1983 Love Rock Identity

[BlueThird]

Despite the fact that there's no visible seam in the maple top when you look in the cavities, there does appear to be a seam when you look along the body from the strap button. It's so faint that I can't imagine it showing up in a photo, but definitely there. Not planning to sand off the finish in the cavities to prove it though!

Given that there's the wavier line further to the left, it occurred to me that it might be a four-piece top or a lop-sided three piece, but those options don't seem very likely either. For what it's worth though, the wavier line is definitely under the finish.

Still think that the back is probably a one-piece, not least because the grain runs parallel right the way across.

How reliable an indicator is the headstock angle on a (presumably) late 1983 model?

Always used to hate the model number stamp in the fingerboard of my Springy Sound, but I'm wishing this one had it now!

 

[MIJvintage]

don't know why a maple top would not exhibit indications of a seam where there is no finish but then exhibit indications of a seam where there is a finish, all within the same (center) area

seems peculiar .....................

 

[BlueThird]

The murk in there is thicker than it looks. I'd need to sand a fair bit more away to get to the point where it was conclusive. The other relevant sides are pretty much black.

 

[leadguitar_323]

LS-50 has definitely got a 14 degree headstock so it wouldn't be one of those.
Tokai is very good with its joins and some back seams are almost impossible to see, the crooked line on the top is definitely not a join,probably a heavy grain pattern. I am still leaning towards a LS-80 on this one as there is a hint of fret edge binding on it. Someone listed all the specs for all models on one page somewhere recently, does anyone remember which thread?

Mick

 

[BlueThird]

Would love to see that thread.

Have been thinking about investing in membership at VintAxe to get hold of their 1983 catalog and spec list. Trouble is, it's the American version. Upside is that I'll be able to read it, downside is that it might not apply to the Japanese models.

 

[BlueThird]

Still hoping for someone to turn out a full list of specs for 1983 Love Rocks, but in the meantime, some questions inspired by further examination of this one.

Rewired it at the weekend (with the RS Guitarworks kit) and while I was in there I got round to sanding the murk away so that I could take a closer look at the construction of the maple. As MIJvintage suspected, it's definitely not a two-piece top. There's no sign of a seam, and the annual rings all arc perfectly across from one side to the other. So both the top and the cap are either one-piece or three-piece, if they're both symmetrical.

I've always assumed that the whole idea of a two-piece top was essentially about price and cosmetics, since it's clearly cheaper to get great looking tops by bookmatching. Is there any other reason why you'd want to use a two-piece top if you didn't have to? Is it possible that the painted Love Rocks ended up with pig ugly one-piece tops when their cherry-burst siblings had attractive two-piece tops?

And if you know that a guitar is going to end up being painted, would you stick with symmetrical construction? My guess is that you would, but the last time I worked with timber would be when I was still at school?

 

[hunter]

Just had a look at the 83 tokai catalog on vintaxe and as you suspected no LS or ALS models at all....sorry,no help.

Have seen a couple of 83 ls80's all with specs like mine...2 piece top,veneer flame,one piece back,18 degree headstock and fret binding,circuit board electronics,lacquer finish.........

 

[BlueThird]

Thanks for that Hunter. Glad I didn't bother with Vintaxe.

If it ever goes near a luthier I'll have to ask for an opinion on the construction and whether it once had FEB?

And when I've next got it in bits I'll try to remember to do the nitro test. Nail varnish remover is essentially acetone, correct?

 

[hunter]

And when I've next got it in bits I'll try to remember to do the nitro test. Nail varnish remover is essentially acetone, correct?

Yes

 

[MIJvintage]

Is there any other reason why you'd want to use a two-piece top if you didn't have to? Is it possible that the painted Love Rocks ended up with pig ugly one-piece tops when their cherry-burst siblings had attractive two-piece tops?

And if you know that a guitar is going to end up being painted, would you stick with symmetrical construction? My guess is that you would, but the last time I worked with timber would be when I was still at school?

two piece top = historical accuracy when it comes to a typical unpainted/stained 'burst top

two piece top = cheaper to have a 2 pc. top than a 1 pc. top when it comes to cost of lumber

IMO the visual component of a 2 pc. center seam top idea is a throw back to the centuries old art of violin making.
Those luthiers of old also utilized the 'quarter sawn' neck even tho' 99.999% examples were maple & no real need for quarter sawn when using 'hard' maple


AFA painted tops = there are documented examples of '50s Gibson gold tops with 4 & 5 pc. tops :-?
I also read where one guy 'claimed' his had a 7 pc. top


I have a 1982 Greco MC EG700G gold top = 3 pc. Top like an old Tokai LS-50; has a 2 pc. center seam body back

I have a late 1990s/early 2000s Bacchus BLS-120S gold top = 2 pc. Center seam top; has a 1 pc. body back

 

[BlueThird]

I'm sure there's something in the suggestion about violin-making influencing guitars, but I'd have thought that by the time Gibson had been making acoustics with one piece tops for a few decades that idea would have taken over. (Pure assumption on my part that they did actually make their early acoustics with one-piece tops, of course. I've never seen one up close.)

The seven-piece top is an interesting form of oneupmanship!