Just wanting to highlight this unusual and misunderstood logo from 1982-1984.
I had confused it with a long time with the script logo, and thought it was from a later period.
In fact, the Tokai Registry says that it dates from 1985, which is not correct. It is earlier.
Once I realized that it was not the script logo, I was calling it a "transitional logo" and had thought it had to do with litigation with Fender in 1982, but now see that the logo, at least, pre-dated that litgation as it was used in the Spring 1982 catalog which was likely printed in late 1981.
Further, I had re-read the letter from Tokai to Leo fender dated April 8, 1982 and saw that Tokai was claiming at that point that it had never intended to import guitars into the US with the Fender style spaghetti logo or the Fender headstock.
So maybe this was planned, or at least an option, as early as late in 1981 when it was put on the 1982 catalog covers? Hard to know.
The guitars sporting this logo apparently shipped after the showdown in the UK between Toaki and Fenders proxies. So the use of this logo and the modified headstock for the US and other markets may have been independent of the lawsuit between CBS-Arbiter and Blue Suede Music in June and July of 1982... or not. Simultaneously, the "block logo" replaced the Fender style "spaghetti logo" in the UK market on "copy" guitars.
I had seen forum members Ian and Peter Mac refer to this logo as the "7okai fat script" logo in a thread from 2005, so I am calling it the "7okai fat script" logo as well as the "export" or "transitional" logo.
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3400&p=13238&hilit=tst+56#p13238
Visually, it is a modified Fender style 7 (T) in front of the "script logo" used in the 70s and re-introduced in 1984.
As stated, from what I have seen the logo first seemed to appear on the Spring 1982 catalog intended for Japan. Likely printed in late 1981.
It was then used on the export guitars with modified headstocks (TSTs, etc) bound for the US and other markets where Fender held sway with copyrights, etc. by late 1982.
By 1983, guitars that were badged with this logo in the 1983 catalog included TST56, TST62, TTE52, & TPB57, TPB64, .38SP, .44MAG, FV45, FS40, EX55.
It looks like that in 1984, around the time the AST model was introduced, that the logo switched to the current "script logo". I don't know if any of the ASTs had the "export", "transitional", "7okai fat script" logo? The ones I have found had the script logo.
May be revised... 8)
I had confused it with a long time with the script logo, and thought it was from a later period.
In fact, the Tokai Registry says that it dates from 1985, which is not correct. It is earlier.
Once I realized that it was not the script logo, I was calling it a "transitional logo" and had thought it had to do with litigation with Fender in 1982, but now see that the logo, at least, pre-dated that litgation as it was used in the Spring 1982 catalog which was likely printed in late 1981.
Further, I had re-read the letter from Tokai to Leo fender dated April 8, 1982 and saw that Tokai was claiming at that point that it had never intended to import guitars into the US with the Fender style spaghetti logo or the Fender headstock.
So maybe this was planned, or at least an option, as early as late in 1981 when it was put on the 1982 catalog covers? Hard to know.
The guitars sporting this logo apparently shipped after the showdown in the UK between Toaki and Fenders proxies. So the use of this logo and the modified headstock for the US and other markets may have been independent of the lawsuit between CBS-Arbiter and Blue Suede Music in June and July of 1982... or not. Simultaneously, the "block logo" replaced the Fender style "spaghetti logo" in the UK market on "copy" guitars.
I had seen forum members Ian and Peter Mac refer to this logo as the "7okai fat script" logo in a thread from 2005, so I am calling it the "7okai fat script" logo as well as the "export" or "transitional" logo.
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3400&p=13238&hilit=tst+56#p13238
Visually, it is a modified Fender style 7 (T) in front of the "script logo" used in the 70s and re-introduced in 1984.
As stated, from what I have seen the logo first seemed to appear on the Spring 1982 catalog intended for Japan. Likely printed in late 1981.
It was then used on the export guitars with modified headstocks (TSTs, etc) bound for the US and other markets where Fender held sway with copyrights, etc. by late 1982.
By 1983, guitars that were badged with this logo in the 1983 catalog included TST56, TST62, TTE52, & TPB57, TPB64, .38SP, .44MAG, FV45, FS40, EX55.
It looks like that in 1984, around the time the AST model was introduced, that the logo switched to the current "script logo". I don't know if any of the ASTs had the "export", "transitional", "7okai fat script" logo? The ones I have found had the script logo.
May be revised... 8)
