Is this Tokai ST40 1984, a genuine one?

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botski

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Hi,

I'd just like to ask for your opinions regarding this tokai that I acquired last February. Is it really made around 1984? Here are a couple of pics for your reference, and by the way, its serial number is 223346:

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The saddles have been replaced by wilkinson's before I got it. i did change its pickups to Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials, and it has been beating my Fender Highway One Strat Since!

I changed the capacitor and the switch too:

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It has a cast (zinc) tremolo bridge/block however, I'm still contemplating whether if i will upgrade it to a callaham block or just change the saddles and springs with Rawvintage. :)
 
Yes I think it's genuine, definitely mid-80's. I doubt if there is much to gain by changing trem block and saddles. Does it sustain reasonably well already?
 
Yeah, tuners would be trapezoidal for ST40 but these look different at the back - photo angle? also scratchplate is 3 ply with maple neck, usually an 8 hole single ply?
 
I'm sure those tuners are original as I've only seen those D-shaped tuners on TST40/45 Goldstars.
 
mirrorboy said:
Yes I think it's genuine, definitely mid-80's. I doubt if there is much to gain by changing trem block and saddles. Does it sustain reasonably well already?

yes i think so.. in fact it even resonates much better than the fender highway one with nitro finish! :)
 
@iainblack

no, it's not completely trapezoidal like those tuners on new Squiers. I've seen similar tuners on other ST40s. It's D-shaped as mirroboy said. :)

anyway, the low-E tuner is loose so i've purchased gotoh vintage tuners from warmoth and i plan to have it installed by a known luthier here in the philippines. I've also bought an unbleached bone nut and 6105 frets to go with it.. :)
 
BTW, thanks guys for the replies. :D

I have another question. About the neck shape, does st40 comes with C-shaped or U-shaped neck? I have no experience with U-shaped necks so i can't really tell if it's U or C.. :)
 
Regarding the tuners on an ST40: I bought an ST40 off ebay a couple of years ago (I'd better add that that this is what it was sold as; when I had new pickups installed I forgot to ask the tech to make a note of interior markings). The tuners on it are exactly the same as those in the pictures above i.e. five-sided. If these aren't from a genuine Tokai, I'd wonder why someone would go to the trouble of faking a low-end Goldstar?
 
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