickups if original they must have a letter and knowing the letter we can know the model....For example a TST-80model would be 1 piece body with "E" Dimarzio made pickups and laquer finish....I'll take it apart and see what I find! The saddles were replaced with Fenders along the way (might be a Fender bridge, but I don't know).Thanks for the help with the id process. I do think the mint green guard is a later add on. The pickups are supposed to be felt bottom with no letter.
serial Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 The 80s Tokais that I had were nice guitars. The bridge saddles on mine read "FINAL" and "Pro Spec" rather than "FENDER" and Pat. Pend."
DavidE Posted August 22, 2007 Author Posted August 22, 2007 Well, I'm stumped. The guy I bought it from said the body has the original finish from Tokai. There are no markings in the guitar cavities. I think the pickguard was added later. The pickups do have the felt bottoms. The bridge has a large block attached with 3 screws. 5 springs. David you have to lift pickguard and see cavities pickups for any inscription.Check how many pieces is body made.If finish is original then it would be a special colour(if metallic or natural).Also let me know what it say on saddles to try to date it.... Regarding pickups if original they must have a letter and knowing the letter we can know the model.... For example a TST-80model would be 1 piece body with "E" Dimarzio made pickups and laquer finish.... It's difficult to tell with the finish, but it looks like a one piece body to me. I found some early 80's Goldstar Tokai's with the same color body.
DavidE Posted August 22, 2007 Author Posted August 22, 2007 I found a Tokai site. There seem to be plenty of metallic red Tokai guitars from the early 80's out there. The pickups in mine look the same as the others, but without the letter stamp. The inertia block whammy appears to be right but the saddles were changed. I'm guessing that the pots and switch are not original.
kenjones Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 I don't see a lot that makes it appear to be a Tokai. The whammy block should say "Made in Japan" on the bottom. All 80's Tokai pickups I have seen have either an "E" or "U' on the bottom. The pots DO appear to be 80's MIJ. A Tokai pickguard would not have shielding. My guess is that the body might not be a Tokai and is probably a refin. I have a lot (a LOT) of experience with Tokai-made Robin guitars (basically the ST-50, ST-80, ST-100 with a different headstock) and the Tokai metallic finishes are MUCH smoother in the pickup routes and the neck pocket doesn't have the screw holes and the weird unfinished rectangle. In fact, the neck pockets never show any bare wood. 80's Tokai necks were always 21 fret. Your guitar's neck pocket has been elongated to accommodate a 22 fret neck (see the bare wood next to the neck pickup). Also - one of the pickup routes or the neck pocket will have a finish code stamp - such as "MR" for metallic red. Here's a page from the first Robin catalog that utilizes Tokai's color coding:
DavidE Posted August 22, 2007 Author Posted August 22, 2007 I posted the photos on the Tokai Forum and sent an email to the guy I bought it from.The pickups look the same as the letter stamped ones (felt bottoms and all) but without the letters.
luiss Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 David,I had those pickups in an AST-56 US market headstock.Aas far I bought the guitar used I cannot be 100% sure if originals.Tokai pickups had letters in the botton V, U,E...but C.A.R.(California accurate reproduction pickups 85/86 and later came in AST-56 and AST-62s US market models but those may have CAR ,not sure).Maybe serial would help here checking on his AST-62 and compare to yours...Electronics are from a MIJ guitar surely.Saddles not original but it´s very clear as far as it says Fender on it(maybe from any F. Japan either Squier either A or E series?)....It could be a mix of parts from several japanese guitars?It has some Fernandes The Revival series vibe to me,I´ve seen some RST in metallic red finish and I recall Fernandes reached US in more quantities before the lawusit affair...Tokai usually write some letters on the body and numbers that could be a production number.....If a metallic red it would be a 55,65,etc... as far metallic and natural are custom order finish.ST-55 would have a 2/3 pieces body however.I just saw your post on Tokaiforum,contact Peter Mac he is the expert there and a great guy.
serial Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Maybe it's a Revelator! No, can't be-the finish is too nice-not enough orange peel or rough spots...
kizanski Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Maybe it's a Revelator! No, can't be-the finish is too nice-not enough orange peel or rough spots...Ouch!
DavidE Posted August 22, 2007 Author Posted August 22, 2007 What's a revelator?I got back in touch with the guy I got the guitar from. He bought it used in a store with the original Tokai neck, neck plate etc... He replaced the neck/neck plate, saddles and pickguard.
cmatthes Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 rev·e·la·tor [rev-uh-ley-ter] – (noun) a person who makes a revelation. Billybob was pissed when a revelator informed him that he paid too much money after waiting six months for a poorly-finished, slapped together Allparts kit guitar with Japanese parts.As far as the Tokai coming in a Metallic/Candy Apple red, that was a stock finish, per my Tokai book. Several pics in there of original series and one of a later AST-56.
DavidE Posted August 22, 2007 Author Posted August 22, 2007 Here's the thread on the Tokai forum. http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9031
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