Hallo, Newbie with a Tokai Strat, and questions

Hi to all, and Merry Christmas!!!

I just joined the club and bought myself a Tokai Strat. From reading the posts here, i gather my guitar is a 7okai Springy Sound. I would like to know more about my guitar, though.... what approximate year or date it was made, which specific model, what the ink stampings stand for, etc.

Here are the specs:

Body/Finish: 2 or 3 piece, Ash, looks to be 3 tone sunburst

Neck: Maple neck, with a maple fingerboard, black dot inlays (plastic?), skunkstripe at back of neck, black sidedot inlays; fingerboard has "55" stamped at the end

Pickguard: 3 ply black (thats black-white-black), 11 screws; the part of the pickguard where the potentiometers are attached has shielding

Pickup covers and knobs: Aged Cream covers and knobs

Pickups and Electronics: "U" stamped on pickups, 5 way pickup selector switch; black and white wires on pickups, with some yellow wires

Back/Neck Plate: with number "8003383" stamped; 4 screws

Machineheads: Kluson-style 6 in line, stamped with "TOKAI"

Tremolo: Vintage style, 6 screw block trem, saddles stamped with "TOKAI", block seen from rear stamped with "MADE IN JAPAN"

Ink Stampings/other stampings:
Body Route: inside the cavities for pickups, the figures "ST-50" in the neck pickup cavity, and "10=10 YS" in the middle pickup cavity

Neck Cavity: "ST 50"

Neck: below the truss rod hole, "6=172"

Fingerboard: "55"

Pickups: "U"

Machineheads: "TOKAI"

Trem Saddles: "TOKAI"

Logo at headstock: "7okai SPRINGY SOUND", "THIS IS THE EXACT REPLICA OF THE GOOD OLD STRAT", "Oldies BUT Goldies"

Tremolo Block (at back): "MADE IN JAPAN"

Well, that's about it.... Hope you guys can enlighten me about this guitar.... what model is it? what do the ink stampings indicate?

Thanks, this is a great forum!!!! 8) 8) 8)

Chum

ps. how do i post pics? what size, etc... thanks again

Here are a few pics:
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy1.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy2.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy3.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy4.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy6.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy7.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy8.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy9.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r25/Chumpogi/TokaiSpringy10.jpg

As you can see from the pics, the fingerboard is stamped "55", while the neck cavity and neck pickup body cavity is stamped "ST 50". Which model do i have, the ST 50 or the ST 55? a little confusing.....

Another question: is the pickguard and pickup cover configuration stock/normal, ie. black pickguard and white/cream pickup covers? From what i've read so far in the posts, the usual is a white pickguard with white or cream pick up covers, or black pickguard and black pickup covers....

Hope someone can enlighten me..... Thanks!!!

Chum

YS= colour code for Yellow Sunburst / 3 tone sunburst

Having ST-50 on the body and 55 stamped on the end of the neck is a little strange.

The number signifies the list price of the guitar when new, ST50 = 50,000 Yen when your guitar was new.

The true meaning of the marks 9=12 on the Strat copies has not been truely identified beyond all doubt.

Here on the registry we believe they are production markings and look to see that the marks on the body and neck match. However in your guitars case they don't, but they both indicate the manufacturer to definately be Tokai.

The guitar looks, in my opinion to be pre '84

Serial numbers on the Strat copies can be misleading. You have to go off the headstock shape and the tremolo system. The Tokai stamps on the Tuners and Tremolo saddles definately point to a true Springy Sound of around 1980.

I'd have to venture and say the neck is not the original neck-with the 6=1 on the Butt-
10=10 YS is on the body -Nice looking AXE though

chrisheyes said:

The true meaning of the marks 9=12 on the Strat copies has not been truely identified beyond all doubt.

Click to expand...

These are production schedules: 4 = 3 for example means: The third bulk/ charge of guitars in the month April. In the past I was meaning that would be matching codes. To match and fit the correct neck ino the neck pocket of the body. I met two month ago the president of Tokai. I told him my meaning. He was loughing and said: "Oh no, instead of Fender ... our tool machines were working very correct in the eighties. There were no need to use match codes"

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the informative replys, guys....

Going by what you said, togps, the markings on my strat's body should mean it was made in October (that's 10=10, or October, batch 10, something like that eh?)..... And pre 1984.....

chrisheyes, is it standard that the markings on the neck should always match the markings on the body or neck cavity? or are there guitars out there similar to mine, ie., the neck markings and the body markings do not match?

Anyway, I'm loving this guitar right now.... To tell you guys the truth, my Fender American Standard just looks downright PLAIN when i stand the guitars side by side..... I seldom pick up the Fender now, and that was my main "go to" axe before i got this Springy..... 8)

I'd love to hear from the other guys in this forum....

Thanks, and A Happy New Year to you all!!!

Chum

togps said:

chrisheyes said:

The true meaning of the marks 9=12 on the Strat copies has not been truely identified beyond all doubt.

Click to expand...

These are production schedules: 4 = 3 for example means: The third bulk/ charge of guitars in the month April. In the past I was meaning that would be matching codes. To match and fit the correct neck ino the neck pocket of the body. I met two month ago the president of Tokai. I told him my meaning. He was loughing and said: "Oh no, instead of Fender ... our tool machines were working very correct in the eighties. There were no need to use match codes"

Hope that helps.

Click to expand...

I'm even more confused now togps ! - it doesn't take much :-?



On a Tokai should the end of the marks on the end of the neck and those in the neck pickup cavity match to signify they were both made at the same time. For example 12=4 neck and 10=4 neck pickup cavity would signify both the neck and body were made in April ?

Batch numbers and months could be slightly out of sync, but 6=1 and 10=10 would indicate the guitar and body came from separate guitars. Is that what you would conclude too as the body has ST-50 and the Neck ST-55 topgs ?

chrisheyes said:

[ For example 12=4 neck and 10=4 neck pickup cavity would signify both the neck and body were made in April ?

Click to expand...

No!
First No. is the month
Second No is the production batch No.
Very simple

The number on the body (either control cavity or neck pickup cavity) should match the neck butt number- if they don't match they are from 2 seperate fiddles.

No ochay.
Read my first posting in this thread

Ok
so i f i get it right, my springy sound sounds that has 1=3 marking on the body would be standing for the third batch of january????

Yep

hehehe good
thanks togps
i sent you my email in PM byt the way

togps said:

chrisheyes said:

[ For example 12=4 neck and 10=4 neck pickup cavity would signify both the neck and body were made in April ?

Click to expand...

No!
First No. is the month
Second No is the production batch No.
Very simple

Click to expand...

Very simple - just like me :roll:

Thank you for your patience togps

oh and by the way
Is this system can be applied for every years of production??? (from early 79 to today)

Thanks a lot for all of your replies, guys....

Just reading through all the posts on this forum is like going to graduate school, i have learned a lot, and i now have a greater appreciation for all things Tokai.....

I'm enjoying my Springy so much these days, what a guitar!!!! My Fender seldom gets played now, i just love the sound of the Springy..... not to mention the playability.... and the visual appeal as well......

I can't wait to get either a Breezysound or a Love Rock.....

Cheers!!! 8) 8) 8)

Chum

Nimrod- you are wrong -
For the most part I don't even bother trying to educate people.

All of the Tokai GoldStar Sounds (37) I have had --
have been pre 1884- Pre Tokai Registry !!!!
(1/2 of those bought from the original Japanese owners)
I have bought a couple springys and wasn't impressed at all so I stuck to the Goldstars

no way
to reason with some people.

I have met too many "experts" that look at pictures and think they
know more than the people
who have owned many of them rather then dreamed they have or will.
Point being>>>>>
On all of the early eighties Goldstars I have had taken apart and photo'd ALL of the original Tokai Goldstar Neck butts and bodies have matching marks- ie:
Neck Butt #always matches either the Neck P-up Cavity # or the Control Cavity #

you are definitely full of Alder ashes again !!!!
Oracle my ash body>>>More like Mr Anderson I believe