38 Special

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Dobes

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Jun 27, 2005
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Minnesota
I have had a Siver Star for a while, but just bought a Tokai 38 Special. It looks like a strat with a more modern headstock shape. It has two knobs, one toggle, a flat mount Kahler roller cam tremolo bridge and a string lock above the nut. It has a four bolt neck with no neck plate. It has the spaghetti logo like my Silver Star. The only thing I see in the catalogs is a Limited Edition from 1984 or 85 that looks like it. Can anyone tell me anything about this guitar? Thanks!
 
FYI - Response from Tokai factory:

Hello Terry,

Thank you for the pictures. They are one of our SX series made in 1983 or 1984.
But we do not have a record about the guitars with Kehler tremolo. So it might be
modified.

Best regards,

Tokai Gakki
 
This really is a special guitar. The chimy-ness makes a typical strat sound dull. Capable of Robert Cray-like sound. Does anyone else here have one of these?
 
http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/tokai/1984/jp_11.html
http://www.j-guitar.com/product_id408893.html
I have an SX 38 from 83 in black. Script logo,two alnico single coils with larger flat pole pieces. The front pickup is placed further towards the bridge than on a strat and is angled like a treble strat pickup.Two point fulcrum standard trem. This guitar has a unique sound .Great stinging blues country and funk guitar, I especially like the bridge and mid positions which are very tele like.One of my favourite guitars.
 
This guy is playing an identical guitar to mine - three single coils layed out strat style:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/FnVTB7MR_ZM

The reply from the factory says it is from the SX series, but it doesn't look like any of the models in the print ads you list.
 
Does yours have the pickups with the oversize flat polepieces? I just love those pickups! 8)
 
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tokai+38+special&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=9iPpU8eOKsbb7AaLsoGYDg&ved=0CEwQ7Ak&biw=1366&bih=667

Check these out.Is yours here ?
 
I didn't inspect the pickups closely (guitar is at a cabin I own), but they look like full plastic covers (solid surface) and do not have holes and exposed pole pieces like most strats. I have never taken the pick guard off to look inside to get a better look at them and the pots. It is pretty quiet for a vintage single coil, so I didn't think I would have to change anything. I would like to post a couple pictures, but can't figure out if that is possible on the forum.
 
Not sure where to look at this:
q=tokai+38+special&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=sCDpU9q6CpOp7AaZ0oHwDQ&ved=0CE8Q7Ak&biw=1366&bih=667
 
I figured out how to see your suggested page. My guitar looks just like this one, except that the plastic pickups covers don't have holes showing pole pieces, and as the factory replied, mine was apparently refitted with a Kehler Flyer tremolo.

http://www.guitars.co.uk/topic/back-to-the-future

Thanks!
 
Here is a pic:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13084422/Tokai%2038%20Special/P1010439.JPG
Here is another:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13084422/Tokai%2038%20Special/P1010438.JPG
 
That's my guitar in the link thread.

I had one back in the eighties and wanted a replacement for years. Picked up quite a battered example last year.

Stock Guitar should have fixed bridge, and exposed pole piece pups (H stamped). I would hazard a guess that the Kahler and p/ups are after market (I have never seen one with either during several years of looking for one).

Original wiring features a push pull tone pot for activating the bridge pickup in all positions.

The body shape has appeared in several incarnations - the 38 Special (along with the .44 Magnum) were marketed as the "gun series" IIRC. Although the basic configuration has also appeared as the SX (I think with trems and different pickup layouts).

These were kind of higher spec entry level guitars - certainly did not sell in the same volumes as strat-a-likes of the time.

I think these were around 83-84. Earlier models featured 7okai logo with bullet motif, later models feature script with block OCR characters.

I've seen them in blonde, black, metallic red and metallic blue.

These are pretty rare and they are great guitars - lightweight, slim necks and quality components.

Hope this helps

Paul
 
Thanks to you guys for the great info. It's kind of crazy. My first post on this thread was nine years ago and there were no replies. I have had the guitar in a case in my basement, and thought about selling it several times as I bought and sold guitars. But I lean toward unique, "collectable" guitars and always appreciated the quality of this guitar and couldn't bring myself to part with a guitar I paid less than $200 for and figured that was about all I would get for it. I currently have a couple of Epiphone Spotlights that I play mostly, another rare bird.
I will have to look under the pick guard and see what the pickups on the 38 say. They don't look as high-tech as the ones with exposed pole pieces (my first guitar in the late 70's was a Gibson Melody Maker with one pickup that looked just like these), but they sure sound great. The Kehler installation was done well, and the guitar stays in tune very well. In fact I bought a fixed Kehler roller bridge to put on one of my Epi's to replace the Steinberger KB tremolo, which has a major design flaw. I fixed the KB, but am still considering installing the Kehler, as I don't dare use the KB other than locked position.
I still have the push-pull tone pot on the 38.
 
Hi Dobes,
indeed you have a rare bird. Even it is modified with a Kahler trem.

38 specials were made in 1983 and sold to the USA.
They were not sold in Japan.

Check also my FB page
https://www.facebook.com/TokaiGuitarsGermany
You'll see there a 38 special bass


10409285_523317357798617_2968688196686892947_n.jpg


10423682_523317351131951_800851375558003935_n.jpg
 
How much would one of these be worth? Considering selling mine.

(Edit) I've listed it on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261565064123?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
 

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