Goldstar bridge/saddles question

Hello all,

I hopesomeone can help me with my question; for a long time I've been asking myself.....

I'm a bit confused; did all the Goldstars came with the final pro spec saddles?
I have one (ST55) with "massive" saddles like on Silverstars (I think)
I was told that only early Goldstars had the Final Prospec saddles......
Is that right?

Also a Tokai Strat bridge which I bought new somewhere in the eighties had solid saddles.
That bridge is casted in one piece together with the sustain-block; the same as my ST55.

On some pictures in Ian's Strat book I can see that these are seperate and bolted together with 3 screws.
On other pictures I don't see those screws connecting them.

Many thanks in advance!
Cheers.

roughly speaking springy's had TOKAI stamped saddles and monoblock trem bridge. Goldstar's had FINAL PROSPEC stamp ('83/'84) with steel inertial block screwed.


I didn't deeply understand the question though... could you post a picture of those "massive saddles"?

Ciao, tanti grazie Bluesyrat......

Well, I try to explain: some years ago I bought this Goldstar from Japan:

http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1359_2.jpg
http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1358_2.jpg

On that there was this bridge:

http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1818.jpg
http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1817.jpg

It had "massive" saddles and monoblock tremelo.
To make the Goldstar "original" with pressed Final Prospec saddles,just like the Fender L-series I once owned (which was stolen :-( I recently bought a Tokai bridge which, as the seller told me, came from a Springy, but that didn't fit well: the 6 screws for attaching them to the body didn't line up with the drilled holes for it.
So I took the saddles off and put them on the monoblock which was on the guitar; now it is like this:

http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1816.jpg

I also had a similar bridge which I bought new, back in the eighties, like was on my Tokai when it arrived from Japan: I still have the box:

http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1408_2.jpg
http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1411_2.jpg

That has the "massive" saddles and monoblock.

I've been thinking and maybe it was like that the former owner had a Silverstar or parts from it and he changed the scratchplate, (pickup)covers and maybe the bridge too (at that time maybe more modern?)
Anyway; the Strat looks and sounds awesome (U stamped picups) for me!

Cheers!

Dont forget the solid brass saddles that they also supplied on some models (my metallic blue) and an Eddie Van Halen model too!

Hi Ian,

I knew about the brass saddles; what was on the EVH Strat? you mean they had brass saddles too?
I have a Tokai metallic red limited edition with original Tokai (!?) Floyd Rose licenced tremelo which would suit the last page of your book.....

BTW: my big compliments for your book! well done!
Are there plans for another book by you or maybe some fellow registry member?

Cheers,
Chris.

Vignale said:

http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1817.jpg

It had "massive" saddles and monoblock tremelo.

Click to expand...

What do you mean by mono block?

Ehm; that was a phrase Bluesyrat (here above) called the tremelo.

The baseplate and the "springblock" are casted in one piece, instead of them beiing apart and screwed together with 3 screws.

I thought it was a comonly used word for that part; maybe it's not?
Excuse me for my English.......

english dictionary

mon?o?bloc
   [mon-uh-blok]
adjective
denoting or pertaining to the casting of a complex metal object as a single piece rather than in separate parts.

I'm very sorry, it seems that it has to be written without the last K letter

Sorry

Haha Rat; you were right, or maybe the English dictionary is wrong here? ;-)

Yes, the Tokai Evh copy had a standard term with brass saddles. I'm thinking about a volume 2 book with rarities like yours and the EVH model but one member also has a range of photos that he is happy to share with us. Just need to look at a way of keeping the price down

Here are some shots I found today:





check out the brass saddles:





the real deal (now in Dimebag's casket!):



and the Fernandes version with accurate trem:

Hi Ian,

That's an ugly pair....... ;-)
Here's my limited edition:

http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1826.jpg
http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s437/Vignale1/IMG_1827.jpg

This might be a some kind of Brad Gillis modell?
When I bought it, it came with a PJ Marx humbucker (which I think I'll put back; it sounded very well.
I now use it to test all kind of pickups and combinations/wirings; it actually plays very nice in it's own way!

I hope you can manage a 2nd edition of Tokai Strat book; keep up the good work

Ah: found out how to place a picture......

Nice. The Brad Gillis strat is flat red (not metallic) with a black Neck and headstock. The jack socket was replaced with some kind of active circuit. Here is my Squire / encore tribute:





I might do volume 2 of the book as my winter project!

And they did other colours, this one is a springy sound!

Hi Ian,

Unbelievable! a Springy!
Though I never liked the "special paint" jobs or even colours at all on guitars.
The painters must have gone beserk with the masking tape ;-)

I was a luthier a long time ago and allways kinda like to see what wood is used, but that;s my taste. (When Tokai came on the market: I decided to stop building guitars: I felt that I couldn't compete with build quality and prices!)
Here's my Tokai Goldstar:


And here I took off the paint of an otherwise very good instrument (Ibanez Proline 2550) and sprayed it with light nitro with a bit of amber stain in it to age it a litlle:

Oops: the last one is the Tokai......
I meant this picture:

Nice, did you take the tokai back to the wood or was it a natural finish to start with. Ibanez necks are really nick and the build quality is amazing. I have a seven string and the neck is so easy to play

Thanks Ian. No, the Tokai was originally like that; got it from Japan, but I suspect that the scratchplate, pup-covers and saddles (now changed back to final prospec) were changed and might come from a Silver star?

The guitar is exactly like my once owned and stolen Fender Strat E-series! (exept the clay-dots; don't dare to change them out: the neck plays fine like it is and want to keep it that way...... it's also original Tokai!

With the Ibanez I have best of both worlds: a quality build instrument, like a Gibson and amazing sounds from Fender etc.
The neck is indeed very nice and easy, just like I like it!

Never tried a 7 string and I'm not going to I think: when I like it, I'll have to buy that as well ;-)