cheshirecatsmile
Well-known member
First I'd like to applaud Richard for coming on here and trying to answer critics of his guitar. I always feel a bit guilty coming on here--it's like talking about someone else behind their backs!
I don't want to disagree with an expert like togps, but there are a couple of things about this guitar that seem like they could be correct, or close to correct. First, for sure there was a TST-80 Goldstar --there is a photo of a TST-80BB (black) with a 4 digit serial number, with Final Prospec saddles in a book/magazine called Young Guitar Japan Vintage vol.2 (pg16). With 1982 Springys only the higher end (ST-80 and up) models that are 1954 copies have 4 digit serials (at least according to Japan Vintage). My Japanese is really weak, but in the same publication, page 33 there is a reference to a TST-100! There are too many kanji for me to be able to read this, but if I can figure out how to post a scan I will try to put it up here--maybe someone else can translate!
The metal scratchplate is the thing that gets me. There is a PB-80 (1982 catalogue) that is the top-of-the-line Hardpuncher bass with a perfect match to the scratchplate on this Goldstar. They're goddawful ugly IMO but it's exactly the kind of custom thing this company would have done perhaps on a custom order? I've seen some earlier Fender guitars with this--I guess it's good for shielding pickups........
I own what I think is probably a fairly early 2 tone Sunburst Goldstar with a 2-piece alder body, what I believe to be Nitro finish and "U"stamped pickups and C profile maple neck (there was an identical Goldstar posted on the forum last spring? and I think the consensus was it was probably TST-50 or 60). Later Goldstars had "VI" stamped pickups if I'm not mistaken. If Richard's guitar is genuine, and were a transitional model (late '83-early'84), the "E" pickups would put this above my guitar. If it had a "V" profile neck, (nitro finish, E pickups 1 piece body??) I guess my line of thinking is that if all those factors are in place, even if this isn't a TST-100, (there is a slight chance in my mind that it could be....) it would be a TST-80.
Perhaps before we all jump on Richard and tell him to pull his auction we should ask him for some more photos? For one thing, I'd really like to know how many pieces the body is. If there were some photos of underneath the scratch plate where the finish is yellow it might be easier to tell how many pieces it is. The 3-tone sunburst, makes it really hard to see if there are any seams in the body. If it's one piece, that's a really promising sign this could be correct--if it's a 3-piece that's a deal-breaker. IMO that's a really dodgy looking headstock logo--I know these sometimes age badly but it looks a bit fake from the photos on the auction. If you can take a photo from a different angle that would show any wear on the logo that might help. Richard--if you're brave enough to pull the neck off that should be good proof that it's at least a Tokai neck--there are fairly distinctive stamps on the end of a Tokai neck. It's really not that hard to take a neck off (or even put it back on!)--someone recently posted good instructions on how to do it. Can we see some photos of the bridge assembly from the back, and perhaps some more of the pickup cavities? Also, details like the stamps on the back of the tuners (Deluxe, Tokai?). Profile of the neck (C, V, U?), with photos? I know it's a lot to ask, but it looks like there are some sceptics here....I'd love to see you prove them wrong!
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Yamaha pc-50 specifications
I don't want to disagree with an expert like togps, but there are a couple of things about this guitar that seem like they could be correct, or close to correct. First, for sure there was a TST-80 Goldstar --there is a photo of a TST-80BB (black) with a 4 digit serial number, with Final Prospec saddles in a book/magazine called Young Guitar Japan Vintage vol.2 (pg16). With 1982 Springys only the higher end (ST-80 and up) models that are 1954 copies have 4 digit serials (at least according to Japan Vintage). My Japanese is really weak, but in the same publication, page 33 there is a reference to a TST-100! There are too many kanji for me to be able to read this, but if I can figure out how to post a scan I will try to put it up here--maybe someone else can translate!
The metal scratchplate is the thing that gets me. There is a PB-80 (1982 catalogue) that is the top-of-the-line Hardpuncher bass with a perfect match to the scratchplate on this Goldstar. They're goddawful ugly IMO but it's exactly the kind of custom thing this company would have done perhaps on a custom order? I've seen some earlier Fender guitars with this--I guess it's good for shielding pickups........
I own what I think is probably a fairly early 2 tone Sunburst Goldstar with a 2-piece alder body, what I believe to be Nitro finish and "U"stamped pickups and C profile maple neck (there was an identical Goldstar posted on the forum last spring? and I think the consensus was it was probably TST-50 or 60). Later Goldstars had "VI" stamped pickups if I'm not mistaken. If Richard's guitar is genuine, and were a transitional model (late '83-early'84), the "E" pickups would put this above my guitar. If it had a "V" profile neck, (nitro finish, E pickups 1 piece body??) I guess my line of thinking is that if all those factors are in place, even if this isn't a TST-100, (there is a slight chance in my mind that it could be....) it would be a TST-80.
Perhaps before we all jump on Richard and tell him to pull his auction we should ask him for some more photos? For one thing, I'd really like to know how many pieces the body is. If there were some photos of underneath the scratch plate where the finish is yellow it might be easier to tell how many pieces it is. The 3-tone sunburst, makes it really hard to see if there are any seams in the body. If it's one piece, that's a really promising sign this could be correct--if it's a 3-piece that's a deal-breaker. IMO that's a really dodgy looking headstock logo--I know these sometimes age badly but it looks a bit fake from the photos on the auction. If you can take a photo from a different angle that would show any wear on the logo that might help. Richard--if you're brave enough to pull the neck off that should be good proof that it's at least a Tokai neck--there are fairly distinctive stamps on the end of a Tokai neck. It's really not that hard to take a neck off (or even put it back on!)--someone recently posted good instructions on how to do it. Can we see some photos of the bridge assembly from the back, and perhaps some more of the pickup cavities? Also, details like the stamps on the back of the tuners (Deluxe, Tokai?). Profile of the neck (C, V, U?), with photos? I know it's a lot to ask, but it looks like there are some sceptics here....I'd love to see you prove them wrong!
________
Yamaha pc-50 specifications
