Tokai Goldstar Model? Pickups? Year?

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Hahaha u are all right, the case is wrong but looks awesome. I think its a Springysound case for ST 100 and 120 or to buy seperately. I would change the case for a Springysound Strat or Tele 80 and above ;)

So we think it is a ST 50?

Thank u guys
 
Lovely guitar, if it were mine, the first thing I would do, is get rid of the black pup covers
I have one almost the same think its a 60 as it has bird's eye V neck and a nice pattern ash body its my favorite guitar.
 

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Lovely guitar, if it were mine, the first thing I would do, is get rid of the black pup covers
I have one almost the same think its a 60 as it has bird's eye V neck and a nice pattern ash body its my favorite guitar.
V shaped neck? ST60 or 80.

Any pics under the pickguard? Pickups, codes, etc?
 
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Hahaha u are all right, the case is wrong but looks awesome. I think its a Springysound case for ST 100 and 120 or to buy seperately. I would change the case for a Springysound Strat or Tele 80 and above ;)

So we think it is a ST 50?

Thank u guys
I have the same case on my 1979 ST100. Definitely desirable.
 
Lovely guitar, if it were mine, the first thing I would do, is get rid of the black pup covers
I have one almost the same think its a 60 as it has bird's eye V neck and a nice pattern ash body its my favorite guitar.
You are right. I hate the look of them.
 
V shaped neck? ST60 or 80.

Any pics under the pickguard? Pickups, codes, etc?

I don't think pup's are original to guitar it was from a collection for sale, think when they realized they were not going to get the price they wanted they swapped pup:s out for cheaper as the values on PG are not correct,. guitar was on Craigs List for a year or more
 

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Lovely guitar, if it were mine, the first thing I would do, is get rid of the black pup covers
I have one almost the same think its a 60 as it has bird's eye V neck and a nice pattern ash body its my favorite guitar.
How do u know if its alder or sen ash?
 
I don't think pup's are original to guitar it was from a collection for sale, think when they realized they were not going to get the price they wanted they swapped pup:s out for cheaper as the values on PG are not correct,. guitar was on Craigs List for a year or more
I have seen this guitar before on line. Did you get it recently?

It's definitely a Partscaster.

The pots are from September 1988.

The pickups are quite possibly from that period.

I have seen the unmarked gray backed pickups in late 80s Goldstars, or they could be from an earlier period out of a SIlver Star. I am not sure.

The neck has the = sign which should be pre 1985 if both neck and body have the = sign. Hard to tell what the body code is since it has been marked through with a black marker. I have seen mixed symbols in late 80s guitars also.

Mixed Codes = & -

The neck and body code numbers appear to be different so they are more likely a mated set.

Any idea what the code is on the body that has the magic marker though it? Looks like it might be 9-0, 8-0, 6-0 or something like that. Neck is 10 = 11

Screen Shot 2023-02-24 at 11.37.45 AM.png



Also, the saddles are from before 1982, so the body may be from then as well?

8574-252598aa516e987c5d012bbdc4cca1ca.jpg

Looks like they had a humbucker in the bridge position based on the chiseled out wood. Guessing a different owner then found some Tokai pickups or a PG on another guitar and swapped them out some time after September 1988.

8569-9c44708a7943c58a25b52cc404412904.jpg
 
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How do u know if its alder or sen ash?

Sen tends to much more pronounced dark light banding in the grain from what I have seen.

Almost like a ribbon.

I think alder is a faster growing tree. Less annular sap/pulp lines or contrast.

Just my opinion.


Here is the grain on my sen ash 1979 ST100.

IMG_9824.JPG
 
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@Sigmania thank u.

Brought the Lady to my luthier and its defenitely poly paint but very thin one and he was very impressed of the sound she produces, dry and with volume up.
But also he thinks a refret would be very necessary, I knew some were low and the first free were played all the way down but hoped to keep them a bit longer. So any suggestions? Same frets or some other size? I am probably not going to sell it afterwards because with the refrett its just too much money I put into the guitar. And second the SD pups weren t stored perfectly, they were stacked just to each other for probably 30 years cause the former owner changed them out for Bill Lawrence humbuckers, any experience with wrong storage? I could just let install them and check them out but its just additional money, maybe its not much but at the end it just stacks up. So maybeI will keep the BL s but I don t really want to, so if I also change the pups, I ll keep the guitar forever.
Does any of u guys played off or took off the paint on the backside of the guitars ´ neck ? Does it change something? My Fender Pro is just soooo much more resonant, after i took of the paint from the neck.
Did anyone did a refret? Suggestions for frets etc.?

Sorry for all those questions but honestly I was not prepared for all of this. More like, good guitar, do a set up change to the original pups and done.
Now its like all or nothing.

And to answer questions in advance, I think it will be hard to resell it and with a loss of money with or without of the upgrades. So I am not sure if I shold just to minimal work, setup and done and see how far I will come or if I should go all in, refret, new pups etc.. Because I didnt spent a lot of time with the guitar. I really like it so far but I also can see where its „ inferior“ to a modern guitar.

Thank u in advance for all your input
 
Well, first off I would suggest that you watch a YouTube video on soldering for guitars. It is really easy to do, and for $50 in parts you would never have to pay a luthier to do that again.

Second, I was not aware that sanding the finish off a neck improves its resonance in any significant way. I thought people did that for feel or to make it look relic'd? Maybe I am missing something?

I know all the parts of the guitar contribute to how well it resonates, and you might try modifications that are reversible before you do something you can't undo?

I would get it set up well so the heights are to your liking. Pickup height as well.

And I like the small vintage frets, but everyone has their personal preference. Seems like luthiers see the Tokai frets and immediately think they are worn out since they start off small. Personal preference.
 
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And this may be completely irrelevant, but there is a phenomenon in nature called "resonant frequency". That is a frequency that causes a reaction in an object.

Resonance - Wikipedia

I was just wondering to myself if different individual pieces of wood have different frequencies that they resonate at? I know with some guitars there are certain chords or notes that the guitar seems to want to play. And once you get in that range it can be like the guitar is playing itself.

Probably sounds weird, but your use of the word resonate rather than sustain triggered the memory of me reading about that recently.

The human body even has an overall resonant frequency as do our individual parts/organs.

So the combined effect of a guitar's parts very likely has a unique frequency that it really responds to and comes alive at.

Sorry to digress. :cool:
 
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Hi Sigmania
No it doesnt sound wierd. I am well aware of the concept of frequency resonance.
I rekon I just used the wrong word. I think or it feels to me my other strat where I took of the paint of the necks back, vibrates more easily , longer and its louder by itself. I think wood can vibrate more easily because there is no corsett of paint stiffening up the wood.

But its not sientifically at all, there are no before and after data. I did it because I really love the feel of a striped neck. There are a lot of differences in the necks u see but if u find one which feels right, its just awesome.

I think u are right about the frets and luthier in general but this guy does it since 40+ years and has all kind of guitars, also real 50 ies and 60ies fenders in his hands and to his defence the first 3 frets a totally worn down, there is not much left in comparison to the other 18.

About soldering myself I thought about it.

In general I am just asking for all the experience and opinions here in the forum cause I think its a source of wisdom.

Do u have the original E stamped pups in a guitar and how do u like them?
It seems they were not marked for there positions back then, so u read them out and fit them about there outputlevels?
 
I like the E pickups. I have them in 4 or 5 guitars.

They tend to measure around 5.95k ohms in resistance based on member feedback.

But if you don't have them already I am sure there are lots of good pickups out there.
 
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Hi
I just bought a Tokai Goldstar which is supposed to be from the early 1980ies.
But no Serialnr., no stamped pickups, no modelstamp.

Would be very happy if someone could help me out. Especially the pickups and if it is a St 50 or higher. Its a two piece body and maybe a c shape neck.

Here are some pics.

Thanks in advance
So your guitar is from June 1983, or June 1984.

And still no idea why you would not have a serial number on the neck plate.

Not sure why someone would replace it....
 

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So your guitar is from June 1983, or June 1984.

And still no idea why you would not have a serial number on the neck plate.

Not sure why someone would replace it....
Good question. I think I read that there are a few from this period without. Or maybe the first owner scratched it or maybe there was a name engraved on, like with the fender JVs, where the first owner could get a name engraved. Or maybe someone used it to sell another guitar, …….
Honestly I have no clue why there is no Serial on.
I also dont know why someone changes the pickups to Seymour Duncans and diesnt keep the originals because i dont think they had a good resell value back than. And why does the second cheapest ST comes with the most expensive case.

Anyway Sigmania thank you a lot for your input. I am glad it is at least from 83/84, as supposed to.
 
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