As there has been much talk on neck/body codes again in recent threads, I thought it may be better to debate again /update our findings in a fresh post.
For me Peter Mac's dating theory is the most logical:
" My number theory is based on MM = DD (month = day) due to the fact that i have never seen the 1st number higher than 12 and the 2nd number I have seen up to 28" http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=15999&highlight=codes " The important thing is not just the serial# but also the stamps to determine when the guitar was made. I have catalogued over 1200 Tokai codes and in all these the first number has never exceeded 12 - so i would say it is a Month.The second number has never exceeded 27 so this could be Day" http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9982&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=codes&start=15
Since Peter's post, I purchased a Goldstar which has the second number as 30 Cavity code 6.30 OR Z picture shown page 2 of http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=19526 from this thread Iain Black and Tom (Mirrorboy) posted today:
My guess on the X and Z markings would be the 'production line' number. Surely one of the guys who used to stamp them can tell us why? anyone got access to ex employees?
The only reference to the X and Z markings was a post some years ago by Peter Mac. He wrote to say that the Z simply described an export model
For me Peter Mac's dating theory is the most logical:
" My number theory is based on MM = DD (month = day) due to the fact that i have never seen the 1st number higher than 12 and the 2nd number I have seen up to 28" http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=15999&highlight=codes " The important thing is not just the serial# but also the stamps to determine when the guitar was made. I have catalogued over 1200 Tokai codes and in all these the first number has never exceeded 12 - so i would say it is a Month.The second number has never exceeded 27 so this could be Day" http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9982&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=codes&start=15
Since Peter's post, I purchased a Goldstar which has the second number as 30 Cavity code 6.30 OR Z picture shown page 2 of http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=19526 from this thread Iain Black and Tom (Mirrorboy) posted today:
My guess on the X and Z markings would be the 'production line' number. Surely one of the guys who used to stamp them can tell us why? anyone got access to ex employees?
The only reference to the X and Z markings was a post some years ago by Peter Mac. He wrote to say that the Z simply described an export model