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aroomstudios
Guitar God
Joined: 07 Jul 2017
Posts: 188
Location: California
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 Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:33 pm Post subject: Tokai Springy Sound St80 + above stock pickups from the 80s |
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According to here and " iainblack" strat book. The St-70-120 from the early 80's has E stamp pickups.
According to here:
https://reverb.com/news/a-strat-by-any-other-name-the-tokai-springy-sound
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ST-42 (1977 - 1979) U-shaped neck, chrome hardware, non-Kluson type tuners, ceramic pickups, 3- or 4-piece sen ash body with poly finish
ST-45 (1980 - 1981) U-shaped neck, chrome hardware, non-Kluson type tuners, ceramic pickups, 3- or 4-piece alder body with poly finish
ST-50 (1977 - 1984) U-shaped neck, nickel hardware, Kluson-type tuners, alnico E, U, V or VI pickups, 3-piece alder or sen ash body with poly finish
ST-60 (1977 - 1984) V shaped neck, nickel hardware, Kluson-type tuners, alnico E, U, V or VI pickups, 2-piece sen ash or alder body with poly finish
ST-70 (1982 - 1983) U-shaped neck, nickel hardware, Kluson-type tuners, DiMarzio VS-1 alnico pickups, 2-piece sen ash or alder body with poly finish
ST-80 (1979 - 1983) V-shaped neck, nickel or gold hardware, Kluson-type tuners, DiMarzio VS-1 alnico pickups, 2-piece sen ash or alder body with nitro finish
ST-100 (1979 - 1983) V-shaped neck, gold hardware, Kluson-type tuners, DiMarzio VS1 alnico pickups, 1- or 2-piece sen ash body with nitro finish
ST-120 (1982) V-shaped neck, gold hardware, Kluson-type tuners, DiMarzio VS-1 alnico pickups, 1-piece ash body with nitro finish
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The st 50-60 had E, U V or Vi picks and the ST80-120 has DiMarzio VS1. I have never seen anything other than E pickups in st-80 and above. I had some other sources the other day but cannot remember were they were. I think one said the E is the DiMarzio VS1. Then one said the DiMarzio VS1 and the E series are totally different.
Question is are they different? How do you know if you have DiMarzio VS1? I have a strat (st-100) coming in a few days. I hear the E series sound good and I also hear they sound bad. I was thinking about swamping them for Fralin hot PUs.
https://www.fralinpickups.com/product/vintage-hot/
I have sort of been wanting to try these pickups out for a while now. Just was waiting for the right strat to try them in.
What are your guys thoughts?
Last edited by aroomstudios on Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:02 am; edited 7 times in total |
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Len
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Joined: 25 Dec 2009
Posts: 228
Location: Hamburg / Germany
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:19 am Post subject: |
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| aroomstudios wrote: | How do you know if you have DiMarzio VS1? I have a strat (st-100) coming in a few days. I hear the E series sound good and I also hear they sound bad. I was thinking about swamping them for Fralin hot PUs.
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Well, a vintage ST-100 is a great thing! Why not try how it sounds with the stock pickups before considering a swap?
The Dimarzios have black bobbins and their pickup covers have "Dimarzio" written on the inside. The E pickups have grey bobbins and "E"-stamp 
There were some Silver Star SS-80 models with Dimarzios.
For an ST-80 it depends on what you mean by "early 80s". A 1980 or 1981 ST-80 Springy Sound has E pickups. But a 1984 ST-80 Goldstar Sound will have Dimarzios. (The VS-1s are listed in the 1984 catalogue as specs for the TST-80).
As for VS-1s and Es being the same thing. They are not - it΄s a wrong information that has been out there on the web for many years. It΄s quite impressive how this myth keeps popping up and confusing people who are not so familiar with the vintage Tokai stuff. |
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aroomstudios
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Posts: 188
Location: California
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 6:59 am Post subject: |
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I am going to check out the new pickups first. The past few Tokai's I have got I just kept the stock PUs cause I liked them. These were all brand new Tokai's that were Fender type ones. I am not saying they are bad or it was a bad decisions to keep them in there. If I try the Fralin's and they sound better I will keep them in if not I will pull them out. If I pull them out I am sure I will install them in another guitar either now or eventually. So, they will still be put to use. I have a set of Flalin PAF's in one of my Vintage Love Rocks and love them.
That is some good info you posted about how to tell the difference from the E and Dimarzios. It is a 1980 St-100 so I guess E stamp I will double check when I pull the guitar apart. I bought the guitar for the wood not the electronics. When I buy old Tokais I always plan on replacing all the pots and PUs. At least this is what I did with all my Vintage Love Rocks. This is my first vintage Fender type Tokai. Before I bought this guitar I checked into the wood of the different ST series a lot. I went with the St-100 as it was a single piece body. I did not research the electronics at all as I was just planning on replacing them anyway.
PS mine is a Springy sound I messed up and wrote Silver Star as the title of this post on accident. Just edited the title. |
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felixcatus
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Joined: 03 Nov 2010
Posts: 1279
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:53 am Post subject: |
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For 'vintage' sounding Strat pickups, there's a lot of (over)hype around original '1982 Fender Fullerton Red Bobbins', I have put those next to some 1978 Tokai 'E's.
You tell me, if any, which you like most! 
1; http://chirb.it/Fr79bc
2; http://chirb.it/cMLG0s |
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aroomstudios
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:05 am Post subject: |
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@felixcatus
2 is clearly louder than 1 is. So, you have to notice that and take it into consideration.
I think I like 1 better. 2 seems like it maybe harsher sounding. Not that it is harsh sounding on its own but only in comparison to 1. I purchased the set of Fralins. I will have to listen to the E set. Then install the Fralins and listen to them. I think that is the only way I will get a real answer. If I decide to use the E pickups I will use the Fralins in something else later. |
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felixcatus
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Joined: 03 Nov 2010
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Location: Antwerp, Belgium
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:16 am Post subject: |
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| aroomstudios wrote: | | I bought the guitar for the wood not the electronics. When I buy old Tokais I always plan on replacing all the pots and PUs. At least this is what I did with all my Vintage Love Rocks. This is my first vintage Fender type Tokai. Before I bought this guitar I checked into the wood of the different ST series a lot. I went with the St-100 as it was a single piece body. |
FWIW, I have a 1978 ST100 and a 1981 ST80R (both have one piece bodies, I know ST80 are specced as 2 piece, still some ST80s also have one piece), and to me my ST80R is the 'better' feeling and sounding guitar.
Although the ST100 aesthetically is the 'nicest', whenever I pick up a Strat type (my Breezy TE80R , also a one piece body, is my favorite, and gets most played), it's the ST80R. |
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aroomstudios
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Posts: 188
Location: California
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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What does the R mean? I have heard of those before but do not know what it does or means.
Last edited by aroomstudios on Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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felixcatus
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Location: Antwerp, Belgium
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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| aroomstudios wrote: | | What does the R mean? I have heard of those before but do not know it does or means. |
R(osewood fretboard). |
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aroomstudios
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:04 pm Post subject: |
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| That makes sense. I though that was still called st80 just with a rosewood fretboard. |
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felixcatus
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marcusnieman
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Location: Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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Fortunate enough to have a pair of ST80's - one with rosewood, one with maple.
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felixcatus
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Location: Antwerp, Belgium
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice pair, Marcus  . Out of curiosity, which one do you personally prefer and why? |
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marcusnieman
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Location: Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:55 am Post subject: |
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| felixcatus wrote: | | Very nice pair, Marcus . Out of curiosity, which one do you personally prefer and why? |
That's a tough one. It's like trying to decide which of your two kids you prefer more. They feel pretty much identical to one another and the E p'ups in each are nicely balanced - great on the low end and lots of spank on the high end without being shrill or thin.
The maple board is brighter - more chimey. Think of Jimmie Vaughan or Anson Funderburgh.
The rosewood board is less bright and the bottom end really comes through nicely - the neck pickup sounds great without being boomy. The in between positions 2 and 4 really come through great - real quacky. Maybe a bit more so than the maple board to my ears anyway.
Usually if I bring one or the other to a gig, I'll pack the other as a spare in case I pop a string. But I like to swap them out on sets so that I can really hear the tonal difference at show volume level. |
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villager
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Location: Middle of Nowhere.. France.
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aroomstudios
Guitar God
Joined: 07 Jul 2017
Posts: 188
Location: California
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 6:48 am Post subject: |
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| Well right now the St-100 has a E in the bridge and the middle. Then it has a Dimarzio in the neck. The neck is about twice as loud of the bridge or middle. So, using the 3 way switch right now is strange. If I do keep the E PUs I would have to find another one on Ebay or so and install it in the neck or just go all 3 different pickups. |
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