Hello From South Florida & First Tokai

Hey everyone,

Glad to be here. My research keeps pointing me to this forum so I decided to join. For a very long time I've wanted to own a proper Japanese vintage reissue guitar but over the years there have been pretty big jumps in prices, almost defeating the purpose.

Last week after browsing through Guitar Centers Just Arrived used section I came across this Tokai. It was a 62 Ri that looked really clean for $399!! I said ****, you can't even buy a standard MIM Strat for that kind of $$. So I called them up the next morning. The guitar was in great shape and it came with a hard case so I said screw it, send it over (after I just bought an American Deluxe V Neck last month). I couldn't pass it up.

I really know nothing about the guitar except for what I have seen on this site. It was obvious that it was post lawsuit era due to the headstock shape and font design. With the transparent burst I could tell it was a two piece alder body but I had no idea it had such a nice flame on the neck. Looked like there had been some cosmetic mods which lead me to believe there have been electronic mods. On Strat-Talk a member stated it looked like all the electronics (including pickups) had been changed to American stuff.

Any info would be gladly appreciated. Thanks!

A few more pics.

Welcome to the forum and congrats with the nice Tokai!!

Your TST-62 was made in either april 1983 or april 1984.
I can't help you with the electronics but maybe others can. The do look non original though.

Lovely score and welcome!
Looks great in that case and I can imagine the little flourish of excitement as you see it upon opening
The selector switch and the brass plate of the electronics look original Tokai from that era. Tokai selector switches are recognisable as they feel like a normal 3 way but have "soft" positions 2 and 4. If yours is like that I'd say it was original.
The pickups would ordinarily be grey bobbins with E or U stamped on them I believe, so unlikely to be original. The pots of course could have been changed.
Edit- the pots look like CTS to me. Original Tokai are flat backed.

jacco said:

Welcome to the forum and congrats with the nice Tokai!!

Your TST-62 was made in either april 1983 or april 1984.
I can't help you with the electronics but maybe others can. The do look non original though.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Oh ok, see I thought it was post 1985 but that makes me happy!

Barks67 said:

Lovely score and welcome!
Looks great in that case and I can imagine the little flourish of excitement as you see it upon opening
The selector switch and the brass plate of the electronics look original Tokai from that era. Tokai selector switches are recognisable as they feel like a normal 3 way but have "soft" positions 2 and 4. If yours is like that I'd say it was original.
The pickups would ordinarily be grey bobbins with E or U stamped on them I believe, so unlikely to be original. The pots of course could have been changed.
Edit- the pots look like CTS to me. Original Tokai are flat backed.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I really did not expect to find such a beauty when I pulled the case out of the box. I was quite shocked. I have been looking for the words to describe the selector switch and you nailed it to a T so it must be the original switch. Had a bright white tip on it when it came, much more accurate then the one I put on but it didn't match the aged white pickups and knobs.

Some people are saying that the pickups have some generic bobbins that Fender was using for a few different pickups but if they were replaced around the same time the guitar was bought, good chance they were something from an American Standard. They really sound great though, warm and clear.

Is it possible that the finish is Nitro? Really looks like it on the body. If not then it's some **** thin Poly. The body has a tiny bit of age but the headstock and neck look almost mint, frets with little to no wear. I think I lucked out on this one.