Fender numbering started in Feb 82, so the Jan guitars must have retained 81 serials! This *must* have had a decal swap, yet not an updated serial.
The neck plate could've been what was on top of the neck plates stack brought to the assembly station that day, maybe the L serial neck plates were only delivered/finished next day or something. What I found particularly interesting is the "Rock'n Roll fanatics" line though:
If I learned that correctly, this is the second version of the slogan under the logo, usually found underneath the script logo, superseding the "This is the replica..." line in
late 1982? If this is one of the 205 guitars, wouldn't that mean it was "converted" and returned to the wild later than the guitars with the "Strat" removed from the old slogan line? Too bad there were no headstock pics showing signs of a logo replacement.
It would make sense that the guitars that were caught up with customs in the UK and then went back to the factory for new decals would also get new serials.
What makes you think that, or do you have any insight that they got new serials? I mean, they are still the same guitars and not newly produced ones, so I'm thinking the "infamous 205" serials should all reflect that they were produced before May '82 and it looks like they do?
Unless...reading through the "lawsuit" thread again, are there any indications that these 205 guitars were released? What I can see is the June 8th reply from Justice Falconer and if I understood the legalese (probably not) right, it looks like Tokai did it formally wrong and was to try it again?
You know, maybe the reason I am seeing so many loaded on the front of the year (before July) is the seizure and lawsuit.... Wow.
That would make sense that it would stymie production.
The UK was the 2nd biggest market in the world at that time. We have only talk of an unknown number of "40 ft containers" of guitars sold in 75 stores and not real numbers but I guess sales must've been good for Tokai in the UK. That makes me wonder how much impact that lawsuit could've had, besides the "condemned 205" (which would've fit into a much smaller container) not going into stores for a while?
The reason why CBS/Arbiter became so proactive against Tokai just of all in spring '82 may have been the imminent introduction of Squiers in the UK, as the first country getting them outside of Japan (where they had been launched in April or May). That must have had an ongoing and increasing impact on Tokai orders from the UK stores (which were also intimidated by CBS/Arbiter) over the year, the changed logo probably disturbed potential UK buyers on top of that all, and of course they got offered an initially interesting alternative in addition to the important domestic market suddenly having "real Fenders" at prices competing with Tokai.
Luckily (for Tokai) Fender changed their mind by 1983 and sent (now worldwide) somewhat less attractive Squier guitars into the stores.
