Strange Tokai headstock

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knight_yyz

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Hi Guys, newbie to the forum.
This photo is from a Silver Star ss48 according to the neck sticker. What i don't understand is why I can't find this style. It looks like the springy sound logo exactly, except it says silver star. Same size writing, no serial under Tokai but it has the "this is the old good replica..." etc or something similar. It also has the contour body sticker, which I have not seen on any silver star? Any ideas guys?


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VudMeennXgIfGD4qL9mb4tzbUxxgKOjn/view?usp=sharing[/img]
 
I saw the rest of your pics on GC and it looks 100% legit and there was one of these around here not too long ago, it's best if you post the rest of your pics here and I'm sure others will answer your question about exactly which model.
 
I know what model it is. I just want to know what year it is. There is no serial under Tokai, no serial on neckplate, nothing on the fretboard. And according to the internet, this logo does not exist. The only writing in the guitar is this weird stamp which may be the date.... 4=7B8 or 4=788

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qzX1-sL3fwhhKNyCKLrzH6E4j9C1Cgjs



https://drive.google.com/open?id=1n_6AwavaUwUxMO_ionMGLPQ_q5DsuAL2
 
Well it's early 80's for sure and the BB is for black, the numbers are something you'd have to read about..
 
Hi

The bottom flyer reads " The Quality Musical Instruments of the World".
This was the flyer for Goldstar Sound.
This appears to be a frankenstrat as all the features are mixed from different Models of SilverStar, even the stamp placement is different.
The logo is from 1982 SS-60 (1966 replica) however the coloured headstock is not associated with SilverStars.
The body is Hamamatsu SilverStar, possibly SS-38, due to the 'Z' in the stamp, April build but which Year is anyones guess between 1982 and 1983.
Pickups appear to be SilverStar ( flat poles as opposed to staggered) but without pics it is hard to know if they are 'S' or 'H' or ceramic bar.
At this point I would think it was original Factory built R&D prototype as all the features are genuine. . . AT THIS POINT

regards
Peter
 
The neck stamp clearly says ss48. The pickups are the SS Hots as denoted by the black bobbins and he blue/black leads. The fingerboard is rosewood NOT baked maple

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ayrENoPhQ620_H13Q59ChSIiwZ22ooMQ

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JX9uVQ_z_JOR0h50fL7bL3mTsUpMG-i_


It seems like this is a transition guitar. They stopped making Springy Sound models and started making the Silver Stars around the same time. So it's almost like I got a Goldstar sound with a Silver Star label, or Silver Star guitar with a Goldstar Label.

If I am not mistaken, the springy sounds and Goldstars did have the option for colored headstock. So I am wondering it I have a "leftover" Springy Sound /Goldstar neck on a Silver Star body or maybe the body is a Springy/Goldstar too?
 
i just found this pic online. A Silver Star with a Springy Logo on top? If you look closely you can see the large font " STAR" under "sound".

Looks like they were interchanging parts between models back then?

http://www.strat-talk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Fimages%2Fg%2FKEwAAOSwV2Nan27r%2Fs-l1600.jpg&hash=f5fd29312fdda1e5ecf7239a9f0dbf1c
 
Hi,

I disagree about the pickups being SS-Hot [part# S-023] as they have grey bobbins and an 'H' stamp by 1982.
These pups seem to be the style used in Custom and Super Editions or like the 'L.White' series pups used in the SD series guitars.
The neck stamp clearly says '48' - whilst it appears to be an SS, it MAY have another designation. Working backwards, we know that Tokai added 5,000 yen extra for Painted headstock, so plain would make it a '43'.
Do you have photos of the body routing? Even a full length shot would be good and the back of the headstock with the machine heads.

Where is the serial number?
As far as I'm aware, Tokai did not use Ser# on 3 bolt plates - they went under the logo. SS-60 models used a 4 bolt plate with an ST ser#.
i look forward to your reply
 
I'm not going to take it apart again to see the cavities. I already posted the marked cavity. There is no serial number anywhere on the guitar. Not in any cavity, not on the headstock, not on the fretboard, not in the tremolo cavity not on the neck plate. It is non existent. It has the typical trap tuners that resemble the fender F tuners normally found on a ss48 Silver Star. How much does a rosewood board add to the price? I read these should all be baked maple on maple.

Oh and I stand corrected on the pups. Should be SS super? the ss hots were ceramic,



https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zujz-hGvt6MOPv478tp8ui5ln9BtEq_D
 
It's an interesting guitar. I'm not sure it's in the $900 range of interesting but that's me. Good luck with your sale.
 
OK, thanks for the link with the extra photos.

Firstly SS-48 did not come with the CBS-style tuners, they had enclosed tuners and SS-Super pickups.
This is an SS-38 base with 10,000 yen worth of extras to reach 48,000 yen retail. Probably the all-black neck and headstock account for it.
Body stamp cavity shows it is a Hamamatsu made guitar however I did find the pickups in a Nagano SS-38 SilverStar. They have black course bobbins with Blue/Black wiring. Also the brass grounding plate is missing so it may be the pickups have been changed however the original Green Mylar capacitor is still there so that would place it before 1984.
All in all, I would suggest this is a Custom Order SilverStar, as none of it's features ever appeared together on a Production Model...that I can find or have seen before.
Looks like a good score for you.

regards
 
According to the catalog the black pickguard makes it an SS48 with SS super pups. An SS38 would have the SS hot pickups. What about the rosewood? That has to be an upgrade as well?

You're saying that if in 1980 I was in Japan and asked for an SS36 with upgrades that they would put a 48 sticker on the guitar instead of the original 36?

I'm starting to wonder if the black headstock required a different decal. Would the normal decal be visible on a black headstock? I have searched and searched and I cannot find a SS with a painted headstock except for mine.
 
Hey,
Which catalog is that you are referring to? With 2 exceptions, all other SS-SilverStars have black scratchplates.
Considering the regular Tokai SS logo was black with gold outline, it makes more sense to put the gold one on it otherwise it wouldn't be seen at all.

A rosewood fingerboard makes no difference in the price as they were laminated on pre-made maple necks anyway - hence the skunk stripe.

Tokai first used this particular SS logo in MY1982 ( late 81 onwards) so it would not have helped to be there in 1980.
Tuners are definately from an SS-38. Pickups appear to be from a Nagano model - not SS_Super. SS-Super have grey bottoms with 'S' stamp.
 
I'm tired of uploading everything to google. another forum has a photo of a page that shows ss38- ss50 all use the same "Fender Style" tuners, shows the body material and available colors as well. [/img]
 
That's incorrect. SS-38/40 had the CBS style tuners whilst SS-48/50 have sealed enclosed tuners - similar to SS-80.
The tuners have a difference of 2500 yen and pickups from 'H' to 'S" had a difference of 1500 yen. The other difference was the 3 piece body to a 2 piece body adding to the overall extra 10,000 yen.
 
I'm asking this again but you did not answer the first time. So, I'm in Japan and I go into a guitar store and I don't give a **** what year it is this time. I peruse the Tokai catalog and find my dream guitar. We'll say its an SS60. But I want upgrade X and it costs 12000 yen. When my guitar shows up it will have an SS72 sticker on it? or will it say SS60?

I am wondering if it is the other way around. According to Tokai, the only guitars this label went on were SS60's. So an SS48 with 12k in upgrades?

You can search Silver Star on Google for this label all day and never find it, but search for Silver Star SS60 and they pop up all over the place

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LAqJalNhn8H0ZqlZiC4nXMpFuKAWYPbn/view?usp=sharing
 
If you upgrade a 36 (as the base model SS was pre *about '82) or a 38 (as the base model was *about post '82), by 10,000 yen - the the sticker would say 46 or 48.

There are ton's of examples of STS50's with a 5000 yen upgrade for body colour that have 55 stickers... also plenty of 65 stickers out there.

The all black models tend to be a little out of the ordinary - I have a 1984 Super Edition all black with an 80 sticker and it's caused more than a few comments around here, heel stamp not visible because of the paint - one piece body with nitro finish but U pups, gold hardware and bridge per the 100 model etc etc

If I had to guess your's is a 38 (which is your clue to the year) with a 10000 upgrade for whatever has been mentioned, therefore a 48 sticker.
 
Yes, but those odd numbers are also in the catalogs. You can buy a model ST55 right off the shelf.
your statement implies that an odd number means it is a custom order and that is not entirely true.
 
Odd number doesn't imply a custom order, factory runs of a different colour have 55 stickers, the point is the stick number reflects the extra charges for whatever they may be... custom orders, factory runs what have you.
 
In 1982 when the catalog came out, the highest model Silver Star was an SS80. But with painted neck and rosewood and a pickup upgrade and a bridge upgrade or any upgrade available could concievably make this an SS100 or SS120 And they would go out of their way to make a special sticker for that?
 
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