Tokai "Blackie" Strat Relic

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Anonymous

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Just seen this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220130420154&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:middle:uk

Are those tuners right? They look like cheap Squier tuners to me. The decal looks like it's wrongly placed too?

Mike
 
It looks like it's a little bit too high up. Maybe I'm wrong. It was the tuners that caught my eye though. I assumed that all Tokai Goldstars from the 80s had Kluson type tuners. Am I wrong?

Mike
 
stratman323 said:
It looks like it's a little bit too high up. Maybe I'm wrong. It was the tuners that caught my eye though. I assumed that all Tokai Goldstars from the 80s had Kluson type tuners. Am I wrong?

Mike
Click to expand...

Go to the ID and Dating section - there's a pic of a Goldstar with a similar decal......looks about the same. But I agree with you about the tuners - the ones on the ebay guitar look like Silver Star tuners.
 
It's a TST-40, they didn't have Kluson type tuners, they are Gotoh budget tuners. TST-40 also had the 70's type tremolo cast in one piece with cast bridge saddles. The original pickups have a ceramic bar magnet and steel poles instead of alnico magnets.

Mike
 
Hi!

This is supposed to be an early '60 copy? The headstock is '70, I'd say.

Logo is past '84 in my opinion.

The tuners are the cheap/cheap ones. Altough: I am confused: the back does not fit the front.

As Volker and Mike said: TST-4x. If you are lucky.

I would not bid.

Rupert
 
The tuners may have been swapped for Squier tuners as they look identical to the tuners on my Squier.
The pickguard is correct...tripple layer as opposed to single layer for Squiers.
I agree with the others that it's one of the lower end Tokai.
 
Ozeshin said:
The tuners may have been swapped for Squier tuners as they look identical to the tuners on my Squier.
The pickguard is correct...tripple layer as opposed to single layer for Squiers.
I agree with the others that it's one of the lower end Tokai.
Click to expand...

The tuners are definitely the original ones, I have an AST-40 and a MAT-451 with the same tuners.

TST-40 was not an exact 50's or 60's replica. For example my AST-40 has an 11 screw, 3-ply pickguard together with a 50's one piece maple neck.

They are still good guitars, I use my AST-40 as my main guitar at the moment. I have replaced the tuners with "Deluxe" Klusons and the pickups are Seymour Duncans. The trem is the original one.

Mike
 
Interesting, as always. Thanks guys. The headstock shape looks right to me, but I didn't know that those Squier type cheap tuners came on the cheaper Tokais as well.

It's not really me, but even if it was, I'd be put off by the boast that it now has "huge" frets. Strats shouldn't have huge frets. :(

Mike
 
stratman323 said:
I'd be put off by the boast that it now has "huge" frets. Strats shouldn't have huge frets. :(
Mike
Click to expand...

I think Stevie Ray Vaughan would disagree with that statement - he used almost the equivalent of bass fret wire on his strats.

Have you ever played jumbo frets? As noted in the guitar's description, once you get used to them, jumbo frets make the guitar very easy to play because you do not need to exert alot of finger pressure on your strings to fret the note - in fact, if you press too hard on the strings, they'll go sharp because of the fret height.......don't knock em til you try em.....
 
I have, & I don't like 'em. Sure SRV used them, but he also used at least 13 to 56 gauge strings, often heavier. If I tried that, I wouldn't be able to bend a semi-tone! He was a better player than me (ever so slightly of course :p )

In contrast, brother Jimmie (whose playing I much prefer) uses 11s on vintage type necks and frets. I guess it's what you get used to, and what suits our hands. Me, I like slim rosewood boards necks and vintage frets.

Chacun ? son go?t.
 

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