My New Old ST 100

Hi Folks,

I haven't been over here for a while as I sold all my old Tokai's a few years back and got into vintage Fender amps.

Last week I was checking out Japanese Yahoo and came across a ST100 in not the best condition, I'd called it severely relic'd , I took a gamble and got it, not knowing what it was going to be like in reality. I have to admit this is the first guitar I heave ever bought sight unseen.

I think the gamble has paid off. It arrived yesterday and I pulled it apart to document it in an effort to find out what I actually have bought.

Here's a bunch of photos showing the various parts. It's an odd guitar as it has all the markings of a 54 - 2 tone sunburst, 1 ply pickguard, but it also has a rosewood fretboard and gold hardware ????

I can't find any info on this hybrid 54/62 . It looks original, no broken solder joints , all original parts (I Think) the only thing that may not be original is the saddles, but I'll leave it for the experts here to look at the pictures and see what they think.

Here she is







Now for the codes
Neck pocket


Neck end


Neck Plate


pickup cavity


Pot's/switch










Pickups




Bridge ... Is This original???





There she is, a nice soft V neck that is identical to my original 56 Telecaster an her feel is exactly the same as my other vintage Fenders. These guitars are really as good as they say , I'll never sell this one, it's far too good in both tone and feel

If anyone could shed some light on my beauty I'd greatly appreciate it

regards
Watto

Nice.8)
Bridge saddles aren't original.Here's my blondie SN 188.



Volker

possible neck and body from different guitars the 57 pg and the rosewood neck and non matching body and neck codes suggest this

Hi Mark,
why do you think so?
The '79 ST80 you sold me has near the same
codes as this one.
Neck 8=3&4 A
Body 12=2 GS A
The early ones have all maple neck specs
(scunk stripe,walnut plug and 8 hole pickguard),
exept for the rosewood board.

Volker

This 1980 st100 has no original bridge saddles, like settebello said.
rosewood fingerboard with skunk stripe is a typical mismatching of early springy's...
anyway villager is right about your odd codes: neck 3 & 4 of august, body 3 of december (settebello 2 of december)

my guess is that necks were prepared in separate production batch (they were substantially identical for all models) but not always bodies were matched at same time (especially for single piece st100 but not only) likely for reasons of supply...
my 0000126 is assembled between 6 & 14 of march (probably more availability?)

Thanks for info guys,

I thought the saddles were wrong, I was thinking mismatch neck/body but then again I could be wrong. Why would someone go to the trouble ?

You say it's a 1980 Bluesyrat , that's cool

It really plays so nicely

regards
Watto

Very nice guitar, I like the look of the wear personally.
The bridge looks to be from a silver star SS-80.
If you want an original replacement Tokai bridge in gold check this out:
http://www.theguitarshop.jp/outlet/outlet-old.html

You could always get a set of new tuners too and do a refin to make it look new I guess.

Wow thanks Wulfman . I want it , just gotta work out how to buy it and get it shipped to Australia , that would be awesome .

I'm going to keep the rest of the guitar original , Every scratch is part of its life's history , so I want to keep it as is , the correct era trem would complete the guitar nicely

Cheers
Watto

Sorry to disagree amigos but I suspect that the brass bridge saddles (normally found on an ss80 I agree) are a custom order to match the gold hardwear and golden sunburst colour of this guitar.I think they are original, no proof though ,just a hunch! :wink: Gabe

bluejeannot wrote:
I suspect that the brass bridge saddles (normally found on an ss80 I agree) are a custom order to match the gold hardwear and golden sunburst colour of this guitar

Click to expand...

surely possible...but it would be very strange... they put no vintage type saddles changing the original that were golden too but totally matched with the vintage style of guitar? All st100 had golden hardware... it seems -more likely- those are changed in the years cause they were worn

settebello said:

Hi Mark,
why do you think so?
The '79 ST80 you sold me has near the same
codes as this one.
Neck 8=3&4 A
Body 12=2 GS A
The early ones have all maple neck specs
(scunk stripe,walnut plug and 8 hole pickguard),
exept for the rosewood board.

Volker

Click to expand...

just a guess to explian the rosewood board and 57 PG... probably wrong!!

villager said:

Just a guess to explian the rosewood board and 57 PG... probably wrong!!

Click to expand...

I believe his guitar is correct. I have one from this era exactly the same. Single ply 8 screw guard with thin curved rosewood fretboard.

+1 Cali
Early rosewood Springys are the strat that never was.
They are fifties strats like there maple neck sisters.
For the neck codes,why would they finish a neck in 2 days
and only on high end springys?
I never see this form under a ST80.

Volker

settebello wrote:
or the neck codes,why would they finish a neck in 2 days
and only on high end springys?

Click to expand...

my 1980 st 100 has the neck finished in one day (rosewood too)

do you know if two days necks are only rosewood? if so that would be because the fingerboard had to be glued..

wulfman said:

Very nice guitar, I like the look of the wear personally.
The bridge looks to be from a silver star SS-80.
If you want an original replacement Tokai bridge in gold check this out:
http://www.theguitarshop.jp/outlet/outlet-old.html

You could always get a set of new tuners too and do a refin to make it look new I guess.

Click to expand...

Does anyone know how to buy the trem from the shop linked above , I've emailed them and tried through Rinkya but still no success , any help would be greatly appreciated

Regards
Watto

I'm surprised Rinkya can't order for you, it is pretty easy to order in Japan and do the payment by bank transfer. If Rinkya can't help you send me a PM.

wulfman said:

I'm surprised Rinkya can't order for you, it is pretty easy to order in Japan and do the payment by bank transfer. If Rinkya can't help you send me a PM.

Click to expand...

Thanks Wulfman

Guitar shop have replied finally, I've done the transfer, now I wait ... all is good

regards
Watto

These types of saddles were fitted as standard in the 80's as there was a big thing about improving sustain. Here is my Goldstar:

Good iainblack! Thanks!