Orange Produced By Electric Sound Research

[Zeppelin456]

Picked this beauty up a few weeks back for £225 - from what I can see it is similar to a Fernandes from very early 80s. It’s had quite a few changes such as replacement planet waves tuners and imagine the brass saddles have been added. The neck is honestly absolutely wonderful, plays like a dream with low action (plays as good ans my Jap Fender ST-62, and that plays better than any strat I have come across, so is no mean feat). So the question is, what date is it from and what factory - there is some sort of serial and markings on the neck. Also what wood is the body on it (I have tried to add pics of the grain). Do you think the electronics are original or after market. The pickups are great, but those mini pots don’t look original to me?

Anyone got any info on these other than the couple of threads I can find.

.s I bought it for the logo on the headstock which is about the coolest logo ever!

 

[Sigmania]

I don't know much about them, but I gathered this stuff.

OS-600 maybe?

Check it out.

ORANGE Guitars By "Electric Sound Research Group"

 

[Sigmania]

The 1974 Fernandes catalog featured Orange amps.

I would bet it dates from the early to mid 1970s.

Fretboard stamps on some of them are similar to Fernandes of the same period.

Fernandes "CBS Fender" Style Logo Gallery 1973-1974

 

[Zeppelin456]

That’s great. What date is that catalogue from. I am guessing we are late 70s due to the headstock as the early 70s seem to follow the fender large headstock unless they did both?

 

[Sigmania]

I am not sure when that was printed.

But check out this page.

Fernandes Strats

And I am no expert on these, just putting things together since no one else was doing it.

If you look at the Fernandes progression it went from CBS head shape to pre CBS around 1975.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that Orange guitars did too. I just don't know.

That flyer was posted by member Voidoid56. He may know when it was printed. Hopefully he will chime in.

 

[Sigmania]

Just spotted this in the back of the 1977 Fernandes catalog.


■OS-500BL ¥50,000

Features: Designed to fit comfortably in your hand, the OS-500 neck has an old- fashioned head shape, and is available in two types: a well-seasoned maple 1-piece neck and a rose fingerboard neck. .

■OS-600BS ¥60,000

Features: As the top model of the Orange Guitar OS series, its exterior, performance, and sound quality are by no means superior or inferior to other guitars in higher ranks. The 1-piece hard maple neck, 11% wide pitch bridge, 3 wide-range single-coil pickups, 5- position preset switch, and wood materials have all been carefully considered.

 

[Zeppelin456]

That’s great. Also the trem block is absolutely identical to some of the trem pics on the link to the fernandes catalogues in 75-79 guitars, with same markings (S.T.C. made in Japan, p11). Think we are narrowing it down!

 

[Sigmania]

Translation of the parts for the FST from the 1977 Fernandes catalog

 

[Sigmania]

DiMarzio made similar high mass brass saddles in 1979/80 that they sold as parts.

Tokai SS80 had similar ones around 1982

 

[Sigmania]

FWIW Tokai ink stamped its serial numbers on the neck inside the neck pocket when the Springys began in 1977 and into 1988.

Not saying your guitar was made by Tokai, just interesting parallel.

Tokai used a very different looking font though.

 

[Zeppelin456]

So, the pickups and wiring seem identical to that on the Fernandes Burny Custom 1976 as seen on this site, although with a 5 way switch rather than 3 way and the pots seem smaller, but I would say those are the pickups for sure (pics from the site , not mine which are above!):
https://www.holdenhillmusic.com.au/products/1976-fernandes-burny-custom-strat?variant=43366910787738

 

[Zeppelin456]

Here's another from a 1976 FST-70 I have found (same pots, wiring and single ply pickguard), except the treble bleed which was probably added after, so think that is the right era:

 

[Puck Luck]

I think Orange was only made for one year in 77. Matches the date code on your neck starting with a 7.

 

[Puck Luck]

I checked the Fernandes Facebook group and one of the knowledgeable admins mentioned Orange was made for less than a year between 76' and early 77'. He mentioned he had Orange branded guitars with serials dating from August 76' to February 77'.

 

[Sigmania]

Interesting information. I noticed the ones I found with fretboard stamps start with a 6.

ORANGE Guitars By "Electric Sound Research Group"

So maybe the fretboard stamp phased out by 1977 and was replaced by ink stamping in the neck pocket on the neck?

That is an interesting parallel to Tokai since they ink stammped the serial number on the neck in the neck pocket in 1977.

And odd that they would do a 1977 catalog featuring these and stop 2 months into that year…

 

[Sigmania]

So I guess your guitar would probably be a 1977 OS500 CH going by the 1977 catalog?

CH = Cream White

And the flyer is a little different re: model numbers it looks like. It has a similar guitar and describes it as an OS600 and says it has a 3 way switch with the middle indents making it like a 5 way.

Hard to believe so much happened in 6 months.

 

[Sigmania]

From the flyer:

★Vibrato unit
●Vibrato unit with very little deviation. and two pieces of wood. The screws allow for delicate arm balance. Choose the vibrato balance that suits you. Please try it. Enjoy the good vibrato sound!

The reason why it's curved here is because it has a yellowish tinge.
Please try it once. The ease of use is the best

Since it is in a diagonal, it is easy to use because it is different!! *

★Let's take a look at arm prices starting from below!

Pitchbridge that is easy to pull. It is easier to enso if the intervals between the musubi are at this repitch interval. (I heard this is also the one made by Fender, but please try it once). Adjusting the screws that fix the vibrato unit will significantly eliminate the vibrato distortion. Try adjusting it. Of course, it is a product made from the factory. Yes, I have adjusted it!!

It is a sturdy 4-point dot x square type. Please consult with ESRG's repair personnel regarding the angle at which you should attach the neck! Players have their own preferences. Being able to adjust this is the great thing about a detachable neck!!!

Let's look at the back and York! (image of cutaway)

The three mics on the bridge side do not have tone controls, but they are set to a high-pass preset specifically for the H, so they have a fixed tone. Therefore, there is no control.

Volume control
Oh mic, tone control
Crab mic tone control

The frets are E.S.R.G's original white nickel silver mixed frets that are wide and easy to bend.

A shield is applied to the volume, tone volume, and H selector switch circuits to cut noise. is. The reason why there is no shield near the microphone is because there is a shield on the salt wire of the microphone, so there is no need for it. This cuts out noise!

OS-550, 530 Comes with a white, black and white laminate pickguard chassis.

OS-600 and 630 are old type white non- laminated pick guards.

★Completely

Advanced seams with full E.S.R.G. 200 ・
One-piece neck with no knotting technology. Hard maple is a wood that tends to go crazy.

Truss rod adjustment

I am especially careful. The volume is an original Fender type volume.

It is attached to the top of the bed, so it can be easily adjusted.

Put a wrench in here and turn it.

OS-600.6301 is an old type, so it is attached to the bottom of the neck.

★Pickup

E.S.R.G. original pickup.

High-sensitivity single-coil pickup...The microphone coil is made low to prevent howling. (Even Fender) For some reason, this is because the coil is moved by the vibration of the body and the air sound pressure vibration from the amplifier, which causes howling. This will completely shut it out. The material of the pole piece is of course alnico. This produces a balanced and powerful sound.

``Highly reliable filter stage and selector switch (OS-550, 580), half position is relatively easy to produce.With your technique, Upton's sound will be ORANGE and not a dream!!

★OS550 basic color
YS→ Yellow Sunburst
BL→Black
CH→ Cream white
Natural will be OS-580.

The OS-600 has a half-position switch that allows you to quickly create halftones.・For normal use, it can be used in 3 steps (without stopping at the halftone position). Only when you want to use halftone. ・It has a special design that stops at the halftone position. Very easy to use single-stage toggle switch.

It's a hand.

* OS-600 basic color Choose carefully. Get it in the right color!

BS → Brown Sunburst BKS → Black Sunburst
YS→Yellow Sunburst
BL → Black
CH→Cream white
Natural will be OS-630.

Saga ORANGE

Ban Wakkaru Kana?

*05-600.63015 Old with small head

The type is tsuku shallah

 

[Puck Luck]

Sounds like we need another Serial list... wink wink lol
My orange strat has a date code of Oct 20th, 1976. It's made by Kawai.
Auction pics, no fresh ones unfortunately

 

[Puck Luck]

So the op's is from Sept 9th, 1977 then. Yup definitely not February. haha

 

[Sigmania]

So are you saying the entire serial number is the date?

YDDMM