List by 1st body code

[Peter Mac2]

Wow, this is great stuff guys. Let me share some things also.
Gibson Factory - their production runs are 40 of a particular model at a time[ 40 x LP Std, 40 x LP Studio, 40 x SG Sd, etc, ]
Tokai ran in a similar way. We (Tokai Aust) would get Production lists of the guitar models being produced for us to Order from. We had tried to get ES-100 but the complete Production had been ordered already by USA. We wanted some SD653 but Production was not scheduled until the following Year so our Order would not include them.
Unfortunately I cannot remember how many units were produced in each production run but I'd wager 50pcs.
The problem with neckplates is they are not sequential. Whilst they may be stamped this way, the assemblers would grab a handful at a time and go back to their station so Models within the same production code could have S# up to 100 numbers apart. This is especially true with Springy and Goldstar.
I did find SilverStar after 1978 began a different Numbering beginning than other Production guitars and have to be counted as a seperate Production when doing Yearly tallies.
regards
Peter Mac

 

[Sigmania]

Yep. Silver Stars are a different sequence. So were Hard Punchers.

Check out these Springys that seem to have gotten Hard Puncher neck plates.

 

[ATO]

In the guitars I have seen ST80s in 1980 have their own sequence too - serial range starts 0006000 to 0010400 around the end of the year

Whereas the ST50/60s is approx 0010000-0015000

So much so that an ST80 could be identified by the serial only in 1980.

There's less of a difference into 1981.

 

[Sigmania]

These also have a different numbering system than Silver Stars.

Similar date-based 7 digit numbers, but different unit counts.

Silver Stars:

8000359
9002022
9002776
9002940
9003490
9003832
9003910
9003913
9004174
9004832
9004851
9005156
9005685
9005826
9006356
9007239
9007765
0009462
1012478
1012701
1013233
1015647
1015971
1016229
2019822
2022598
2023970
2024070
2026559
3040381
3040829
3041142
4043368
4045236
5045521
5045576

Trem covers:
4016596 SD40 BBR CBS headstock
4016653 SD40 OWR CBS Headstock
4016742 Limited Edition CBS Headstock
4018714 MBX ?
4019152 MBX ?
4020406 MBX
4021866 SX ?
4022624 FSD50S BB
4022728 MBX
4023114 MBX
5024096 MAT 451 SKR
5026496 SS55N
5027646 SS36 BB CBS headstock
5029180 Custom Edition CBS head
5030502 Custom Edition CBS head
5031184 Custom Edition CBS head
5031665 Custom Edition CBS head

 

[Sigmania]

Another anomaly wrt serial numbers are the gold neck plates that start with 0000xxx.

It looks like these were made up for 1980, but probably used into 1981 on ST100 guitars and also available as an upgrade of gold hardware directly from Tokai.

We have seen ST60 & ST80 guitars with all gold hardware that have fooled a lot of people.

 

[Sigmania]

Amazing guitar!

Sure looks like a 1 piece sen body.

Looks to be all original with an original case too.

SN 1012839

Neck: 3=4 A
Body: 3=4 YS A Y

1981 Tokai Silver Star SS80 S-Style Vintage Guitar Sunburst Lacquer w/ Case

 

[Sigmania]

1983 TST50 GS

SN 18277

Body: 9=3

I can't see the switch code

Seller says U stamped pickup, but looks like it could also be a partial VII stamp. Probably U.

Tokai GOLD STAR SOUND ST type 80s

 

[ATO]

They will be U, 18061 was also 9=3 and that had U pups.

 

[Sigmania]

SN 9002658

Body: 5=7 OW

SS36 OWR

TOKAI SILVER STAR Large Head JAPAN VINTAGE MADE IN JAPAN Stratocaster Refurbished Product!

 

[Sigmania]

SN 206323

Body: 7=46 BB V ?

1986 serial number

Looks like they used year old pots. 1985 pot. ( 5 2 )

Tokai limited edition body

Tokai limited edition neck

 

[Sigmania]

1982 SS85 N

SN 2020170

Body: 12=8 N A

Tokai Silver Star SS-85N Natural Made in Japan 1982 ST Type Solid E.Guitar MOD

 

[ATO]

I've had another look at the guitars in 1984 / 1985 - unless we've got pot/switch dates for those guitars I'm not 100% confident in dating them. There was certainly something odd going on through 84 into 85, nearly all of the strat type guitars in the list are left handed! Where are the right handed guitars? The numbers drop off a cliff.

The irony is everyone thinks their 1980s script decal Tokai is an 84 due to the incorrect registry info - in reality I haven't found any!

The following are solid markers:

1984
4=8 TST Left hand L22746 (purchased Aug 1984)
5=2 TTE55 GL Left hand 20524 (April 84 switch)
5=2 TTE50 BL Left Hand 20594 (April 84 switch)
5=2 TTE55 BB Left Hand L24703 (April 84 switch)
7=5 TST55 Left Hand MRR L24903 (June 84 pot codes)

1985
7.15 MG 23128 (May 85 pots)
7-17N 7-15B TST55LPB L25181 (switch Dec 83, May 85 pots)
8-2N 8=2B AST56 OF (no serial) (May 85 pots)

 

[Sigmania]

That is very interesting. That correlates with what I was saying recently about being thrown off mentally by serial numbers because there wasn’t much change between 1983 and 1985. Definitely worth a closer look.