1986 ST40

[ATO]

Only of interest as I don't think I've seen an L serial with trap tuners before. Must be early 86.

Hard to make out the serial L3435*, must be one of the last.

Seller is claiming it's a TST60 which it clearly is not.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37527858...6dyJ3hoSoe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Sigmania]

Oh that is a late L serial.

1985/early 1986 TST40 BBR

1985 Fin catalog

 

[ATO]

This also appears to be an ST40 from 1984? Not seen trap tuners so early before. Also Tokai stamped saddles, odd! On FB.

L24277

Vintage Tokai TST Goldstar sound 1984. Owned by myself from new, purchased from Guitarzan guitar shop Middlesbrough.
In as new condition as photos show with no dents scratches or fret wear.
Guitar has had absolute minimal use over the past 40 years as I am an acoustic strummer. Nothing has been changed all original.
Anything that may look like faults on photos are reflections. Would prefer collection from Middlesbrough area as viewing can be arranged.
£1200 Or best offer

 

[Sigmania]

That is a high serial number. I would have guessed 1985.

1985 TST40 YSO ?

1985 Fender Style Serial Numbers

Do you have any of the codes for it?

 

[ATO]

That is a high serial number. I would have guessed 1985.

1985 TST40 YSO ?

1985 Fender Style Serial Numbers

Do you have any of the codes for it?

View attachment 52415

No codes unfortunately. These two suggest 1984 could be correct...

4=8 TST Left hand L22746 (purchased Aug 1984)
7=5 TST55 Left Hand MRR L24903 (June 84 pot codes)

 

[Sigmania]

Is there an invoice for that August 1984 purchase? I would be curious to see that.

 

[ATO]

Got that one from here

https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/can-someone-tell-me-more-about-this-guitar.19307/post-153397

https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/left-handed-tokais-letter-feb-1984-re-first-production.17817/

Would've like to have seen that letter, lifeline's not logged in for 12 years.

 

[Sigmania]

Hmmmmm. This is why I try to document everything with images. So angry about all the images we have lost because of hosting sites like photobucket changing their policies and untold numbers of pictures vanishing.

But here’s an interesting comment from one of those threads. I wonder if the lefties got a different stack of neck plates. Interesting.

A beauty Olav, let me know when you bring her to the UK. Interesting re the serial no L21067, do you have neck body codes?
The three Lefty rosewood TST55L's bought by Peter Cook's Hanwell London in August 1984, all had serials betwwen L226xx and L228xx.
Both mine L22746, L22816 have same batch neck codes 4=8, i.e despatched April as per Tokai letter.

 

[ATO]

But here’s an interesting comment from one of those threads. I wonder if the lefties got a different stack of neck plates. Interesting.

I had wondered that myself.

 

[ATO]

I get the impression that the first lefties were Goldstars too, which would put that TTE50 lefty into 1984

https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/list-by-1st-body-code.28672/post-218359