1980 LC60M Custom Inkie

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Sigmania

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1. It has a volute. Has Tokai ever copied a 70s Custom?
2. Call me paranoid and maybe it's just the pics but the hardware looks like artificial aging gone too far to me?
 
I doubt it is artificial aging. The guitar is in Japan. Notoriously humid environment and wreaks havoc on guitar parts.
 
Just playing devil's advocate here...

It's not so much the severity of the corrosion (seen that before) that looks odd to me, more the distribution of it - it's hard to describe, too evenly spotty (not having the usual patterns) with too little overall patina in between? Anyway...

Peter Mac wrote that the 1981 LC60S had a volute (that would be the only Japan Tokai ever I guess?) but maybe that applies to the inkie version of the burst only, since other '81 LC60 colors (and also all other inkies) don't have one. That seems to identify this guitar as LC60S from that era though.
 
I don't think I have ever seen (or noticed) an inky LC before, so this is new to me.
 
The 1979 catalog only lists an LC100.

The 1980 catalog lists LC100 & 110.

The 1981 catalog refers to a maple top LC60M, and an LC60, not an LC60S.


LC60M-BB ¥72,000 GUITAR ¥60,000 SPECIAL HARD CASE ¥12,000
The only maple top model in the LC series. Custom-specific light tension produces a sharp and bright clear sound. The coloring woven by the gold parts and the original black body is full of dignity and elegance, creating a unique mood. The power of newly developed pickups and LC dynamics is tremendous, making this a must-have high-cost performance guitar for fusion guitarists. PHOTO-2 (left)


Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 11.10.49 AM.png
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 11.11.22 AM.png
 

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Seems we can't just ask him how he came up with that. :/ However, interesting detail in the 1981 catalog:

Screenshot 2023-05-10 at 18.27.44.jpg

So a volute does not automatically mean "not MIJ" when it's on an LC60. However, this '81 LC60WR does not have a volute:

https://reverb.com/item/35714643-ra...gany-original-fret-edge-binding-prime-example
There's also an '80 LC60 BB on Reverb.com but the pics are not good enough to see if it has a volute or not.

Now check out this "volute" LC60 (not made in Hamamatsu either):
http://heavygaugeguitars.com/?p=11348
Screenshot 2023-05-10 at 18.57.17.jpg


Screenshot 2023-05-10 at 18.50.19.jpg
 
So looks like the LC60M had a maple top and a volute.

Is that what you are seeing too?

The '81 you linked is a maple top with a volute.
 

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I can't read the serial number. Looks like a 1981 inky?

The second 1 and 0 are missing??

Should be SN 1105590 ?

Screen Shot 2024-02-03 at 9.24.07 AM.png
 

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Preserving pics.

Google translation:


Body top. The rare color sunburst paint and maple wood grain that seems to be out of the catalog are astringent. There is a feeling of use such as small scratches and dents, deterioration of the plating, wear of the bridge saddle, etc., but it is in a solid condition with no fatal injuries even though it has been nearly 40 years since it was manufactured. The pick guard is a recent replacement part that has been aged (it's quite an expensive part), but it fits well with the surroundings.

Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.11.27 PM.png

The plated part shows deterioration according to the number of years. The saddle of the bridge is quite worn, especially on the 6th string side. Currently, there is no problem with playing, but I think it's about time to replace it. The pickup is original. The height of the pole piece can be adjusted with a 2.5mm hex wrench.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.11.35 PM.png

Mahogany body back. Sunburst paint with the same dark color as the top side. Although it is difficult to see in this image, there is a feeling of use such as small scratches, dents, and belt buckle marks.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.11.43 PM.png

Patent Aplied For Made by Gotoh" is printed on the back of the PU. As for the control system, the volume and tone pots have been replaced with CTS, the capacitors with Sozo, and the jacks and toggle switches with Switchcraft. In addition, the inside of the cavity is shielded with conductive paint.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.11.51 PM.png

Body side. There are dents, small paint chips, and scratches, but no fatal damage.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.11.58 PM.png


The neck is mahogany + rosewood fingerboard. It is a copy model of Les Paul Custom, but the fingerboard is rosewood. The body is also maple top + mahogany back, so I think the sound character is close to the Les Paul Standard. I currently have 10-46 strings in regular tuning. In this state, the truss rod still has plenty of room, but it is a little tight, so be careful when using thicker strings.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.12.06 PM.png

Larger frets are struck. There is not much wear, but there is some variation in the height of the frets, so if you want to lower the string height to the limit, we recommend fret maintenance.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.12.12 PM.png

An inlay that was only used around 1981. The truss rod panel is not the original but a recent replacement part.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.12.20 PM.png

Since the peg bushing is high and the position of the post where the string is passed is relatively too low, there is little room to wind the string, but I think this is a design error. It can still be used without any problems, but it is especially important to keep the number of turns of the wound string as low as possible, and to wind the string on top of the end of the string for the first week, and then wind it down as usual from the second week onwards. is.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.12.28 PM.png

Back of the head. The Kluson type peg is an original part with "TOKAI" on the back cover. There is some rattling due to deterioration over time, but you can tune it without any problems. There is also the problem of the height of the post mentioned above, so you may replace it.
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.12.34 PM.png

The attached hard case is also old, but it doesn't seem to be the original, and it's slightly larger than the guitar. It doesn't seem to be a problem if you take the guitar out on a day trip for band practice, etc., but if you're checking it in at the airport on an airplane or sending it by mail over a long distance, it would be better to use a piece of cloth or the like as a spacer
Screen Shot 2023-05-10 at 1.12.50 PM.png
 
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So looks like the LC60M had a maple top and a volute.

Is that what you are seeing too?
Yes. According to some posts and the Heavy Gauge Guitars pics they also had fret nibs in 1981 while the LS60s didn't.

I can't read the serial number. Looks like a 1981 inky?

The second 1 and 0 are missing??
That's the super puzzling part, it looks like '1 5590' but it's a Tokai, not a Greco. Maybe just a photographic crack in the matrix. :)
 
The ink on the inkies looks very easy to blur. No telling. And the seller may have done that to obscure the number?

And just what is an LC60S?

I know what an LS100S is. I have one.

The "S" on the LS100S stands for Special.

The "M" in the LC60M obviously stands for Maple.
 
So there was an LC60 and an LC60M in 1980/81.

LC60 had Mahogany top.

LC60M had a Maple top and volute.

Wondering if all the LC60M guitars are inkies? In other words, were the LC60M guitars made in Nagano or wherever?

Note that some LC60M guitars were all black so it would be really hard to tell if they had a maple top unless you had paperwork. Maybe they had a volute that gave them away?
 

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