Tokai guitar Love Rock 1980

[Dalko]

Thanks man!

I like the guitar, very good feelings with the neck, body, everything.

The finish doesn't shine as much as poly would have done, probably lacquer over something ... this is the feeling i have.

But, it has class.

Today i will try again with WD40 and screws ...

 

[Dalko]

OK,

No way to turn the screws of pickup rings for the moment ... I do not want to risk breaking a screw or two by the useful ones that I have.
It must be done by a professional luthier.

Anyway, since my curiosity was too strong, I decided to unscrew the pickups,even if it's not what we usually do, because their screws were turning very well.

So the guitar has "PAF Made by Goto", as assumed here, and the trend of an LS80 is confirmed. Especially since I could see the presence of a maple top with a "center seam", barely visible, but present. Ok, that would be an LS80.

So, why the f... this number "50" ?

I took some photos:

 

[Dalko]

More pictures:

 

[Sigmania]

Oh cool. Glad you were able to look.

So, why the f... this number "50" ?

And are you familiar with the terms “pattern recognition” or “matrixing”? It’s the phenomenon of our brains finding patterns or images in otherwise unrelated information.

I see what you are saying, but don’t think it is actually numbers for several reasons.

First, if that were a 5 it would be heavily distorted and not like the one in the 50 sticker I linked above.

Second, if I’m trying to see a number it is easy for me to see “350”. But again it’s distorted and a trick of the eye.

And third, if you notice the sticker I posted you will see that the numbers were actually white, not black.

I believe you are seeing glue residue and the black paint background behind it. Where the glue has been scraped away it looks darker.

There’s one scraped area that looks like the top of the 5 you are seeing. And another that comes in at a right angle and together suggests part of a 5.

But I think it’s two unrelated things that seen together look like a 5.

Glad you were able to get inside and verify some things.

Definitely worth restoring.

Btw, is that big white arrow a sticker or paint over the finish? Just curious how you are planning to get it off?

 

[Dalko]

I must have looked at it about 20 times, and each time I see a "50", where the sticker has been torn and peeled off. Glue and paper remain, the inner half of the sticker, and therefore paper, remains glued...

In short, I think I'm going to completely remove all the residue from this sticker, it's easier.

The big white arrow is a sticker.
I think I'm going to bring it all back to a professional luthier, to install the output jack, and peel off the two unnecessary stickers.
Can also be to change the pickups, or the electronics, it depends.

In my spares I have an incredible number of pickups etc ... What I miss is the time to take care of them, to go to luthiers etc ...

I think I will do it once in retirement, maybe before, who knows?

 

[Sigmania]

That guitar will sing with a set of nice pickups. I put vintage DiMarzio PAFs in my '79 LS80.

And I find Goo Gone adhesive remover works well at removing the residue from stickers. I don't think it would harm the finish on that guitar, but I don't know for sure.

Good luck!

 

[Dalko]

Thanks man!