Early Springy Sound

willholmania · Mar 5, 2012

Hi. I bought my Springy Sound in about 1980 in Plymouth, UK, after reading a review in a music mag - may have been International Musician and Recording World but my memory may also have let me down on this point.

It's black, with a white scratchplate and a maple neck. The serial on the neck plate is 1021704.

Any ideas on how early it is?

Thanks,

Will.

iainblack · Mar 5, 2012

Got any photos. Got any stickers or fretboard stamps to give a model number, pick up type etc

Iain

willholmania · Mar 6, 2012

The pickups are marked U. I can't see any markings on the neck (other than the stuff on the headstock). Do I need to take it off to check the heel?

marcusnieman · Mar 6, 2012

willholmania said:
The pickups are marked U. I can't see any markings on the neck (other than the stuff on the headstock). Do I need to take it off to check the heel?

Again, pictures would help

iainblack · Mar 6, 2012

you will find a code on the body and neck like 5 - 24 which is we think a production date or manufacture code. Photos help the guys that own the brothers and sister of your guitar.

willholmania · Mar 6, 2012

I'll try to get some pics posted. How do you tell which actual model it is though? I mean how do you tell the difference between and ST50, ST60 etc?

iainblack · Mar 6, 2012

This is the basic specification guide in my Tokai book so the better the spec the more expensive the model ST40 = 40,000 yen, ST100 = 100,000 yen

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

I kinda knew that posting photos wouldn't be straightforward. I'll try again.

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

I give up. They're here.

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g185/PPCmag/

felixcatus · Mar 7, 2012

willholmania said:
I give up. They're here.

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g185/PPCmag/

Don?t give up

. Here?s how to do it.

http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php/page/index.html/_/misc/how-to-post-pics-on-the-forum-r387

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

Cheers.

One more go!

Here's the neck plate

And the headstock.

Blimey - seems to be working so here goes with the rest. Apologies for the crap pics - left my camera at work.

Thanks Felix!

Barks67 · Mar 7, 2012

Ooh, she's had some tough love!

Are you going to restore?

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

I gigged it for nearly 10 years, then leant it to a mate (his band was Delilah, hence the sticker) so it's seen some action.

I'm not going to repaint it but I do have a new scratchplate and I think I still have the original bridge pickup somewhere, although I was never that fond of the sound of it. I also have a Seymour Duncan JB Junior which I might stick in the bridge pickup slot.

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

So does anyone know what it is? T 50?

marcusnieman · Mar 7, 2012

willholmania said:
So does anyone know what it is? T 50?

At this point, is it even relevant? It's been so heavily modded that it's really only a Springy by name and neck.

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

It's relevant to me, Marcus, yes - which is why I asked. And as the only part on it that isn't original is the Dimarzio bridge pickup I don't agree with you.

Barks67 · Mar 7, 2012

Definitely restore it.

I have an ST50 from 1987 that I replaced the stock pickups with Seymour Duncans shortly after I bought it new - a definite transformation amplified, though the guitar has a superb acoustic tone.

The bridge and tuners have been replaced as they wore out - from constant gigging with The Pretty Things - and it is on its third set of frets.

So...

Is it still an ST50 from 1987? :wink:

barks

willholmania · Mar 7, 2012

Exactly.

Yeah - the bridge on mine is pretty grotty (the saddles say Tokai on them, incidentally) and the Tuners (which also say Tokai) were always the guitar's weakest link. My band members used to joke that it went out of tune every time anyone walked past it. But I don't want it for gigging anymore - just for sentimental value really. So I'll put it back to standard, save for the bridge pickup anyway, clean it up and look after it.

Barks67 · Mar 7, 2012

I had the nut replaced with a bespoke bone one that cured all the stability problems. The original tuners were good.

It did not take much to make this a great workhorse.

Another good thing to do is have the tremolo only pivot on the two outer screws, and loosening the four middle ones a bit.

If you get a new scratchplate and refit the pickup it'll be more original than mine!

Early Springy Sound

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