Which model is my new Love Rock?

[Anonymous]

Come on all you LP experts, tell me what I have just bought. All pics here,

http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x153/stratman323/Tokai%20Love%20Rock%20Goldtop%202003/

& a few below for those who can't be bothered to click on the link. I assume it's a bottom-of the-range MIJ model from 2003, so what does that make it? LS60? LS70?

 

[DaveWW]

Hi Mike,

Nice, Looks like a 2003 LS60 or today's LS85 to me.

I assume it's poly and doesn't have brass saddles?

Dave

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dave, you assume correctly. It's hard to tell how many pieces the back is made from, the joints are beautifully done.

So it's basically a humbucker version of my LS85S?

 

[JohnA]

Interesting pickups, they're not the MK II's I expected to see in there, they actually look like some of the Koren pickups I've seen????

 

[Anonymous]

They're stamped Japan....

 

[JohnA]

They're stamped Japan....

So they are, didn't see that. They're not the same as the MKII's that are in the current LS80's Sounded fine though!! I had some ones I was told were Korean a while ago that I sold that looked similar, here they are:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=10298&highlight=tokai+pickups

 

[Anonymous]

I see. Well I don't really! Are they the same pickups as in my ES130?

 

[JohnA]

I'm pretty sure your ES will have MK II's if you shine a light through the F holes you should be able to see the wire, MK II's have silver braided wire.

 

[nomorph]

Those pickups are MKIII as you can see in the Tokai catalog 2005.

Mine measured about 11kOhm on neck and bridge and were wax potted.
The front has a green wire whereas the rear has a yellow one and the got a sticker on the back.

I got those pickups too on my SG70.
I swapped those for MKII which IMHO are far better.

 

[Anonymous]

You beat me to it nomorph! Going through an old catalogue that togps sent me a couple of years ago (before the LS85S became the LS95S), the only models that have Mk 3 pickups are the LS75 & LS80. All the other Japanese guitars, even the top of the range models, have Mk 2s, & all the Korean stuff has Mk 4s.

So, two years ago, my guitar must have been an LS75, I assume? Does anyone know when the previous price increase/model number change occurred?

I suppose one sensible upgrade would be to get better pickups for my ES130, & use the Mk 2s from that on the GT?

 

[JohnA]

It would be far easier to swap the pickups in the LS than the ES, I personally really like the MK II's.

I would maybe get some new ones for the LS, and if you really like the pickups but prefer the ES then swap them over. Just try them in the LS for ease.

 

[nomorph]

Yeah I would assume the same: on Tokai vol.23 catalog, your guitar is LS75.
I think the previous price is LS70 because my SG went from SG70 to SG75 but I can't really confirm you since I'm into Tokai just since 2005 so...

 

[Anonymous]

Having just looked on the Tokai website, is the LS85 really the current equivalent of mine?

http://www.tokai-guitars.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=85&category_id=15&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=31

I thought there was a cheaper MIJ Love Rock than the LS85? I can't see anything on the website that has Mk 3 pickups, so maybe Tokai have dropped them?

 

[Anonymous]

It would be far easier to swap the pickups in the LS than the ES, I personally really like the MK II's.

I would maybe get some new ones for the LS, and if you really like the pickups but prefer the ES then swap them over. Just try them in the LS for ease.

Well the ES130 is the higher quality guitar of the two, so it makes sense to put the better pickups into that.

 

[nomorph]

Having just looked on the Tokai website, is the LS85 really the current equivalent of mine?

http://www.tokai-guitars.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=85&category_id=15&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=31

I thought there was a cheaper MIJ Love Rock than the LS85? I can't see anything on the website that has Mk 3 pickups, so maybe Tokai have dropped them?

Yes it is. It's just that now all pickups that come with Japan Tokais are MKII.
http://www1.odn.ne.jp/tokaigakki/products/vintage/ls85.html

 

[Anonymous]

Yes it is. It's just that now all pickups that come with Japan Tokais are MKII.

Sounds like the cost saving on the Mk 3s wasn't worth it?

 

[JohnA]

I think you are right that Tokai Japan must have dropped the MK3's the MK2 is now standard issue on all the low/mid range Japanese Les Pauls.

I was just meaning try some new pickups in your LS just to see if you like them, to put them in the ES to find you preferred the MKII's would be a total pain.

The MKII's are great pickups, I replaced some with a set of SD Seth Lovers, swapped them back and sold the SD's as I preferred the MK II's, you would have to buy something pretty high-end that would sound better IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

Alan has SD Antiquities in his ES, and that did have the edge over mine. Not a huge difference, I agree, but pickups are often a subtle improvement.

 

[leadguitar_323]

MK II's have silver braided wire.

Sorry John but the MKII's in my LS 180 have vintage cloth covers on the wiring.

Yes it is. It's just that now all pickups that come with Japan Tokais are MKII.

Wrong again, the high end Tokai's have had Seth Lovers, MK 1's, JM Rolphs and Dimarzio's, not to mention custom orders.

Mick

 

[JohnA]

Mick, I actually said:

"MK3's the MK2 is now standard issue on all the low/mid range Japanese Les Pauls." i.e. not the high-end models.

And on Mikes ES, I would bet the pickups have silver beaided leads.