Any idea what year this is?

[scrumpymanjack]

Hi all,

Calling on your expertise once again. This is a guitar I picked up ages ago. I know it's not special - revised headstock, no spaghetti lettering etc - but I love it and it plays well. But I have no idea what year this is. Anyone have any idea?

Thanks very much in advance.

 

[Sigmania]

These came out in the mid 1980s as an export model for western markets. Primarily the US I believe.

It is really hard to date them precisely based on that 4 digit serial number. Made sometime around 1985/86 I would guess.

If you have pics of the pots that may give us some info on the year made.

Spec wise they were similar to a TST60 Goldstar, but with the modified headstock.

Here is a thread I started to log these as they surface.

AST-56 Gallery

 

[Sigmania]

From the 1985/86 catalog:

AST56
• Solid 2 pcs. contoured alder body
• One pce hard rock maple neck
• Vintage style 4 bolt neck
• 25.5" scale length
•"V" shape neck contour
• Vintage style tuning machines
• 3 single coil C.A.R. (California Accurate Reproduction) pickups
• 5 way selector, vol. 2 tone
• Vintage style single layer pickguard
• Variable tension 2 pcs vintage vibrato. Chrome plated
• Finishes: BB, BL, CR, FO, GM, GS, LB, MR, OF, OR, OW, SW, YSO
• Available left handed same finishes
• Tweed case

 

[scrumpymanjack]

These came out in the mid 1980s as an export model for western markets. Primarily the US I believe.

It is really hard to date them precisely based on that 4 digit serial number. Made sometime around 1985/86 I would guess.

If you have pics of the pots that may give us some info on the year made.

Spec wise they were similar to a TST60 Goldstar, but with the modified headstock.

Here is a thread I started to log these as they surface.

AST-56 Gallery

Thanks very much for this. Golden!

 

[Sigmania]

You're welcome.

The color on yours is YSO, old yellow sunburst.

 

[Sigmania]

And those pickups marked "V" are called "ST Vintage" in some catalogs. Apparently the same thing they are calling the C.A.R. pickup in that 1985/86 catalog.

They roughly measure 5.7 - 6.3k Ohm resistance.

 

[Sigmania]

Do you have any other pics showing the pots? These look like the ones we can read a date code off of.

I think I am seeing a 6 and another number which is 1986. Need better pics to be sure.

 

[Sigmania]

Yeah, from what I can see, and it is tough, it looks like there is a 65 on your pot. That would be May 1986 if that is what I am seeing.

Your guitar will have a code ink stamped on it as well in a cavity and on the end of the neck that gives the month it was made. Often around 2 months after the pot code.

 

[settebello]

Thats strange.My pots dated from '85 (55),but the serialnumber on mine is 2678.

 

[Sigmania]

Will see what the date is if we get better pics, but it would not be the first guitar with a neck plate that is out of sequence.

On your AST56 OF, are you sure it is actually an '85 and that nothing was switched?

AST-56 Gallery

Looks like someone wrote on the PG




and it has mixed codes/symbols.

Mixed Symbols = & -





And this is odd having a second code.

 

[settebello]

I got it like this 17 years ago from england.I cant be sure its 100% original,but for me it looks untouched.

 

[Sigmania]

More Tokai fun.

Let's wait and see what his pot dates are.