Can we tell what year this bass is?

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Patsy

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Hi! Came across this TJB-55 Vintage White, but it doesn’t come with a serial number. Also I believe the pick guard may have been changed.

Is there any way from just looking at it to work out what year (even broadly) it is?

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We need more pictures and information to know what you have there.

The neck looks like an AJB neck. Not sure if that body went with it originally.

There should be a serial number in ink on the back of the neck down near the heel. At the very least it should have “Made In Japan” there.

Tokai necks and bodies made in Japan had codes stamped on them hidden in cavities and on the neck inside the neck pocket. Without seeing those we are speculating and with the color of that body there is a chance that this was put together.

2010 catalog
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2015 catalog
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Hi - and thank you. I’ll add mite pics, and what provenance I have been given so far. So this should be a TJB. It’s current owner has had it 10+ years and whoever sold it to him had said this goes back “to the 80’s”. Pick guard and knobs have been changed (the iriginals have not been thrown away thi, but I haven’t them to hand). Tgise AJBs in the catalog picture do look the part, but I know nothing about these.

There is “Made in Japan” in the bottom of the neck. A little dent on the edge of the body shows the colour is original.
 

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Ok. So the neck dates from 2007-2009 or so. This was a period when Tokai was making Fenders and did not put serial numbers on their Fender clones.

More here.

The headstock is altered so as to not tick off Fender. That shape makes it an AJB. TJB would have the Fender correct headstock shape.
 

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