Early 90's (?) Tokai Custom ST-120 Swamp Ash & Flame Bir

[Udonitron]

Hello everyone,

I know this is not a early 80's model but it sure looks good! 2 piece Swamp Ash body, flame Birdseye neck, all gold hardware, active pickups, real abalone inlays, etc. 120K yen new, are these common?
Not really up on my Tokai Strats like I am on the Love Rocks

TOKAI limited production early 1990 AST-120 Stratocaster. Price new 120,000 yen.

Specifications:

Machine Heads - Locking Type
Neck - Maple 1P
Number of Frets - 22
Inlays - Abalone
Body - Swamp Ash 2P
Pickups - Unknown
Switch - 5WAY (Switchcraft or CRL)
Controls - Active Circuit
Bridge - Gotoh

Fingerboard radius 350R, V Neck. Gotoh locking tuners, Gotoh bridge (no longer produced & very cool).

 

[Udonitron]

Lots of views but no comments? I suppose she is not that rare or just limited knowledge?

 

[wulfman]

I would say rare bird.
I am not expert but ran across a lot of "Tokai Custom"-labelled strats when looking for a Springy Sound. This one is unlike any other I recall in that it has some great custom features in addition to the 2-pc body/birds-eye neck. A lot of the Tokai custom-labelled guitars see to be priced really low these days. I guess they are just missing the springy-sound logo and fender-style headstock.


edited for typos

 

[Udonitron]

Yeah the headstock is SO CLOSE to a Fender & the old Springy's...all they did was bring the rounded end to a slight ellipse. I kind of like that actually Active pickups too, wonder how they sound? .

 

[Mick51]

I have seen a few for sale, but normally in a S-S-H p/up configuration. I can see that the bridge p/up is routed for a HB. Have the p/ups been swapped, pickguard replaced, etc?

I'm sure that we have quite a few folks with more than a passing knowledge of this model.

 

[Udonitron]

No clue on the swap but I have seen that type of route for standard single coils. I think the factory make loads of each and they run low of one and just use a humbucker routed body and cover it up. My Fujigen Fender Strat has the same routes and it came with the stock single coil pups and guard. I do not have the guitar so I am not sure if the pups and guard are original but I do know the passive cavity in the back is factory installed from doing some searching.

 

[Diamond]

Looks like the guitar on the front cover of the 2010 catalog...with a few changes.

Is it an SEB?

 

[Udonitron]

Well from what I understand, it is an AST-120 from the early 90's. Have any links to the photo?