Tokai P90 Love Rock owners (LS80S) -> Pickup upgrade?

[Peter S.]

Y'all,

I'd like to know if any of you switched the P90 pickups in the P90 Love Rock model (currently called a LS80S)?

I got the guitar recently (new LS80S Goldtop), and really like it, great playability (great fat neck), sounds good, too. The guitar is a keeper, for sure. Just would like to know if a pickup upgrade (to Lollars, Fralins, etc.) would make it even better. How do Tokai's pickups hold up against a shootout with the aftermarket/boutique items?

 

[little-odgie]

I got a MIK goldtop and I put some Seymour Duncan P90's in .. to be honest it didn't make a huge amount of difference to the clean tone - maybe more "rounded", but improved matters a bit when overdriven or if I was using other high gain. Personal choice I guess.

 

[Jim Jones]

Hi Peter,

I removed a Gotoh TV-1 (I think it was called) P90 from my Tokai LP Jr. and replaced it with one made by Jason Lollar. To say the difference was night and day would be a huge understatement! The stock pickup had low output, was trebly and thin - the Lollar has balls and fantastic tone. I highly recommend a pickup swap. I've liked many of the Asian guitars I've played but I don't think I've liked the electronics in any of them.

Jim

 

[quilt top]

www.wolfetone.com

I put a set of Wolfe's P90's in my 1970 GT and it smokes now!!!

[/img]

 

[little-odgie]

now I know this is a real nerd of a point, but I like the gold top-hat knobs! I got the later issue large speed knobs on mine .. mmmm, might investigate a set ...

 

[DPH]

I had one at my house for almost a year. I wouldn't change a single thing, the guitar struck me as perfect straight from the factory.

The quality of the goldtop gave me enough confidence in Tokai to have buddy pick me up an ES-120 when he was in Japan last fall, sight unseen. And that turned out to be one of the best guitars I've ever played.

 

[tokaiguy]

I don't know how many here are aware of the early 90's Gibson Les Paul "Jimmy Wallace" models but they made one with an amber flame top and P-100's instead of humbuckers. That was one of the coolest guitars I have ever played. 8) I fell in love with the P-100 and loaded all my P-90 guitars with them :wink: Anyone tried a set of these? TG

 

[DPH]

Gibson also made a Les Paul Studio Gem series with p-90s in the mid-late 1990s. Odd colors (Emrald, Ruby, etc), but tempting guitars for those who can't afford a Gibson '56 RI but still want a p-90 LP with GIBSON on the headstock.

 

[Jim Jones]

Tokaiguy,

I have to say that you're the only person I've ever heard say something good about P100's.

Jim

 

[hans-j?rgen]

I fell in love with the P-100 and loaded all my P-90 guitars with them :wink: Anyone tried a set of these? TG

Hmm, are these mini-humbuckers at the size of a P90? Then I can't comment on them, because I've never played a guitar with these pickups. But I really like Gibson's P94 single coils (humbucker sized) in my Tokai Tobacco Sunburst (LS 120), because they blend quite well with the rather dark tone of that guitar (2-piece quilted maple top, 1-piece mahogany body).

 

[little-odgie]

Nope, I still prefer the gold speed knobs. Am I obsessed here or what?

I also tried the DiMarzio Dp163 and DP152 P90 sized humbuckers and they really did rock, but after getting the LS75 I shifted back to single coils in the Goldtop. Never rated P100's myself, neither one thing or 'tother.

 

[Paladin2019]

Nope, I still prefer the gold speed knobs. Am I obsessed here or what?

Speed knobs are the best!

I've got amber ones. They look more vintage-y and suit the finish of this guitar better.