Tell Us What Mods You,ve Done To Your Tokai(s)If Any?

[Novosel]

I measured the distance between the centres of the low and high E string screws.

This is the right method, although it's sometimes easier to measure from, say, the left edge of the low E hole to the left edge of the high E hole. It gives you the same measurement, but eliminates the need for guesstimating where the exact centre of the screw hole is.

 

[Ian Harvey]

Hi!

Thanks again for the help, Novosel.

I actually did measure from the edge of the hole; just thought it was easier to describe by saying 'centre'.

I guess I ought to upgrade my plastic 99p caliper (which actually is pretty useful for when totally accurate measurement is not neccessary, but a non-scratch instrument is) to StewMac's Luthier's Digital Caliper next time I make an order there!

Best wishes,
Ian

 

[Ian Harvey]

Hi friends!

Just received the Duesenberg nickel plated aluminium stop bar I ordered.

So I dashed along to our digital postal scales and here's the results:

Stop Bar: 34 grams
Posts: 16 grams each
Inserts: 10 grams each

The quality of the bar looks excellent - shaping and plating is very smooth.

I'll let you know how the fit goes.

Best wishes,
Ian

 

[dabluesman]

I put Bill Lawrence L-500 pickup's in my LS75Q.

 

[Paladin2019]

I put Bill Lawrence L-500 pickup's in my LS75Q.

[img[/img]

Wow - imagine wiring those bad boys in series... 8)

Did you relic the bridge/tailpiece yourself?

 

[ArthurS]

I put Bill Lawrence L-500 pickup's in my LS75Q.

Looks nice! How do they sound? I've looked at BL pickups sometimes, but I'm not sure they would be my cup of tea and I've heard any sound clips of L500s in an LP.

 

[dabluesman]

No, those are my fingerprints on the bridge... oops :lol:

I really like the sound, it is much better than the stock pickups. I have some mp3's of it in action on my website. On the mp3 of "In My Dream" the rhythm guitar track with the tremolo effect is the L-500's in the middle position, the other rhythm/fills track with the delay effect is the L-500's in the neck position, and the other rhythm track with the wah effect is also the L-500's in the neck position. http://www.dabluesman.com/InMyDreamVocal.htm

For a high gain bridge L-500 sound, check out the mp3 of "Believe". The Love Rock with the L-500 bridge pickup is panned a little bit to the right. http://www.dabluesman.com/Believe.htm

Also on the mp3 of "Injured Hand" has the L-500 bridge pickup on the rhythm track for another high gain sound (though I overdubed my stratocaster on the rhythm too), and the guitar solo is the Love Rock with the neck L-500. Though this is an older mp3 so the overall quality is not as good as the other two, but the guitar solo is a good example of high gain Love Rock with L-500 soloing sound. http://www.dabluesman.com/InjuredHand.htm

 

[ojgibbins]

Hi guys..Good to know there is a section for my fav guitar.

Background. I purchased this guitar aprox 10 years ago and its still my number one guitar.

It used to have R White humbuckers but i swapped them for an EMG 81 and a Seymore Duncan a long time ago (i wish i still had the whites because they were good)

The finish is CRACKLE and it has a cutaway neck with extra frets.
Here are some pics (you can expand them my placing your cursor on it and hitting the expand button that pops up)

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-design100/owen2.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~web-design100/IMG_0144.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~web-design100/IMG_0145.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~web-design100/IMG_0149.jpg

This guitar was my first ever debt! yay. It cost around 500 pounds. About $900

It has a floyd rose trem...and NO markings. It has a sticker which says 75 on the neck, and takeuchi is stamped into ht emetal on the floyd rose block inside the guitar body cavity.

What the hell is it and how many were made. if that neck breaks I'll die!

 

[Joe]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and first I want to say, that it seems a nice place to be.

Moddin? Yeah! We are mods, we are mods, we are, we are, we are mods.

A few years ago, I bought a used Tokai Love Rock, you can click on the thumbnail to view her in a new window (hope so *g*)



She came to me with Seymour Duncan 59-Neck and Alnico-II-Bridge Pickups, I changed them to a pair of Antiquities, which I had from my ex-Paula.

On the Neck-Pu I did the "Peter Green-Mod" (flipping the magnet) to get this nasty, nasal and hollow tone in the middle-position. Here are not the PUs out-of-phase, but the magnets, that sounds different (to me?).

Then I installed a alu-stoptail (which I got from rockinger) and paper-in-oil-caps. That's it.

To my opinion, the "alu and oil"-thing did a little bit, which I can hear, but I do not know, if our drummer recognizes it too. The "Peter Green Mod" makes a great difference, but only in the middle-position. For me this is pretty useful.

This Love Rock is my #1, shes is a lightweight and sounds so good, I'm driven by her.

I also have a Springy Sound in CAR, which I bought new around 81 and this is also a fine guitar, but I left her original.

Now I'm looking for a Love Rock in Sunburst, because my band does now a ZZ Top-Projekt and just for the looks I want a Burst.

Isn't that a good reason? I don't have G.A.S. ;-)
Do I hear you say: "Liar!"?

So, if someone could help, this would be nice. I mailed to the uk-distributor and to the be-ne-lux-distributor, no answer.

But I have a question: what do you mean with "50's wiring"? I think I have the standard-wiring, I don't know what's different here.

Have mercy

Joe
please excuse my bad english, it's a long time from school

 

[ian]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the photos & info., and welcome to the forum ? if that?s your English from school days then it?s darned good & vastly better than my German :lol: .

Regarding a sunburst Love Rock - of course you?ll find plenty on eBay, inc. this 1979 Reborn from ?Loverockeruk? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3716884272&category=2384 . Otherwise, there?s a member here from Germany called ?Supernout? & he often has nice old Love Rocks & Reborn?s for sale. Both these guys are experts who have contributed a massive amount on this Forum, and I expect you?d get a fine original guitar from either of them (I have no connection with them) :-? .

Ian.

 

[Paladin2019]

50's mod - Not my own picture, but I can't find the original on the web to give credit for it.

If you can use a soldering iron it looks very easy. Supposedly it opens up the tone and reduces treble loss when turing the volume down. I haven't done the mod as my custom wiring is too different from stock.

 

[Joe]

Hi Ian,

thanks a lot.

I' watching Loverockeruk's Reborn (and 5 other ones). But I think, that shipping from the UK to Germany is rather expansive and I'm thinking, I want a 2-piece-top rather than a 3-piece-top.

I'm not saying, that a 2-piece-top makes the guitar better, it's just for the looks. And the old ones are perhaps (or even shurely) the better Tokais, but I already have a good one and so I think, I'm going for a new one like this LS80F on ebay-germany

But I think the asked bid is too high and because I first have to sell my Hamer Special (cherry red, 2 P90s, thinking of 500 Euros, if someone has interest *g*) I'm not in a hurry.

O.k., that was a lie, ;-) I want the guitar right now. But: pssst

Perhaps does "supernout" read this.

Have mercy

Joe

 

[Joe]

Hi Paladin,

thank you very much for the picture of the 50's wiring.

I just opened the cavity(?) and yes, I have the standard-wiring. Will check the 50's mod at the weekend.

kind regards

Have mercy

Joe
Licence to kill? No! Licence to solder.

 

[ian]

Hi Joe,

I entirely agree with what you say about those guitars. Your right, the LS50 usually has a 3-piece top. However, the LS60 sells for the same sort of price, and that has a solid 2-piece centre-matched top (?Japanoldguitar? is a trustworthy eBay seller who often has nice old LS60?s ? good exchange rate against the $ at present :-? ).

That LS80 on German eBay has a nice looking flamed top, but of course that?s a thin veneer - I don?t think that makes any difference to the tone quality, but personally I just prefer completely solid tops. I think 850Eur. is too much !

Yes, I think Supernout is around here somewhere, although he doesn?t seem to post much these days ? he?s still in the members list - I think he makes a small business of importing old Tokai?s from Japan - maybe worth contacting him with a PM email :-? ?

Ian.

 

[Joe]

Hi Ian,

thank you for the "hint" with the memberlist & the private message, ;-) it's on it's way.

You're right, afaik is every new flame- or quilted-top, which is no LS200 or 320 a veneer. But if I get a nice offer, I would even buy a new 70F, 75F or 80F. Shurely would I appreciate an old LS80 because of the solid top, one-piece-body and neck and the lacquer finish. We'll see.

Btw, this is a veneer too, but it sounds good anyway:

found another pic, here it is:
(click on the thumbs for pic in a new window)

I don't want a new guitar, I neeeeeeed one.

Have mercy

Joe
PS: am I right, if I guess, that my old Springy Sound with serial-# L00491 is from 1980 and is the equivalent to Fender Strat from 1960-64?

 

[ArthurS]

I really like the sound, it is much better than the stock pickups. I have some mp3's of it in action on my website.

Thanks for the clips! Very nice sound overall, though I think I prefer the L500's rhythm sound to its lead sound in these particular mp3's. Great high-gain sound on Injured Hand by the way (I had no idea the CyberTwin could sound so brutal and tight), and very nice 'ambient' rhythm sounds on In My Dream as well - the tremelo is really used to great effect in my opinion

 

[ian]

?Hey Joe? (sorry couldn?t resist the Hendrix ref! 8) );- yes, I?m sure veneer tops are fine, and new Tokais are probably every bit as good as old ones (? ?). But I?m just a confirmed lover of vintage character and 60?s tone - I play a completely ?straight-laced? old LS60-burst into a 1965 Marshall Mini Bluesbreaker ? that has no reverb, no master gain, & no proper tone controls either, so I have to change tone by swapping guitars instead (MIJ 57-ri Strat & and a Tele).

But, what?s that interesting veneered guitar in your photo ? And if it comes to that what?s that sweet looking Combo in the first picture (with the Goldtop). Oh?.and I just noticed that orange furry thing, what the heck is that ??

Ian.

 

[Joe]

Hey Ian, ;-)

I already wrote an answer but before I cou... my *#!$%& computer crashed.

So here we are, back agaiiiiiin...

Ian wrote: But I?m just a confirmed lover of vintage character and 60?s tone - I play a completely ?straight-laced? old LS60-burst into a 1965 Marshall Mini Bluesbreaker ? that has no reverb, no master gain, & no proper tone controls either, so I have to change tone by swapping guitars instead (MIJ 57-ri Strat & and a Tele).

Similar with me. The amp in green paisley on the pic with my Gold-Top is a Reusenzehn Greenie. Controls are Volume and Presence.

Thomas Reu?enzehn is a german guy who builds tubeamps and effects for guitar & bass and also he makes fine hifi-amps and parts.

The Greenie was a special amp, different to his others, like the Leo. The Greenie has very little gain, maximum is, say Peter Green. The Leo will give you a ZZ Top like flavour. With my Greenie and my Goldtop in the middle position I get a fine Greeny-sound and if I were into Jazz, this amp would be a perfect companion.

If I want more gain I have to use my tubebooster (Daniel D., also Reussenzehn), my treblebooster or my Solasound made Colorsound tonebender Fuzz. If I had to name an amp to compare with the Greenie, I would say, a JTM 45, but with less gain and less volume, though the Greenie comes with 4xEL34.

A '65 Mini Bluesbreaker? Wow! Impossible to buy here. You have to know, that I'm a big Paul Weller fan and (even if I do not know if he plays a bluesbreaker or a 18 Watt or whatever) if I could get my hands on an amp like his, I would faint. Btw., I made a few pics at an Paul Weller gig in cologne in 2002, if you're interested, click on the thumbnail:


Back on the block...

That "interesting veneered guitar" is an Erlewine from 1980. Have you seen the Rockpalast Gig with ZZ Top in 1980? Billy Gibbons played (besides his Pearly Gates) two Erlewines (one was a doubleneck) at that night and from this moment on, I wanted such a guitar. But Billys Erlewine (Automatic) was handmade from Marc Erlewine, Dan Erlewines cousin, (Dan is the repair-guru, perhaps known from his books, stewmac or his Guitar player articles) and my Erlewine is the cheaper made in Japan, possible built from El Maya (don't know exactly).

Marc Erlewine still builds this guitar, the Chiquita travel guitar, the lazer...follow the link and then click on "custom guitars".

The orange furry thing is another story.

Have you seen the other two pics? *clickediclick*

and

This is my latest amp. "Selfmade" ;-)

I got an old Dynacord tubeamp with 2xEL84, a friend of mine built me the cabinet, I ebayed an old Celestion G12H30 and then I put this altogether and did the orange plush(?) instead of tolex.

It brings out a blistering 17 watt, with ZZ Top like grind and crunch. If I play very hard, you can see the hair move, driven by the speaker. ;-)

It's named zottel-zwo. "zwei" or equal "zwo" is german for two.

Do I hear you say:
"Two? What was "one"?

A few years ago, I wanted to "build" me my own guitar, a special guitar for gigs. A friend sold me his used G&L-neck, I ordered a stratbody made of korina, 3 P90-pu's, tuners, trem and the rest. With another friend who had the right tools we made the routings suitable for the 3 P90. Assembling a strat is no problem an then I did... aaah, look for yourself:


please click on the pic

Did I mention "matching headstock"? ;-) My wife made me a matching strap.

Here's a pic of both together, waiting on stage:

click on the pic for a bigger one ;-)

Wow, no computercrash this far...

And if you want to listen to the Erlewine with zottel-zwo and zottel with zottel-zwo, I extracted to little sniplets from a gig. The sound is from a videocamera so it's more on the lofi-side.

Erlewine with zottel-zwo mp3, 22 sec., 352kb

zottel with zottel-zwo mp3, 21 sec., 342kb

I'll have a beer now.

Have mercy

Joe

 

[Paladin2019]

That furry setup is the coolest thing EVER! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

 

[Joe]

Hi Paladin,

thanks a lot.

One benefit playing with that setup on stage, is that you don't have to play too cool, 'cause most people like the looks.

The other ones (if there are) are thinking that I'm a loon - o.k., that might be correct - but if they think I'm a fool, I'm through too. )

But that's alright.
I said that that's alright.
I may not want to admit it,
I'm just a fool for your stockings I believe. 8)

Have mercy

Joe