No Serial Number MIJ Goldstars, GS, & Breezys Guitars

[Sigmania]

This is an interesting period that seems to coincide with production of guitars for Fender.

The period of these examples with no serial numbers on MIJ Tokai STs ends definitively in late 2009 with date stamped examlpes that dovetail into the first examples with inked serial numbers at the end of 2009, having date stamps in the neck pocket.

One type has all caps "MADE IN JAPAN" and is very similar to the 2003 AST50. Truss rod adjustment at the heel of the neck.

All Caps "MADE IN JAPAN" No Serial Guitars

The other type has upper and lower case "Made In Japan" and dovetails into the resumption of serial numbers in 2009. The truss rod adjustment often at the headstock on AST and at the heel on TST.

Upper And Lower Case "Made In Japan" No Serial Guitars

Headstocks are both TST and AST, TTE and ATE.

 

[Sigmania]

No serial number.

Date stamped neck pocket:

'09 9.17 (Sept 17, 2009)
'09 9.24 (Sept 24, 2009)

Tokai Goldstar Sound"1965 Stratocaster" 3 Tone Sunburst, Alder Body,The best Strat You'll ever Play | Reverb

 

[Sigmania]

Same guitar as above.

No serial number.

Date stamped.

'09 9.17 (Sept 17, 2009)
'09 9.24 (Sept 24, 2009)

Seems very Fujigen like.

Description

Hey now! You're looking at a super cool guitar.
This is a 2009 Tokai Japan Goldstar Sound Sunburst Guitar.
It weighs 7 lbs 12 oz. 25.5" scale, 1.69" nut width.
Tokai is well known for their attention to detail and quality workmanship.
This Goldstar Sound Strat is nothing short of awesome.
Alder body, maple neck, rosewood board.
Bathed in a beautiful 3-tone sunburst finish.
The pickups grab up this excellent Strat tone and you'd swear you're playing a Fender.
Shimmering chords, excellent note articulation.
It's in next to mint condition as you can see in all the photos.
Just setup - the neck is straight, the frets are clean, and the action is set to just about 3/32" at the 12th fret.
It includes the Fender G&G case you see in the photos.
This is a great opportunity to get your hands on a great playing Strat for the price you want.
Thanks for looking!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/374321545832?hash=item57274d8268:g:U6YAAOSwubpjK8kL&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoKq1ysiU0uWqT21QUf05g70hUQbBOeK8shvbZlj3LYFXuIa+HAaRVIvXT8EzCEyaYclZN02MdfA6Kst1v2rqf1Rc0LkiuiCXggoJ4pCWQCo8IrgoKwEJZWIdmIHJu7GzxsT+QLzJZ6pWD6ZveOW6bNw+WNHcvraOCX7r3pbIEOJEoNBMV3M0oyafySKabV0rhz/o1zvfaJsK7D64bufHKnY=|tkp:Bk9SR_KvpvSeYQ

 

[Sigmania]

This guitar was modded a great deal under the hood, but the basic bones are there to help with this story.

Note the slab board and 1 piece sen body.

https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/193291/sold-tokai-goldstar-sound-mij-strat-with-upgrades

 

[Sigmania]

2014 discussion on Strat - 7alk forum.

I can't tell if his Breezy was MIJ or not, but overall discussion is interesting re: Fujigen & Fender.

stratman323:

".... As far as I can make out, Tokai made some of the Fender Japan guitars for a period of about 10 years, ending some time around 2007/8. Around 2010 MIJ Tokais with the Fender headstock shape started appearing for sale on a couple of internet sites in the UK. My assumption at the time was that Tokai had assembled them from parts left over from the Fender Japan contract & just re-badged them. But they still seem to be around, so my theory seems to be incorrect. I did wonder if they were going to be a limited batch, & therefore quite rare, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I bought a Breezy TE50 from Rockem on eBay in 2010. It doesn't have a serial number, & none of the others I have seen did either. So the serial number on this guitar is a mystery to me. Mine has what seems to be a 3 piece ash body, beautifully joined. My assumption was that the two colour SB body came from one of the MIJ 50s Teles, with the neck from a 60s Tele. That assumption now seems to have been incorrect."

2009 Tokai Goldstar Sound strat, is this one a rarity?

and

Tokai club

 

[Sigmania]

No serial number and "MADE IN JAPAN" in all capital letters.

Does anyone know when this was made??

https://reverb.com/item/15819255-tokai-goldstar-sound-strat-1980-s-daphne-blue

Same guitar on G Base

https://www.gbase.com/gear/tokai-goldstar-sound-1985-seafoam-green

 

[Sigmania]

Adding a Breezy

Tokai Telecaster Breezysound ATE-55 Japan + hard case | Reverb

 

[Sigmania]

Note that some say "MADE IN JAPAN" in all caps and some are mixed upper and lower case "Made In Japan".

 

[Sigmania]

Here's another one and it's date stamped.

'09.6.22
'09.6.29







Tokai AST Strat 2009 Japan , Lake Placid Blue | Reverb

 

[Sigmania]

Discussed a good bit.

All caps MADE IN JAPAN.

What did I buy?

Can you help me identify this one?

My Goldie as requested

 

[Sigmania]

This one looks like all caps "MADE IN JAPAN"

Tokai AST50 Goldstar Sound 2003 Two Tone Tobacco | Reverb

 

[Sigmania]

This guitar dates to after 2003 because of the ROHS approved ceramic pickups which seem to be original.

Wondering if this is a Korean build or Japanese??

Note tat the saddles in the bridge are stamped "TOKAI".

Tokai Goldstar Sound Stratocaster Strat Electric Guitar - Sunburst | eBay

 

[Sigmania]

Here is another very weird one with no serial number.

Help with identifying Tokai Strat with no serial?

Has a neck code, so looks to be Japanese.

Has a Talbo decal on the headstock, "Blazing Fire".

Truss rod adjustment at the butt of the neck.

That headstock shape I believe starts to after 2003? Truss rod adjustement at the headstock by 2009.

 

[Sigmania]

Help needed to identify a Tokai strat

Looks like this might be a circa 2003 AST50R.

Pickguard, pots and possibly pickupos replaced.

CTS pots have a date that looks like 2015 or 16, so definitely not original to this guitar.










Similar to the AST50R shown in the 2003 catalog.

 

[Sigmania]

Response from Tokai to another member inquiring about a GS100.

Note that the one I found on Reverb has the all caps "MADE IN JAPAN".

"Thanks for your inquiry to Tokai Gakki. GS models are out of production now. It was produced around 2008-2012. GS100 is not on the brochure. Please see GS100 on following URL, P.U. is Tokai original parts. The retail price is 73,500JPY at the time, the models are released for distributers in the world."



the guitar shop ザ　ギターショップ　東海楽器




USED - Tokai Goldstar Sound GS100 | Reverb

 

[Sigmania]

I found an R serial Fender that dates to the same period that I thought the all caps no serial Tokais date to with countersunk holes in the neck pocket.

Same sort of weak ink impression in the stamp in my opinion.

Fender CIJ R serial 2004 information required

 

[Sigmania]

Add a bass to the all caps, no serial, list.

AJB70 ?

Bass guitar electric bass etc. Model No. AJB70 TGS TOKAI _18943 | eBay

Flame top, slab board, 3 piece neck.

 

[Sigmania]

Here's an odd one.

Terrible and incomplete pics, but gives us some info.

Altered headstock.

No serial number

No MADE IN JAPAN stamp...

Likely from the late 90s or early 2000s with that combination and body stamp?


Help needed to identify Goldstar Sound Strat.

greengriff:

The headstock is an altered Fender shape and not an exact Fender shape. It has a single-ply white pickguard. There is no serial number anywhere on the guitar, nor a country of origin. It appears very well constructed.

Stripping the guitar reveals the neck end is inked with the numbers 11-11 and inside the neck pickup cavity a rectangular piece of finish has been removed and 'B11-11B' inked in. The body is basswood, the trem is a 6 screw vintage trem with a steel block and the electrics are three single coils with rod magnets and cheap looking pots and switch.

 

[Sigmania]

No serial number

I can't tell if there is a "Made In Japan" stamp.

Has SRV hang tag which are from 1986 I believe, but this guitar is likely newer than that. So May be unrelated.

These pots I see on Goldstars from the early 90s through the mid 2000s.

Countersunk holes disappear in the early 2000s I believe.

New member needs Tokai and Greco ID

Original post from 2014 says:


bukwas:

"The Strat if it's a real Tokai, looks like a 62 RI Swamp ash or ash body. Made in Japan on the pots but absolutely no serial number anywhere. It even came with the original hang tag of SRV still on the **** thing. Build great big beefy block, all cloth covered wire...but a mystery cuz I know fakes are out there. Story is I got it from the original owners brother that bought it on tour in the USA a long time ago."

and

"I don't know lol but I'm having fun trying to find out if there's was a sticker on the neck it's long gone and no evidence of it now at all. I don't know what the 7S or VS or 75, or even an upside down SL means,but it's on the neck pocket and under the neck pickup route on the body. Has those Gotoh tuners on the headstock as well? 62 RI was just my guess, but the body is solid swamp ash which puzzles me. Nice body but if its a fake, and who knows it could be, why would anyone use such nice materials and workmanship to fake a Tokai Strat copy? Anyway all of your responses are appreciated. It was sold with that SRV hang tag, but the odd thing I noticed is that the back plate hole aren't staggered like a Strat. The holes are even on both sides. Odd And if it's a Korean model would they have been using Japanese pups and cloth wiring and Japanese pots and selling it with an SRV hang tag after he died? Again thanks"