NGD: ST 100 OW

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siamackz

siamackz

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Hi All! Here is the latest addition to my collection :) Its time to find a Breezy next...

You can see many pics and read details about the guitar on my website here - https://www.siavintageguitars.com/tokai-st-100-ow

Also, if anyone can tell me what the pick up cavity stamps mean, I would be very grateful!

ea5cc8_e503bd13460843aba3192e358d4c52b9~mv2.jpg

ea5cc8_5d8ce04c55214e6bb25459205338b283~mv2.jpg
 
Congrats!

Unusual to see stamps that were painted over. That was usually masked off before spraying.

And unusual pattern of characters.

Looks like “X” and possibly “L” and “S”?

At some point I believe X was used to indicate an export model, as in sold outside Japan.
 
Edit, read your blog after posting

Peter's book has body codes used before 82 as X Y A for models 50 60 and 80 series. With A always for the top end models. Y on 60<70 models.
Book also states 7 digit neck heel is 77 and stamped neck plate is 78. Your ser# is clearly 78, so it's down to production changes and when they actually occurred.

The other mark looks like L N to me
 
gorgeous - I guess the colour has changed with UV? Looks lovely now.

I'd want to soak the pickup selector tip in some tea, though! ;)
 
mdvineng said:
Book also states 7 digit neck heel is 77 and stamped neck plate is 78. Your ser# is clearly 78, so it's down to production changes and when they actually occurred.

The other mark looks like L N to me
Click to expand...

There are definitely ‘78s with ink stamps (maybe a couple thousand?) and I know he’s aware of that. Assuming he has edited that if it’s in there.

See this thread and note that he gave me many of the ones listed.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26086&hilit=Earliest+Springys

Sigmania said:
Current list:

1978:

Plate stamped & small neck plate:

8003675 ST80 BB "Plate Stamped" (eBay)
8003028 ST60 BB “Plate Stamped” (bluejeannot)

Ink stamped on neck inside pocket:

8002152 ST42 BB (Peter Mac provided)
8002111 ST60 BB Fernandes (eBay)
8002080 ST100R BL (Cliff, note rosewood board)
8002075 ST42 YS (siamackz)
8001885 ST80 OW R (Peter Mac provided)
8001633 ST50 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8001578 ST60 YS (Reverb) *Guessing on the "1" digit.
8001532 ST55 N (Peter Mac provided)
8001198 ST42 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8001196 ST42 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8001148 ST50 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8001001 ST50 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8000989 ST100R BL (Cliff, note rosewood board)
8000984 ST60 YS (eBay)
8000963 ST?? OW (posted by tokaigeek & Jeremycanlapan)
8000946 ST50 BB (posted by topaxe)
8000942 ST60R OW (Cliff)
8000919 ST42 OW (eBay)
8000836 ST60 YS R (Peter Mac provided)
8000774 ST42 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8000750 ST60 OW (marcusnieman)
8000721 ST100 N (Reverb)
8000720 ST100 OW (Faber Guitars)
8000656 ST100 BL (felixcatus)
8000635 ST65 N (Peter Mac provided)
8000615 ST80 GS R (Peter Mac provided)
8000611 ST80 GS (Peter Mac provided)
8000584 ST60 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8000506 ST80 OW R (eBay)
8000434 ST60N (eBay)
8000420 ST60 YS (Peter Mac provided)
8000323 ST50 YS (muccax)

1977:

7000186 ST?? (Peter Mac provided)
7000108 ST?? YS (CliffsGuitarWorld)
7000105 ST50 OW (Peter Mac provided)
77000011 ST60 YS (CliffsComicWorld) *Note Serial starts with "770" and not "70".
Click to expand...




And I can see the N now too. Good eye.
 
If that’s an N, I wonder if it was originally destined to be a natural colored guitar?

Can you tell if it’s sen or alder under the paint? Any chips with finished wood under the paint?
 
Thanks All!

If we assume that the paperwork and stamping is all original, then the body and neck both belong to the ST 100 and it’s made in ‘78 and was factory painted in OW, because (a) body and neck and certificate show same serial number (b) certificate says OW. In this case I was thinking maybe like Sigmania said it was originally made in “N” or natural and then changed to OW before purchase at the request of the buyer? But then what is “L”. That got me confused. Also the “X” is normally for lower models as per what Peter told me. Why does this have an “X” when the body is stamped ST 100 and very clearly is a one piece Ash (as evident fro the grain IMO). I tried getting better pics so that you can see through the paint to the wood but it’s proven hard. But on examining it myself I can see that it’s single piece and grainy like ash and not alder (I’m no expert though).
 
No matter what, it’s a very cool guitar. Congratulations!
 
In 1982/83, would Y then be for a TE50 or TE80? Those are the only 2 bodies in MR like the one in that thread.

Looks to me like "7=9 MR Y"

AKvILDd.png
 
By the way, my 1981 TE120 has a Z mark.

So there were probably more than just X, Y, and A...

lp5eEug.jpg
 
A post on this forum made many years ago suggested that these were codes for tooling and finish specs - http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9686

I don’t know if this has been further discussed by members and any conclusion reached?
 
That makes more sense than relating to model number.

I saw an ST60, I believe, yesterday that had a Z. It was a GS color.

My TE120 has a Z and is YS colored.
 
siamackz said:
A post on this forum made many years ago suggested that these were codes for tooling and finish specs - http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9686

I don’t know if this has been further discussed by members and any conclusion reached?
Click to expand...


Man.... That thread and that assertion created a huge argument on here in years past. Interesting to see where it started.

The whole number relating to a router thing is unsupported as far as I can see.

What we came up with based on info that felixcatus and Gotfried got is that the first number of the body code is the month.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26270&hilit=production+codes

Now the X,Y,Z thing I would agree is not based on the model.

Just yesterday I saw an ST55/65 in OR color with a Z mark in the body code.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26442

rCiNYfu.jpg


I also saw an ST60 GS with a Z mark in the body code.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26438&start=15

9xeRGny.jpg


And my 1981 TE120 has a Z mark in the body code.

lp5eEug.jpg


I don't think it indicates the model.

Now the A stamp on the neck butt seems to correlate with a V neck as Peter Mac pointed out. Not sure how that relates to codes on the body though.

hefzRq5.jpg
 
Maybe the letters just relate to inventory codes at the specific factory at the given time and nothing more profound as we might wish to believe :)
 
Also, is the color of this guitar actually BL and not OW?

I don't see where OW was ever a color option for an ST100.

The fact that you can see that code through the paint makes me think it is translucent like the BL color.



1979 Vol 3 foldout catalog shows 3 colors.

W2D20DO.png


1981 Flat Top catalog shows 4 colors.

1Myjyso.png


Spring 1982 catalog shows 8 colors.

2X8iF3G.jpg
 

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