Matsushita Selector Switch?

[Sigmania]

Codes so far:

26 3 (1983 ST70 with July stamps)
3N 1 (Homer found)
351 (Homer found)
341 (1983 TST60, May stamps, ATO)
29 1 (1982/83 block logo TST100MG, SN 13695, ATO)
23 2 (mystery PG off YJ)

 

[Sigmania]

So are we thinking the first digit may be the year? Or the last?

 

[Sigmania]

Makes sense that for the months that letters would be used for 10, 11, 12 (O,N, D) if only on digit holds that spot.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

You forgot mine: 1N 3

code seems to be just like the pot date codes - 1981, November, whatever the '3' means. If true (need more samples), I think that could help us in the same way as the (usually missing) pot codes!

On older models of the switch (like the Breezys have) the number is on the Pertinax plate on the other side of the switch, much harder to decipher and taking pictures. Past the mid/late-80s it seems the switch is replaced by that white plastic sealed PCB type switch typical for the era.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

The scheme isn't typical Matsushita but the N seen on a few switches doesn't allow for the YWW scheme. I want to see an O and/or D in a code before I'd feel like trusting this to some extent, but it seems to check out nicely so far.

 

[ATO]

Think we might struggle for examples!

 

[Sigmania]

Codes so far:


1N 3 (January 1982 TE70, Homer)
23 2 (mystery PG off YJ)
26 3 (1983 ST70 with June stamps)
29 1 (1982/83 block logo TST100MG, SN 13695, ATO)
341 (1983 TST60, May stamps, ATO)
351 (Homer found)
3N 1 (Homer found)

 

[Sigmania]

So the first digit may be the year?

 

[Sigmania]

I am asking because if the first digit is the year, I may have a re-badged June 1982 ST70 instead of a 1983 TST70.

Kind of makes me take another look at the odd surface on the headstock.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Yeah I wasn't ready to suggest that yet but you have an '81 serial and a June '82 switch and a June something neck/body and that decal, looks like it took them 3 years to build it j/k, it's certainly odd.

Do you know anything about the history of that guitar, where (country) it was sold or anything?

 

[Sigmania]

Actually it is a 6 digit serial number which is a Fender style number for an ST70.

SN 107628

 

[Sigmania]

I just don't have any other comps for the 6 digits in 1982/83 to compare with.

 

[Sigmania]

Here is a 1982 SS60.

SN 101479

Silver Star Flame Maple Neck SS60

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Actually it is a 6 digit serial number which is a Fender style number for an ST70.

Ah yes, oops, my brain starts having dropouts after staring at the 300th guitar for the day. That's way more plausible but where did you get it, where did it come from and why is the headstock color around the decal so faded, do you know anything of that?

 

[Sigmania]

I don't know much about it. I got it from a guy in Miami that buys and sells a lot of guitars. He occasionally gets some really sweet Tokais. I assume he buys them from Japan, but I am not sure. It is the one with the spacers that melted so I assumed he had it stored somewhere in south Florida and it got hot. The finish looks different depending on the angle.

 

[ATO]

I am asking because if the first digit is the year, I may have a re-badged June 1982 ST70 instead of a 1983 TST70.

Kind of makes me take another look at the odd surface on the headstock.

View attachment 38387
View attachment 38391

What is going with that headstock? It looks like it's been sanded in the image but behind the decal. Little bit of tear out on the E string tuner too, are they tokai tuners?

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

I guess we also need to put the switch dates in relation with the stamps for a while to find out how long it takes for the switches to end up on a guitar/a pickguard assembly.

I can think of several possible pointless speculative theories that could explain this guitar - but alas they are pointless, no matter how plausible they may sound.

Do you have a UV/blacklight lamp by chance?

 

[Sigmania]

LOL.... No tear out.





This guitar is almost unplayed.

And it was not sanded.



But now I am suspecting the decal may have been switched and the finish possibly wiped with a solvent to remove the old adhesive.

But that is only visible at an angle. In hand it looks normal.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Bingo! Luxury version of a code confirmation.


November stamp


October '83 switch and September '83 pot code

The only thing we don't have from this guitar with VII PUs is a serial. Would've been nice.

 

[ATO]

The tear out wiped off