ST-80 questions

[javelin70]

hi jav
spaghetti type

Ok, I'll have to check the AST40 I also have, it was probably made in 85-86. The question is, what did Tokai use after Z? I also have a TE50 tele (probably made in 1982) with spaghetti logo, I'll try to find a code there as well. This is getting interesting!

Mike

 

[Peter Mac]

G'day Mikes
this is an interesting possibilty you've touched upon, J70. Pls keep me informed about the lettering.
So the codes so far indicate a lot of confusion so to try for some clarity....
ST-80 BB : Black body - Maple neck
ST-80 BBR : Black body - Rosewood f'board
MR = Metallic Red ; NA = Natural
9=3 : possible build date Sept 3rd
1=17 : possible build date January 17
A serieal nmber from the black beast will certainly define a Year, as well as from the MR also.
As with the block logo, whilst it was confined to '83, only the European export guitars seem to have got them.

regards
Peter Mac

 

[brad347]

Regarding the confusion on my hang tags:

It came to light that the original owner of my guitar bought two Springys at the same time, he said they were identical down to the color. I'm suspecting that one of them was probably a rosewood board, indicating the BBR, and one was a maple board, indicating BB. Maybe the tags got mixed up. Alternately, maybe the "R" stamp was placed accidentally that day... it would be as easy as forgetting to rotate the wheel on a rubber stamp. Maybe they didn't bother to throw the card out and start over as it wasn't really a big deal. I'm thinking that this is the more likely scenario.

My springy has the 'spaghetti' type logo. Not sure what you're referring to with the block letter thing.

Serial # in the card is 1013561.

Also on th back of the card are the numbers 430-91. Not sure what this would signify. You can see pics of my card in the "pics" thread.

Serial number on the neck plate (which I understand is meaningless) is for the record 0173

 

[Peter Mac]

Hi Brad,

Actually the serial number on the neck plate is not meaningless - especially when compared to the other information.
Neckplate indicates a 1982 guitar [ 0173 ] whilst the hangtag indicates a 1981 guitar [1013561 ]. If all original, both numbers should match. The Springysound neck is correct for both years and the spaghetti logo.
In 1983, Tokai, due to stress from Funder, changed the logo from spaghetti '7okai' to a block logo ' TOKAI' before then using the script logo 'Tokai'

regards
Peter mac

 

[brad347]

Interesting. I'll assume then that the previous owner's other Tokai must've been a rosewood model, made a year earlier. It isn't out of the question for guitars a year apart to still be sold in a store as "new"

Thanks