navigator 335 as100 guitar

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mohairhalo

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Hi all..looking for some help guys if possible!

I'm off to China soon and a guy in the town i'm going to is selling a navigator as100 335 guitar. From what i know about it, it was made in 1981. Anyone tried or know about this guitar? Sure, i know the more recent ones go for heaps of cash and very good..but this particular one..any idea? Its had a pickup/tuners change to dimarzio bluesbuckers/schaller. The guy wants $1000 for it...Any comments would be much appreciated...

front.jpg

headstock.jpg

back1.jpg

neck2.jpg
 
If it's 1981 AS-100 which is the lowest model then $1,000 is a good price as I assume you'll be picking it up yourself with no taxes, duty and shipping to pay. You'll also have the benefit of trying it yourself which is the real test.

I think many more parts have been changed and it originally would have had kluson green tuners, a brass coloured tunamatic bridge and tailpiece, a different TRC etc. Many early Navigators were fitted with Dimarzios. Are you sure it is from 1981 and an SA-100?

I've got a 1980 LPS-120 and it's quite possibly the best sounding LP I've ever played!

Dave
 
cheers boys for the feedback.

Yes, I'll be in China and be able to fully check it out before buying.

Dave- I've been told its an sa100. Apparently, this is also on the back of the headstock...as opposed to a serial number. It was listed in a 1980/81 ESP catalogue which is how i thought it was from 1981. I noticed it wasn't listed in the catalogues after which is why..i thought it was from 81'...just guesswork.

The guys said that he'd got a friend to bring it back from Japan and that the original pickups were "crappy" and hence changed. Same with tuners..mmm
What's a TRC?
I'll get a photo sent to me of the back of the headstock showing the model number..any other pics you suggest i get to help establish the authenticity?

cheers
 
I've never seen any of these with a model number on the back of the head-stock so that's a puzzle to me - unless you're referring to a sticker of course. Verifying the year is not going to be easy and perhaps even impossible. If the pots are original it may be possible to date those and if it's circa 81 it will be nitro and not poly. The pots won't be easy to see of course as it's a hollow body. Pic's of the pickup routings would perhaps be the most useful to compare. If it's as early as you think I don't think it will be a long tenon.

The SA-100 appears in both the 80 & 81 catalogues. The 83 models seem to start from SA-120 and I don't have an 82 catalogue scan. So if you're correct about the model number it must be 82 or earlier.

I'm not saying it's a fake but I guess I do doubt the year based on it's appearance. However if it's a new or old model the it's not bad for the money. The logo looks a bit too white to me as well but that's probably just the photograph.

I doubt whether anyone here (inc me) really knows enough about old navigators to be sure.

Dave
 
thanks mate for info!

Yes, the year origin was my guesswork....I'll send through some other pics later today....including back of headstock which says 0100....
 
heres some more pics:-

p727297349.jpg


p727293209.jpg


p727288986.jpg


is that headstock font still looking too white, Dave? New light, day, etc....

I'm asking for the pic of the "0100" written on it...should be soon
 
Yep, all looks good. I do think the number on the back is some sort of serial number and not a model number. I've seen similar numbers on other navigators.

Dave
 
yes, I agree about the 0100 part Dave. Guess if this is playing well and in as good shape as the pics suggest- $1000 is a fair price for this...should be way better than an epiphone dot.well i hope so :)
 

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