MK2 pickup modification

[Leif]

Matt: How do you find your two Tokai's with original pickups compare with your Gibson?

 

[MattThorpe]

Matt: How do you find your two Tokai's with original pickups compare with your Gibson?

The Two Tokais, LS80 (Mk2s), LS150F (Mk1s) and the Gibson Les Paul Standard (1990) for me have similar misgivings with their stock pickups. In all three I liked the neck pickup but found the bridge inadequate. Probably the Gibson pickups 490R (neck) and 498T (bridge) were to me more usable than the Tokai pickups having a fuller warmer tone. The Tokais in comparison sounded thinner and not so dynamic but nevertheless quite nice.
The Tok Mk1s are not very powerful and for me could get hard work for rock gigs but otherwise very acceptable when played cleanish in isolation.
The Tok Mk2s are much stronger but not as clear as the Mk1s or The Gibson set to my ears.
The 490R is Alnico 2 and an absolute delight and has remained in the Gibson. The 498T is fairly powerful but a little 'sickly sweet' in character after you have got to know it too well. I would put the 498T back in the Gibson from time to time, like it all over again and then get fed up with it !

So that answers about the pickups. As for the guitars themselves they are pretty much the same animal. To say which is best is a hard call. Maybe this answers that question: I take all three to gigs and end up spending the most time on the LS150F then the Gibson then the LS80. I don't use particular guitars for particular numbers but there are some numbers I would not contemplate doing on anything other than the LS150F because it's just has something extra that is so good.

 

[MattThorpe]

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had modified the Tokai Mk1 set of pickups as follows:
I have put a 2.5" polished Alnico5 magnet in the neck pickup and a
2.5" rough cast Alnico 5 magnet in the bridge. The pickups were in my Ibanez Ar300 for testing and sounding rather nice.

For the purposes of experimentation I have today put these into the Tokai LS150F from which they originally came. Currently I'm thinking this set are sounding better than the modified Mk2's do in the LS80.

I'll post a video of this mod soon.

 

[Leif]

Matt: Thanks. By the way, I liked your You Tube videos. I hope that one day I will be able to play that well.

 

[MattThorpe]

Great post, Matt.

Thanks

 

[MattThorpe]

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had modified the Tokai Mk1 set of pickups as follows:
I have put a 2.5" polished Alnico5 magnet in the neck pickup and a
2.5" rough cast Alnico 5 magnet in the bridge. The pickups were in my Ibanez Ar300 for testing and sounding rather nice.

For the purposes of experimentation I have today put these into the Tokai LS150F from which they originally came. Currently I'm thinking this set are sounding better than the modified Mk2's do in the LS80.

I'll post a video of this mod soon.

Here is the video of the modded Mk1 pickups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HClkbeA56No

Matt