1982 LS80? LS100? Solid Flametop

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Sigmania

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So, I waited as long as I could watching this one. I can't really afford it, but somehow justified it. Can't remember what I was thinking. LOL.

I have a set of vintage Tokai Kluson style tuners ready to go for it.

Anyway, anyone know what this is? Is it an LS80? I can't tell if the neck pick is a Tokai PAF minus the label or some aftermarket deal.

Guitar has a solid flame maple top, one piece back, FEB.

Thanks for the help!







 
I remember that one. Very nice !

Because it has a circuit board, it's likely not an LS-150.
An LS-120 solid top would be my best guess, since it has a maple top,
and not a solid sycamore top commonly found only on 1982 LS-100 models.

Neither pickup looks original to the guitar but that is the wire color for 57 PAF's.
When you receive it, sprinkling talcum powder (baby powder) on any decal glue residue and blowing the excess off
might help bring out the model number more, if you can't see it outright.

HNGD yet again :)
 
Thanks Reborn Old! For a restoration, would it have had DiMarzio PAFs then?
 
You're more than welcome.
1st dibs should you ever decide to sell it ?

Yes, Dimarzios with triangular end tabs, instead of rectangular end tabs,
and no pickup model #'s on back plates, if it is indeed an LS-100+ model.
 
Thanks! It is what it is. LS80 or whatever. I suspect the flame will photograph better in sunlight or with a flash.

The 1983 LS80 I just got with the solid flame top and three piece body is absolutely amazing. If it's close to that one I am very happy. 😉
 
Depending on how the Grovers were mounted, you may need some resizing collars for the Kluson style tuners. If they did it right, and only drilled partway to fit the Grovers, the Kluson style should be a direct drop-in replacement.

Looks great! I watched that guitar for months. You waited it out and got a very nice price. 80, 100 or 120, it is a beauty!

Regards. My wife is originally from just down the road, in Brevard. Beautiful part of the country.
 
One thing for certain is you have a Seymour Duncan 59 vintage PAF in the bridge. The label looks like it says 59 B J
The B denotes Bridge position.
A J at the end would point to it being wound by MJ (Maricela Juarez) who has been with the company for 30 years. She runs the custom division and her old pickups like these are very well regarded - and may be of some worth.

I've had a pair in my LS since the early 90's and they are excellent.

Score!

 
Thanks guys! Yep I have had those pickups before in a 1983 Ibanez Musician of all things. I did like them, but sold the guitar.

Mick, that is cool. Brevard is a beautiful little town. :)
 
Good point about the tuners. So there is a bushing or something you can fit to make up the difference if they did bore out the headstock?

 
I'm going to change out the Grovers on my LS-100.

I got a set of nickel plated Tonepros Kluson ones that fit in the same way as Grovers (with the screw in bushings and a 10mm hole). The buttons are nice and yellowy white looking and slightly translucent.
 
So I just got this guitar. My heart sank when I turned it over and saw two long straight dark lines across the back that I presumed were seams.



Indoors:



When I looked closer I wasn't so sure. One of them takes a curve on the rim near the pickup selector.



So that's definitely the grain of the wood.

The other line looks just like it and on the rim on the but of the guitar seems to take a little jog as well and I can also see filler in it from the factory. So hoping that's not a seam and wood grain as well Wondering what you guys thought?



My eyes aren't what they used to be and I have to use reading glasses and get in sunlight to see it.
 
I took another look, and the two lines diverge as they go up the body, and they have a slight waver that's hard to see but would be next to impossible for a luthier to match if they were separate body parts. Yay!
 
And for the record, that Seymour Duncan pickup in the bridge position is a screamer! Wow!

The one in the neck position is really weak. Not sure if it's a wiring problem or just a terrible pickup?
 
Edit: The headstock was slightly reamed. Would love to find Kluson style replacements for the rotomatics.
 
Beauty!

Sigmania said:
And for the record, that Seymour Duncan pickup in the bridge position is a screamer! Wow!

Yep. That"ll be an MJ pup for you!

Here's mine on a recoding for former Belgian pop star Matt Bioul from 2009.
Title track "Daystripper". Bridge pup into a cranked fender twin.

http://www.thesixtyone.com/mattbioul/#/s/UHPgRjOdHHW/
 
Nice Geoff ! .. the top grain looks great in sunlight.

Is there any glue residue left where the model # decal was ?
I'm wondering if it was labeled an LS-100 or LS-120 ?
The top is nicer than some LS-150's, IMHO.
 

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