Breezysound Vintage Paisley versions

[Sigmania]

As you said, there was a lot of weirdness with Tokai and consistency. I have seen more than enough myself. It is conceivable that this is a legit guitar.

The problem is the "L serial" number on a guitar with a maple neck. But.... Gottfired had one too, a TTE70 with an L serial and maple lam neck.

I am wondering if they put the L serial number on there related to it being a copy of a 60s Fender paisley body? The maple lam neck is correct for a Fender circa 1964-67 or so, but the skunk stripe one is not. Maybe they were sorting that out??? The maple lam Tokai ST guitars appear by late 1981, but I am not sure about TEs.

Lots of "ifs". Too bad the body has no production code. May never know the true story as with a lot of things Tokai.

 

[Sigmania]

So the L serial number dates it as pre summer 1986
The TEB pickups are for models below TE80. Not sure when they changed?
ST pickups changed at the end of 1983 from E and U to V (Vintage) and VII (Vintage MKII).

1985 catalog

 

[Sigmania]

Btw, I can see a faint code. A better pic might help if the seller is willing to take another one.

Looks nothing like 2=11, but there is an = sign it seems which is huge if it is what I am seeing.

Something like 10 = 5 or 10 = 6



I have seen an = sign in the body code going into 1987 but the neck had a - sign nad a 6 digit serial number 2xxxxx.

Six Digit Serial Numbers With 2xxxxx 1986 1987

Mixed Symbols = & -

And I am betting there may be a faint code in the control compartment too.

Almost looks like a 10 =





Any pics of the headstock on this guitar?

 

[Sigmania]

And still don't know what the serial number is?

I guess I have been making assumptions based on the Faber one, but just realized I don't know the serial number.

That would help with dating it.

 

[Lumi71]

Serial is L21397

 

[Sigmania]

Thanks. That number may be 1984. Hard to know because some numbers are out of sequence and the produciton rates changed.

For reference L12000 is on at least one early 1983. L30000 is on at least one early 1986. So yours is halfway in between that span of over those 3 years. At a steady rate that would be mid 1984. But lots of assumptions there and production seemed to slow over time in the 80s. Could have been sooner or later.

And yes, I realize the Faber site has a different break down. I am just basing this on what I have seen.

 

[Sigmania]

And looks like the TEB pickups on Breezy guitars continued until at least 1987 so that doesn't help us narrow it down very much.

So it looks like where we are with this guitar is that:

- paisley TE/TTE guitars do not show up in catalogs until 1987
- I have seen = sign on bodies going into 1987 at least, but - sign on neck
- both have = sign in code
- Neck is 2 = 11
- Body is 10 = 6 (or 5)
- the body and neck codes do not match
- production dates on neck and body at least 4 months apart ( Feb. and Oct.)
- neck on this guitar is atypical for TTE70 paisley
- L serial number is typically for 60s rosewood board models
- L serial number seen on a TTE70 with maple lam neck sold by Faber
- L serial numbers end in spring of 1986
- cannot verify that the neck goes with this body
- cannot verify that the neck plate goes with this body
- lead wires on pickups to pots & switch have been worked with, pulled back/ likely re-soldered
- neck was shimmed
- looks like another Tokai mystery...

 

[Lumi71]

Thanks for participation in this!
Took the gamble an bought it.
For me it its not very likely the neck has been changed.
Took a closer look and even the colorprints on neck and neck pocket seems to be matching...
Waht I could think of is that it is a kind of custom order maybe...
Could explain the additioal handwritten markings maybe and the the only faint codes on Body? (by the way for me it looks like 0=6)
Paisley with a 50s neck.
About the "wrong serial" - there are other paisleys out there with a L+ serial
Resoldering seems to be likely, but if I look close it seems only for one pup....
Others solderings and wires look to be untouched..
In worst case it seems to be a replaced but also Tokai neck.

 

[Lumi71]

neck pocket zoomed..

 

[Sigmania]

Well they are all Tokai parts, so you got a Tokai guitar no matter what.

And the first number stands for the month. That is pretty certain. Plenty of threads on that. So it won’t be just “0”. I am seeing “10”. You should know soon enough.

Congratulations! Let us know what you think when you have it in hand.

 

[Lumi71]

Received it-
its a mystery. On the neck heel there are faint imprints in laquer of the small holes (not screws) which dont matsch exactly. On the other hand there are clearly pink color prints at the neck that match the pink laquer in the neck pocket....
So my conclusion is nwck and body have been paired in the factory...
Maybe the neck was on a 50s breezy and they received a custom order for a paisley tele with one piece maple neck and this was the best matching neck they had in stock....

 

[ATO]

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

View attachment 17724

Yes Tokai body.

View attachment 17725

There was a 2=11 breezy build in 1984.

 

[Sigmania]

Btw, I can see a faint code. A better pic might help if the seller is willing to take another one.

Looks nothing like 2=11, but there is an = sign it seems which is huge if it is what I am seeing.

Something like 10 = 5 or 10 = 6

View attachment 17727

I have seen an = sign in the body code going into 1987 but the neck had a - sign nad a 6 digit serial number 2xxxxx.

Six Digit Serial Numbers With 2xxxxx 1986 1987

Mixed Symbols = & -

And I am betting there may be a faint code in the control compartment too.

Almost looks like a 10 =

View attachment 17729

View attachment 17731

By the way, we have learned that these switches have date codes. Hard to read yours. Can you post a picture showing the code?

Looks like I am seeing an "N" which would be November. The year digit would be before the N if that is what I am seeing.

 

[Sigmania]

There was a 2=11 breezy build in 1984.

So the neck may be 1984 then.

Would love to know the code on the switch.

Body code looks like 10=5 or 6 to me.

 

[Sigmania]

And I did come across some L serial number Breezy's with maple necks.

Tortoiseshell Mahogany Breezy TTE60TM

It seems the issue is the style of the guitar. L being 196-1964 models with the butterfly string tree, etc.



I have also found some maple neck Breezys with 6 digit numbers which were 1964/65-1976 numbers.

All Over Red Stained Breezy's 1982 THS60 THS70 ?

 

[Lumi71]

Code on switch is 4N 1

 

[Sigmania]

Cool. That is November 1984. So the switch at least is from 1984.