Could someone help me to identify this Tokai (Goldstar?)?

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MrDeJaVu

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Hi all!

This is my first post on this forum, I'm very exited to see such a large community devoted to Tokai guitars 8)

So a little background on my Tokai;

I've been playing guitar for about 12 years now, and I have a small collection of guitars; A cheap Ibanez bass guitar (which I traded for my Epiphone SG, I hated that guitar!), a London City Comet MK1 (telecaster replica), a London City stratocaster replica and two acoustic ones.

about two years ago I decided to buy another stratocaster to use as a main guitar. But that wasn't a easy task, I have no idea how many guitars I tried and tested but they where mostly new Fenders/G&L's and other 'marketable' guitars but I just couldn't find The One.

I visited my local guitar tech to ask for advice, he recommended trying a early 80's squier or a Tokai. I never heard of Tokai guitars before so I did some research and I decided to try one.

The next day I saw a Tokai for sale on the internet and a few days later I had the guitar on my lap. And oh ****!!! I felt in love immediately. The sustain was amazing and the solid maple neck was the best neck I've ever played on! But the owner had no idea about the specifics, his guitar teacher buyed the guitar somewhere in the 80's, removed the Tokai logo and added a Fender decal. When his teacher got old and couldn't play guitar anymore he gave it to him

I changed some things however, the ceramic pickups sounded a bit flat and a new output

The pickups I use now are made at the Woo Sung Chorus factory. specs; - -Alnico 5 magnes
-Heavy Formvar winding wire
-Forbon Bobbins
-Wax potted
-DC resistance 6.3Kohm.

I was wondering if anyone knows what Tokai I own? I can't find much, no serial number or stamp. However there's this weird number I found inside the body right under the pots.

This is a photo of the headstock, the Tokai logo is still slightly visible :)

a1c30517_l.jpeg


This one was taken on our first day together:

83adbe32_o.jpeg


Tuners:

1c965a6b_o.jpeg


The original middle pickup;

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The weird number inside the body

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Tokai saddles;

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How it looks today

3ea9691d_o.jpeg
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.

Your guitar is a Goldstar ST-40
The ceramic bar pickups and non-Kluson-style tuners are typical for that model.

Looks like a nice player !
 
So, the body was made in April and is 3-tone Sunburst (YSO)
Bridge is from a pre-83 with 'TOKAI' saddles, body is alder and the Fender decal is for a rosewood neck 1964 type. Scratchplate is also 64 type.
Model would be around an ST40 - ST42 but it's hard to tell without a serial number.
Can you post some pics of. ..
1] Base of neck - should also have stamp
2] Neckplate
3] Underneath of scratchplate.

Peter
 
The Tokai logo on the headstock is from a 1984 or younger Tokai.
I thought I saw game mention that in 1984 on some models Tokai saddles are still seen, not sure though.
I think it's a 1984 model.
 
jacco said:
I thought I saw game mention that in 1984 on some models Tokai saddles are still seen

we discussed about the hardware parts here

MrDeJaVu could you please tell me if the tremolo unit (block & tremolo plate) is a cast one-piece or is it 2 pieces where the block is screwed onto the plate ? In the photo it looks like a one-piece to me but I?m not quite sure.
 

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