A little help please.

[Sigmania]

I don't think there was a 40 at that time. I believe it was called a TST50R OW.

R for rosewood
OW for the color, olympic white

 

[Guitargismo]

Oh I see, so my model is a TST50 OW?

 

[Sigmania]

That is my opinion. And a 1987 one to boot.

 

[Sigmania]

This from a different 1987 catalog:

 

[Sigmania]

Edit: See below

 

[Guitargismo]

Nice thanks a lot for the help

 

[Sigmania]

You're very welcome! And thank you for going through the trouble of taking it apart and photographing it. By doing that, you probably helped a lot of people in the future figure this stuff out.

As I said, this period is a big gray area and this contributes a lot.

Thanks!

 

[Guitargismo]

You're welcome

 

[bluejeannot]

Sorry folks but NO ST 50s were produced of ANY era were produced with ceramic pickups, a pot metal block and cheap tuners. This is NOT an ST 50.This is an ST 4O.

 

[bluejeannot]

TOKAI GOLDSTAR SOUND ST40 1984 STRATOCASTER VINTAGE WHITE STUNNING | #1773106285
Like this baby,only unmolested.

 

[bluejeannot]

https://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/tokai859.jpg ST 40 from the 85 catalogue but I am pretty certain the ST 40 was first issued in 84 as I remember seeing them in England at the same time that I bought my ST50.

 

[Sigmania]

You are right!

Just found this tiny pic in a 1987 catalog.

40 still offered in 1987.

 

[Guitargismo]

So it is a st40?

 

[Sigmania]

So it is a st40?

It’s called a TST at that time with the Fender headstock.

Those tuners were offered on their base models. Always on the 40 level Tokai STs.

Same with the ceramic pickups.

bluejeannot is right. They made a 40 level ST in 1987 and and on into he 90s it looks like.

 

[Sigmania]

So "Vintage Series" 1987 TST40 OW made in February.

 

[Guitargismo]

Nice thanks guys

 

[Sigmania]

Glad bluejeannot pointed that out. It forced me to dig more and I discovered some TST40s I had missed.

If you keep it, changing the pickups should help alot.

If you are selling it, I would let the next guy deal with it.

 

[Sigmania]

As for value, looks like this one was sold by member tokaiaustralia/mojo stompboxes:

1987 Tokai Japan TST-40 Goldstar Sound Stratocaster (Olympic White) | Reverb

"Made in Japan in early 1987, the Tokai TST-40 Goldstar Sound is an incredibly nice replica of an early 60's Fender Stratocaster. Basswood body with a C shape maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, it weighs 3.6kg's. Looks to be all original with ceramic pickup and full-sized pots, three-way pickup selector can be used as a five-way with a soft touch."