Six Digit Serial Number Goldstars, Etc. Fender Headstock

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Sigmania

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These show up from time to time.

What is the date range that we are thinking they are from?

Common features:

- Traditional ST and TE Fender head stock shape
- 6 digit S/N (01xxxx, 20xxxx, 21xxxx, 22xxxx, etc.)
- Includes some HSS routed guitars in the 01xxxx range.
- "-" instead of "=" on production code
 
This one has the - instead of the = so that tells us it is later than 1985?

S/N 014302

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25983&hilit=six+digit

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Peter Mac quote on a 6 digit Breezy with the - and not the =.

S/N 226824

Peter Mac said:
Hi guys,

I would venture an opinion with this guitar and say I would consider it original TTE-50 BL from 1986.
All stamps and logos are correct - including the 6 digit number- but the body neck codes indicate a post-85 build . . not 1984.
1984 would have 7=12 and the body code would be in the control cavity, not under the rear pickup.
Again, I would say it is all original - congratulations.

regards
Peter Mac

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26269&p=196953#p196953

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Anyone know when the Final Prospec saddles and the brass ground plate disappeared? That would help date this one.
 
felixcatus said:
Here's one from 2009.... :lol: :wink:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21521


Looks like serial number 096057

So here we have a 6 digit number that is inked and also the minus sign in the production code... Very interesting.

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S/N 222587

  • V II pickups and Klusons so should be TST-50GS (despite 1954 detail, like a button string tree)
  • Pot codes are March 1987
  • Final Prospec bridge
  • Production codes separated by a dash, not =
  • Routs without pickup screw indentations, no control brass plate
  • Neck stamp is 5 -17, body stamp lost to screening paint

Actually one of the nicest STs/TSTs I've had.





















 
Last edited by a moderator:
Very cool. Good to know that the quality is there.

And good to know the pot dates.

Isn't that the same year, 1987, as the Breezy we were trying to figure out a while ago?

Voidoid56 said:
Both pots are date-coded 74, which is april 1987. That also works with the 2XXXXX serial. On an earlier guitar with the vintage Fender neck-plate serial format, six digits would have signified an early CBS era copy, but I've only ever seen those (mostly on basses and Teles) beginning with a 1. I've had a pot-date '87 TST-50 with 22XXXX serial and seen several others, so it appears the Fender-format serials were gone by then.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26269&start=15

And I had been eyeballing that LPB Goldstar earlier in this thread with the 222 serial. Beautiful guitar.

And the owner obviously has the wrong date on his web page. 8)

Sigmania said:
 
Yeah, it seems they didn't lose any quality going into the the 2nd half of the 80's, and may even have kept on upping their game.

Here's a bit of an oddity, but pretty obviously related to these guitars. It's for sale in Japan, I might actually try to buy it, we'll see.

Spec-wise, it's blow-by-blow identical to my '87, abt 700 serial numbers later and has the same 5-17 month-batch stamps, but with a Made In Japan export sticker and branded Bradley.

That's apparently an importer brand owned by Veneman's Music of Maryland, USA and turns up on quite a variety of Asian-made guitars if you google it.
So what's this guitar doing for sale in Japan? I know I've seen at least two more there, so are we talking about a small batch of export guitars that was either just partly or not at all delivered to the US? Since Tokai themselves was well into the pointy-nose AST's for the US market by then. maybe someone got cold feet?

Either way, nice-looking guitar. The body stamp finish code is a bit smudged, but it's probably SW for Snow White. It's certainly a lot whiter than OW.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/3oI1tw8.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/xpX8iGw.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/VVWM94w.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Rtb90c8.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/u6vrh0s.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/kPwBFCb.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/KWFoxcZ.jpg[/img]
 
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