1983 Fender Style Serial Numbers

[ATO]

March 83 Super Edition TST80 L09474 3=26

Had to email the seller for a pic of the code.

https://reverb.com/uk/item/61292078...-goldstar-sound-1984-with-extra-tokai-tremolo

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

18846 Breezy Script, J. Donahue (NST: 10=6 BST: 10=8 (control cavity), 10=9 (NPU cavity))

L20141 Goldstar Script, E-PU (NST: 9=3 BST: garbled =3) doesn't fit in 83 nor 84 so far

 

[Sigmania]

I'm not sure what to do about that L20141.

It has a 50 neck label and E pickups.

I was looking at the pickups for an indication of whether it was 1983 or 1984 and realized they probably aren't original?

 

[Sigmania]

Looks like I had logged L20141 before and tried to figure it out in the Dot Code thread.

Dot Codes

Also discussed here:

Goldstar AST-62 - new member seeking ID help

And shown here:

Tokai Goldstar Sound

Probably had VII (Vintage MKII) pickups originally.

1984 catalog

 

[Sigmania]

Sept.1983 or Sept. 1984?

I wonder if they put the E pickups in it in Sept 1983 while they were phasing them out and getting rid of the old stock?

That would have been an upgrade over the VII marked MKII.

Solder looks pretty good.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Oh boy, I didn't realize that it's an AST - I'm having those currently completely (well...lol) factored out to avoid confusion. Looks like this shows how that would be confusing (and that I should call it a day).

 

[ATO]

Very early Script 'instruments of the world' ST50?

L06308 - roughly I would expect Jan/Feb 83

No stamps available :-(

Edit: I see you've already got this at the end of the 82 list!

https://reverb.com/item/64763494-tokai-goldstar-sound-tst-50-1984-sunburst-mij-japan

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Yeah I have been focusing on those in the past days too and found only guitars without stamp pics, which is kind of aggravating when you want to see them so much. I found L05785 (kinda fishy, unstamped saddles), L06988 and L07428 "World" script Goldies but without the stamps they are not worth much.

 

[ATO]

There's bluejeannot's slab board ST80 too
L11357

https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/...earn-more-about-this-please.19461/post-157410

 

[Sigmania]

There's bluejeannot's slab board ST80 too
L11357

https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/...earn-more-about-this-please.19461/post-157410

It is so interesting the timing on these things. That one TST60 MB was made in May and had a block logo, and sold in November. Gabe's was made in June and has a script logo.

That is why I have been saying the change in the logo was mid year, same time as the mid year catalog featuring the script logo.

 

[ATO]

Yen

It is so interesting the timing on these things. That one TST60 MB was made in May and had a block logo, and sold in November. Gabe's was made in June and has a script logo.

That is why I have been saying the change in the logo was mid year, same time as the mid year catalog featuring the script logo.

View attachment 39104

Yes it does look like the last blocks were made in May 83 and the next guitars into the UK were June made. There are some May Scripts about but they appear to have gone to mainland Europe. So far my L12126 is the latest block I've seen.

It would make sense that the 2nd number is simply the order number, the UK is a small country with one importer bringing in a lot of guitars per order, hence it's easier to spot the ones in the same order by the code, rather than eg. guitars sold in Japan at the time, where there will have been a lot of individual guitar orders = individual codes.

 

[Sigmania]

I know we haven't looked at 6 digit numbers, but here is an example of Tokais branded as other things sharing the pool of serial numbers.

Tokai / Robin SRV Rare! | Reverb

 

[Sigmania]

When I look at the serial numbers and the month stamps associated with them it looks like a series of leapfrogs.

I am beginning to imagine a scenario of batches of neck plates rather than a linear pattern of assigning a necklace as each guitar is finished.

Not sure how that plays out.

 

[Sigmania]

Well this would have been helpful. This sort of thing drives me nuts, but illustrates how these plates can end up on a different guitar.

フェンダー1963年かトーカイ Lシリアル ジョイン... - Yahoo!オークション

 

[ATO]

Here's another odd one along the same lines as L07847.

This one is L07428 with a neck code of 3=25 which suggests March 83 but it has the 'quality instruments' decal like L07847. To complicate there is no visible code on the body but it doesn't look like a refinish. Update: switch code added, Sept 82

There is L09474 3=26 noted above also.

 

[ATO]

Check the one out, all points to Jan 83 but the decal!

L06688
TST50 'Quality Instruments' decal
1=15 body code
Switch 29 1 (Sept 82)

https://reverb.com/uk/item/78103693-tokai-goldstar-1984-red
In the same month is Cliffs Spag TE80 L06241!

 

[Sigmania]

Hard to see that body code. 1 or faint 11.



Do you know the neck code?

Could be a partscaster

 

[ATO]

I dunno, I can't see any remnants of anything there. It might be a partscaster but there are others with the same decal in Jan/Feb that seem legit. The wiring looks factory and the switch is sept 82. From what I've seen the switches didn't hang around in the factory for long. Also unlikely to switch a RW neck for RW. Not a UK guitar so if they were swapping for the decal it would be Spag for script.. seems unlikely.

Maybe they made a surplus of guitars in early 83 expecting an uptick in sales after decal change and they got shipped out later in the year.

 

[ATO]

In fact the guitar above the last one is 3=25, also has the 'quality instruments' decal and has the same switch date Sept 82.

 

[Sigmania]

Check these out... Script/Super Edition/ Quality Instruments/Extra Tokai logo and L08 & L09 serial numbers.

VSB80 "Special Series" Super Edition