Need help figuring out this Tokai Strat please! Pics Added

[ampegasaur]

I have a Blue/Green Maple Neck 21 fret Strat that someone prior to myself added a Fender Waterslide. 50s era classic Strat headstock, Tōkai stamped bridge, never had a Trem cover, no screws for it, Kluson styled vintage tuners. The kicker, the neck has a handwritten in pencil 5-57 on the end under the trussrod screw, and on back of the heel. No numbers I can find on the body anywhere, and the paint is a little more greenish color under the pickguard. The neckplate starts with a 57 and is 5 numbers. Really odd 57 on the neck, and the plate starts with a 57. I am stumped. I do not believe the pickguard is original, BUT there is an A on the back of the pickguard, guessing the pickups were changed. Very hard time finding out what this is. It appears to be early 80s but not sure. This is the o oh place that seemed to have the knowledge required to solve the mystery. Will post some pictures shortly, once I figure it out being new here. It really is a nice guitar, like it a lot.

[Peter Mac]

Hi,
this looks more like someone put a Tokai neck plate and bridge on a Fender Strat than anything else.
Neck markings are USA Fender 57RI - not original '57 - the colour is either Custom Shop or respray and the pickups are not Tokai. Cavity isn't detailed enough to tell either way but Tokai cavities tend to have stamps indicating production and colour.

Hope this helps

[ampegasaur]

Hi,
this looks more like someone put a Tokai neck plate and bridge on a Fender Strat than anything else.
Neck markings are USA Fender 57RI - not original '57 - the colour is either Custom Shop or respray and the pickups are not Tokai. Cavity isn't detailed enough to tell either way but Tokai cavities tend to have stamps indicating production and colour.

Hope this helps

That does help, maybe just a Tokai Bridge. No stamps at all on the body. It appears to be nitro, at least on the top coat, and has faded unlike Poly. Fender reissues all seem to have stamps, not pencil marks. This was found at a pawn shop, so the history is not really known. I am leaning towards a Fender also, can't seem to find a Fender or Tokai that has a Penciled reissue Neck Mark. A bit of a puzzle.

[ampegasaur]

New information. Under the middle spring is a handwritten 5-57 also!!!

Also, it is a Tokai, with a blacklight "oldie but goodie" is clearly seen on the headstock. The label came off, but as often happens any water slide, sticker or decal will burn into the finish creating an image visible with blacklight. Maybe a one off Tokai? Crazy. A promo version made for a show, NAMM, not sure. I am pretty sure now it is a Tokai.

[guitar hiro]

I agree with Peter on the tremolo bridge; yours' is from the Springy Sound era.
This is obvious from two features: (1) the TOKAI/TOKAI saddle stamping (2) the casting marks on the bottom of the zinc tremolo block.

The tuners are also Tokai tuners as they have the slightly round post tops which is a dead giveaway.
These tuners should each have a metal post that goes into the back of the head stock so, by odds alone you also have a Tokai neck.
Also, the neck heel carve feature is correct for a Tokai ST neck.

The little bit of the decal that is intact is at the correct angle.
The correct verbiage however is "Oldies But Goldies."

So, IMO you at least have a Tokai tremolo bridge unit, and a Tokai neck with Tokai tuners.
Neck plate? I defer to Peters' call on that.

I have never seen a single example of a Tokai ST sans the six screws for the tremolo spring route cover.
I'm not claiming they don't exist but the odds are extremely low for such an example IMO.

Conclusion? Heinz 57

[ampegasaur]

I agree with Peter on the tremolo bridge; yours' is from the Springy Sound era.
This is obvious from two features: (1) the TOKAI/TOKAI saddle stamping (2) the casting marks on the bottom of the zinc tremolo block.

The tuners are also Tokai tuners as they have the slightly round post tops which is a dead giveaway.
These tuners should each have a metal post that goes into the back of the head stock so, by odds alone you also have a Tokai neck.
Also, the neck heel carve feature is correct for a Tokai ST neck.

The little bit of the decal that is intact is at the correct angle.
The correct verbiage however is "Oldies But Goldies."

So, IMO you at least have a Tokai tremolo bridge unit, and a Tokai neck with Tokai tuners.
Neck plate? I defer to Peters' call on that.

I have never seen a single example of a Tokai ST sans the six screws for the tremolo spring route cover.
I'm not claiming they don't exist but the odds are extremely low for such an example IMO.

Conclusion? Heinz 57

Oldies but goodies is what it is, my mistake writing it. Anyone can write on a neck and body, I get that. just very odd the same on both the neck and the body. Is there a chance this was a one off or made for a show? I assume they may have done that.

[guitar hiro]

sorry, you lost me on that last post.

One other thing: the neck heel surface that mates to the body neck pocket has what looks to be (from your photo) black paint residue.
Yet another indication the neck & body are from different guitars, as I previously suspected & inferred.

[ampegasaur]

Are Tokai necks 100% the correct size to fit a Fender, or Fender spec body? Would a body have to be made to fit the neck properly? If different having a body that would fit properly seems unlikely. The body and neck neck fit really well. I own several real vintage pre cbs guitars, and LOTS of different builds, and the fir and finish is high. Seem made as a set. No apparent mods, to the body to fit correctly. I have owned a few compete Tokai through the years, especially the LP styles, a few springy sounds as well. However, no expert on Tokai, their specs, and how they fit directly with true Fender spec guitars. I know the specs on fenders well. I really appreciate everyone helping me figure this out. Always looking for a real Tokai Talbo.....one of the coolest guitars ever made.