Help - how to identify a Tokai springy sound ST-100

[pandorski]

Hi everyone, i'm not new in the tokai strats world but i may have an opportunity (the 1sf in my life, after a few st50/60) to purchase a ST-100 or more (i say or more cause the guitare has lost its sticker at the base of the neck), it's a springy sound decal, natural, 60's model with rosewood fingerboard, no skunk stripe, very early serial number (0000xxx), the gold hardware makes me think that's it's a ST100 or higher cause from what i read, it's supposed to be the case, do you confirm this or at the contrary, have you heard of lower than ST-100 with gold hardware ?
thanks for your help

Francois (Montpellier-France)

 

[Sigmania]

I believe that if the hardware is original it would be an ST100.

No other model STs had gold hardware in 1980, though I believe you could buy it if you wanted to bling out your guitar. Never seen one though that that was done with.

There was nothing higher at the time for ST Tokais.

I have a '79 with nickel hardware which was also an option.

 

[Sigmania]

Check for a number stamp at the end of the fretboard. Might have one if it is early enough in 1980?

 

[pandorski]

Thanks for this first replies, from the pics i saw online (it's not mine, yet), there's no "100" carved at the base of the fingerboard like yours, but the body seems to be a one piece, so i'm just also assuming it's a t100, what sort of fool would buy gold hardware, tarnish it as if it was 40+ years old, and sell it as such ? so you mean at the time of the springy soud, ST-100 was the limit, no higher range ? st-120 came later i suppose ?

 

[Sigmania]

ST120 are EXTREMELY rare. I have seen 2? Maybe. And they came out in 1981/82.

The fretboard stamp disappeared mid year in 1980 I believe.

Does it have a flamed neck?

It would be marked in the neck pickup cavity and neck pocket.

And those upgrades were available at the time. I don’t mean they may have done it recently though the parts do surface. I think Faber has some?

 

[Sigmania]

Have a look here for comparisons:

ST100 Gallery

 

[Sigmania]

1978-1981 ST100/120 Tremolo block, original NOS!!, 148,00 €

 

[eborej]

Hi everyone, i'm not new in the tokai strats world but i may have an opportunity (the 1sf in my life, after a few st50/60) to purchase a ST-100 or more (i say or more cause the guitare has lost its sticker at the base of the neck), it's a springy sound decal, natural, 60's model with rosewood fingerboard, no skunk stripe, very early serial number (0000xxx), the gold hardware makes me think that's it's a ST100 or higher cause from what i read, it's supposed to be the case, do you confirm this or at the contrary, have you heard of lower than ST-100 with gold hardware ?
thanks for your help

Francois (Montpellier-France)

There was an example of a 1981 Tokai ST-60 GSR with original gold hardware. It fooled a lot of people. Apparently the gold hardware could be custom ordered from Tokai back in the day. It's difficult to be certain if a Tokai ST is in fact a ST-100 without the neck stamp, model sticker or accompanying guarantee card. In the absence of these things then stock gold hardware, a flamed neck, V-shape neck profile, '78 - '84 serial number & one-piece body all together would make a convincing argument.

 

[pandorski]

Thanks eborej, interesting testimonial, i had never heard of that possibility, not to fool anyone but to upgrade a standard st60

 

[Sigmania]

There was an example of a 1981 Tokai ST-60 GSR with original gold hardware. It fooled a lot of people. Apparently the gold hardware could be custom ordered from Tokai back in the day. It's difficult to be certain if a Tokai ST is in fact a ST-100 without the neck stamp, model sticker or accompanying guarantee card. In the absence of these things then stock gold hardware, a flamed neck, V-shape neck profile, '78 - '84 serial number & one-piece body all together would make a convincing argument.

View attachment 7407

That is wild….

Exactly what I was saying above.

And 1980?

 

[pandorski]

and a big thanks also to Sigmania for the list of st100 pictures, interestingly, i noticed that not all st100 have the carved or printed "100" at the end of the fingerboard, on the opposite, they all have that piece of dark wood for the trussrod on the headstock, the one i'm coveting doesn't, tokai may not be that regular in their models features, i simply don't know enough

 

[Sigmania]

Depends when they were made.

They dry up by 1982 from what I’ve seen.

I posted a 1983/84 trans green one that member ATO recently bought.

 

[Sigmania]

1978 catalog shows you could order these parts as early as then.

Most likely you could get them as aftermarket parts and it would not reflect in the model number as that post with the ST60GSR suggests.