Talbo pickup system.....hum reduction unit?

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Bluesbrush

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The leads for the single coil pickups in my Talbo go into a taped up cylinder (about 1 1/2" (38mm) diameter) before going to the volume/tone controls. I have seen them in Talbos but no other Tokais.
Does anyone know what this unit is?
Is this some sort of hum-reduction unit?
Has anyone seen them noted in catalogs?
Cheers
Pete
 
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Rare-83-Tokai-Talbo-Alum-guitar-same-as-played-by-INXS_W0QQitemZ230281300213QQihZ013QQcategoryZ155124QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There is a photo of the unit on Australian ebay at the moment.
 
Pete,

I have only looked under the bonnet of the later model Talbos, and have not seen that unit.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the Fernandes Sustainer system. There is some vague connection with Fernandes associated with the Talbo Secret Factory models that are currently being made in Japan.

Just a thought.

The models we have don't seem to have it.
 
I've got a humbucker-sized Fernandes sustainer in a guitar I handbuilt ages ago, and there's nothing in there that could even be shrunk down to such a discrete and weird looking unit!
 
It doesnt seem to increase gain or sustain and is connected to all 3 pickups so I am assuming it is not a sustainer type circuit.

I have seen this unit on every 80's Talbo I have opened up. All of these were of the strat pickup configuration. They all have the 3 pickup wires going in to the taped up cylinder from the pickups and then 3 wires coming out going direct to the pickup switch. Perhaps there are three "dummy coils", inductors, capacitors or even circuits for each pickup inside this cylinder. What I do note is the pickups were all standard 6K Tokai strat type winds so whatever it is is additove to the circuit.

I have a Tokai strat so I will compare them under some fluro's to see if one hums less.
 
I think we have an answer!!!

Found this thread over at the Music Electronics Forum that shows one of the packages partially unwrapped. It is from an 82 Tokai Strat so it appears that these were not just restricted to Talbos but just to the era appx 1982 to 1985.

http://music-electronics-forum.com/showthread.php?p=58951#poststopJust found th

The package looks like lots of pickup cable coiled up. This effectively reduces some high end similar to using long cables.

David Schwab on the Music Electronics Forum stated "My guess is it's like the old PRS sweet switch, which simulated a length of cable to roll some top end off, which was useful when the guitar was used with a wireless setup."

I would have to agree based on my findings tonight. Definitely not a dummy coil and definitely no resistor/cap network....lots of cable to get rid of a bit of harshness.

Well done Tokai for going the extra mile for sonic improvement.

I usually roll the tone slightly off my Strat treble pickups but I will try 16 feet of rolled up cable inside just for that pickup.....and maybe get 16 tons of tone.
 

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