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1979 SS85N

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265754794...b_vTl8uRJe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Brass nut, brass saddles.

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Ritchie Blackmore model... SR60 8)

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https://www.guitarsofjapan.com/post/new-tokai-model-discovered-ritchie-blackmore-model


Translation of ad:

"New product in Tokai Super Edition series! A total of 5 new models have been added to the popular Tokai Super Edition series. Let's introduce the specs full of fascination. <SR-60> (60,000 yen) The Ritchie Blackmore model with a scalloped fingerboard is finally here! 6Ø The high-power PU of the pole piece and the extra-thick super arm are also attractive guitars."

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1982 SS50 MRR ?

The SS40MRR was sold in metallic red in the Spring 1982 catalog, but the SS40 had different, cheaper, tuners.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26114&hilit=catalog+translation+spring+1982&start=30

Note: Cast saddles, 3 bolt neck, hex tuners, brass ground plate.

eBay listing description:

1982 metallic red Tokai SS-50 SILVERSTAR

The SILVERSTAR series is mainly a series that replicates the large head Strat.
Above all, it is a relatively rare specification with a rose fingerboard and a metallic red color.
It weighs about 3.3 kg and the nut width is about 40 mm, making it easy to play and handle.
It is one that you can feel the sound and good construction of Tokai at that time.

Although there are some dents and scratches, rust and dullness on metal parts,
The guitar is about 40 years old and is beautiful considering its age.

Two screw holes have been added because the pickguard was attached to something else.
Currently, the pickguard, pickups, pots, etc. are in their original state.
Other major parts are also original.

Missing arm and back plate.
Comes with a general-purpose soft case.

Color: red
Year of manufacture: 1982
Pickup: passive
Pickup configuration: SSS
Number of frets: 21 frets
Neck scale: long
Weight: 3.30kg
Tremolo: sync type
Fingerboard: rosewood
Neck joint: detachable bolt-on
Neck material: maple
Accessories: soft case


https://www.ebay.com/itm/2659026521...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

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Looks like there were two versions of SS60s:

4 bolt neck, no skunk stripe and Kluson tuners (1966 RARE Model),
3 bolt neck, skunk stripe and hex shaped tuners (1976 Model).




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Sigmania said:
1982 SS38/40/48 + 5 ?? LB

Placid blue. Rare color on a Silver Star.

Here's the original sales ad on Digimart. This seller (a Nagoya branch of Ishibashi Music) seems to photograph their guitars in a way that make them appear lighter than they really are.
I bought an off-catalog Greco SE with bound maple neck from them recently, it looked light blue-green in the ad, almost like it could be faded LPB, but turned out to be a pretty unambigious candy green IRL. I've seen other ads with pics of guitars in odd-looking colour shades from them as well. I'd say there's a good chance this guitar is actually standard MB.
Only one way to find out, though. :)

https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop1484/DS07855697/
 
Voidoid56 said:
...This seller (a Nagoya branch of Ishibashi Music) seems to photograph their guitars in a way that make them appear lighter than they really are.
... I'd say there's a good chance this guitar is actually standard MB.

Yep. I agree that it can be really hard to tell them apart in pictures. I had thought about that and was considering how the light was reflected.

I'll attach pics of an MB and PB Silver Star from earlier in this thread by hunter for comparison and see what you think.

The placid blue in particular can vary a lot in pictures, but has that overall silver or gray undertone in my opinion.

The metallic blue has a sort of electric, appearance to the color, really vibrant when photographed in bright light.



Metallic Blue


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Placid Blue (Note how different the two photos are of the same guitar)

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Ishibashi pic.

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Three different Placid Blue Springys.

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http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26376&p=198498&hilit=placid+blue+gallery#p198498



Spring 1982 catalog introducing this and other new colors to the Tokai line.

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INFORMATION

The long-awaited appearance of 5 special colors that can be said to be the symbol of the old-fashioned model. We have started accepting special colors for ST, TE, PB, and JB series. Mania-like color 5-Sonic Blue (SO), Candy Apple Red (CR), Gold Metallic (GM), Lake Placid Blue (LB), which can be said to be a symbol of the oldies model rarely produced in the 1960s. A brilliant appearance of Metallic Green (MG). The list price is increased by 5,000 yen for all models. In addition, the reception of the same color finish of the body of the head stock part will start at the same time, and as with the special color series, all models will have a uniform price increase of 5,000 yen....


To me, the metallic blue seems like a jewel tone and the placid blue reminds me of the '65-1/2 fastback Mustang I always wanted.

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Just for reference, here's an ad pic of the bound-neck Greco SE I bought from Ishibashi Nagoya...

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...and here's the same guitar in my living room this morning.

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A fairly significant difference imo, at least large enough to make it extremely hard to judge the actual colour from just the ad pic.

Then again, finishes vary a lot from guitar to guitar as well, especially after 40 or so years. A couple of years ago a couple of friends and I brought four MR-finished Tokai STs and SS' together in the same room, and none of them were the exact same shade. One had what appeared to be a heavily yellowed top clear coat which made the guitar look almost orange and the less affected shades slightly bluish. And aside from aging, who knows how accurately the paints were mixed from batch to batch in the paint shop?
 
All good points as usual and beautiful bound neck/matching headstock Greco! :eek:
 
Sigmania said:
All good points as usual and beautiful bound neck/matching headstock Greco! :eek:

Yes, it's a quite stunning-looking guitar, and also an excellent player with great-sounding Maxon pickups. The only real weakness of this pair is the bridge, which is the cast one-piece type with cast saddles. It's kind of adequate blocked, but the trem action never comes out perfect with these, for some reason. Then again, it's more a matter of when they were made than them being low-grade.
You do see some separate bridge blocks in the very early 70's, but then it's basically all cast bridges with all brands until around 1980. Tokai had steel saddles on cast bridges in the ST models from the beginning, but the Final Prospec bridge didn't come in until 1982. Greco got them in vintage copies in 1980. I suppose no Japanese suppliers were making them before that, it's hard to see any other explanation.
 
Silver Star pickups so far. I don't have a picture of E pickups in a Silver Star. I assume SS80 had E pickups.

Unmarked gray backs

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Unmarked black backed, light plastic Red White & Blue wrapped wire (SS36 & 38)

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U pickups

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H pickups

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S pickups

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