Got my first Tokai at last!! :D

[Tokaigi]

Hi guys,

I've finally got my LS150 that i ordered way back in March, thanks to Jamie of Hartnoll Guitars (big up haha)

Very Happy with the guitar, she plays very well. Just a few questions though, firstly, not that i dont trust Jamie but more so i know how useless Tokai have been recently so im wanting to find a way to confirm my guitar is an LS150 as it should be. Any ideas on how to do that? I've heard about taking the pups out but im not too sure what im looking for in the cavity.

Secondly, i'd like to know how to raise/lower the action on the guitar and whether its better left to a professional incase it upsets the balance or anything because the guitar came pretty well set up, just slightly too low on the top E which means its choking ever so slightly but enough to destroy the sound when hitting the 14th, 15th frets etc. What do you think is best? and also are there any manuals to show you how to do it yourself if you guys think its an easy enough job?

Thanks guys, look forward to your responses, will get some pics up here soon

 

[Skybone]

To adjust the action, just turn the thumbwheels below the bridge a fraction. If you're tuned in standard E (EADGBE) you may need to slacken the strings off a touch before adjusting the bridge, tune up and check the string height. I don't know the "standard" measurements, and to be honest, I never use them, if it feels good and the strings aren't choking/buzzing too much, and feel good, then it's fine. Just check the intonation after any bridge adjustment.

 

[tudor]

Congrats to your new Tokai - and believe me:

If Jamieh says it is a an LS150, it is one !! I have noticed him suffering that there was this f*****g delay and his relief when he finally could get his ordered guitar for one of his customers ... it must be you !!
If you read the accordingly postings, I hope you can follow his inner conflict ... Good job, Jamieh !! :lol:

Concerning to your questions of setting up your guitar ... Look at this, think you'll find all you need besides that Skybone had already mentioned ...
http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/menu.php

BTW - Enjoy playing her !! :lol: :lol:

Roger

 

[TUNAFREAK]

It will have an alluminum tail piece, one piece back, nitro finish and long tenon, to the middle of neck pup cavity. Western electric wire and black caps.

Mark

 

[bruno]

and most important, it will sound great...

 

[Jamieh]

Hey!

I am soooooo glad you are pleased with it!!

Follow these guys advice on verifying the model, but one thing is for certain, it is the model that has been on order since March and I have certainly been invoiced by Tokai UK for an LS150 so if it turns out to be anything less I will CERTAINLY want to know about it!!!

I seriously doubt that though!!

Regarding the action - sorry it is choking a tad mate! It is always a fine line to get the balance between perfect action and absolutely no choking!

As mentioned above though, the Tokai bridge piece is really easy to raise the height slightly, just use the little thumb screws either side of the bridge, they will be a bit tough to turn so as suggested you will probably need to back off the string tension a tad first.

It will be a very small adjustment required, I reckon about 1/8th of a turn max 1/4 turn just to lift it a tad but retain the nice playing action.

I have to admit, the tech who set it up does have a habit of setting things a tad low!!! He is a serious shreddy player so tends to go a bit lower than many people really need! I did check the instrument myself before letting it out but I guess I must have missed that... its pretty high up to be worried about the low E... but hey... it's your guitar!

As side note... I had an LS230 come through at the same time as this LS150 and it is f***ing gorgeous... but I had to raise the action on that cos I simply couldn't play it that low!!! My tech though thinks it should be put back how it was!!!! Set too low though you couldn't really dig in and the strings weren't able to vibrate as strongly when hit hard so you couldn't really get the full rich tone and awesome sustain off it that an instrument like that really has - same goes with the LS150 and I reckon you'll find a bit of a tonal benefit from raising the action a tad as well... just a tad... but it'll be great!

Lovely guitar your one... nicer than my LS150 I think ... the VF finish seems to just look just right, mine is Wine Red and whilst I love it, the VF finish seems to just cut it!

 

[Tokaigi]

Hey Jamie!

Yes mate i've played it a lot over the last couple of days and really feel at home with it, it was well worth the wait!!

With regard to it being a genuine 150 i just wanted to know for my own sanity and also so i'd know how to do it in the future

Also about the choking, seriously mate its practically f*ck all! lol im just bein a perfectionist, and im not 100% sure which string it is, but looking at them across the pups the top E (Thinnest) is the lowest of them all, they all sit lovely appart from that one. So how do i go about lifiting just the top E? and also will it lose the balance if im changin it... ?

Other than that, im very very pleased Jamie thank you.

Thanks for all your replies guys. Tunafreak, when ur talkin about Western electric wire and black caps how do i know thats what im lookin at? will it be marked up? also what does the tenon look like? im gonna see if i can have a look tonight but again want to know what im looking for to know when i've found it.

Thanks guys, Jamie

Tok

 

[Pegcityrocker]

This is what the tenon should like on an LS150, as you can see, mine also has LS150 written inside the cavity. You can also see the western electric wires which are white with blue stripes around them. The MK1 pickups have the vintage braided wire which come stock on LS150's. Mine doesn't have black caps; it has orange drop caps which I believe are stock on all of these guitars.
Enjoy your guitar, in my opinion the LS150 is the best bang for the buck that out there.

 

[Badger]

Congrats on your new guitar Tokaigi - hope you enjoy playing it. I can relate to the wait you had to put up with - I'm still waiting for my LS150 from Coda 6 months and waiting......

To alleviate my frustrastion - I find I'm playing my TJ-60 (purchased from coachman).

I have to say - I love the sound of the TJ-60, I think I have fallen in love with the whole P90 sound. I have ordered a Lollar P90 - hope this sounds good!

 

[tudor]

Badger,

I think I have fallen in love with the whole P90 sound. I have ordered a Lollar P90 - hope this sounds good!

The Lollar P90 are some of the best ones available - Congrats !!! :wink:

I am playing the Tele-pups from him and I owned the Imperial HBs - great sound on the Tele - too much mids on the HBs - but the P90must be great !

As I have no experience with them but I'm looking forward to your review ... :lol:

Roger

 

[andi-o]

...Western electric wire and black caps how do i know thats what im lookin at? will it be marked up?...

Hi Tok,

I'll bet your electronics will look like this (it's my LS 150, got it in July)

Orange drop caps & braided wire.

The tenon shurely will look like this:

and when your guitar looks like this, you got a nice one! 8)

Andi

 

[togps]

Pfff, braggart :wink:

 

[TUNAFREAK]

That's sweet. One of the best looking LS 150's I've seen. How heavy is she? I traded mine away, It was very nice but rather heavy. My 320 and 145 are very light and sound oh so sweet! I love P-90's even with all the noise. So Fattttttttttt.

Mark

 

[andi-o]

Hi Mark,

she's somewhere around 3,8 - 3,9 kg, resonant like hell 8)
I put my favourite H?ussel pickups in, VinA2 neck and Angus
for the bridge position. Together with my Diezel this baby screams!


Andi

 

[looktoyourorb]

Very nice LS-150, nearly as nice as my VF model...just kidding...

How do you guys find the pickups? I have just decided to upgrade to a pair of Bareknuckles, preferably as close to the original paf as possible. I'll still keep the original ones tho.

 

[tudor]

looktoyourorb,

if you like to compare something different ... ??


http://www1.gitarrebass.de/magazine/0502/paf.htm

Enjoy !! 8) 8)

Roger

 

[looktoyourorb]

Hi Roger,

Nice clip collection there but I'm now a Bareknuckles converted since I put their Mississipi Queen in my Squier Supersonic (in the neck position / Duesenberg Domino in the brige). It turned a good instrument into a killer guitar with huge nuts. I also love the duesenberg in the bridge, absolute screamer made in Germany!