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Hello, brand new to the group here so looking for some expertise identifying this guitar I just found. I have looked at several photos and websites but have not found this exact model. The serial number on the backplate is 238434 and does not look like it has a neckplate gasket however, I have not taken it apart. The body has a reseated tremolo and points below the single coil pickup cutouts but no sculpted heel joint the newer 375 models have. The guitar also has a reverse headstock with the toothpaste logo it is came with a chainsaw case to fit a reverse headstock so it all looks original. The pawn shop I bought it from said it was a Predator but I have not seen one with three pickups. This guitar is one of the best playing guitars I have ever had, plays like butter but I would love to know what it is? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I have posted a link to the photos. Thank you in advance, Mark
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Last edited by Markh61133; 12-28-2020, 02:44 PM. -
Ugh, after digging around and racking my brain, I'm stumped. The presence of the reverse headstock with toothpaste logo really narrows it down (ie - Predator and Spectrum) but the body doesn't seem to match any stock model I know. Definitely not a 375 body with that trem route and equal spacing between the neck and middle pickups (375 had a bigger gap between those two pickups, to accommodate the routing for a neck humbucker).
That trem route should be a huge clue but that's stumping me too. My first thought is that it was a Predator neck mated to a Charvette body of some kind (because those had non-Floyd-style trems and non-Floyd-style trem routes, but none of the Charvette bodies I know have that particular combination of pickups, control layout, and 22-fret Dinky body.
One thing is for certain: The Floyd Rose Special on that guitar is anachronistic and far too young for a guitar with that neck and that body.
There is some paint missing and a semicircular line/mark above the bass trem stud. What is that? Is that evidence of a re-dowel job?
Next guess: Japanese market exclusive model.
I think you're going to need to take it apart to look for any model stamps on the neck heel and neck pocket. -
It's got a non-recessed trem with the route behind it for pull-ups. That type of route was around 1989 from what I recall, and they usually had the JT590/Schaller trem. I'm also thinking it might be Japanese market only.I feel my soul go cold... only the dead are smiling.Comment
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Thank you both so much for your information, I really appreciate your help. I will take the guitar apart in the next couple of days and post more photos of any stamps or dates and see if it offers anymore clues.
I am interested to see underneath the tremolo and the electronics. I will keep you posted, thank you again!
MarkComment
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Did they make japan only models with the toothpaste logo? I don't recall ever seeing one, but you guys would probably know more about that than myself.
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serial # would be pre tooth paste logo, possibly tm logo. I have not seen a model series that the trem cover was not recessed. I have not seen any model series with that cut out for single pickups. trem rout also not like any model series i have seen, the trem should set in that rout not on top?. My guess would be charvette charvel mix breed, may be some jackson body?.Comment
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I feel like we may have seen what you describe as an odd example of a NON-RECESSED JT590 whose trem posts sat outside the route perimeter, but I'm struggling trying to remember any.Originally posted by toejam View Post
In OP's mystery guitar, the trem posts sit outside the route, but the route is long enough to accommodate the long screws of the Floyd Rose Special, which goes against the JT590 theory. So even if this guitar were from 1989 or thereabouts, I'm not sure what non-recessed trem with long screws would have been fitted to the guitar, other than perhaps an OFR, but even then an OFR would have been very uncommon compared to a JT590 during that period.
Below is an image of a 375 body (ie - post-1989, toothpaste-era, JT590-equipped guitar). The entire trem sits inside the route, and the route closely follows the perimeter of the JT590 including the short JT590 string lock screws.
Last edited by Number Of The Priest; 12-30-2020, 05:11 PM.Comment
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Wit that trem being top mounted I really don't believe that's a factory install, especially with the body having a full rout cavity. And, the toothpaste logo started in 89, this might be a parts guitar. Are there posts holes under the FR where a JT 590 would've been mounted?Last edited by Startingline; 12-30-2020, 11:34 PM.Comment
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Thank you all for your input, we have family over at the moment but in a few days I will take the apart and I will post many photos. Hopefully this is not a parts guitar, I don't get that feeling playing or looking at It, it seems too complete including the the reverse headstock chainsaw case it came with. Hopefully there are some more clues coming. Thanks again for all your help!Comment
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I'd like to see what it looks like without the trem.Comment
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Yep. My first thought was that reminds me of a GTX, Vester, Series 10 or something along those lines body. I wonder if there would be any markings in the neck pocket that might help in identifying it.Originally posted by pianoguyy View PostComment
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Did imports have pocket/cavity markings?Comment
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Hello and thank you all again for your input. I finally got some time to take apart the guitar and post some more photos, here is the link;
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I also think the guitar looks very similar to this one but mine has two knobs.
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