Looking for inspiration - Goldstar upgrade/refurb

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jbwtaylor

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I've just pulled my old Tokai Goldstar Sound out of my dad's loft. It's seen better days but appears to be Japanese perhaps from '84? Maybe you guys can help me with that from the pictures.

Looks like it's all original apart from the saddles, which are garbage and will be replaced. Tremelo arm and one tone knob are missing. Fretboard had a pretty bad repair at the 12th fret. Frets are not the best in general, probably get them redone.

I'm looking for advice. I know nothing about strats. I don't want to try to get it back to its original state using all vintage parts but rather to make it sound as good as possible.

What should I do? :D

Saddles & tremelo bridge...
PUPS - any favourites for this guitar?

I'll probably mess with the wiring a little: add the push/pull Gilmour neck mod.

Mebbe a humbucker...

Help me out :D

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Personally, I'd get the neck repaired and refretted and leave the rest. It looks like a nice guitar just needing to be played.
 
Wow… that’s a rare color. OR is “old red”. OR was a premium color so it added to the price and model number.

Probably 1984 ST55 ORR.

Is that a 1 or 3 ply pickguard? Should have been 3 ply if it was sold with that neck.

The neck and body codes don’t match. Possible that they are wedded parts, but also possible it left the factory that way.

2 string trees is different. Maybe one was added?

Too bad about the neck plate.

Worth rescuing though for sure.

EOeSCsw.jpg
 
That was a premium color, OR, so it added to the price and model number.

Maybe ST55 or ST65?

Some ST60s had U pickups.

Is that a 1 or 3 ply pickguard?

2 string trees?

Neck and body codes don’t match. Possible that they are wedded parts, but also possible it left the factory that way.

EOeSCsw.jpg
 
Looks like someone did a DIY re-fret and blew out the rosewood? Wonder what’s under the plastic wood?

And what happened to that neckplate? That’s nuts.
 
And I can’t see under the pickup in your picture, but if the body isn’t an HSS already I wouldn’t rout it for a humbucker. That’s a rare body.

You can sell it and just buy a whatever Strat if you want that and let someone else try to save it?

You can probably find another Goldstar neck if you can’t repair that one.

And an engraver could rescue the neck plate and serial number I would bet.

Cool and rare guitar in my opinion.
 
Thanks for the responses :)

I will do the minimum to get it playing. That would be putting a nut and strings on it :lol:

Ok, perhaps a little more: a refret.

I will post some pics when it's up & running again.

Thanks again
 

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