Tokai mystery?

[lelbourne]

I picked it up this guitar inexpensively, but as you can see there is no brand and no serial number. The only clue are the words 'Made in Japan' on the neckplate and the bridge.

I'm aware that there were many strat copies made in the 80s in Japan under relatively unknown names, however none that I've looked at have the exact same features as this one, and I've not seen this paint colour (Indigo blue?) On any guitar from the period. The tuning heads have been replaced (a slightly shoddy job) but the rest of it seems like it could be original. It plays pretty well otherwise.

I have been advised that it has many of the characteristics of a Tokai silver star in metallic blue. Can anyone confirm or deny it?


Thank you!

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

The body features are not recognizable on that one image. What we can see is the headstock shape and glue seam, the truss rod bullet and the neck plate and nothing of that points to Tokai in any way. The strangely long, deep under the nut truss rod bullet and slightly off HS outline can be found e.g. on "Tomson" guitars from the Nikkoh mail order shop and a gazillion of budget export guitars from the same (IMO not safely identifiable) factory.

Here's a thread with many pictures to compare:

https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/silver-star-gallery.26058/

 

[Sigmania]

Yeah. Nothing is saying Tokai to me either.

It's a 4 bolt neck, so that would be an SS60 if it were a Tokai, and this does not look like an SS60.

See here for comparison:

Maple Laminated Fretboard Models

Can you post more detailed pictures showing the body cavities and any marks there as well as the underside of the pickups? And if you take the neck off, photograph the butt of the neck and neck cavity. Those pictures will help a lot. Thanks.

 

[lelbourne]

 

[Voidoid56]

I agreee, nothing suggests a Tokai-made guitar.
I initially had it down as a Kiso Suzuki build, the bullet nut/four-screw neck attachment combo is pretty typical. Also, the tuners points to a entry level guitar, which is the segment in which Kiso Suzuki operated with their brands (Suzuki, Oakland, Thunder, Flutter, Takeharu, possibly more). But some details are off: the deeply buried truss rod, the tuner grip shape and the Made In Japan text on the neck plate, it's invariably placed on the top third of the plate on KS builds. The bridge saddle is a standard subcontractor-made part, found in many MIJ Strats, especially in the 70's. Looks like the width is about 10 - 10,5 mm, right?

Kind of a tricky one, imo. More detail pics and inside shots would be helpful.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

I initially had it down as a Kiso Suzuki build

Crude HS shape and MIJ on lower third of neck plate would fit e.g. earlier Chushin but the ginormous rifle bullet not so much. We'll never know.