ST60 Goldstar Sound - identification

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davemoss

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Hi,

New to the forum. I've just purchased a 1980's ST60 from eBay. I'm not sure if it is a 50 or a 60? Or what year it was made? Can you help me! PUPs are VI, L serial number, pretty sure it is legit. :-?

Heres the links from ebay. Be great to have your thoughts

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tokai-Goldstar-ST-60-mij-Stratocaster-80s/183800854623?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
[/url]
 
Looking like a tst60 and from around 84 and a copy of the 60 <64 strat.
Nice price too, enjoy.
 
Cheers dude . Sounds like the seller was spot on. Receiving it tomorrow - can’t wait!
 
davemoss said:
Hi,

New to the forum. I've just purchased a 1980's ST60 from eBay. I'm not sure if it is a 50 or a 60? Or what year it was made? Can you help me! PUPs are VI, L serial number, pretty sure it is legit. :-?

Heres the links from ebay. Be great to have your thoughts

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tokai-Goldstar-ST-60-mij-Stratocaster-80s/183800854623?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
[/url]

Could be either, early Goldstar pickups; ST50/55 'VI' or 'U' → ST60 also, plus 'E'?

Rolled brass ground plate, surely no later than 1984/85?

...and congrats on your 'new old' Tokai 8)
 
villager said:
only the 80 had the V neck and its a goldstar not a springy so i think the pups are right

My '60' had more of a vee in the neck shape, definitely not a 'c' shaped'
Think it should have 'E' pups as well to be a Goldstar 60
I would say it was a 50.
 
Hi guys,

I'm going for TST-50 due to Black finish. There should be a code inside the control rout.
The 'VII' were only used on TST-50. TST-60 had 'V' pickups, TST-80 had DiMarzio. Mostly the ink was wet and the VII stamps end up looking like VI.
Only early Goldstars have U or E pups.

TST-55 were either left-hand, natural or custom colour - and black is not a custom colour, hence TST-50.
To the best of my knowledge, no rosewood board had a 'V' neck except for 1980 ST-80. All others are 1964 'C' shape.

regards
Peter
 
Thanks Peter, mine had a maple neck/board, and although not a pronounced vee, it did have a slight vee to the profile.
 
Cheers for the info guys . It has a two piece body too. Seller assured me it is a st 60 on this basis . Is he right?

He also says it is made of sen ash . It’s v heavy is that an indication it is made of ash ?

Thanks
 
Looks like an ST-50 to me.

ST-60s had V pickups, not VI or VII. My understanding is that VI and VII replaced the U pickups.

You would be right in thinking this is no later than about '85 due to the brass control plate.

An ST-60 would also have a 2 piece centre-seam body. Not possible to see from the photos.
 
Suki said:
Looks like an ST-50 to me.

ST-60s had V pickups, not VI or VII. My understanding is that VI and VII replaced the U pickups.

You would be right in thinking this is no later than about '85 due to the brass control plate.

An ST-60 would also have a 2 piece centre-seam body
. Not possible to see from the photos.

davemoss said:
It has a two piece body too. Seller assured me it is a st 60 on this basis . Is he right?

felixcatus said:
Could be either, early Goldstar pickups; ST50/55 'VI' or 'U' → ST60 also, plus 'E'?

Rolled brass ground plate, surely no later than 1984/85?
 
Well def got a 2 piece body and V1 picksups so I guess its a ST50.555555
:D

Any advice on pickups: I did a gig a few nights ago with the original pickups, sounded pretty good. But i've been told (and can't help thinking) it might sound EVEN better with more expensive pickups. Any recommendations on decent low output vintage pickups? Will they really sound that much better? I could stick to the original VI's, no one in the audience would notice! :eek:
 
Peter Mac said:
Hi guys,

I'm going for TST-50 due to Black finish. There should be a code inside the control rout.
The 'VII' were only used on TST-50. TST-60 had 'V' pickups, TST-80 had DiMarzio. Mostly the ink was wet and the VII stamps end up looking like VI.
Only early Goldstars have U or E pups.

TST-55 were either left-hand, natural or custom colour - and black is not a custom colour, hence TST-50.
To the best of my knowledge, no rosewood board had a 'V' neck except for 1980 ST-80. All others are 1964 'C' shape.

regards
Peter

Hi Peter, looks like Black ST 60's do exist after all: look at the sticker on the neck


See below:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/80ies-Vintage-Tokai-Strat-Springy-Goldstar-ST60-Japan-J40-/202887950751?hash=item2f3d10719f%3Ag%3AZakAAOSwjONd6BYt&LH_ItemCondition=3000&nma=true&si=WSV8Kd9LzkdKlMAgxXMwxYdAnKg%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
 
If you look closely at your pickups, I think you will see that the stamp is actually VII and not VI. Sometimes they smeared together. Sometimes they are reversed, IIV. Evidently hand stamped.

Peter Mac was right, the VII stamp is the MKII pickup.

If you look at the catalogs in 1984 you will see that:

TST50 had MKII aka VII pickups
TST60 had the "Vintage" aka V pickups.
TST80 had DiMarzio VS-1.

TST50 & 60 available in black (BB).

IMG_7085.jpeg
IMG_7086.jpeg


Fender style serial number disappear before the end of 1986.
 
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