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i really enjoy my collection of vintage burny les pauls. what japanese brands made stratocasters with the same excellent quality? 80s greco, fernandes, tokai, squier JV? i assume i'd be looking for something made in fujigen factory?
tia
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10-09-2023 05:14 AM
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There are surely other options, but the Tokai "Springy Sound" guitars with the "spaghetti logo" from around 1978 to 1981 are just fantastic. I have two of them. One with a maple fretboard, one rosewood. I live part time in Hamamatsu, where Tokai is located (Yamaha too). They are fairly easy to find around here. Local cats seem to prefer Fender.
The best models, like the ST-80, have a nitro finish and pickups that were made by DiMarzio. Look for an "E" stamp on the underside of the pickup. They are better than the "U" series pickups that are used in the less expensive models like the ST-50.
Last edited by Flat; 10-09-2023 at 07:33 PM.
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I have a spaghetti logo Tokai.. best strat I've ever played. Wishing I had also acquired one or more of their 'Love Rock' Les Paul's back in the day.
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Bear in mind that those will have a radius of 7.25”, if you’re used to Les Pauls with 12” it may be a change.
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Tokai and Fernandes strats from the early 80s are really good, at least in comparison to Fenders of the time . Some of the MIJ Fenders are cool too, e.g., the '50s reissue models from the early- to mid-80s and the Foto Flame series (I've grown to appreciate the cheesiness of Saran-wrapping a guitar).
Originally Posted by djg
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The Fender MIJ "Ex-TRAD" Strats are superb, if you can find one and afford it
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Another vote for Tokai - but to be honest any of those golden-age Matsumoko ones are 99% of that.
Mine is a black 1984 Goldstar Sound TST50 and I love it. It's been my favourite 'F' style for years. Super playable rosewood fingerboard, sounds great with VII pickups, mojo for Africa. It barks, sings and honks in all the right places.
Also, I love that it's named (possibly coincidentally) for the recording studio where so much amazing music came from!
Don't bypass very first Squiers, either. Absolutely superb instruments.
I have no connection here but boy, do I like the pictures!
www.japanguitars.co.uk
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Check out Ibanez also. My brother has one of these and he likes it better than his 1974 Fender Stratocaster. In fact he gave me the Stratocaster (which did need some work, though).
This image is from the 1976 catalog:
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Interesting that this topic came up. I recently inherited this
from a friend that pass away. It has serial # 22266 and is a lefty guitar.
I was getting ready to do some research and sell it for his daughter since I play righty or I guess I could play it ALA Hendrex. I have never had a strat that I bonded with but I suppose I may with this one. I am curious if any one can comment on what I have here.
Thanks John
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You might be able to get some good information on the Tokai Registry site. Looks like the reshaped headstock of an AST62 from around 1985.
Tokai Guitar Registry - Tokai Fender Copy InformationLast edited by Flat; 10-11-2023 at 06:37 PM.
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I have owned several older japanese Stratocasters. They feel really nice. However, the ones I had were Basswood, which is very soft and strips out screw holes easily. Also, the electronics were substandard.
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I bought a new MIJ Strat around 1990 or so. Gave it to a friend a few years later. I sort of wish I had kept it, but I know it would have been heavily modified by now. I also didn’t particularly like the small fretboard radius, narrow nut and 25.5” scale. There, I’ve said it. I don’t like Strats or Teles.
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fantastic info. thank you and everyone who replied. Originally Posted by Flat
There are surely other options, but the Tokai "Springy Sound" guitars with the "spaghetti logo" from around 1978 to 1981 are just fantastic. I have two of them. One with a maple fretboard, one rosewood. I live part time in Hamamatsu, where Tokai is located (Yamaha too). They are fairly easy to find around here. Local cats seem to prefer Fender.
The best models, like the ST-80, have a nitro finish and pickups that were made by DiMarzio. Look for an "E" stamp on the underside of the pickup. They are better than the "U" series pickups that are used in the less expensive models like the ST-50.
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I have one of the Ibanez Silver Series Stratocasters. It was my first ‘pro’ guitar, purchased new with case for $299 at Sam Goody in 1977. Goody was a record store chain that also carried some musical instruments. And this guitar was, at least to my then new-to-guitar teen mind, as good as Strats that cost three+ times as much.
That guitar took a major beating over the decades. It got replacement pickups (Dimarzio HS3), a new vibrato bar because I snapped the original, roller bridges, graphite nut, and the wood in front of the vibrato bridge is all fractured. There are also a few chunks/chips that got taken out of the paint along the way. It’s in well-earned retirement now.
The attached image is not mine, but is identical to it when it was new.
Last edited by coyote-1; 10-17-2023 at 08:53 AM. Reason: Add image
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