The Mystery Of The - Hyphen, Dash, or Minus Sign

The - sign shows up on Tokais roughly around 1985/86 and likely goes into the early 90s before Tokai ST's made in Japan dry up and the symbol appears on Fenders Made and Crafted in Japan in the 1990s and 2000s.

Equal sign extends into 1987 in mixed codes with the - symbol.

Mixed Codes = & -

Examples:

5 digit
21842 (June 1985, 6-11, May 1985 switch code)

12824 (Nov 1989) HSS

6 digit
209815 (May 198x)
214092 (Feb 1987)
217619 (Feb 1987)
222587 (May 1987)
223218 (May 1987) Bradley

013624 (May 19xx) Breezy
014302 HSS
014984 HSS
015379 HSS
017895 HSS
018119 HSS
018440 HSS

Fender

N043490 (MIJ 1993/94)
N066433 (MIJ 1993/94)
Q005519 (CIJ 2002/04)

Tokai Built Fenders

Note: Six digit non Fender serial number system in the following format (20xxxx, 21xxxx, 22xxxx) possibly date from the following post 1985 period having the - (hyphen, dash or minus) symbol in the production code. Also note that these serial numbers are stamped on the neck plate as opposed to later format of ink stamped serial numbers 2009-.


Tokai Goldstar Sound TST-60s 1984 Cream White Fender Stratocaster reissue | Reverb UK

Tokai Goldstar Stratocaster Olympic white | Reverb

S/N 209815

Note: Still has brass grounding plate. So likely made in 1985 or 1986. Plate phased out by early 1987.

Note: Pots replaced with CTS pots that date to 10th week of 2013.

VII pickups should make this a TST50.

Note: Brass ground plate has been phased out by the time this guitar was made in May of 1987.

Voidoid56 said:

S/N 222587

• V II pickups and Klusons so should be TST-50GS (despite 1954 detail, like a button string tree)
• Pot codes are March 1987
• Final Prospec bridge
• Production codes separated by a dash, not =
• Routs without pickup screw indentations, no control brass plate
• Neck stamp is 5 -17, body stamp lost to screening paint

Actually one of the nicest STs/TSTs I've had.

Click to expand...

Six Digit Serial Number Goldstars, Etc. Fender Headstock

Other guitars with the hyphen, dash or minus sign in the production code:

The Mystery Of The - Hyphen, Dash, or Minus Sign

HSS Goldstars

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26825&p=201758#p201758

Voidoid56 said:

S/N 222587

• V II pickups and Klusons so should be TST-50GS (despite 1954 detail, like a button string tree)

• Pot codes are March 1987

• Final Prospec bridge

• Production codes separated by a dash, not =

• Routs without pickup screw indentations, no control brass plate

• Neck stamp is 5 -17, body stamp lost to screening paint

Actually one of the nicest STs/TSTs I've had.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/mZLDtJK.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/NCrDffB.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/fYjKSZ2.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/FEYVefg.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/9rx4de4.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/0KBwvqP.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/p8jRbBu.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/yo0K30R.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/mlMOuy8.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/LaIfhyb.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/vBIStbH.jpg[/img]

Click to expand...

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26343&p=198775&hilit=six+digit+goldstars#p198775

And then apparently Tokai built Fenders in the 1990s and 2000s.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26827

Here's one (LS50D ?) that further adds to the mystery...

A Love Rock with a bolt neck that has this hyphen/dash symbol (7-5) and has features of both Korean and Japanese manufacturing.

Korean (no serial number, 3 screw pointed bell TRC from roughly 1998-2000, red white and blue wires).

Japanese (production code stamp, MIJ pots, square Tokai Japan routs for pickup ears in cavity).

Tokai LoveRock domestic product Les Paul Japan vintage | eBay

S/N 013624

5-8 production code.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=26483&p=198696#p198696

S/N 014302
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25983&hilit=six+digit

Documenting a very interesting Goldstar.

SN 217619

It has BOTH the = sign and the - sign... Seems to bridge these two periods.

Further, the pots date to January 1987 (71) and the body and neck codes indicate a February production (2).

Appears to be a lower end AST model and lacks the brass ground plate, but that could be because of the model rather than the date of production. It straddles that line as well it seems.

What Tokai do I have

Voidoid57’s Goldstar SN 222587 has a pot date of March 1987, production date of May.

So 5,000 units away in three months?

Makes one think the numbers are shared across product lines. That’s a lot of guitars.

For example shared with Bradley guitars fit one.

Bradley-branded 1987 Goldstar

Just an observation.

Voidoid57's Bradley

Bradley-branded 1987 Goldstar

SN 223218

Pot date March 1987 (73)
Production code 5-17 (5 is apparently May)

SN 214092

A little help please.

Here is another ones with pot codes from January 1987 and production codes of February (2-1 and 2=6).

Huge clues I think as to what the second digit means.

Made the same month, but different numbers and use different symbols or stamps - and =.

I think I just stumbled upon what is perhaps a big clue in untangling what these codes mean.

Two of the guitars above have pot codes for January 1987 and production codes on the neck and bodies of February (2).

SN 214092
SN 217619

The interesting part is that both have mixed symbols...

The necks have the - symbol and the bodies have the = symbol.
And in one case the second number is different on the two parts.
Different necks!

One is the Fender TST style, the other is the AST!

That argues more for that second number representing different piles, batches or areas rather than from a different time period in my opinion.

The first number is definitely the month in my opinion. So far in all the cases I have seen the pot date precedes the production number. And usually by a consistent 1 or 2 months. The part is obviously made away from the factory, so they have to get the order before they can put it in the guitar. Makes sense.

A little help please.






What Tokai do I have

Mixed codes examples in 1987

= and -

Six Digit Serial Numbers With 2xxxxx

Hyphen symbol still going in 2016 on this Silver Star.

SN 161116

2009 Tokai Goldstar Sound strat, is this one a rarity?

SN 22406

Fender style serial number

Confusing guitar.

Pots date to April 1984

Script logo replaced with spag.

Ceramic pickups.

If pots are original, then - symbol started in 1984....

ST-45 or.... ?

1985

SN 21842 (out of sequence?)

Neck: 6-11
Body: 6-11
Switch: 55 3 (May 1985)

"V" mark

TE55BL with Fender decal

TEB pickups

Tokai Breezy Sounds te-50 Blonde 1985 black guard