Help confirming 1984 Breezysound

Bitsleftover · Feb 15, 2022

Hi, New member looking for help if that’s ok?
Ive just come home with a lovely Maple Board Butterscotch Breezysound.
The guy I bought it from said he bought it new in 1984 and it was made in Japan.
He said the 6 digit serial number on the neck plate confirmed it. But I’m struggling to verify that.
It has no “Made in” marked anywhere.
The only markings are -
“7-12” on the neck heel.
“226824” on the neck plate.
“TEB” On the brass baseplate of the bridge pup.
“712BL X” in the bridge pup cavity.
“TEB” on the bottom of the neck pup.
And either “7-312 3-33” or “7-812 3-33” in the neck pup cavity.
The Tokai headstock logo looks the same as an ‘84 advertised on reverb.
The word Tokai beneath the E, A and D tuner, and the string tree between the D and G posts.
Ill try and figure out how to post photos
If anyone in the know could spare a few moments to help me figure out exactly what I’ve bought I would be very grateful.
Thank you in advance.

Sigmania · Feb 15, 2022

Congratulations! Neck and body codes match so that’s good.

Here’s how to post pics:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=25951

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

Thank you for the reply. I take it the recurring “712 is significant?
Photos inbound

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

I foolishly snipped the strings off to give it a clean as soon as I got it home before realising I’d just used my last spare set on something else so I’ve not even plugged it in yet!

Sigmania · Feb 16, 2022

The 7-12 is a factory code apparently to match necks and bodies. Yours match so that’s great.

BL is the Tokai paint code. The color is blonde.

The 38 may be a model number but maybe not since that is really low and you have nice hardware.

Also the pickups are original. Nice guitar!

As for year? I’m still not sure. After ‘83. It’s hard to date these. Maybe someone else knows?

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

Thank you Sigmania.
I really appreciate your help

Sigmania · Feb 16, 2022

Based on the info posted on the Faber site it looks like serial number 226824 is possibly from 1986?

Are you in Europe? The headstock changed for the American version in 1984 I believe, but not in Europe as I understand it.

https://www.faberguitar.com/index.p...sO29a9h_Czj9oe8ogj4eHy0H23M4f3oPzZDW5JRKHPngI

Sigmania · Feb 16, 2022

You are welcome. Is the serial number 6 digits?

Sigmania · Feb 16, 2022

I have been poking around for 6 digit serial numbers and found this from over 20 years ago....

Peter Mac said:
Hi Guys,

....However, 6 digits is not just pre-85, post '85 used them also.
eg: TST-40's had 6 digit, "original" series and models had them too. The TE-200 was an 'original' creation, not a 1948 ` 1964 replica - comprende.
The thing is this...you guys are trying to date them sequentially..Tokai didn't do this, they used a more 3 demensional type of serial number sequence, which i have about cracked about 65% of....

Peter Mac

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

That’s interesting. Yes its 6 digits.
226824. Where as the info on the registry suggests it should start with 201XXX
I’m more confused the harder I try hah

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

I cant help thinking the modern bridge and saddles must be a clue. Most Ive soon have had ashtray bridges

Sigmania · Feb 16, 2022

I found some weird HSS Goldstars that we couldn’t decide if they were from 1984 or whatever or from the 90s with 6 digit serial numbers. 01xxxx.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26092&hilit=hss&start=15

Hopefully someone else will have another clue.

Bitsleftover · Feb 16, 2022

I found an article by Huw Price in guitar magazine from last year where he discusses making some improvements to a 1984 Tokai Breezysound. The guitar featured looks identical to mine in every way apart from the bridge. Which incidentally is what he replaces in his article.
The original one on his subject guitar looks like mine, apart from the fact that his has Tokai Stamped into the bridge and mine does not.
Also, his has 6 individual round vintage saddles and mine has been fitted with 6 individual modern block style saddles.
I think it could be safe to assume the guy I bought it from may have swapped it out to improve intonation. One of the 4 bridge screws has been chewed up a bit so its obviously been removed at some point.
Interestingly, the electrics look identical to mine.

Here is a link to the article. I hope its ok for me to post it here

https://guitar.com/guides/diy-workshop/diy-workshop-how-to-upgrade-the-bridge-on-your-tokai/

Sigmania · Feb 16, 2022

That’s what I was thinking, switched out the bridge, but I’m no expert on these.

Sigmania · Feb 16, 2022

Looks like someone threaded pieces of a Gibson guitar pick to the mounting screws for the bridge pickup.

Safe to say the bridge was replaced and the threads were different.

Help confirming 1984 Breezysound

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