How to tell if a new Tokai GoldStar is from Japan or Korea?

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rgrabows

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I picked up a Tokai on Thursday from songbirdmusic in Toronto.

THey have them on their website ...on sale reg. $865 on for $519.
They are advertised as Japanese GoldStars, however I am a little
worried that it might be the lesser model from Korea.

They aren't any serial numbers anywhere on it...and no other identifying marks.

I've been told that a Korean GoldStar can be bought in the $350 - $399 range...and I just hoping that I haven't been taken for a ride.

Any help would be great.
 
First of all check the tuners, the japanese AST-50 has "Kluson" type tuners with split posts. I also think the korean ones have a flatter fingerboard radius, the japanese have the vintage 7,25" radius. The headstock is also slightly different at the "pointy" end, the korean one is a little more rounded off whereas the japanese is straighter (hard to describe!). On the korean maplenecks there is no rosewood plug at the headstock where the truss rod end is (the japanese strat has a one piece mapleneck and a plug). Also, the AST-50 mapleneck has a pickguard with only 8 screws as the 50's strats whereas the korean mapleneck have 11 screws.

Mike
 
Much thanks to Javelin 70...and thanks for all the information.

Based on the information that you provided, I am pretty sure that i have myself a Japanese Tokai Goldstar Sound.

First of all - the tuners: this one has the Kluson type tuners.

Headstock - not sure how rounded mine is compared to the others..so this one is stull up in the air.

Headstock plug - The model I have has a teardrop shaped rosewood plug where the trussrod is.

Pick Guard - only 8 screws

Awesome news !

Thanks again...and I am real happy I found this site...and purchased this guitar.
 
If you look at Ned's korean AST-33 you'll know what I mean regarding the headstock. Look at the headstock just after the last tuner to the right, on the AST-33 it starts to round off whereas on the AST-50 the straight edge is a little longer.

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/reviews/ast33_hs.jpg

Compare it to this one, do you see the difference? It's not much but it's there.

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/tf_script85.jpg

Also notice that Ned's AST-33 does not have split post tuners.

Mike
 
Jav-

Please don't post pics from the main site in the forum it increases the bandwidth that is consumed and causes a cost increase in hosting. I edited your post to remove the pics.

rgra-

Cost of the guitar is inline with the cost of the Japanese models, I'm surprised there is no serial number. Was their a sticker on the back of the headstock or a model reference in the receipt?

Ned
 
Not that I've found either. I haven't removed the neck plate to see if there is one under there but there are certainly no numbers anywhere else and mine is Japanese for sure.

Dave
 
Ned,

No there wasn't any serial number on the back plate or
stickers identifying a country, etc.

That's why I was concerned.
 
ned said:
Jav-

Please don't post pics from the main site in the forum it increases the bandwidth that is consumed and causes a cost increase in hosting. I edited your post to remove the pics.

rgra-

Cost of the guitar is inline with the cost of the Japanese models, I'm surprised there is no serial number. Was their a sticker on the back of the headstock or a model reference in the receipt?

Ned

Sorry Ned, didn't know about that. I'll post the links to the pictures instead so rgrabows can see the difference on the headstock.

Mike
 
Here's the link to Ned's AST-33:

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/reviews/ast33_hs.jpg

And here's a japanese strat (the new japanese AST-50's have the same headstock shape):

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/tf_script85.jpg

Do you see the difference?

Mike
 
Ned, is it ok to link pictures from other sites? For example my own?

My AST-50 doesn't have a serial number and no made in japan sticker either. In the catalogs for 2000 there is no AST/ATE-50 only AST/ATE-33 and cheaper models. It seems that Tokai resumed production of a japanese strat and tele in 2001 again and that the first ones did not have any serial number. From what I know the latest ones have both serial number and are also marked "made in japan". I don't know if mine is a 2001 or 2002 model, I bought it in september 2002 from a German dealer (Siggi Schwarz music) who got it from Tokai UK.

Mike
 
well they like to remove the Made in Korea stickers from the back of the headstocks here in Sendai, Japan. I`ve seen it a lot, but they don`t bother removing the glue residue so you can see where it was.
 
well they like to remove the Made in Korea stickers from the back of the headstocks here in Sendai, Japan. I`ve seen it a lot, but they don`t bother removing the glue residue so you can see where it was.
 
The most obvious difference (apart from the split post tuners) is that the Korean guitar has two string "trees" and the Jap one has the more authentic (for the era) single B/E tree.

You can't beat these guitars. I sold my bloody awful 1996 USA Strat yesterday and good riddance.
 
hi i have the same tokai 2 tone sunburst all the proper signs of a mij
bit no mij marking and no serial no. but a tottaly incredible guitar to see and to play. i bought mine aprox 3 months ago. then i bought a love rock 2 months later, a differant batch that came into the shop. my mate got a strat and his had a 3ply scratch plate and a single ply rear cover and also mij stamped on it.mine could posibly have been made in 2002 that could be why there is a diferance i suppose
mike
 
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