Re-Wiring Your Tokais

[Sigmania]

Image of pristine new wiring for a Springy from the 1979 catalog.

(Jack and trem claw not wired)

The first domestically produced brass shield plate. Stable shielding effect for a long time Demonstrate. When wiring, variable To prevent the performance of the sister (variable resistor) from deteriorating due to heat during soldering work. A separate terminal is provided for the ST series and soldered to it. Therefore, maintenance The tone selector switch is a 3-stage switch. Adopted. Of course, '54 Strat halftone Is extremely easy to issue. The setting can be set quickly, and it will not fall out during the performance. (newly developed, 3 steps, 5 positions switch.

 

[FordFanJpn]

I think I posted this before, but here is what I did to my '79 LS80. I simply disconnected one end of each of the original caps, and put in some Russian paper in oil caps using 50's wiring. Everything else is original.

 

[Sigmania]

I think I posted this before, but here is what I did to my '79 LS80. I simply disconnected one end of each of the original caps, and put in some Russian paper in oil caps using 50's wiring. Everything else is original.

Looks like at least one of the two green caps is still in place? Are the ones you just installed a different value?

 

[Sigmania]

Are you noticing any difference? Different values on the caps?

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=25887

 

[twinkledoll]

Lovely. A show-stopper. Congrats on nicely done!

 

[FordFanJpn]

I changed the pickups in my LS196 so I decided to completely rewire the guitar at the same time. There wasn't really anything wrong with the original wiring, but I wanted to replace the pots and caps, and rewire the switch with the Gibson style wire.

Here's the original control cavity.

Here's the guitar stripped and ready to go.

Here's the rewired control cavity.

And here's the completed guitar with new Faber bridge and tailpiece and a set of Monty's PAFs. The knobs are just temporary while I wait for the ones I ordered.

 

[Sigmania]

Looks like a nice job. How does it sound?

And the finish looks crackled/crazed? Is that something you did on purpose, or did that happen from temperature/moisture changes?

Something like the relic job on this Greco?

https://guitar.com/guides/diy-workshop/greco-goldtop-conversion-part-eight/

 

[FordFanJpn]

Looks like a nice job. How does it sound?

And the finish looks crackled/crazed? Is that something you did on purpose, or did that happen from temperature/moisture changes?

Something like the relic job on this Greco?

https://guitar.com/guides/diy-workshop/greco-goldtop-conversion-part-eight/

It sounds fantastic. I'm really pleased with the Monty's PAFs. The original MK2's were a little too hot and bright for my taste.

I have to admit to doing the cracked finish on purpose. I wish I could get it looking like that Greco, but I'm not brave enough to attempt that kind of relicing.

 

[somebodyelseuk]

I rewired my LS150F a couple of years ago.
I was changing the pickups, anyway, and the pots had a bit of play in them, so I went the whole hog and did the wiring too.
The pickups are Amber Spirit Of 59s, with Bare Knuckles CTS Custom (550k) pots and 0.022uf PIO caps, and braided cable from Allparts.
Sorry, no pictures, but everything works fine and the pickup/pot combination takes it to a whole new level.

If I was doing it again, I'd use VIPots, as CTS quality isn't as good as it used to be.

 

[AvJoe]

Hi Guys
I am in a similar place as you ve been. I wanna change the Bill Lawrence pups( there are also a set of Seymour Duncans from the 80ies, but 1 pup needs to be rewound) which came in the guitar for some singlecoils from Kloppmann, just not sure if I wanna go with a 50 or a mixed set.
There are some points I am not sure about yet. First does this brass plate really make a difference in maybe sound and more shielding? The wiring would be different with the plate compared to without and because it was removed it would just be easier/ less work without reinstalling it.
Second did u guys ever measured your potentiometers? I just did and I am very far off, if I go with the numbers Andreas Kloppmann recommends I could try to tune them or maybe better just switch them out. 250 kO are recomended more or less but I messured between 136 to 160 kO, a looot less.
And lastly I am not going to sell it so I am not very interested in restoring it as it initially was, also because the original pups are missing, she became a refret job and because I am thinking of refin her in a nice colour in nitro lacquer, just didn ´t do it yet cause the sunburst looks awesome.

 

[Jlee]

I’ve installed Throbak pickups, VIPots and vintage PIO caps in all of my 80s Tokai’s. I use my controls a lot and always disliked the taper and clean up on stock pots. I still feel guilty about reaming out the holes, but the guitars sound and perform so much better. I don’t hear or feel a difference with the caps. I just like knowing they are there for the vintage “mojo”.

 

[AvJoe]

I’ve installed Throbak pickups, VIPots and vintage PIO caps in all of my 80s Tokai’s. I use my controls a lot and always disliked the taper and clean up on stock pots. I still feel guilty about reaming out the holes, but the guitars sound and perform so much better. I don’t hear or feel a difference with the caps. I just like knowing they are there for the vintage “mojo”.

Did u leave the brass plate in and use it or did u just do it like nowadays? because the wiring is different with the brass plate. The cap I would change because the Kloppmann pickups are coming with a fitting one and as I said my pots dont have the right kOhms. Do u maybe have a pic of the internals?

 

[Jlee]

Did u leave the brass plate in and use it or did u just do it like nowadays? because the wiring is different with the brass plate. The cap I would change because the Kloppmann pickups are coming with a fitting one and as I said my pots dont have the right kOhms. Do u maybe have a pic of the internals?

None of my guitars had a brass plate or circuit board. I went with traditional 50s wiring. Unfortunately I don’t have any good photos of the wiring.

 

[AvJoe]

None of my guitars had a brass plate or circuit board. I went with traditional 50s wiring. Unfortunately I don’t have any good photos of the wiring.

Oh I see, my mistake. I was talking about the Strats and your last post seems like u are talking about Les Pauls, arent u? Sorry to be so unspecific in my first questions.

 

[Sigmania]

AvJoe, it seems like you are talking about Strat copies and Jlee may be talking about Les Pauls?

I may be wrong. Just trying to help if there is some confusion about what type of guitars you are discussing.

 

[Jlee]

Yes, I was referring to LS and ES models.

 

[AvJoe]

AvJoe, it seems like you are talking about Strat copies and Jlee may be talking about Les Pauls?

I may be wrong. Just trying to help if there is some confusion about what type of guitars you are discussing.

Thank u Sig. I figured it out already, my mistake not to be more specific. And I dont see the Tokai as a copy I really love my ST 50 and my American Strat is a good one though.
I just dont like the Bill Lawrence pickups. Maybe I just dont understand them.

@Sigmania as u joined the conversation, how about your Sts? Do u have all of them in their original state or do u have some without the brass plate?

 

[Sigmania]

The ground plate is actually a super cool device and makes wiring these guitars easier and reduces issues with improper ground. I love them and would never remove it.

Brass Ground Plate

 

[Sigmania]

And I dont see the Tokai as a copy

Well, they actually were copies/replicas originally, it is on the Springy decal:

"This is the exact replica of the good old strat"

Pictured here is my 1981 ST70 MRR. It is a copy of a 1960 Strat.

Models were often copies of specific year Fenders.

And they never were exact replicas, but had many of the signature features of that year model.

 

[Sigmania]

And here is my 1981 ST70 that I re-wired, keeping the brass ground plate.

The pickguard was not original, nor were two of the pots and the selector switch.