Help Identify - Prototype?

[heytbone]

Hello,any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm new to Tokai as an old friend just sold me a great guitar that I believe was a prototype around the 2008 NAMM Show as per his memory. No serial number and notice...flush input jack, no back plate, pointier horn and metal knobs. He had an identical sunburst and this candy apple red which he thought was a Goldstar model which I don't believe it is. He remembers it being form the NAMM show about 7 or 8 years ago? 5-way switch. Sweet sounding and playing but I can't find out what this baby is and would love to know? Any thoughts? (whammy bar not in picture). Thanks!!

 

[Peter Mac]

Hi Heytbone,

This is not a prototype, it is in fact an SX-45.
These were first released in 1983 and have been a staple 'Original' shape since. Whilst it may have been shown in USA at NAMM in 2008, as far as Tokai goes - the States are decades behind the rest of the World.
Apologies to Ned, John, Marcus, etc.

Peter Mac

 

[Diamond]

The guitars below were the guitars released at the 2007/2008 NAMM show.

Believe it or not the SC-2 attracted a C&D letter from the big G.
The US distributor backed down just like Tom Anderson backed down a few weeks ago.

I ended up selling all these guitars that were left over from NAMM for the US distributor...one week all sold online on TGP....kept two SC-2s for myself.

VX models.

 

[heytbone]

Thank you for your feedback and expertise. With your info I was able to find some more info and tell me what you think. It seems this guitar was based on the late 70's / early 80's .38 Special Models. They do show it in a 1984 Catalog picture as an SX-45. My thoughts are that it probably wasn't sold in US but was brought to the show perhaps around 2007 or 2008 and were sold at the show? Does that sound right? Many thanks again!!! Tony

 

[Sigmania]

Here is the actual prototype for that SX.

Circa 1982

SX Prototype Marked "SHOW" And PR