Breezysound Vintage Paisley versions

[Lumi71]

Hi,
would like to know if there are vintage Paisleys with one piece maple neck (no maple board) with skunkstripe out there...I know most of them had the maple says + maple board neck without skunkstripe and this what the catalogs say but I could imagine exceptions were possible as with other vintage Tokais, too..

 

[Sigmania]

So you are saying not the TTE/TE70 of the late 80s with the maple lam neck?

1989 catalog:

TE70

• Alder body
• Maple fingerboard laminated on maple neck
• TE-Vintage MKII pickups
• 1 volume, 1 tone
• With vintage type bridge unit (3 way)
• Finishes: BF (Blue Flower), PR (Paisley Red)

 

[Sigmania]

And I am not sure when they started making the paisley TE70.

This one is listed on the Faber site as a 1983, but the neck plate looks wrong. It is an L serial number so would be a neck plate for a rosewood board guitar.

I suspect this body was made later. Need pics under the pickguard to confirm.

Tokai Breezysound TE70 PR Paisley 1983 #J91

 

[Sigmania]

It looks to me like the first paisleys were made in the late 80s and like you said had the maple lam boards. TTE/TE70.

At the tail end of the Fender production period (1992-2009) they began making them again, but with the walnut plug.

And I assume they continue making them to the present day.

 

[Lumi71]

Thanks for answer-
I am referring to vintage ones (80s) only.
Particular to this
Interested to buy it and seller says all original - has L+5digit serial as well..
I know old catalogs say laminated maple board and old ones seem to have no skunk stripe therefore....
New ones seem to have one piece maple neck with skunk stripe. A bit strange to me that they do it this way know.

I know that there are a lot of exceptions to catalog specs with old Tokais
So my questions was if anyone knows about another old with a one piece maple neck...

 

[Sigmania]

Like the one from the Faber site, it’s likely those parts did not go together originally. Specifically that body with that neck.

L serial is for a 60s replica with a rosewood board.

Do you have the body code?

 

[Lumi71]

No dont have the body code but that would help a lot imgo either as body and neck code do not have to match afaik..
the one on the faber site had no skunk stripe and likely a maple lam board on maple neck

 

[Sigmania]

The neck on the guitar you are looking at is from before 1985 basically.

Need the body code to know if this is apples and oranges.

Without seeing the body code it’s safe to assume that it’s a partscaster. The burden of proof is on the seller.

 

[Sigmania]

FWIW, you can see a complete pickguard in the background in the photo…



I don’t know who the seller is, but I suspect parts were moved around at some point.

If they want to sell the guitar they should give you pics under the pickguard.

And yes codes can be different, but not wildly different.

For example if the body code has a - instead of a = then those are “mixed symbols” which I have seen in the mid to late 80s.

Mixed Symbols = & -

However, it’s a huge red flag if in addition to mixed symbols the numbers don’t match either. That’s a sure bet partscaster in that case.

That’s my advice.

And that’s in addition to the serial number being wrong for this guitar.

Pics of the pots would tell part of the story of this guitar as well.

 

[Sigmania]

1987 Vol. 13 catalog is the first time I see a paisley finish on a Tokai. And it's the maple lam board.

Let me know if you find a verifiable earlier one. I haven't seen one.

 

[togps]

FWIW, you can see a complete pickguard in the background in the photo…

View attachment 17575

I don’t know who the seller is, but I suspect parts were moved around at some point.

If they want to sell the guitar they should give you pics under the pickguard.

And yes codes can be different, but not wildly different.

For example if the body code has a - instead of a = then those are “mixed symbols” which I have seen in the mid to late 80s.

Mixed Symbols = & -

However, it’s a huge red flag if in addition to mixed symbols the numbers don’t match either. That’s a sure bet partscaster in that case.

That’s my advice.

That is not a Tokai Tele body!
The Tokai Tele neck pocket features two small semicircular cutouts at its end

 

[Lumi71]

Got some new pics...
Tokai body without a doubt..
Body has no codes anywhere
with the marking in the neck pocket maybe a kind of custom order?

 

[Sigmania]

You need pictures in the control cavity. The code would be in there.

Also pics of the pots while he’s at it.

And this is what Gottfried is talking about. As seen on my 1981 TE120. Those semicircular holes continue from 1979 into the late 80s. Not sure about other models and when and if they stop?

The guitar you posted does have the countersunk holes for the neck bolts though. Odd.

 

[Sigmania]

Sorting out the range of the semicircular holes to see when they ended.

Looks like sometime between the late 80s and early 2000s....

Here is a 1984/85 TTE60TM

Vintage 1983 Tokai Breezysound TTE60 TM Quilted Maple Japan Telecaster 8.0lbs | Reverb UK




Here is a 1984/85 TTE50

Holy Grail Vintage 34yr old Tokai Breezy Sound 1956-1960 Telecaster-Factory Waxed Pick-ups, Ash Body | Reverb



Early 90s still has the semi circular holes...

TE80A Breezy Unusual 1 Piece Ash Tele Often Confused With The TE120





Early 2000s no serial number all caps "MADE IN JAPAN" without the semi circular holes...

Tokai BreezySound Telecaster Japan - Gloss Black - MIJ | Reverb

 

[Lumi71]

Have pics of the control cavity- no code
has noble pots with no usable pot codes like other breezys

 

[Sigmania]

So as Gottfired pointed out with the lack of those semi circular holes, it is likely that body was made between roughly 1992 and 2006 ish.

This is the Fender production period as I was referring to earlier.

 

[Sigmania]

Have pics of the control cavity- no code
has noble pots with no usable pot codes like other breezys

Thanks. That is a blurry picture and I can't tell if there is a code in there.

Also, seeing the bottom of the pots could tell us a lot. Pots were dated pretty consistently on Tokais from around 1986 to 1992.

After that there is a distinctive 2 line ink stamped method that would be easy to spot.

I see one of those is a NOBLE pot which doesn't help much with dating it unfortunately.

This wiring has been altered. Notice how the cloth is pulled back on the pickup lead wires.



Someone has gone through a lot of trouble to find old parts from at least 3 different guitars (neck, body, neck plate) in my opinion.

 

[Lumi71]

So as Gottfired pointed out with the lack of those semi circular holes, it is likely that body was made between roughly 1992 and 2005.

This is the Fender production period as I was referring to earlier.

Body has these holes in the neck pocket- look at the pics please.
So for me its clearly a Tokai body...

 

[Lumi71]

Other pot is a noble as well and on another pic I have its easy to tell that it does not have a code in in control cavity

 

[Sigmania]

Body has these holes in the neck pocket- look at the pics please.
So for me its clearly a Tokai body...

Glad you said that. The first picture with the pick guard on makes it look like they aren’t there.



Yes Tokai body.