MK2: Keyio vs Gotoh

[luis]

Keiyo bride is stronger sounding,modern sound style pickup. Gotoh is softer sounding. I tried the pickups in different guitars however.I?m not good at explaining pickups sound inwords and it becames worst if I have to do it in english.

 

[macforst]

I didn?t like the Keyio (11,3 and 7,4 KOhm, braided wire) in my Tokai Anniversary, especially the bridge Pickup was a little bit muddy - a "non-vintage" PU. The main problem: Both were slightly microphonic despite wax potting.

 

[MattThorpe]

I'm late to this thread I know but in 2008 I bought two Tokai LS Love Rocks. The first an LS150F which at the time the catalog spec was PAF Mk 1 pickups but they look like the ones on the photo on this thread described earlier as by Keiyo ie nickel-silver baseplate, 4 brass screws and deep nickel silver nickel plated covers and braided wire. They measure about the same DC kohms also. They probably are Mk IIs.
These pickups were very weak sounding and were changed.

The second guitar I got was an LS80 definitately described as having Mk II pickups. These pups looked identical to the first but DC on the bridge was about 12k. These sounded very much fuller though the bridge proved a little limp sounding and so I changed it.

Since those days I have done quite a lot of research into pickup making and have spent many many hours experimenting with different components, base, magnets, pole pieces coils and listening critically to the results.

The MK1 pups had very very weak magnets for some reason.
The MK11's were stronger but the bridge was the weakest.

Eventually I got some neo rare earth magnets which I then used to fully charge the original magnets in the MK1's and then put the pups back into the LS150F and they sound absolutely gorgeous and have plenty of volume and a fullness of tone never before heard.

These are great pickups it just that for whatever reason the magnets are inconsitently charged. Quite a cheap and easy fix ! I'm so glad I didn't get rid of the Tokai pups when I originally decided to change them.

 

[dombat]

Eventually I got some neo rare earth magnets which I then used to fully charge the original magnets in the MK1's and then put the pups back into the LS150F and they sound absolutely gorgeous and have plenty of volume and a fullness of tone never before heard.

You're talking about neodymium magnets?
Who ever tried this king of magnet around there? I have a set of neo magnet pickups (Entwistle HDN) that I haven't tried yet

 

[MattThorpe]

yes use a pair of neodymium magnets to charge the magnets out of the MKII pickups.
Neo mags are cheap and don't need to be large. Mine are 25mm in diameter and about 5mm thick. They are N38 spec with about 7KG pulling power.

To remove magnet from pickup. release the two solder blobs holding the cover on. loosen the four brass screws on the back plate but do not remove. carefully from the end that has the wires push the magnet out the opposite end. There maybe some resistance, due to wax, to getting the mag out so be careful as the wires to the coils are fragile.

The 'North' side of the magnet is the thinnest longest edge that faces the 'slug pole piece' coil where south is the opposite edge facing the 'screw pole piece' coil. Replace the mag with exactly the same orientation.

 

[luis]

Forget to mention pickups used in HLS series (Hibiki). I had those in a HLS-360 and they were powerfull and a bit raspy (late T-TOP kind of sound) HM. I must have a sound sample somewhere.