Early Serial Numbers and Production

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Sigmania

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Starting this to try and sort out a few things:

-Did the serial numbers loosely indicate production starting from day one up until the change in 1982 with Fender clone serial numbers?
-What were the first guitars badged as Tokai?
-Springy or Les Paul Reborn first?
-Did serial numbers overlap between Springy and Les Paul Reborns or were they separated in some way? Batches, etc.?
-How do the Nagano serial numbers fit into this? Overlap or part of the same pool with the exception of the prefix?
 
Oddly, it kind of looks like Hamamatsu built Springy and LP guitars had separate numbers rather than separated as batches as I had thought.

Springys have the oldest serial numbers, beginning in 1977. Les Paul Reborns in 1978. So looks like Springys came first, then Les Paul Reborns.

Oldest Springy I have seen is owned by Cliff and seems to be number 11 (77000011). Note the unusual use of both year digits.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26086&p=199464&hilit=earliset+springys#p199464

The first Les Paul Reborns I have seen are from 1978. First one I have found is serial number 8000101. I would assume this means number 101 made?

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26311&hilit=earliest+les+pauls&start=30

The weird part is that Springys go higher than 101 in 1977. Highest number I have heard of from 1977 Peter Mac documented (S/N 7000186). So Springys and Les Paul Reborns were counted separately in their serial numbers which rolled into the next calendar year.
 
Nagano numbered inkies and Strats seem to be separate from Hamamatsu as well.

Here is an inky LS60 (?) gold top with a S/N of 0100637. I assume it was made in 1980? And up to number 637.

Les Paul Reborns and Springys surpass that number in 1978.

DW6j8vL.jpg


Xz9pXf0.jpg


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=22289

There’s also a Silver Star with a serial number 2103864. That number (3864) was surpassed in 1978 with Hamamatsu built Springys.

iASP84P.jpg


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26422
 
And as far as production, I found this.

I'm not sure if these numbers refer to one line of guitars (Gibson style), or all lines?

In 1980, the mark of 10,000 manufactured guitars was reached.
In 1984, the mark of 20,000 manufactured guitars was reached.
In 1985, the mark of 30,000 manufactured guitars was reached.


https://vintagejapanguitars.com/tokai-serial-en/
 
And looks like Breezys shared the same numbering system of Springys and possibly other Fender clones at Hamamatsu?

The earliest Breezy I have found looks like it is from 1978 and has a serial number 8003857.

O1s1FWS.jpg


OtyGF1V.jpg


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26565&p=199859#p199859

Obviously, if this were one of the first Breezys it would not have a number in the 3 thousands, unless as Peter Mac once suggested it has a neck plate off a Springy.

With all of the other Breezys we have now seen from 1979, it is looking like Springys and Breezys share the same numbering system and possibly were assigned in batches along the way.

Earliest Breezys I have seen:

8003857 TE85N (Udonitron)
9004591 TE80OW (Cliff)
9005011 (Reborn Old)
9005178 TE80 (Len)
9005303 TE80 (Cliff)
9005249 (Reborn Old)
9005420 TE80GS (Sigmania)
9005489 (Reborn Old)
 

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