Picked up an '81 GT

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Dana

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Hachioji, Japan
Well, strolled into the local shop with a buddy (who let me go in first ironically) and spotted an '81 Love Rock Goldtop (LS-50). Won't go into details on what I paid 8) . Friend feels cheated I snagged it up when it was kinda his turn to get the next steal.

Excellent condition. Orig pickups. Double whites (look cream but could have started out white) with allen screw pole pieces (DiMarzio's?). Has the circuit board in cavity.

A dam fine guitar! Will take pics of ALL my gitfiddles this weekend if it's nice out. Time to update my webpage.

Dana
 
share some pics of that puppy. You have found the guitar I seek.

For me an old Tokai GT with humbuckers (not P90s) is the Holy Grail of guitars. Don't ask me why, it must be that Boston/Tom Scholz thing.

Ned
 
Just a few pics I took today. I need to clean all my gitfiddles (11?) before I take my newest family photo.

Definitely will take more as I open her up and explore.

http://www.backyardbullet.com/GT.html


Dana
 
gkelm said:
Congrats! I had one of those...'81 GT...long tenon neck joint! The pups are probably Tokai/Gotoh (at least mine were, as labeled on the bottom).
Greg
Congrats Dana!
I also picked up a 1981 Loverock on Thursday, but the top is Cherry red, so her name is, of course, "Cherry" (though now a bit faded to a lighter red).
It also has the long tenon neck joint, & the double cream p'ups with the allen-screws you mention. They are "Tokai PAF 2" made for Tokai by Gotoh, standard at that time. Mine also has the circuit board in cavity, may leave this, but will prolly rewire point-to-point with CTS 500 pots & a pair of really nice oil & paper capacitors : - DMC 'Bumble Bees" or maybe Jensen or NOS Spragues, should improve the tone a bit, espescially when the tone pots are backed off a little..

Played the Conrad Hotel here in Hong Kong with it Friday night (7-piece band) & then a 3-hour gig with a 'British' late 60's 'power trio' on Saturday night. Plays beautifully, but may replace the p/ups with Lindy Fralins eventually.

Tok2.JPG


More pics on my web pages (near bottom of page, click any pic for big slide show) here:-
http://homepage.mac.com/cybercat/PhotoAlbum7.html
Cheers!

Bill, Hong Kong.
 
Congrats Bill.

That is one fine looking guitar ya got there.

I dug the sound mine made thru a Hot Rod Deville. Not sure about a pickup change yet, as I'm still tweaking it here and there.

Dana
 
Another nice looking GT just turned up on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2558615443&category=2384
 
Nik Lloyd said:
Another nice looking GT just turned up on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2558615443&category=2384
Thanks for the heads-up Nick, have sent the details to my friend Gregg in UK, as he's after one of these, from '81 or ealier.

He recently bought a nice old Fender Japan Strat off the same eBay seller ('Katana Guitars'), and had it shipped to me to try out. After a re-fret & set-up by Simon Pinder here in Hong Kong, it's turned out to be a very nice guitar. He took it back to UK a few weeks ago.

He now has 8 Stratocasters, including USA Custom Shop, MIJ & MIM, - but he says without any hesitation whatsoever that his Tokai Springy Sound is the best! 8)
 
Hey Cybercat,

That cherry Love Rock may not be quite what you think it is.

Can you give a few more details about the top, and pickup cavities and the pickups.

Peter Mac
 
Peter Mac said:
Hey Cybercat,
That cherry Love Rock may not be quite what you think it is.
Can you give a few more details about the top, and pickup cavities and the pickups. Peter Mac

Hi Peter, g'day!

Well, I took one of the p'ups out to look (& 'flip the magnet" a la Peter Green) & they seem to be the original Gotohs as on all Loverocks of this era, as far as I know. The pickup ring on one was broken (as you can see in the pics) when I got it, but I have fixed it now with some super-glue.

The top is a plain Cherry red (seems to be nitro, maybe very thin polyester I guess?) that has faded a little since it was made in '81 (it's a little darker inside the cavities).

What was it you think it might be, then ?

William.
 

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