Hi, I have had a few SS's and found the quality realy inconsistent, some really poor fretting jobs where frets are at all angles.
The best I have had is one of the last ones, the 1985 customs with the very scrolly logo. I recently bought one off ebay from a girl with around 20 tokai's and it is an absolute dream and weighs less than 3k.
I was told that these customs were put together with the best bits remaining within the factory from the SS series. I would not part with this one and I love playing it as much as my others.
Unlike stratman I hate my goldstar, everything about it feels wrong, maybe it's a dud but I'm reluctant to get another one. The custom SS knocks sockks off it in every way, it truely feels like a top top neck, and the PU's sound very lush.
Anyway, as it was so good I bought another one, same black with maple neck, although I hate tampering with guitars I'm about to strip this one down to refinish and I'm sure these bodies are extremly good lightwieght pieces and not some franken block.
I'll post picks of the body once it's down to bare wood.
If anyone else is thinking of buying an SS I'd recommend these customs.
I hope the strip down proves they were quality parts for a lowly 36/38 model. If not it won't detract from the fact that mine two are very good guitars, for ?300 and ?220.
My goldstar has a very wide neck, measuring 46mm at the nut is this normal???