ATE-52 Gallery

[Sigmania]

This model has the altered headstock and was made for the American market essentially. It appears in the 1985/86 catalog that featured Stevie Ray Vaughan on the cover which became part of a huge drama between SRV, IMC & Tokai.


Specs:

ATE52
• Solid 2 pcs. alder body
• One piece hard rock maple neck, or optional rosewood fretboard
• Vintage style 4 bolt neck
• 25.5" scale length
•"U" shape neck contour
• Vintage style tuning machines
• 2 single coil C.A.R. /California Accurate Reproduction) pickups, bridge pickup wax dipped
• 3 way selector, 1 vol, 1 tone
• Vintage style pickquard
• 6 way compensating bridge
• Finishes: BL. BTS. GS. MR. MR. N. YSO. BB(R). BL(R). GS(R). MR(R). N(R). YSO(R)
• Available left handed same finishes
• Tweed case


1985/86 catalog

 

[Sigmania]

TOKAI ATE-'52 ELECTRIC PINK GUITAR W/CASE (P24008083) | eBay

 

[Sigmania]

ATE-52

 

[Sigmania]

SN 22830

Tokai Telecaster ATE-52 Electric Guitar Red Used Shipping From Japan

 

[Sigmania]

Headstock possibly cut down? Clean job if it was.

FS: Tokai ATE-52 Telecaster

I recently made a trade which included this guitar, and I'm just not bonding with it.

It appears to be all original, with the exception of the headstock shape. According to anything I've found about these guitars, it should have a slight difference in the shape of the guitar it's a copy of, but it does not. In other words, correct "f" shape. Don't know if it was altered (doesn't look it to me, but I'm not a woodworker) or a japanese model, or what.

Everything else about it checks out that I can see. Neck has been sanded, so I suppose that the headstock may have been as well, but that's all I'm basing that assumption on. Guitar needs a good clean up. Guy I got it from said it was his dad's, who rarely played it, and then his and said he played it a fair amount, but not in a while. I would say whoever played it was a sweaty guy who didn't believe in wiping his guitar down, but nothing some elbow grease shouldn't get rid of.

I'm having trouble finding sold listings on these, only for sale, and those are in the $600-750 range from what I can find. Since this one needs a cleaning and comes w/ a gig bag instead of a case, I was thinking $550 was a fair price, shipped/pp'd. As I said, I'm not an expert on these, and if you can show me other examples, I'm willing to listen to comparable offers.
I can email/text more/more specific pictures if anyone would like certain shots, etc.

Thanks for checking it out.