Silver Star Models -- Difference in Tone

[ateng]

For me it will be ?400 plus shipping so it makes no different i think.
Yesterday i bought the SS38 and it sounds amazing. I've tested it with a Fender USA std and a mexican strat and my Tokai sounds realy good.
The bridge pickup will be replace because it sounds thin to me.
I've also replaced the bridge and headtuners by Wilkinson.

 

[Anonymous]

For me it will be ?400 plus shipping so it makes no different i think.
Yesterday i bought the SS38 and it sounds amazing. I've tested it with a Fender USA std and a mexican strat and my Tokai sounds realy good.
The bridge pickup will be replace because it sounds thin to me.
I've also replaced the bridge and headtuners by Wilkinson.

OK, glad you're happy with it. I can't argue with you about replacing the bridge pickup, but you haven't told us which pickup you chose - it's always good to know that.

It would be good to see some pics of your new bridge & tuners too, along with your comments on what difference they made.

 

[ateng]

Replacing the bridge and tuners make my guitar stay better in tune and my Tokai looks more vintage now.

I've replace all my pickups for a set of Tonerider Pure Vintage and they're really sounds soooo Eric Johnson
They sounds warm and not to harsh but has a nice twangy sound with bells... what a vintage strat suppose to sound :wink:

I will make a soundclip so you guys can hear what i mean.

 

[Anonymous]

You're not the first person to recommend the Toneriders, a lot of people seem to like them.

A soundclip would be cool - so would some pics of the end result. 8)

 

[ateng]

Here a soundclip recorded direct with my Vox Tonelab SE into my iMac using Cubase.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=9770632

I will soon post some pics

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds good.

8)

 

[ateng]

Here some pictures of my Silverstar

 

[Anonymous]

Nice - all you have to do now is to fit black pickup covers & knobs. Or a white scratchplate.

:wink:

 

[ateng]

Nice - all you have to do now is to fit black pickup covers & knobs. Or a white scratchplate.

:wink:

No it's gonna be a 3-ply white pearloid pickguard S/S/H so the bridge pickup will be replaced by a Seymour Duncan SH-4 Jeff Beck humbucker... that i already have.

 

[ateng]

Another question about the SS series.
You've got the low-end Silverstar like the SS-38 and the high-end like the SS-80. Is there a different in quality like how the guitar is build, better pots or is the different in material like wood, pickups and other things?

 

[Anonymous]

OK, SS38 versus SS80.

38 - 3 or 4 piece body / 80 - two piece body (probably)
38 - poly / 80 - nitro
38 - cheaper pickups / 80 - more expensive pickups
38 - cheaper tuners / 80 - better tuners

That's probably it. Pots (Alpha 250B volume, 250A tone) & switch should be the same.

To put it into context, a 2 piece, centre-joined body on a Fender (from any period) is a rarity. You often don't even get that on the Custom Shop models. It's fairly common on Tokais numbered 60 and above. Is it nice? Yes. Does it make the guitar sound or play any better? Probably not.

 

[ateng]

My Silverstar with pearl white pickguard and Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck SH-4 humbucker. The frets is also replaced by Dunlop 6110 jumbo fret so now i can finaly shred again

 

[ateng]

OK, SS38 versus SS80.

38 - 3 or 4 piece body / 80 - two piece body (probably)
38 - poly / 80 - nitro
38 - cheaper pickups / 80 - more expensive pickups
38 - cheaper tuners / 80 - better tuners

That's probably it. Pots (Alpha 250B volume, 250A tone) & switch should be the same.

To put it into context, a 2 piece, centre-joined body on a Fender (from any period) is a rarity. You often don't even get that on the Custom Shop models. It's fairly common on Tokais numbered 60 and above. Is it nice? Yes. Does it make the guitar sound or play any better? Probably not.

And have a Siverstar the same spec as a Fender '79 strat?
I've played many different strat and i found the Siverstar have a small neck.

 

[Anonymous]

And have a Siverstar the same spec as a Fender '79 strat?

Sorry, I'm not clear what the question is.

 

[ateng]

And have a Siverstar the same spec as a Fender '79 strat?

Sorry, I'm not clear what the question is.

Are the Silverstar an exact copy of a '79 Fender stratocaster?
It seems like the Silverstar have a smaller neck than a Fender strat.

 

[Anonymous]

Are the Silverstar an exact copy of a '79 Fender stratocaster?
It seems like the Silverstar have a smaller neck than a Fender strat.

The Silver Star is an improvement on a typical 70s Strat! For a start, the tilt neck mechanism actually works - it's machined properly. I have never once heard of a sloppy neck joint on a Silver Star - that isn't something you could say about 70s Strats in the 70s (though many of them may have been sorted out since then).

They are also made from alder or sen of a reasonably consistent weight - some 70s Strats (particularly those made from ash) can weigh as much as a boat anchor! The Silver Stars do seem to have necks that are on the slim side, broadly similar to Springys & Silver Stars. I haven't played enough 70s Fenders to be able to compare the neck profile, nor do I intend to bother doing so in the future.

I'd take a Silver Star over a 70s Strat any day.

This article should be of interest:

http://www.tokairegistry.com/tokai-info/Andrew%20Munro%20Article-July2008.pdf