Tokai Stratocaster

Hello,

I'm new to the entire lawsuit guitar thing, but I was just wondering what the difference is among the silver star, gold star, and springy sound. Obviously they have different places of origin and ages, but more specifically quality-wise. To a collector, what would be the most desirable? Also how do the 80's Tokais go up against the 80's MIJ Squiers?

Hey Pathos, welcome to this forum, I have to say I had cold welcome people from this forum as I had absolute no replies to my question, so I won't do that to you :wink:

First of all, Tokai had to change their specification (around?) 1983 as Fender sued and Tokai came to result that they changed to "law-suited guitar". Hence people say earlier (guitars with fender spaghetti logo) one is better, although I cannot compare them at the moment...

Springy, Gold star is replica of 50s, 60s type and Silver star is 70s replica, although TST is not sold in outside of Japan.

For the view of collectors, I think you should concern about grade of guitar as well as law-suited stuff; higher the number, better grade, for example TST 120 was sold 120,000 Yen in Japan. I am player and not collector, but I think late 70s TST 80-120 is most collectable, as I have never seen them...

I also think Tokai is A LOT better than J, Squire, if you are desparate to collect the official Fender Japan guitars, I think you should look at JV one, but I still think Tokai st is better than Fender J, JV.


I hope this answers to your question, I might be wrong, let me know if I am, good luck!

there are very good Fender Japan guitars , but Squire are often sold for very little in Japan, even the early ones. If you see a Fender Japan ExTrad buy it. I have a strat and it is a great guitar. I also have a FJ 40th anniversary strat, not the foto flame version, which is also an outstanding strat. Sometimes custom ordered guitars can be found used, I have another strat with IKEBE stamped in the neck pocket along with "custom order" and it just may be the best sounding strat I have. My Tokai is real nice too, and I sent a mail to the company to try to get some info and was told it appears that it was not a regular production model. So, I think there are great MIJ`s, some Tokais included. keep looking.

I've recently bought a MIJ Squire made around 93-94 that is one of the best Strat type guitar i've ever owned - amazing amazing tone/playability - it's an odd varient - early fifties slim lightweight body - not plywood and according to Squiregate it should be. Plays like a dream. On the other one of the worst guitars I've owned in the past was a Tokai Springysound - one of the eighties large square decals on the headstock - sparkle red body and maple neck - well put together but no tone at all - weak pickups and average playibility. Tokai's weren't collectable at the time and I probably swapped it for a fuzz box or something. My first Tokai Goldstar now that was a very different guitar and thus ever since i've always stuck to looking for/buying these and so far have never been disapointed.

Hi Pathos,

as far i know the springysounds are replicas of the 50's or 60's pre-CBS style strats..the silverstar sounds copies of the 70's CBS style of strat...goldstar sounds seem to be the same quality as springysounds but came out post-83... i think that around 85-86 the headstock shape changed? ..these are deemed less collectable, whether or not they are less good i don't know!...certainly the not-MIJ ones have a poorer reputation. I have an '84 goldstarsound MIJ and the neck/playability/resonance is incredible...i hope to aquire a springy soon so i can compare! (fingers crossed!!) ...something to bear in mind is that all guitars of the same model/year etc, even if they're made well, can vary enormously...you can get freak pieces of wood that sound amazing ...and some that choke and sound terrible. Makes you think...by the law of averages there must be some really terrible real 50's fender strats out there! (although they'll still be worth a fortune and owned by dentists!). :-?