Dating a Tokai TST-62

[AppleScrappler]

I just bought a TST 62 from the music store i work in. it was one of the "junk guitars" we used for teaching. i bought it for $180 (which i think is an incredible deal). i had been using it on and off to teach for a year and was amazed by the playability and the incredible vintage strat tone. i'd like to find out what year it was manufactured so here's a list of distinguishable features based on what other people in the forums have listed:

the headstock is the altered kind that looks less like the strat and has TST 62 written on it and Tokai is spelled with the "backward F" T - not the newer one that looked less like the Fender "F"

the tuners are the dulled gray style (as opposed to the shiny chrome) and are stamped with "Deluxe" and are slotted

neck has no stripe down the back

bridge saddles are stamped with "final prospec"

serial # is 13017 and is printed on neck plate

not sure of the pickups... they appear to be stock and are gray under the covers but i have yet to check em for markings

that's all i have to list at the moment. any help is much appreciated.

ALSO the tremolo bar is missing and i want to get a new one - will any fender strat bar do? thanks

 

[javelin70]

I'm not sure about this but it seems like Tokai used that logo in 1984 on the TST-56 and 62 models. The following year they looked like this and were called AST-56/62:

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/tokai_85-86_electric_p3.jpg

The A stands for American and ST is for stratocaster. The "pointy" headstock was initially used on the models intended for the american market to avoid problems with Fender. Some time in the 90's Tokai started using that headstock on all strat style guitars.

To me it seems like the TST/AST-56/62 have specs similar to the TST-60 model sold in the rest of the world. In the 85/86 catalog the specs say that the AST-56/62 have 2-piece bodies. AST-56 also has a V-shaped neck and that was only used for mapleneck TST-60 and better models, TST-50 had a U-shaped neck. Also, the TST-50 had both 2- and 3-piece bodies.

Mike

 

[slowpenguin]

I wish I could find a " junk guitar " like that!
Congrats!!

 

[AppleScrappler]

thanks for the input! i figured it was made around that time but i just needed some other input. any idea where the tst 62 stands as far as quality goes? like was it one of their high end or low end models?

also, still wondering about that whammy bar

thanks

 

[javelin70]

thanks for the input! i figured it was made around that time but i just needed some other input. any idea where the tst 62 stands as far as quality goes? like was it one of their high end or low end models?

also, still wondering about that whammy bar

thanks

The whammy bar should be the same as Fender uses, thread size 10/32".

In 1984 and 1985 I can only find information about TST-40/50/55/60 and 80 (and also AST-40/56/62 of course). Earlier there were more expensive models like ST-100 and 120 for example. TST/AST-56/62 should be comparable to the TST-60 model if you look at the specs. TST-50 must have been the biggest seller because most of the s/h Goldstars are TST-50's.

Mike

 

[Amino Moore]

Hi Applescrapper,

It seems you and I have similar questions (see my post in the Tokai Guitar forum) I have owned my Tokai strat for around 18 years but only recently discovered this forum. It is truly an amazing instrument.

I have read here on the forum that the AST or TST 56/62 models did not follow the same formula as the others and that they were named for the actual Fender guitar they were modeled after.

Can anyone clarify this?