Help needed to identify a Tokai strat

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Petsq

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Hi!
I found out this forum when I was trying to identify a Tokai oldster sound Strat copy I could be buying. I know the seller and trust he would not to scam me. But neither of us know all that much about the guitar. The seller bought the guitar off a pawn shop (in Finland), didn’t tell me how much he paid. Ofc he wants to make some profit outta it and offered I could buy it for 500 euros. I got the axe at home to play around and I’m trying to figure out what model it is, when it was made and most importantly if it's a real Japanese Tokai. It plays well and sounds quite good but I still would like to know what I’m getting into if I buy it.

The guitar has no serial number on the headstock or neck plate but I’m thinking the plate has been switched at some point. Also the pickguard looks rather new and cheapish to be the original. The neck has something written on it inside and the pickups have the letters N, M and B. I guess they stand for their position. There’s a number next to the pots too. Says made in Japan in the neck where it attaches to the body.

I’m a newbie when it comes to Tokai guitars as I only have an LC-85 LP-copy myself so I’d appreciate if anyone could help identifying this guitar if it even is a Tokai and not a fake one or a partscaster.

Here’s photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3u0e7dyy2z527nb/AABFd1LwezKpT7qDMTm-Z_zIa?dl=0

If anyone who knows these guitars better could help me I'd appreciate it a lot.
 
I'm not a Tokai expert - owned a TST since the 80s and a recent LS150F and TST95 - but that looks like a partsocaster to me. The single ply, 8 screw guard on a rosewood necked, what looks like an 11 screw 60s style body.
If I was guessing, I'd say the pickups and scratchplate might be off a Mexican Fender Strat and the rest is Tokai.

I'm sure someone who knows better will be along soon.
 
At first look, it's probably an AST80R 1985 onwards. The only other model than the 70 to have a slab neck. Pups look like VS1 Dimarzio but could be FS-1 if taken from a Silver Star and the pickguard has been changed with a few other parts on there. N, M, B is written by the previous modifier. Serial number was probably on a neckplate previously. Colour code of B is a bit odd though, usually would be BB black, BL blonde. Colour of this one would be OW Olympic white. Goldstar sounds had the body and colour codes in the electrics cavity but the Silver Star had them in the neck pick up cavity like yours has. Unless of course that the body and neck are not original partners, a lot can be changed in 35yrs.
Silverstars also had A and B to denote if it was a high end model or not.
Worth the money

Sigmania etc al will be along shortly with mostly better information
 
First of all thank you both with quick responses. You guys think the body could also be a Tokai but maybe not a goldstar one? Does the color code in the neck pu cavity suggest that? Any idea what that t1u -61 in the neck stands for? Anyhow I still have the guitar till wednesday to play before I'll take it back and decide wether or not I'll buy it. I'm tempted cos it plays nice and I like the neck very much. But still it bugs me a bit I don't really know the history. Also for the pickups, I didn't figure out if they are dimarzios or not but they sound somewhat fuller and rounder than a texmex set I have on my squire strat. I like em even though they don't sound just like the usual strat pups would. Also the covers seem original but maybe the pots have been changed? Pot heads are dirty and yellowish so they must be original.
 
The Tokai bodies I own all have countersunk holes in the neck pocket. This one doesn’t, but mine are apparently older than this body. Did they stop doing that at some point?

Neck has silkscreen “Made in Japan” but I believe should have a serial number with it? I dunno. Maybe on a replaced neck plate?

I think that’s circa 2000 and newer on the neck at least.

I think they were calling the guitar with that neck with the slab fingerboard an AST62 in the mid 80s, but this one seems to be later. Would have been with a 3 ply pickguard. The body was re drilled for this guard.

I would bet partscaster too, but I’m not familiar with the STs after 1984. That body may not even be a Tokai body.

I bet someone kept the original body and put a Fender type neck on it and sold this one.

Maybe someone else knows?
 
Really, if the neck has a code which it does then the body should have a similar one.

I think what you have is wedded parts. Not worth much to me beyond the parts value. That’s how I look at it.

If you want a Goldstar, you should look for one. You should find plenty at that asking price.
 
The pups look more like FS-1 Dimarzio (fat strat sound) smooth black and white wires. The VS-1 had black fibre bases to the bobbins. The numbers on the neck are used to match the neck to the body after final paint, it could be that someone has edited the neck markings? I'm leaning towards the B is not a colour code but indicates a body destined for a lower end model, they were nearly all identical anyway. Possible mixed marriage with some new parts along the way. If you like the feel and the sound, play on.
 
So we can all see these pictures:

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GIi5N5E.jpg


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X3BOJIf.jpg


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There are some labels, numbers, and signatures on the back of that pickguard (the one that obviously did not come with this guitar).

Anyone recognize where that may have come from? CTS pots, ceramic cap.

kln34kH.jpg
 
I looked some photos of Japan Tokai bodies. Some of them have drill holes on pickup cavities and some don't just like this one. The pick guard hole places don't really seem to match so I think the body used to have 8 holes but now has more because the new pick gurd didn't fit on the originals. On the backside of the pick guard there's a signature indeed but I cant make sense of it. Theres also numbers 6420264 near the pots.
BUT the neck number T 1U-61 matches on what says on the neck pup cavity (10-61B). According to you guys' info the neck and body should match, the body being a cheaper one hence the B. Not sure what the stands for. I'm also thinking there's been something written on the neck pocket cos there's slight traces of it. What I found out googling photos some models had a serial number? on the neck pocket and the neck too? But there's nothing on this neck, maybe someone sanded the numbers off or they've just worn out?
 
Sigmania said:
kln34kH.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice soldering and cloth wrapped vintage style wire and signatures to boot. I’m sure there’s a story behind this pickguard.

Is it a 3 or 5 way selector?
 
Petsq said:
Theres also numbers 6420264 near the pots.
Click to expand...

Interesting. People don’t normally use serial numbers just for a pickguard…

It’s a one ply 8 hole guard. Wonder where it came from?
 
Sigmania said:
Sigmania said:
kln34kH.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice soldering and cloth wrapped vintage style wire and signatures to boot. I’m sure there’s a story behind this pickguard.

Is it a 3 or 5 way selector?
Click to expand...

The switch is a 5 way one. The3 way is supposed to be the vintage style Fender used in the past? Did Tokai use both 3 and 5 way swithes?
 
The Tokai selector on the 50s style guitars (1 ply pick guard) had a hybrid selector where the 2 and 4 positions (detents) were "soft".

"Tone changeover switch. A newly developed 3-stage 5-position switch is used. A new design of a domestic copy that does not feel like a 5-step switch and has a smooth change and at the same time a half position. "

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26212&p=196359&hilit=switch+5#p196359

I would guess that if you sold the guitar as parts it would probably come out to around the asking price. You're not risking a lot.

Enjoy.
 
Similar neck pockets on these two Goldstars, yours and the Flamingo Orange one.

No countersunk holes. Similar attachment for attaching the stick for painting the body.

X3BOJIf.jpg


cLdklUC.png
 

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