Thanks to a connection I made on my first Tokai purchase, I was able to get help purchasing and importing this 1981 TE55N that was shared here in the Sightings section:
Thread '1981 TE55N'
1981 TE55N
My appreciation to those who routinely post there!
It arrived yesterday, so I started checking electronics while changing the strings. I wasn’t too surprised by the pots being 250k, as we know those have a propensity for replacing the 1 megs.
I was surprised, however, that the pickups weren’t TEB’s, as in my other 1981 TE55N! Closer inspection evinced some subtle disparities:
- TEB bridge bobbin has three holes, where as the mystery bridge pickup has only one
- TEB bridge base plate has two phillips heads (first photo for reference), but mystery bridge pickup has none (subsequent photo).
The neck pickup evinced some subtle disparities too (TEB pictured [rather poorly] first for reference; mystery neck pickup pictured second):
They could be replacements, like the pots, but the wiring, patina, flat poles, etc. all appear commensurate with the age of the guitar.
I welcome ideas about the provenance of these mystery pickups!
Note: TEBs referred to above as found in TE55N with SN 1019514. Mystery pickups residing in TE55N with SN 1018401.
Thread '1981 TE55N'
1981 TE55N
My appreciation to those who routinely post there!
It arrived yesterday, so I started checking electronics while changing the strings. I wasn’t too surprised by the pots being 250k, as we know those have a propensity for replacing the 1 megs.
I was surprised, however, that the pickups weren’t TEB’s, as in my other 1981 TE55N! Closer inspection evinced some subtle disparities:
- TEB bridge bobbin has three holes, where as the mystery bridge pickup has only one
- TEB bridge base plate has two phillips heads (first photo for reference), but mystery bridge pickup has none (subsequent photo).
The neck pickup evinced some subtle disparities too (TEB pictured [rather poorly] first for reference; mystery neck pickup pictured second):
They could be replacements, like the pots, but the wiring, patina, flat poles, etc. all appear commensurate with the age of the guitar.
I welcome ideas about the provenance of these mystery pickups!
Note: TEBs referred to above as found in TE55N with SN 1019514. Mystery pickups residing in TE55N with SN 1018401.