Tokai ST-120, Maybe ST-136?
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- Guitar God
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Tokai ST-120, Maybe ST-136?
This very interesting Springy Sound popped up for sale: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r321677475
Looks pretty neat. Anyone familiar with custom order Springy Sounds?
Looks pretty neat. Anyone familiar with custom order Springy Sounds?
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- Guitar God
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- Guitar God
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- Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:23 pm
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- Guitar God
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- Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:23 pm
Interesting theory, though a bit odd to work in the price of a case into the price or model of the guitar? If that were true, I'd expect the ST-80's to have 96 written in the cavities or on the necks.
After looking at some catalogues:
ST-80 has a two piece body (though some have reported one piece bodies), non-figured neck, "E" stamped pickups
ST-100 has a one piece body, lightly to moderately figured neck, Dimarzio VS-1 pickups
ST-120 special order only, with one piece body, heavily figured neck, Dimarzio VS-1 pickups

The only other ST-120 I've seen, owned by Buduranus2:

After looking at some catalogues:
ST-80 has a two piece body (though some have reported one piece bodies), non-figured neck, "E" stamped pickups
ST-100 has a one piece body, lightly to moderately figured neck, Dimarzio VS-1 pickups
ST-120 special order only, with one piece body, heavily figured neck, Dimarzio VS-1 pickups

The only other ST-120 I've seen, owned by Buduranus2:

Hi guys,
It depends on which case - the ST120 or ST-180.
ST-120 (12000yen) looks like tweed but was made of nylon whereas ST-180 was a proper tweed cloth finish over the case.
In terms of manufacture a case was NOT included in the price of the ST-120V.
Only 4 guitars had a case included in the price - LS-200, LS-150, ES-200 and TE-200. All others added the case as a seperate expense.
Hardware doesn't appear to be Gold either, a feature of ST-100 and ST-120.
One piece bodies were generally Alder for the solid colours and Sen Ash for the Sunbursts and Natural, usually hand chosen for the grain pattern.
The tremelo block lacks the Tokai casting marks ( MADE IN JAPAN, 3 circles) plus the bullshit about 'warped scratchplate' - please.
Too many irregularities for my liking at that high price . . . but that neck is gorgeous.
Peter
It depends on which case - the ST120 or ST-180.
ST-120 (12000yen) looks like tweed but was made of nylon whereas ST-180 was a proper tweed cloth finish over the case.
In terms of manufacture a case was NOT included in the price of the ST-120V.
Only 4 guitars had a case included in the price - LS-200, LS-150, ES-200 and TE-200. All others added the case as a seperate expense.
Hardware doesn't appear to be Gold either, a feature of ST-100 and ST-120.
One piece bodies were generally Alder for the solid colours and Sen Ash for the Sunbursts and Natural, usually hand chosen for the grain pattern.
The tremelo block lacks the Tokai casting marks ( MADE IN JAPAN, 3 circles) plus the bullshit about 'warped scratchplate' - please.
Too many irregularities for my liking at that high price . . . but that neck is gorgeous.
Peter
The world will not end today...because it is already tomorrow in Australia.
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- Guitar God
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My theory is that it is an 1982 ST-120 with a special ordered one-piece alder body.
1982 is consistent with:
-stickered model number
-spaghetti logo
-Of the catalogues that have surfaced online, only the 1982 catalogues has the ST-120
-two-piece bridge system with screw-on zinc alloy trem block and "final prospec" saddles
The spec sheet for the ST-120 in 1982 says that it came with either a one-piece sen ash body or a two-piece alder body. So maybe the "136" is for a one piece alder upgrade? Since the ST-120 was a special order model, it would be pretty reasonable to think that you could have ordered it with nickel hardware and upgraded woods.
Obviously this is all based on very limited info and unclear photos (body could be two-piece).
1982 is consistent with:
-stickered model number
-spaghetti logo
-Of the catalogues that have surfaced online, only the 1982 catalogues has the ST-120
-two-piece bridge system with screw-on zinc alloy trem block and "final prospec" saddles
The spec sheet for the ST-120 in 1982 says that it came with either a one-piece sen ash body or a two-piece alder body. So maybe the "136" is for a one piece alder upgrade? Since the ST-120 was a special order model, it would be pretty reasonable to think that you could have ordered it with nickel hardware and upgraded woods.
Obviously this is all based on very limited info and unclear photos (body could be two-piece).
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