any help on this goldstar please

[jonah65]

i've just bought this old goldstar, but the tokai logo has been rubbed off :roll:
it's a 2 tone gold sunburst with correct headstock profile.
it has the slotted tuners, but the pickups have no E or U stamped on them, just a plain black back (sound nice).
there is a 6 digit serial number on the neck plate - 014984.
i'll try and upload some photos later.
any clues anyone?
cheers jonah.

 

[jonah65]

looking at marcus's link from a previous thread, http://www.tokaiguitar.de/1.php?pageid=13&tplid=2
could this possibly be a 1983 st 70, reading down the thread at the bottom of the springy description, it states that the springysound changed name to goldstar sound in around mid 1983.
the only markings inside the pickup cavities is 5-17 (17th may?), this corresponds to the exact same 5-17 on the end of the neck, there is also some undecipherable markings on the end of the neck.
the neck is a shallow u shape, 1 piece maple.
summing up;

body - 2 piece alder or ash
neck - u shaped maple
tuners - old kluson type
pickguard - 1 ply white, 8 screw
hardware - nickel
pickups - no markings plain black back, i would put money on are not replacements, but are original. (sure i've seen them on another thread recently)
serial number - 6 digit, unique to st70?

general condition of guitar when purchased - filthy, hasn't been touched for years, or opened up (ever?), a few dents and scrapes, down to wood in a couple of places. bridge/saddles rusty, screws around pickguard rusty.
I LOVE HER ! :lol:

 

[muccax]

hi
about the black bottom pickups ,,, i have only seen them on very early 1978 models ,,, not on a goldstar sound ,,, but who knows for sure ,,,,,
but i think they are replacements
all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

thanks for your input otto, i don't think for a minute anyone would replace the springysound logo for a goldstar sound logo, so we can safely say that it's deffineately a goldstar?
if the pickups have been changed, does anyone know which model of springy they would have come from? - again i don't believe they have been changed,
but anything is possible over the last 25-30 years. i will take some photos of the solder joints and post later.
thanks for looking, jonah.

 

[marcusnieman]

They can be any blackbottom replacement strat pickups.... doesn't mean they're from a Springy.

 

[jonah65]

you are right marcus, i maybe getting a bit carried away, but i'm sure i've seen these type of pups on a tokai recently? in one of the photos, of the inside of one of the covers, was a reference to dimarzio, just can't remember where i saw it.
i checked the inside of the neck pickup cover, but there was no writing there,
guess i'd better check the other two.
was the six digit serial number used on any later goldstars, i can only find a reference to it on the 1982 dating link, where the only goldstar with a 6 digit ser. no. was an st70.
cheers jonah.

some more photos,

 

[muccax]

hi
i dont think it is a st 70 ..... st 70 was a slab board model ( and very rare) ,,, all the others models was a st 60 with a vennere rose wood thin cap ,,,
and never seen a goldstar with that kind of pickups ,,,, after the U and E
came the Vll and V pickups .... never been seen any info about them .... i got a set of Vll and the sound great .... and look the same (gray bottom) as E and U pickups ..
all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

hi otto, wasn't the slab board only on the rosewood model, not the maple?

 

[muccax]

hi
yes ,,, only on the rose wood neck ,,,, that is why this can not be a st 70 .... looks like a st 50 or 60 or 80 .. if ?t is nitro then 80 else it is a 50 or 60
all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/vol634.jpg

here's a maple neck st 70 from the 1982 catologue. :-?

 

[muccax]

hi
yes ,,, you are right
but that is not a goldstar sound ,,, that is a springy sound ....
here is a link to look at

http://www.tokaiguitar.de/1.php?pageid=13&tplid=2
all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

i have seen this article otto, and if you look at the bottom of the first part about the springysound it says " in mid 1983 the name was changed to goldstar sound". then when you look further down at the model chart you see that the st 70 was produced in 1982 and 1983 during the name change period, also it states maple neck with 6 digit serial number.
also no st50, 60 or 80 was produced with a 6 digit serial number.

 

[muccax]

hi
it as so says that a st 70 is a 1966-1970 model
all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

this guitar could be a 1966-70 model (replica) if it was produced in 1983.
the 6 digit serial number is the key surely?

 

[muccax]

hi
a 1966 -1970 strat has the large head ,,,, not the vintage small head ... in the picture in the catalog it has the small head but i have never seen or heard about a st 70 with the small head ...
if it had a sticker that says 70 i would belive it ....
but i have seen a lot of strange models and spec from mij ... so anything is possibelt
all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

if it had the large head, it would be a silverstar (ss60). as the catologue shows, both the ss60 (silverstar) and the st70 (goldstar) were both copies of the 66-70 strat.
i too, wish it had a sticker with 50, 60, 70 or 80 on it. :lol:
i am becoming more convinced that it is a st 70.

 

[muccax]

hi
look here more info on a st70 ,,, a springy sound st 70

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=10993&highlight=st70
so there is a st 70 ....
if you look at the back of the neck you can on your neck it has the truss rod installed from the back ,,,, on this st 70 it has the truss rod installed from the front of the neck ( hope you understand what i mean )
and they have a 11 hole scratch plate
look at the link
all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

thanks otto, i see what you mean about the truss rod being fitted through the front of the neck, and then a maple cap fitted over the top, as opposed to fitted through the back and the skunk stripe filler that mine has.
what i don't get, is that guitar has a 7 digit serial number?? which indicates an st 50,60 or 80 from that timeframe. i suppose the "70" oval sticker is the dead giveaway.
my guitar, like you say must be a 50, 60 or 80 then.
preety sure it,s not nitro, so that rules out st 80.
these black backed pickups are not helping, as a 50 would have u pups, and a 60 u or e pups. :-?
as marcus says, they could be any black back strat replacement pups.
the only thing concrete to go on with this guitar is the 6 digit ser. no.
it' a mystery.

 

[muccax]

hi
yes that serial is not what you would expect to see ,,,, but who knows ,,, maybe they had a few left over and just usede them to cut cost
as allways ,,, with mij ,,, there are allways something new to learn
my guess a st60
it looks like a 2 piece body ,, so a st 60 with (maybe) changed pickups

all the best
otto

 

[jonah65]

preety sure it's a 2 piece body, which is easier to see with this particular finish, so i'd be happy with it being a "60".
the trouble is, it shows you can't rely on the catologues, they're only a rough guide.
i want to fit new decals on the headstock, script logo would be correct, what do you think?
thanks, martin.