Bill Alston

Japanese Catalogues


In the 1985 Japanese catalogue there are no SEs but they do appear in the Winter 1985 Newcomers catalogue. They are the 503, the 512 and the 520.

Model 503 512 520
Release Price 60,000 Yen 60,000 Yen 60,000 Yen
Body to Neck Bolt on Bolt on Bolt on
Fretboard Rosewood Rosewood Rosewood
Frets 22 22 22
Body Basewood Basewood Basewood
Neck Nato Nato Nato
Hardware Chrome but see note below Chrome Chrome
Bridge Rockin Magic 11 Rockin Magic 11 Rockin Magic 11
Pickups SSS SSH HH
Pickup Switch 5 way selector 5 way selector 3 way selector
Control 1 Vol 1 Tone 1 Vol 1 Tone 1 Vol 1 Tone
Colours Black, Pearl White, Candy Apple Red or Blueburst As 503 As 503
Scale and Radius 648mm 350mm As 503 As 503

I have seen two 503s with gold hardware both in blue burst but the catalogues and archives specify chrome. I don't think that the two I saw have had the hardware changed
503 Blue burst  

The left hand guitar is a 503 in blueburst with gold hardware the right hand one is a 512


A Black 520

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