Best early (1978-1984) tokai strats

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villager

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please could someone enlighten me on the best model(s) from this era as I know nothing about tokai strats, single coils or hum in the bridge ,idont mind but were any itro finishes? etc ...
much appreciated ..
 
You can't answer all that in a quick reply. Do some research reading within this site and www.tokairegistry.com, all your questions are answered there. Check out Japanese sellers like Guitarsjapan etc. See: http://www.guitarsjapan.com/tokaiinfopage.html
 
Hello Villager,

A lot of what is considered "best" is going to be based on your personal preference. I am a fool for 1978 through 1981 Silver Stars over anything made by Tokai. Just ask my wife.

I have a solid black 79 SS with a maple neck that I would put up against any Stratocaster as far as tone, and I own vintage stratocasters by the way. When I reach for a guitar, it is the one I pick up. My goal is to purchase them all for keeps.

Some folks are die-hard Love Rock'aholics. You are at the right place. There are folks on here that know these guitars in and out. Just study the site a little - One of the Models will start "speaking" to you softly....."Buy me Villager....Buy me....."
 
You mean you?re interested in buying one as a good player & maybe with collector value? Or do you mean from a business point of view, ie to make a profit on sales? I guess they?d be different criteria.

OK, well as Bobastic says, this is a vast subject, so following is something of a generalization & purely my personal take on things, but .......most desirable by far, & consequently highest price, are the original Springysound models from 1978 to 82 (?Springysound" decal on headstock). These have so-called ?spaghetti 7okai? logo (ie thin script decal with the ?T? of Tokai written as a backward number ?7?). Until 1980 they had proper 7-digit serial number stamped on neckplate, ie with same date sequence as the Gibson copies (see Registry under Gibson copies for explanation of date codes), early ones also had the model number impressed into the end of the fretboard (again like the early Les Paul copies, Reborn & Reborn Old). Models ranged from ST50 to above ST100, though I?ve never seen a model above ST80. Most examples are sunburst (desirable finish).

After 82 the model name changed to ?Goldstarsound? and the logo was changed. At first the logo briefly became a fat script 7okai style for about a year or less, then in 1983 it changed to a completely different black printed ?block? logo. Then in 1984 the logo changed again to the sort of style you see today, ie a sort-of fat script but with a normal shaped ?T? (not a backward 7). The guitars don't really have a serial number, instead the neckplate has 5 or 6 digit number identifying the style of the guitar (number identifies which US Fender model is being copied...same necplates/numbers on 80-82 Springy's), again see Registry for info. You see a lot of Goldstars for sale, & sellers almost always claim they?re ?1984-85?, but really there?s no way of identifying the date & sellers are just trying to add value by making the guitar seem older & more vintage. Goldstars are good guitars, & early ones are probably the equal of original Springysounds, but price is 50%-60% less than a Springysound. Examples in range of solid colours as well as sunburst.

Silverstars are copies of the 1970?s US Fenders, ie with large headstock & bullet truss-rod. That style is far less fashionable than the Springy or Goldstar shapes (copies of 1950?s & early 60?s style Fender), and values are consequently lower than Goldstar. That's not to criticise the guitars in any way, they're eprobably fine (I've never palyed one), but just that current fashion dictates a lower price. Again you see a lot of sellers advertising these as ?1978?, but as far as I know they weren?t made until early 1980?s and probably in production for less than a decade. Most examples are solid colours, which is again generally less desirable & less value than sunburst.

Apart from these there are also a few Special Edition models, often with self-coloured headstock (ie same as body colour) and often in metalic colours (metalic blue & shorline gold)...these are quite rare, mainly 1980's Goldstar models, and quickly becoming desirable with rising prices.

Ian
 
Ian... you're a mine of information. Cheers mate.

Anyway, gotta say that my 82' Springy is absolute quality. It's a sunburst 61'/62' replica with slab rosewood board, wide space 12th fret dots and it's real light too. I've had lots of Strats over the years. Fender's old and new, Japanese reissues, Tokais and custom made jobs, but this is the best one I've owned by far.

The only thing I've changed are the pickups to my preferred Van Zandt "Torres" setup.
 
Hi Lee ? ha, well you knew all that stuff anyway (and more) lol :lol: . I just put it that way cos I think Villager previously told us that he deals a bit in guitars & already knew a fair bit about Greco & Burny etc, but needed info on Tokai.

What?s the ?Torres? thing? I?ve got a set of Van Zandt Tele pickups to go in a self-build Tele (True Vintage Flap Pole type), had em for months but haven?t tried them yet ? that project has been shelved since Christmas, but trying to get on with it now ? aim is mid 50?s replica, reliced if I can (thought of bashing up new hand made body is bit of a turn off) ? did you ever have any success with that stuff on ageing metal parts (remember all that stuff on muriatic acid & peroxide etc.) ? I think etching solution is probably worth a go (ie the stuff for printed circuit boards)? :-?

Ian.
 
Again you see a lot of sellers advertising these as ?1978?, but as far as I know they weren?t made until early 1980?s

Ian - Great information on Tokai, but I believe that you are incorrect as far as dating Silver Star production.
:oops:

Glide
 
Could be ... do you have any reliable info on first dates? :-?

Ian.
 
Ian,

I am a big supporter of the Tokai Registry and in their dating section they have a great headstock guide. I believe that Ned's site is reliable. He has put a lot of work into it. Here is the URL to the headstock guide if you want to check it out:
http://www.tokairegistry.com/tokai-info/tokai-fender.html

Anyway, have a look at the photo below from Ned's Site. It shows the Silver Star (model TSS) with the spagetti logo which was built UNTIL 1982. It shows that the first number of the serial is actually the year of manufacture. I have a couple of Silver Stars like this both with "9" as the starting number. I would like to have an "8" in good shape. Cheers!

Glide

ss_dating.jpg
 
Yes that 7okai logo was used on the Fender copies from 1978 to 1982, ... you may well be right. What Serial No's do you have on yours ... if it's pre 1980 I'd expect a 7 digit S/N on the neckplate? :-?

Ian.
 
Ian,

Indeed, they are 7 digit serial numbers.

9006152
9005696

Now if I could just get my hands on the 6,000 before.

:D

Glide
 
Hi Ian,

The Torres set is a classic (yellow) in the neck, a reverse wound blue in the middle and a blues in the bridge. Works a treat.

Not sure if the still do the set but anyone can order that combination I guess.

My 82 Springy is a speggi logo BTW.
 
Glide ? OK then I accept that info. in Registry is correct, just as you said ? thanks for the correction :) . Though as I said above, buyers do need to be aware that eBay sales often optimistically describe almost any Silverstar as ?78? or any Goldstar as ?84? regardless of the decal (usually adding word ?Lawsuit!?) :-? .

Lee - thanks for the info on Torres. Yes, Springy had that decal till 82 ... bet it doesn?t have 7 digit SN beginning with "2" though?... bet it has 5 or 6 digit number (I think Peter Mac recently said some have 4 digits...need to check that) :-? .

Ian.
 
ian man you know some serious ****!!!
thanks everyonr for comments ..I went for a silver star ..I have only obsessed about les pauls so far and feel the need to try a strat type ..
this one I got from ken in japan..I may sell it on later but for the moment its for me!!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7314526243&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1
 
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