Homer J. Simpson
Well-known member
Schooling myself (probably stupid) on Tokai serials, currently (very) early 7okai Springys (just in case one pops up in my neighborhood and GAS gets the best of me, not going to join you hunter-gatherers 
) I learned that the numbers are sequential. Checking some pics I found here and elsewhere are prompting some questions:
1. Sequential... per year or cumulative?
The lowest numbers are of course seen in 1977:
Moving on to 1978 serials, I noticed that they had advanced to #2075 by June (? - not sure what's the latest consent on the "n=nn" cavity markings is, I probably have the wrong idea on that) 1978 on this ST-42, which has the serial still stamped on the neck heel (rubbing off onto the neck pocket), but it already has the fretboard stamp (alas he doesn't show the neck plate size):
https://www.siavintageguitars.com/tokai-st-42
Here's #3148, an ST-80 from what looks like September (?), big neck plate but seemingly without the fretboard stamp:
https://www.strat-talk.com/threads/1978-tokai-st-80-54-strat.573610/
...and here's an ST-50 with (alas blurry dealer photos, no interior pics, grrr) #4734, with stamped fretboard again:
https://www.stageguitarservice.com/product-page/tokai-st50-springy-sound-japan-1978
But here's a 1979 ST-80 #3875:
https://reverb.com/de/item/2423705-tokai-springy-sound-st-80-rare-lawsuit-model-1979
Are those counted separately? Edit: Here's another '79 ST-80: #2980. This is an ST-50 with a number fitting into the cumulative scheme: #9290
Or could that, if legit, indicate that the cumulative numbering started 1979, not 1978 (or was reset in '79)?
1980s serials seem to start around the #10000s and reach consistently far beyond (latest I've seen now was in the 16000s), which would again support a cumulative numbering. Except... there's this ST-100 you may be familiar with (#0000117):
https://reverb.com/item/13873602-1980-tokai-st-100-springy-sound-stratocaster-flamed-maple
Were the -100s counted separately? Edit: Yes they were, and numbers seem to reset 1980.
However, most of the numbers look sequential+cumulative indeed, for 1981 I saw #(10)18474, #20781, #20828 (matching HS, full set of images), #21135 and #22668.
2. Another, related question is how Silver Stars fit into that scheme. Unless I misunderstood that, Peter Mac advised here that they are part of the sequential Springy scheme. BTW, here's another number for your "early SS numbers" collection:
https://reverb.com/item/47759694-vi...c-guitar-blaster-overdrive-fuzz-module-fender
Anyway, 1979 Silver Stars run along nicely...
1979 Silver Star 900... #2210, #4394, #6355, #7180
This 1980 SS-80 (#8151) still looks plausible:
https://reverb.com/item/31809874-1980-tokai-ss-80-strat-silver-star
However, in 1981 the Silver Star and Springy numbers seem to drift apart (remember, the Springys have reached the 16000s already in 1980):
(10...) #15034, #16138, #16507
The Silver Stars are reaching the 18000s only in 1982 as shown on this #2018918
This seems to say that the numbers may have been sequential and cumulative, but not across series (which would shed a different light on the total production numbers per year)?
Of course there are also some weird numbers like this 1980 #0100369 or this 1981 #1103174:
Export versions maybe? Edit: Weird number designates outsourced production in a factory in Nagano prefecture.
However, what struck me most is that unlike the other series, the Silver Stars seem to retain the 7-digit numbering on the headstock with the first digit being the year until 1985. Unless they just look like they do, do they? Edit: No, the scheme is consistent until 1985.
) I learned that the numbers are sequential. Checking some pics I found here and elsewhere are prompting some questions:1. Sequential... per year or cumulative?
The lowest numbers are of course seen in 1977:
Moving on to 1978 serials, I noticed that they had advanced to #2075 by June (? - not sure what's the latest consent on the "n=nn" cavity markings is, I probably have the wrong idea on that) 1978 on this ST-42, which has the serial still stamped on the neck heel (rubbing off onto the neck pocket), but it already has the fretboard stamp (alas he doesn't show the neck plate size):
https://www.siavintageguitars.com/tokai-st-42
Here's #3148, an ST-80 from what looks like September (?), big neck plate but seemingly without the fretboard stamp:
https://www.strat-talk.com/threads/1978-tokai-st-80-54-strat.573610/
...and here's an ST-50 with (alas blurry dealer photos, no interior pics, grrr) #4734, with stamped fretboard again:
https://www.stageguitarservice.com/product-page/tokai-st50-springy-sound-japan-1978
But here's a 1979 ST-80 #3875:
https://reverb.com/de/item/2423705-tokai-springy-sound-st-80-rare-lawsuit-model-1979
Are those counted separately? Edit: Here's another '79 ST-80: #2980. This is an ST-50 with a number fitting into the cumulative scheme: #9290
Or could that, if legit, indicate that the cumulative numbering started 1979, not 1978 (or was reset in '79)?
1980s serials seem to start around the #10000s and reach consistently far beyond (latest I've seen now was in the 16000s), which would again support a cumulative numbering. Except... there's this ST-100 you may be familiar with (#0000117):
https://reverb.com/item/13873602-1980-tokai-st-100-springy-sound-stratocaster-flamed-maple
Were the -100s counted separately? Edit: Yes they were, and numbers seem to reset 1980.
However, most of the numbers look sequential+cumulative indeed, for 1981 I saw #(10)18474, #20781, #20828 (matching HS, full set of images), #21135 and #22668.
2. Another, related question is how Silver Stars fit into that scheme. Unless I misunderstood that, Peter Mac advised here that they are part of the sequential Springy scheme. BTW, here's another number for your "early SS numbers" collection:
https://reverb.com/item/47759694-vi...c-guitar-blaster-overdrive-fuzz-module-fender
Anyway, 1979 Silver Stars run along nicely...
1979 Silver Star 900... #2210, #4394, #6355, #7180
This 1980 SS-80 (#8151) still looks plausible:
https://reverb.com/item/31809874-1980-tokai-ss-80-strat-silver-star
However, in 1981 the Silver Star and Springy numbers seem to drift apart (remember, the Springys have reached the 16000s already in 1980):
(10...) #15034, #16138, #16507
The Silver Stars are reaching the 18000s only in 1982 as shown on this #2018918
This seems to say that the numbers may have been sequential and cumulative, but not across series (which would shed a different light on the total production numbers per year)?
Of course there are also some weird numbers like this 1980 #0100369 or this 1981 #1103174:
Export versions maybe? Edit: Weird number designates outsourced production in a factory in Nagano prefecture.
However, what struck me most is that unlike the other series, the Silver Stars seem to retain the 7-digit numbering on the headstock with the first digit being the year until 1985. Unless they just look like they do, do they? Edit: No, the scheme is consistent until 1985.
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