golden era strat

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

nanson

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Could anyone help me identify my tokai.I bought(used) it in the late 80's in Canada.It's a black strat copy the # on the back neck plate is0013453 and has the #45 stamped into the first frett.The head has 7okai in black spaghetti script with a gold outline and the words "golden era" in black.I would like to find out it's value etc.Thanks
 
Sounds likely to be a 1979 Springy Sound ST45 to me, but as always - these threads are useless without pictures! Post some up please! It'll certainly help with valuation too (whether or not it's original and what condition it is in are big factors).

"Golden era" is a new one on me, mind! Are you sure it's not the usual "Oldies but goldies"?

Edit: 1980, not '79. Read the serial number, Alan :)
 
this_thread_is_useless_without_pics.gif
 
The guitar is in very good condition,only a couplr minor scratches(not though the finish).I have pictures but can not figure out how to post them.
 
Load them to a free hosting site such as www.photobucket.com Then post the links to the site. Much easier than it sounds.

8)

Mike
 
http://s698.photobucket.com/albums/vv343/nanson_2009/ Hope you can see these pictures.The lettering on the headstock is the same as "til 1982,example 2" at this web site ,but the headstock is shaped like the first picture of a 1985 headstock but more of a point on the bottom leading edge.Thanks[/img]
 
it is in very good condition,I have owned it for over 20 years.I would like to get an idea of it's value.Thanks
 
Blimey. What more can you tell us, Nanson?

Realise that you bought it second hand, but anything you can tell us about it's pre-history could be helpful. Do you remember seeing any others like that before or since? What did the seller say about it?

Anything else you can show us would be great too. Which end is the truss rod access? What are the pickups? Have you changed anything? Three or four screw neckplate? Any markings in the cavities?
 
Here`s my theory about the origins of this guitar for what it`s worth.I couldn`t help noticing that the headstock on this guitar is identical to the one that Tokai was producing for Hondo in the early 80`s.When the contract with I.M.C lapsed Tokai were left with a whole heap of surplus bodies and necks, so they branded them Golden Era and tried to unload them onto the North American market.Some of these Hondos namely the Professional series and the Fame series were supposed to be reasonable instruments and some had solid bodies,others though had ply bodies.It would be interesting to know then ,whether your guitar has a solid body or not. Gabe.
 
Amazing how we can still manage to be surprised!

Never seen anything like that. I reckon Gabe is on the right tracks, mind - looks eerily similar to my old Hondo strat.

As for pricing it... well, I guess we have no idea without working out the specifications! Are you brave enough to take the scratchplate off and take a pic of the innards? Be nice to see if it was solid and what the pickups look like.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top