Tokai TST50 Stratocaster 1983 in Fiesta Red - 40 years on, the guitar that changed it all for me!

 

The Tokai TST50 in Fiesta Red -

One of my top guitars of all time!

On Monday 19th November 1983, I purchased a guitar that change everything for me - the Tokai TST50 Stratocaster in Fiesta Red for £199 from ABC Music in Surrey. 40 years later, I am still enjoying a couple these fine 1983 guitars, both in Fiesta Red.

For some years starting in the 1970's, I had been making do with unsuitable guitars whilst learning to play and because I had no money to buy a decent one. Occasionally I would be able to get my hands on someone else's guitar to try and to realise what I was missing or what was eluding me.

The controversial Tokai TST50 -

it outclassed the Fender guitars of the day  

I was ideally looking for a guitar suitable for the playing I wanted to do and the sound I wanted to create. In those pre-internet days, that meant looking at guitar magazines, visiting guitar shops and hoping the advice from the shop was good and not from someone looking to offload a guitar.

                                       1985 on stage with the Tokai TST-50 guitar

In 1980 when I was 14, the Shadows released an album called String of Hits and this was the right sound at the right time for me to aspire to playing and creating, for a short time, this was mostly attempted on a Starway Stratocaster copy guitar borrowed from my English Teacher at school. 

                                      1985 at the Hope Pub in Richmond, London 

                                                playing the Tokai TST-50 guitar

The Shadows at that time were recently back on tour and in the singles charts with singles from the string of hits album such as Don't cry for me Argentina and theme from the Deerhunter, I could see on their television performances and hear on the record a guitar style and sound I wanted to perform - that of the Shadows lead guitarist Hank Marvin.

1983 Tokai TST50 - the equal of the pre-CBS 1959 Stratocaster

The string of hits LP cover had artwork by a studio called Cream, and their album art was a joy in itself to look at, clever, stylish and just outstanding.

By early 1982, I was now playing often in various short lived bands with people at school, I was round my friend Dave Kent's house when he played me a 7 inch single from 1960, called 'Apache.' Like many before me, it had changed their playing and Dave and I listened to this single again and again, the 7 inch record material seemed to give it a special resonance, almost ethereal. What a fantastic sound. Dave purchased a used Musima guitar made in the GDR which was sort of Stratocaster like and had a trem arm.

The Shadows first album from 1961 -

it features Hank's first Stratocaster on the cover -

It would take me 17 years to get the same 1959 year guitar 

After leaving school, some months later I got back in touch with Dave around late 1983, I had only then recently purchased the Tokai, at the time I was working in London on an evening shift for a wine company, so in the mornings I had the time to myself and one Monday in November 1983 went to buy this great guitar so I could try and emulate the Hank Marvin sound I was after, whilst the house was empty.

The price of the guitar at £199 was then for me 4 weeks wages for this new icon and worth all of it. Getting home that day with the guitar in a cardboard box under my arm, which I had walked home 2 miles with, I only had a brief time to try it  out.

I plugged it in and briefly played along with a Shadows record. This was the sound and the right looking guitar. It even looked like Hank Marvin's guitar. This was the start of a journey. 40 years later it is still inspiring me to play.

The Shadows String of Hits album from 1980 - 

I was lucky to find this signed copy on sale

Soon enough with 3 schoolfriends and Dave's brother, we had ourselves a small band going and for a few years made a lot of noise down at the local youth club! I was meanwhile learning the Hank Marvin style and have been doing the same thing since.

Hank Marvin playing his 1958 Stratocaster in the late 1980's

Recently I put a book together with pictures of every guitar I have owned since 1977, it was called 150 guitars later, because that is where I am now, 150 guitars on from 1983.

A barely played 1983 one owner TST50 with rare decal mistake!

One thing is for sure the Tokai TST50 is one of the great guitars I have owned and has been seldom equalled. Nowadays I have 2 of these TST50's to hand, both from 1983. Next to a maple neck 1959 Stratocaster I restored in 1999, the Tokai is on a par with that, not much else is, except the recent Mexican made 50's guitars from 2018 onwards.

Playing eat again on the 19th November 40 years on, it is still one of the best guitars ever.

Watch Reviews 4U - Longines Master Collection L2859420 Blue Dial 44mm Chronograph watch

Watch Reviews 4U presents a review of the

Longines Master Collection L2859420 Blue Dial 44mm Chronograph watch

A beautiful 3 sub-dial Chronograph 

with Date and Sun Ray Blue dial

This is a review of the fabulous Longines 44mm Sunray Blue dial Chronograph.

The beautiful sun ray effect Blue dial

This Master Collection Chronograph is a mighty watch - having recently been accustomed to wearing 40mm Longines watches, with the exception of a Longines Grand Vitesse 42mm, which is great for timing the cooking operations in the Kitchen! This one was quite obviously larger than the 40 and 42mm ones.

This watch looks great from any angle

Looking at the range of 44mm Longines watches on the market there are relatively few blue dial ones for sale I find, maybe they are popular with collectors? Of the 44's I have seen, most are the Black dial or White dial versions and usually used examples.

The Blue dial Longines have a great look, but I do like the Blue dials anyway, going back to my old Seiko 5 and before that an old Timex. The silver dial furniture on this Longines looks striking against the blue dial. The dial surface is smooth, on the black and white versions they have textured or barleycorn type dial surfaces.

The operation buttons and the Crown detail

A sapphire crystal with anti reflective coating just makes the blue dial really stand out and look fantastic. The silver dial markers and Longines logo look great with a modernity that the other dials do not have. The white features arabic markers and the black dial  roman ones.

This 44mm watch is quite slim in depth surprisingly, at barely a centimetre deep, given that it is a chrono with a lot of mechanism to fit in. It features a 22mm wide at the lugs Longines branded Alligator outer / Calf inner leather strap with deployment catch and is a very comfortable wear. The matching blue of the strap outer colour to the dial really sets it off, and the leather strap is lighter in weight than the stainless steel alternative bracelet.

The external date set button - 

a small pointer is included to advance the date

Having worn mainly a 40mm watch of late, the 44mm although not heavy, is noticeable on the wrist but it just looks so fantastic. The extra MM of size does make it seem a lot larger presence on the wrist over a 40mm but it is not obtrusive or 'in the way.' 

I do have some 47mm watches and they are quite noticeably more weighty. I personally find the 40mm size is about the smallest I like to go on a watch as they can look a bit on the small size under that, even though I have an average wrist. 40 or 42mm is a nice size for me.

The fabulous strap and clever deployment catch mechanism

This is a super quality watch 100%, although there are other comparable Swiss makers offering similar levels of watch often for a lot more ticket price, the Longines has great style, design and affordability, coupled with superbly finished movements and a long established name. 

The 3 sub dials are: top left - for running seconds, top right chronograph minutes and the bottom dial for chronograph hours, with the chronograph seconds being the large hand on the main watch stem. The watch is very accurate running to within a few seconds a day.

The movement finish is top quality in line with the rest of the watch

The Chronograph buttons are the flyback mechanism operation type with top being start/stop and the lower being the reset hands to zero activator. The winding crown is a decent size with Longines name and logo on. 

The highly polished case features an exhibition glass back and the case is superbly finished, really I could not see why if I had the extra money I would buy anything else as this ticks all the boxes. 

The quality of the case and strap is self evident

I also have the Master Collection blue dial 40mm day date watch which is at the other end of the scale as a dress watch but a favourite to wear. I had to do a bit of selling off of some other pieces and saving up to buy this 44mm one.

The verdict is that beside the lengthy delay in shipping aside due to carrier issues, this is a fantastic watch and I think it looks fantastic on the wrist. The downside was it didn't have the original box but I can likely find another Longines one that will suit. 

This watch just looks fabulous

The RRP on this watch I have seen at £2950.00, so this is a serious watch for the money, I have seen used ones around the £1500 mark for black or white dial ones and this one was about £1700 all in including duty. In my opinion I like this blue dial version the best.