I started to get into music in 1978. Black Sabbath etc. I really liked Randy Rhoads but I also loved what Bernie Torme did and i wanted a white strat like his. He has 2 1962 polar white strats with rosewood necks. So I had some money to buy my first proper guitar. This was around the time I became aware of the first Squires. I had 200 quid so I was looking for the best white strat i could find with my mate in the Glasgow guitar shops.
I spotted a white Squire that was 189 quid but we also spied a candy apple red tokai for 199. As the white one was a 'fender' and 10 quid cheaper I went for the Squire. I regret to this day that i did not buy that one and I don't even want to think about the fact that it may have come with a hard vintage case! It had a rosewood neck and a matching red headstock - can't remember if it was a springy or goldie but it was 1984.
The kicker is that i bought the squire and really had made a mistake as it had a maple neck and a 70's large headstock so not really a Bernie Torme look-a-like. don't get me wrong a nice guitar which i resold for the same money a few years later to a friend.
So I came into some more money a while later and a guy that worked in Sound control in Paisley offered me his Tokai with a case for 140 quid which was a good deal. It was in reasonable nick and had been giged extensively hence the fret wear but in pretty good shape. it was one of the first one's they got in the glasgow shop was all he told me but no idea of when - however it is a goldie - pictures below including the warranty card:
a few more to come later
I am also not sure about the saddles as there was a craze from brass saddles and nuts in those days however i do recall seeing one onther picture on this forum of another with similar saddles and i swear I have an old catalogue with Tokai's eddie van halen paint job with one humbucker and these brass saddles (or was I just drinking too much?)
The guy also cut out the back access plate to make string changing easier live - hey other companies have since done this so he was ahead of his time.
Note that the guitar serial number does not match the L03665 serial number on the warranty - is this correct and is it an ST-50?
i must give it a clean and new strings, it looks like a heap next to some of the shiney photos you guys post! I will do this and photograph under the scratchplate etc.
There is an ironic ending to the story....
I spotted a white Squire that was 189 quid but we also spied a candy apple red tokai for 199. As the white one was a 'fender' and 10 quid cheaper I went for the Squire. I regret to this day that i did not buy that one and I don't even want to think about the fact that it may have come with a hard vintage case! It had a rosewood neck and a matching red headstock - can't remember if it was a springy or goldie but it was 1984.
The kicker is that i bought the squire and really had made a mistake as it had a maple neck and a 70's large headstock so not really a Bernie Torme look-a-like. don't get me wrong a nice guitar which i resold for the same money a few years later to a friend.
So I came into some more money a while later and a guy that worked in Sound control in Paisley offered me his Tokai with a case for 140 quid which was a good deal. It was in reasonable nick and had been giged extensively hence the fret wear but in pretty good shape. it was one of the first one's they got in the glasgow shop was all he told me but no idea of when - however it is a goldie - pictures below including the warranty card:
a few more to come later
I am also not sure about the saddles as there was a craze from brass saddles and nuts in those days however i do recall seeing one onther picture on this forum of another with similar saddles and i swear I have an old catalogue with Tokai's eddie van halen paint job with one humbucker and these brass saddles (or was I just drinking too much?)
The guy also cut out the back access plate to make string changing easier live - hey other companies have since done this so he was ahead of his time.
Note that the guitar serial number does not match the L03665 serial number on the warranty - is this correct and is it an ST-50?
i must give it a clean and new strings, it looks like a heap next to some of the shiney photos you guys post! I will do this and photograph under the scratchplate etc.
There is an ironic ending to the story....
