Tokai Humbucker Models & Resistance

[Sigmania]

Trying to sort out the multidimensional puzzle of Tokai pickups over the years.

Here is a list that will be updated as more info is uncovered.

If you see errors, let me know and I will change what is here to reflect what we figure out.

Photos are from guitars linked further on in this thread. Appreciation to the owners of these guitars for posting pictures. Not many people go through the trouble of photographing their pickups. So big thanks!

And thanks in advance for any help.

I have no illusion that I fully understand this, and my perspective is limited to the guitars I have owned, so don't take any of this as gospel, and any help or guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Special note: The catalogs have not been super helpful, especially in later years when they seemed to call many different pickups "Vintage PAF MKII"...



1979 Reborn Old LC & LS Fold Out Specs

1979 catalog (Vol. 2)

1980 Electric Guitar catalog (Vol. 3)

1981 Arch Top catalog (Vol. 4)

1982 Spring catalog (Vol. 5)

1984 catalog (Vol. 8 )

 

[Sigmania]

1978

1978 LS80OS shown (Cliff)

LS A Type
Covered & uncovered?
Unmarked
LS80
1978-1980
Neck:
Bridge:

1978 LS60 shown

LS B Type
"X" ink marked.
LS60
1978
Neck:
Bridge:

1978 LS50BB shown

LS B Type
Covered, uncovered
Unmarked
LS50 & 60.
1978-1980
Neck:
Bridge:

LC A Type
LC100
1979-1980
Neck:
Bridge


1979

"Patent Applied For made by goto" Humbucker Pickups 1979-1981

1979 LS80GT shown (Cliff)

LS A Type
Goto
Covered
Gray wires.
"S" ink mark.
Ink:"Patent Applied For made by goto".
LS80. 1979-1981
Neck:
Bridge:

1979 LS80GT shown

LS A Type
Goto
Open Zebra.
Gray wires.
"S" ink mark.
Ink:"Patent Applied For made by goto".
LS80. 1979-1981
Neck: 8.61k, 8.4k, 8.4k, 8.5k
Bridge: 8.64k,8.33k,, 8.44k, 8.7k

1981

1981 LS100S shown

DiMarzio PAF Pickups in the 1979-1985

DiMarzio PAF
Open Cream,
Gold base plate stamped "Dimarzio Pickups Made In USA"
LS100, 120, 150.
1978-82,
Neck: 7.69
Bridge: 8.21

1981 LS80BB shown

LS A Type
Covered
Goto
Gray wires.
"S" ink mark
LS80
1981
Neck:
Bridge:

1981 LS60 shown


LS Hot
Goto
Open Double Cream
Gray wires.
"D” ink mark.
Ink:"Patent Applied For made by goto".
LS50 & 60.
1980/81
Neck: 8.21k, 8.43k
Bridge: 8.24k. 8.53k

"LS DYNAMIC I Version 1" with hex poles.

1981 LS50BB Inkie Nagano. "LS DYNAMIC"

LS Dynamic Pickups 1981-1982

LS Dynamic I, Version 1 (1.1)
Goto.
Open dbl cream.
Hexagonal pole pieces.
LS50.
1981.
"T" ink mark
Ink “Patent Applied For made by goto"
Neck:
Bridge:

1981 LS50BB SN 1014626

"LS DYNAMIC I Version 2" with hex poles.

LS Dynamic Pickups 1981-1982

LS Dynamic I, Version 2 (1.2)
Goto.
Open dbl cream.
Hexagonal pole pieces.
LS50.
1981.
"GOTOH" stamped into metal baseplate
Neck:
Bridge:

1981 LC60 WR shown.

LS Dynamic Pickups 1981-1982

LC Dynamic
LC60
1981
Neck:
Bridge:

1981 LC100 BB shown.

LC Vintage Special
LC 100/110
1981
Neck:
Bridge:

1981 ES100J shown

ES Jazz
ES100J, 150J
1981
Neck:
Bridge:

1981 ES150R N. Looks like DiMarzio PAFs

ES Rock
DiMarzio PAFs
ES100R, 150R
1981
Neck:
Bridge:




Mid year changes? MKII (LS60) and LS Dynamic II (LS50)

LS Dynamic Pickups 1981-1982

MKII Open zebra.

MKII "GOTOH" stamped. 1981 LS60 shown. (MIJ Vintage)

LS VINTAGE MKII
Open zebras.
"GOTOH" stamped.
White coil side has adjustable slot heads.
LS60.
1981/82
Neck: 8.2k
Bridge: 8.4k

LS Dynamic II with square windows.

LS Dynamic II Version 1. From a 1981 LS50

LS Dynamic Pickups 1981-1982

LS Dynamic II, Version 1 (2.1)
Open double cream
"GOTOH" stamped.
White coil side has adjustable slot heads.
LS50.
1981/82
Neck:
Bridge:

1982

1982 LS80CS shown


LS Vintage
Covered
Unmarked base
LS80
1982
Neck:
Bridge:

1982 LS60CS shown

"Vintage MKII"
Covered & uncovered
Unmarked base
LS60, SG50, LC60
1982
Neck:18.2k, 18.29k
Bridge: 18.66k, 18.29k

LS Dynamic II Version 2

1982 LS50 shown (Puck Luck)

LS Dynamic Pickups 1981-1982

"LS Dynamic II, Veriosn 2" (2.2)
Open Double Cream
Unmarked base
LS50.
1982
Neck: 17.95
Bridge: 17.75k

LC Vintage MKII
Covered
Unmarked base
LC60
1982
Neck: 18.29k
Bridge: 18.29k


1983



P1-11 BZ "Flying Dragon" Pickups



"Flyin Dragon" P1-11BZ
Removable plastic cover with Flying Dragon embossed on it
Zebra
VX, TZ, FSD, FVD, and EXD guitars
1983-
Neck: 18.1-18.2k Ohm
Bridge: 18.1-18.2k Ohm

"Tokai '57 PAF Model" Humbucker Pickups 1983-1985

57 PAF Vintage
Covered & uncovered
White wires
TLS60, TLS80, TSG60, TLC100
1983/84
Note: In 1983 TLS80's mid range heavy
Sticker: "TOKAI 57 PAF MODEL"
Neck: 8.26k, 8.02k, 8.63k
Bridge: 8.28k, 8.1k, 8.3k


57 PAF Vintage MK2
White wires
TLS50
1983/84/85
Sticker: "TOKAI 57 PAF MODEL"
Neck: 8.01k, 7.75k
Bridge: 8.20k, 7.75k

57 PAF Vintage MK2 ???
White wires
TLC60
1984
Magnets: ceramic
Sticker: "TOKAI 57 PAF MODEL"
Neck: 18.48k
Bridge: 18.48k


57 PAF Vintage MK3
TSG50
White lead wires
1982/83/84/85
Magnets: ceramic
Sticker: "TOKAI 57 PAF MODEL
Neck: 18.78k, 18.2k
Bridge: 18.75k, 18.66k

1984 SD '59

1985 SD '59

Seymour Duncan Vintage 59
LS200.
1984-1987
Neck:
Bridge: 8.49k

1985





L. White
Custom Edition Super strats, etc.
Black with "L White" stamped on face
Neck:
Bridge: 18.73k, 18.79k, 19.6k, 20.0k,





1986

Vintage MKII
TLS50,60 TLC60, 70 TSG50, 60
1986, 1987, 1989
Bridge:
Neck:

 

[Sigmania]

1990s

1990 LC80T shown.

MKII?
Covered, gold
Black, & black wire
Unmarked baseplate
1990
LC80
Neck :7.8k
Bridge : 8.2k

1992 LS70Q shown

"PAF Vintage MKII"
Covered, silver
Black, gray wire
Unmarked baseplate
1992,1995
Neck (black)
Bridge (gray)
Ex. LS70Q

1995? LS55GT shown


MK3?
Black & gray wire.
Pole screws missing on back from holes on neck pickup.
Holes absent altogether on back for bridge pickup.
LS55
Circa 1990-1995
Neck (Black):11.5k
Bridge (Gray):12k

From unknown Love Rock



With labels from unknown guitar

MK3?
Black & gray wire.
Pole screws missing on back from holes on neck pickup.
"Gotoh Made In Japan" embossed back plate
Unknown period
Neck (black?):
Bridge (gray?):

1998 LS70F shown

MK2?
Gotoh
Gray & black cable.
"Gotoh Made In Japan" embossed back plate
Circa late 90s,early 2000s
Neck (Black): 7.84k, 7.78k, 7.76k, 7.50k, 7.55k
Bridge (Gray): 8.39k, 8.52k, 8.29k, 8.39k, 8.31k

 

[Sigmania]

2000s

2002 LS70F(?)

MK3?
Gotoh
Gray & Brown lead wires
"GOTOH Pickups Japan" embossed back plate.
Red & white paper label
"LP-HF", "LP-HR"
2002
Neck (Brown):
Bridge Gray):

MK2
Gotoh
Black & gray wires,
Gold or silver Covers.
Pole screws go through
Red & white label,
"LP-A R" & F.
Circa 2004.
Neck: 8.54k
Bridge: 8.55k

MK2
Gotoh
Green & yellow cable.
Red & white label.
"LP-A R" & F.
"Gotoh Made In Japan" embossed back plate?
Neck (Green):
Bridge (Yellow):

Shown in 2002 ALS65. MKII

Green & Yellow Wire Gotoh Humbuckers

MK2
Gotoh
Green & yellow wires,
Covered
Pole screws go through neck & bridge.
Red & white label,
"LP-A R" & F.
Circa 2002.
Neck (F, Green): 8.51k, 8.5k, 8.54k, 8.32k
Bridge (R, Yellow): 8.61k, 8.5k, 8.57k, 8.44k

2006 LS85 shown

Green & Yellow Wire Gotoh Humbuckers

MK3?
Gotoh
Green & yellow wires,
Silver covers.
Holes for pole screws, no screws (neck). No holes (bridge).
Red & white label,
"LP-F R" & F.
Circa 2002-2009.
Neck (F, Green): 10.8k, 10.6k, 11.5k
Bridge (R, Yellow): 11.2k, 11k, 11.5k

MK4
Korea
Marked F & R
Gray & blue wires
Ceramic magnet
Circa 2003
Neck (F, Gray):
Bridge (R, Blue):

Keiyo MK2 Pickups

Keiyo MK2 Pickups

Keiyo CP-2
7.5/8.4
Steel braided cable.
Silver backs, silver screws?
Circa 2008
Neck:7.58k, 7.50k
Bridge: 8.43k, 8.39k
Examples:
2008 ES205

2014 LS172 shown

Keiyo MK2 Pickups

Keiyo CP-1 (MKII)
7.5/11.5
Steel braided cable.
Silver backs, gold screws, Oval TOKAI sticker
Circa 2003-2022
Neck:7.5k, 7.5k, 7.4k, 7.5k, 7.5k, 7.43k, 7.67k, 7.4k
Bridge:11.4k, 11.5k, 11.3k, 11.3k, 11.5k, 11.29, 11.39k, 11.33k
Examples:
2003 LS80
2004 LS125SEB
2005 ES120
2022 LS200F

LSC F
China
Chrome cover
Oval label: "BRIDGE PICK UPS BHC", "NECK PICK UPS BHC"
Round label, green ink, ROHS Compliant
Embossed "R" or "F" and diamond shape in center
Black and red wire
Circa 2008-
Neck (F, Red): 8.3k,8.51k, 8.9k, 8.17k
Bridge (R, Black):13.6k, 14.23k, 13.8k, 13.1k

Green & Yellow Wire Gotoh Humbuckers

MK2?
Gotoh. Japan.
Green & yellow wires.
Pole screws missing on both.
White paper label.
"LP-A (R)" & (F)
Circa 2006
Neck (F, Green):
Bridge (R, Yellow):

Green & Yellow Wire Gotoh Humbuckers

MK3?
Gotoh. Japan.
Green & yellow wires.
Pole screws missing on both.
White paper label.
"LP-F-R"
Circa 2009
Neck (F, Green):10.6k, 11.5k
Bridge (R, Yellow):11k, 11.5k

2010s

2010 LS92 GT MIJ shown

"PAF Vintage MKII"
MK2-S?
Steel braided cable
Silver screws
Circa 2010
Neck:
Bridge:

PAF Vintage MK4
"LSC-F"
Circa 2010
Black & gray wire
Ceramic 8 magnet
Made in Korea
Neck: 8.6k
Bridge:14.4k

"The 59" shown in 2010 HLS160 (Reverb)

"The Fifty Nine" MH-2 Pickups For Hibiki Models

MH-2
"The 59"
Steel braided cable
White paper label.
Marked “MH-2/N” or B
Circa 2010
HLS160. Hibiki model.
Neck: 7.2k
Bridge: 7.8k


2011 Special Order LS

MH-3
Steel braided cable
White paper label.
Marked “MH-3/N” or B
Circa 2011
Special order LS
Neck:
Bridge:

MK2-S (version 1 base plate)
Steel braided cable.
Alnico V ?
White paper label:
"Tokai MK2-S N" & B.
2012-
Neck: 7.45k
Bridge: 11.45k



2017 LS128F


MK2-S (version 2 base plate)
Empty row of holes on base plate/reversible)
Steel braided cable.
White paper label:
"Tokai MK2-S N" & B.
2012-
Neck: 9.5k, 9.56k, 9.46k, 9.62k
Bridge: 15k, 14.65k, 15.14k, 14.74k

 

[Puck Luck]

LS Dynamic-II 17.75k Neck & 17.95k Bridge (82 LS50)

Gotoh PAF 8.4k/4.94 H Neck & 8.33k/4.9H Bridge (80 LS80 Reborn Old)

 

[Sigmania]

Wow! That dynamic pickup. Super hot. 8)

Thanks for the readings. I am going to try to eventually create a table or something showing the ranges on these.

Much appreciated!

 

[Puck Luck]

Wow! That dynamic pickup. Super hot. 8)

Thanks for the readings. I am going to try to eventually create a table or something showing the ranges on these.

Much appreciated!

No problem Sigmania. I just got into MIJ guitars last october and anything I can do to help find and keep info going for these old guitars I will try and do. I'm tired of running into broken photobucket links from 10 yrs ago. lol

 

[Sigmania]

Awesome. And yeah, it is a shame. When I first joined here everybody used photobucket because it was free.

And then it wasn't... and they tried to charge us to use our own pictures that we had uploaded.

Evil..

 

[Puck Luck]

Yeah, hopefully Flikr can endure and not follow the same fate.

 

[Sigmania]

And imgur... Fingers crossed!

 

[Sigmania]

Early 1980's Gotoh 57 PAF's: neck 7.8 k bridge 7.5 k

Recent Keiyo MkII's:
neck 7.84 k - bridge 8.39 k ohms
neck 7.78 k - bridge 8.52 k ohms

Reborn, are you sure that neck DC resistance is higher than bridge on those early gotoh's?

just for info, on my '58 gotoh's (early 1980) i read 8.44 bridge-8.40 neck.

MKII on Love Rock i had: 7.76 neck-8.29

1978-1981 X, D and T (LS50 & 60) pickups generally measure 8.2-8.4
1978-1981 S (LS80) generally measure 8.5-8.7

....Just to keep the data going I have a 2008 chinese LR model ALS 48 and the original picks were 8.3K in the neck and 13.6 bridge. I changed these out for humbucker with no cover and Alnico 2s, 7.39 neck and 7.45 bridge great sound and range! ...

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=19947

 

[Sigmania]

From what I have learned here, the pickups appear to be from Keiyo, but the bridge measures 8.39 not the overwound 11 or so that I’ve read about, and the neck measures 7.50.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26608&hilit=MKII

 

[Sigmania]

MKII Keiyo version with steel braided cable.

These MkIIs are from my 2004 LS125 SEB and are now fitted into my 1980 LP Navigator. They are one of my all time favourite pickups. Anyone know for definite whether they are Gotoh or Keiyo....?


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=19383

 

[Sigmania]

Discussion re: DiMarzio PAFs

Bob in Florida:

I have two guitars that have early 1980's Dimarzio PAF's pickups. I bought both sets in mid-1980.
All four pickups have 2-conductor wiring with a braided shielding and measure between 7.7-7.8K Ohms DC resistance


https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/is-this-a-70-s-dimarzio-paf.657841/

 

[Sigmania]

"That's definitely an early PAF; eventually called DP-103. I have about 10 of those loose, another 10-12 in my '78-'82 Hamer Sunbursts. Only two of mine have braided wire, and they're not the earliest ones. I don't know if there is a particular reason for a few of them having braided wire while most don't.

They weren't designated as bridge or neck, but I've found they have two clusters of DC resistance: about 7.20-8.00 (clearly designed for neck use) and about 8.20 - 8.55K, certainly for bridge. Great-sounding pickups, real sleepers IMO."

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/is-this-a-70-s-dimarzio-paf.657841/

 

[Sigmania]

Were the Seymour Duncans in the early 1980s LS200 the PAFs designed by Tim Shaw? Anyone know?

In 1981, Gibson took note of the customer demand and enlisted engineer Tim Shaw to recreate the P.A.F. based on its original specs for their upcoming Heritage reissue series. His design essentially reversed most of the changes made to the P.A.F. over the previous two decades, going back to the shorter, non-“T” bobbins and larger Alnico 5 magnets.

The only compromise was with the wiring—Gibson opted to stick with polyurethane wires instead of enamel for budget purposes, despite Shaw’s objections. Nevertheless, the Tim Shaw humbucker was the one of the most faithful and accurate interpretations of the original P.A.F. at the time.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/resurgence-of-paf-pickups

 

[Sigmania]

And anyone know what magnets were used in each of these?

 

[Sigmania]

Pair of Tokai 57 PAF pickups pulled from a 1983 Tokai LS-60 Les Paul that was a professionally repainted and fully relic'd including all parts, the pickups started out mint and relic'd to look well played.

My el cheap radio shack meter reads...

Neck 8.02k with 15" lead wire
bridge 8.10k with 9-1/2 lead wire

https://reverb.com/item/10808261-tokai-57-paf-1983-zebra

 

[Sigmania]

Taken from a Made in Japan Tokai LS Love Rock

Brand New Japanese Humbucker Pickup Set

PAF Vintage MK2
Alnico 5 Magnet
Output: Neck - 9.5K ; Bridge - 15K (As advised by Tokai Gakki - I have not taken measurements myself)

https://reverb.com/ca/item/16419570-tokai-japan-mk-2-mk-ii-humbucker-pickup-set-new

 

[Sigmania]

MKII= LP-A
MKIII= LP-F

Here for sale are a pair of Tokai PAF MK2 pickups made by Gotoh Japan in superb conditionwith Nickel covers.

These pickups are fitted in Tokai Japan Love Rock models up to the current ULS250 model in the UK which retails for nearly £2000.

They are excellent Gibson PAF type pickups.

The neck pickup measures 8.54 ohms and the bridge pickup measures 8.57 ohms.

Included are the mounting screws and springs.

The pickup with the sticker stamped LP-A F is the neck pickup with the green wire the other is of course the bridge pickup.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/tokai-gotoh-paf-mk2-pickups-mkii-305052962


Found this thread on these:

i have just installed these replacing the gotohs pictured in my op.

they are excellent . a huge improvement over what i am now convinced were MKIII Gotoh pickups.

these labelled LP-A R and LP-A F read around 8k both pickups whereas the ones labelled LP-F(F) and LP-F-R read around 8k at the neck and 11k at the bridge.

the new mkII pafs are more open and woody with no mud. fantastic !

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=17454&highlight=

I guess my LS92's pickups were also Mk IIIs then.

They measure 10.8kOhm Neck, and 11.2kOhm Bridge.

They look like the ones that were in my 2009 LS-90...i?m sure that they were not the stock pickups in mine...they were soo muddy that i replaced them with a set of Burstbuckers(I & II).
Now i can?t be happier........btw.