Warning! Some of these early tokais and squiers are used very effectively for pre-CBS forgeries. These are still very good guitars, but seemed to lose 'something', in addition to looking visually different. Later tokais had to alter their logo, due to legal pressure from Fender, and the Squiers altered their logo, too, making the Squier a 'spaghetti' look, just like the Fender logo on the re-issues. These were every bit as good as the Tokais and, in many peoples opinion, the USA re-issues! Now, the very first Squiers actually looked exactly like the USA vintage re-issues, and the Squier logo was tiny, next to the Fender 'spaghetti' logo. They forced Fender to increase the quality of it's USA guitars, leading to the 'Smith' standard Stratocaster and the vintage series, AND made Fender bring out their own Japanese made Squiers. They are, quite deservedly so, true collectors guitars. The tokai strats that appeared in 1980-82 were quite simply awesome guitars for awesome value for money. There seems to be no shortage of older Tokais here so I`m holding out for a used high end model next. but I paid a lot less than that for both of mine here in Japan. Are these worth the prices people are paying. I have to add the pick-ups were changed to Duncans by someone before I got it, but it`s another keeper. I recently got a 1978 Tokai LS 60 Les Paul Reborn. The finish on mine has sunk into the wood, it may be lacquer. Mine has the Fender headstock not the modified one used on export models. But be careful, Tokai made some low end models as well and I would not buy one of those. I`m not surprised these are fetching that much, they are real nice. It has the gray " U " pick-ups, final prospect saddles and deluxe tuners. Based on the industry sales feedback charts I’ve been able to check, it appears that the Tokai TST-50 Goldstar Sound was easily the UK’s best-selling accurate vintage Strat replica of the period between its inception in late 1983, and the onset of the 90s. Bit banged up when I bought it but it plays and sounds great. Got a reply from a guy, turns out he`s the president, who told me it didn`t look like a standard model offered by them then, it`s a 1984. I have a Tokai strat and when I got it I sent pics to the company to find out exactly what I had.
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