Tokai Goldstar Sound Olympic White 1983

The Tokai Goldstar Sound was Tokai’s take on the classic 1950s and ’60s Fender Stratocaster, produced with remarkable accuracy during a period when Fender’s own quality control was inconsistent. By the early 1980s, Tokai had built a strong reputation for producing high-quality, vintage-style guitars that rivalled and in some cases surpassed their American counterparts.

This 1983 example features the rare “block logo,” a headstock decal used only for a short time in 1983. The change was likely an attempt to avoid legal conflict with Fender, whose spaghetti-style logo Tokai had been closely imitating. By 1984, Tokai reverted to a different logo style, making block logo models an interesting footnote in the company’s history.

The guitar is all original, with a naturally yellowed Olympic White finish showing standard light wear for its age. Weight is 3560g. Frets are in excellent condition with minimal wear, and guitar plays great.

The Goldstar Sound is well-regarded for its comfortable neck profile, accurate vintage-style construction, and great tone. It’s not only a fine player but also a piece of 1980s guitar market history, when Japanese manufacturers set new standards for build quality.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Body: Alder
• Neck: One-piece maple, bolt-on construction
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Scale Length: 25.5″ (648 mm)
• Radius: 7.25″ (184 mm)
• Frets: 21 vintage-style nickel silver
• Nut Width: 42 mm
• Pickups: Three Tokai ST-style single-coils
• Electronics: 5-way selector, master volume, two tone controls
• Bridge: Vintage-style 6-screw tremolo with steel saddles
• Tuners: Kluson-style
• Finish: Olympic White (polyurethane), aged to cream/yellow
• Weight: 3.56 kg
• Other Features: 1983-only block logo