The CN2, CN3 and VN3 Fender Squier Series Strats will have a silver Fender logo on the headstock with a small Squier Series in black near the end of the headstock. If it says Squier and not Fender in Silver on the headstock logo and its Korean it is an 80's model. Most silver logo models will have full width laminate. Evidently, the serial number for that Fender Bullet is a duplicate from a earlier (1965) model of Startocaster or Telecaster and they didn't stay with their 'E' serial number prefix for the 80's. Mostly likely due to them trying out this new line and not knowing if it would be successful or not. My best guess, anyone else got the know? Bullet Series; Bullet Strat HH with Tremolo; SQ Bullet S-3; SQ Bullet S-3T (1st Version) Bullet S-3T (2nd Version) Bullet S-3T (3rd Version).
Tokai Fender Copy Information
By '85/'86 the headstocks on the Fender copies are not exact replicas of a Fender headstock. Seem to have more of an angle to them - close but not exact, this change may have accurred as early as 1982 in the US. Check out the picture from the '85/'86 catalog, on the catalog page, to see what I mean. Also, this may have taken place earlier we just haven't been able to determine how much earlier.
Fender Squier Bullet Serial Number Lookup
The other indicator on Fender copies is the Tokai logo on the headstock. At some point in time the 'T' was changed from a backwards 'F' look to a normal looking 'T'. The 1986 catalog pics show the new Tokai logo, need to determine if this happened earlier than 1986.
Important Points
- In late 2002 early 2003 Tokai added serial numbers to the back of the headstock on Korean models. These serial numbers ALL start with a letter.
- The number stamped on the back of the neck plate is not a serial number but a Fender model ID number. Using the table below this number can be translated into the year/model Fender being copied.
- Tokai added the 'L' in front of serial numbers starting in 1981.
- To determine when Tokai manufactured your Fender copy use the chart below (with pics).
Tokai Fender Replica Time Line
This information is from the 1982 Catalog.| Year Copied | Tokai Model | Serial Number Scheme* |
|---|---|---|
| 1948~1954 Model 3 or 4 digits on bridge plate | TE80 | |
| 1954~Pre-1956 Model 4 digits on neck plates | ST80, 100, 120 TE80,120 | Serial Number 4 digits |
| 1956~1960 Model 5 digits on neck plates | ST50, 60 TE50, 70 PB80 | Serial Number 5 digits |
| 1960~1964 Model L+5 digits on neck plates | ST50R, 60R, 70R, 80R, 100R, 120R TE50R, 70R, 80R, 120R PB70R, 80R JB45R, 60R, 80R, 85FLR, 120R | Serial Number L+5 digits |
| 1965/1965~1976 Model 6 digits on neck plates | ST70, SS60/60R TE200R PB40/40R, 48/48R, 60/60R, 70 | Serial Number 6 digits |
| 1976 Model 7 digits on headstock | SS60/60R | 7 digits on headstock |
Tokai Manufacture Date Chart
To determine when Tokai manufactured your Fender copy use the headstock/logo shape chart below.
| Time Frame | Logo Style | Example | Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| til 1982 | Spagetti Logo | ||
| Dating: | First digit of serial number | ||
| TST: | Springy Sound - Strat, Goldstar's had script logo through 1983 | ||
| TSS: | SilverStar - CBS Strat | ||
| TTE: | Breezy Sound - Tele | ||
| 1983 | Block Logo | ||
| TST: | Springy & Goldstar Sound - Strat | ||
| 1984 | Script Logo | ||
| TST: | Goldstar Sound - Strat | ||
| TSS: | SilverStar - CBS Strat | ||
| Re-shaped headstock on USA models AST56 & 62 (US Market) in 1985 | |||
| 1985 | Script Logo & First appearance of modified headstock | ||
| AST: | Strat | ||
| ATE: | Tele | ||
| TSS: | SilverStar - Discontinued | ||
| TTE: | Breezy Sound - Tele | ||
| 1986 | Italic or Script Logo | ||
| Custom Edition | Modified Strats | ||
| Goldstar Sound | Strat | ||
| Breezy Sound | Tele | ||
| AST56 & 62 | Strat (US) | ||
Fender Bullet Serial Number
| Fender-Squier history in short Jerome Bonaparte Squier and his son Victor Carroll Squier, two English immigrants who started a violin building and repair company in Boston in 1881. In 1890 Victor opened a store in Battle Creek, Michigan and a short time later a violin factory at 427 Capital Ave SW. (V.C. Squier Company). Violin, banjo and guitar strings were also produced here. In the early 1950s the company also started making strings for the electric guitars of Leo Fender and became in 1963 an official supplier for Fender Electric Instruments. In 1965, shortly before the acquisition of Fender by CBS, Fender purchased V.C. Squier Company. Before the Fender Squier line of guitars was introduced in 1982, Fender made cheaper guitars such as the Fender Lead series at its plant in Fullerton, California. Until the introduction of the Fender Squier series, Fender had never produced low-priced guitars based on the Stratocaster and Telecaster models. He had always used different model designs for the cheaper models. | In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Fender was faced with competition from cheaper Japanese guitars. Japanese labor and production costs were much lower than in America, and to compete with, Fender moved the cheaper Fender guitar production from America to Japan. Sales in Japan were disappointing, Fender could not compete with Japanese competitors such as Tökai and Greco. Fender started negotiations with various Japanese distributors of musical instruments and reached an agreement with Yamano Gakki and Kanda Shokai to found Fender Japan. One of the conditions of the agreement was that Kanda Shokai stops producing its own Greco Fender guitars. Negotiations with Tökai were interrupted and FujiGen Gakki was chosen. The first Squier models appeared in August 1982. Over time, the Squier series has slowly evolved and contains original model designs. The production has also been moved from Japan to various other Asian countries such as Korea, China, Indonesia and India. Victor Carroll Squier |