NGD 1981 LS100S ON All Mahogany Love Rock

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Sigmania

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Hi all,

I just got this guitar off eBay in the US. Arrived yesterday and I had a chance to play it briefly yesterday and today. Really loving it. Love the sustain, and the tone with the DiMarzio PAFs and the mahogany.

It seems to be one solid piece of mahogany all the way through? Hard to tell with the dark wood. Anyone else know?

(Edit: Discovered it is a 1 piece top over 1 piece body after opening pickup cavity)

Also, no nibs. I am wondering if someone replaced the frets? I was scratching my head because it is so clean and has no wear on the fret board, but am now wondering if they wanted bigger frets? I don’t even see remnants of nibs. Special order?? I may need to measure these frets and see if they are bigger than their standard wire. Sounds amazing tho.

(Edit: Discovered it was re-fretted while still in Japan, sold on eBay in 2018 to and American buyer and disclosed by Japanese seller then.)

Seems to be all original otherwise except the bridge was switched to a TABR-1 (I have the original), and a new jack/jack plate.

(Edit: TRC changed to Gibson type TRC)

And it’s a chunk. The seller said 9 lbs 10 oz. I saw another post where someone called these hogs. Now I get the double entendre.

Anyway, just wanted to share since I just figured out how to host pics again since Photobucket really let me down when they started charging folks for access to pics they already had posted on their site when it was free.... Grrr.

Hope you like it. Still looking for an appropriate case for it. The dark wood on this guitar kind of disappears in that generic black lined case.

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looks like a nice example 8) likely (mostly) original

too bad about the extra 'heavy girl' weight & the re-fret :(

what is the neck thickness/profile like
 
Thanks. I just got done playing it at volume. Oh my @#%...... That thing is a beast... :eek:

I'm kind of speechless. It sings basically. Like the experience I'm sure we all have had where the guitar seems to play itself and make you a better player. I don't know if that is the wood, or the frets, or the heavier strings that came on it, or just mojo, but man...

This is also my first all mahogany Les Paul, so I have nothing to compare it to.

I wasn't sure about buying it because that grain was so dark and I am a big fan of flamey wood, but it kept nagging at me and I eventually pulled the trigger and am so glad that I did. Another amazing Tokai.

Just off hand with out measuring it feels a bit like a 58 neck? Like it is slightly deeper than what I consider a 59 profile.

Here is what the seller put in the listing: "The neck has a "C" shape and is similar to Gibson's thicker 50's shape. The nut is 1.70" wide, it measures 0.88" thick at the 1st fret and 1.00" thick at the 12th fret. Actual weight is 9 lbs 10 oz."

I'm sure other folks will chime in that have one of these and can help me get my head around this thing. I saw in another thread that Cliff had sold one and said he liked the sound of these. I'm a newbie to the all mahogany thing.
 
And I’m still not convinced this guitar was refretted. I can’t see any indication of removed nibs and there’s pretty much no wear on the fretboard that I can see. It all seems very mysterious to me. Maybe I’m missing something?

(Edit: Discovered it was re-fretted while still in Japan, sold on eBay in 2018 to and American buyer and disclosed by Japanese seller then.)


Also, how common are these? I’ve only seen one other on line (Reverb) and it’s a 1985 example that I suspect is the one Cliff had. Anyone else have or had one?
 
your next to last photo, pic with the pickups removed, demonstrates fret ends are clearly over the binding; that would not be a typical feature of FEB.

If it hasn't been re-fretted then (1) it never had FEB (2) it's not a 100; both of which are extremely unlikely

rock that puppy like a hurricane
 
Amen!

And I just had it out and was looking at it in the morning sunlight. The light was at an angle and I could see the remnants of where the nibs were removed on one of the last frets toward the body. So... it was re-fretted, but thankfully done well.

I appreciate you all being patient with me while I figured this out. LOL. That was a head scratcher.

But it's still a beast nibs or no nibs. Love the sound and feel of this thing.

Thanks again!
 
Also, anyone else seen an all mahogany Love Rock? If so, can you point me to the thread that it's in? I am having trouble finding one other than the one Cliff mentioned that he sold. Presuming that is the 1985 one?
 
I just got done playing this guitar again.

One thing it seems to do is harmonize with itself. There is something going on where the whole guitar seems to resonate with a single note even over a wide range of the fretboard, giving it a fullness I don't know if I have experienced quite like this before in a guitar. And I have owned a lot of amazing Japanese guitars, and have been looking for this for many years.

There is definitely something special about this thing. Starting to wonder who the previous owner was... If they show up in the future, or anyone knows about the history of this guitar, please let me know. PM me.

It came from the San Diego area, so no telling who owned it.
 
Sigmania said:
Also, anyone else seen an all mahogany Love Rock? If so, can you point me to the thread that it's in? I am having trouble finding one other than the one Cliff mentioned that he sold. Presuming that is the 1985 one?


there are at least two different 1981 catalogs that show what looks to be your guitar model; one pictured with pickup covers & one pictured with double white bobbin pickups. Both photos are listed as LS 100S-ON. This should be the all hog body example. Pretty sure that's what you have (all hog body/no maple) but I could be wrong; maybe others can chime in.
 
Thanks. Yes, it’s definitely all mahogany. In fact, it appears to be one piece for the entire body, including the carved top. The grain seems to be continuous from the top thru the binding to the side and back, and of course across the back AND top. I’m guessing this has a lot to do with it being so resonant. And if it’s anything like acoustics, I bet this guitar has opened up from being played based on the way it sounds and the need for the frets mentioned above.

(Edit: Discovered it is a 1 piece top over 1 piece body after opening pickup cavity)
 
I had read that the “S” stands for solid.

The other abbreviations are for finishes I would guess?

Is there one in the catalog with this finish?
 
Found a thread on this guitar!!

It was sold on eBay in Japan in 2018 it looks like?

The seller on eBay, "japan_strings_instrument", said it is a two piece top, one piece back. But I looked with a flashlight and don’t see a seam in the top. There is a mineral streak in the wood off center, but it’s not continuous and is part of the grain it looks like to me and not two pieces of wood.

Here’s the link to the other thread.

(Note comments about rarity and sustain).

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=24435




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There is one on Reverb that had its neck shaved down.

https://reverb.com/item/285528-1981-tokai-love-rock-ls-100s-mahogany-top

The description on there by the seller, who may be a member here since they have a 1979 LS120 as well, is interesting even tho the guitar was modified. Speaks to how it sounds:

About This Listing
1981 Tokai Love Rock LS-100S

As with my '79 Reborn LS-120, I assume you're familiar with MIJ Les Pauls if you're even looking at this auction, so I'll skip all the basics, please contact me if you need more info on what this guitar is & why its special. . .

Single piece mahogany body AND single piece mahogany slab top!!! Ultra rare model, early, pre-CNC, hand-built Love Rock. This sucker is barely over 8lbs & rings like a bell!!! Total beater in all the best ways, neck shaved from the original '59 spec carve to a '60s slim taper, left unfinished with great transitions from nitro-to-wood & back again, feels VERY nice. Well executed/clean home-brew headstock repair, seems totally solid, sounds fantastic both unplugged & plugged in. Ages ago cheap aftermarket tuners were fitted, previous owner removed these & replaced them w/ the correct Gotoh/Kluson style tuners & repair bushings. Ships in a correct black/green Tokai case & includes the PCB (full sized MIJ pots + mojo caps + shielded '50s wiring fitted by PO) If you are a fan of honest-to-goodness play wear, this guitar will BLOW YOUR MIND - elsewise, keep on moving, nothing to see here. . .

Acquired this guitar very recently, in love with everything about it except the shaved neck. *IF* I were a fan of a '60s slim taper type neck, my search would be over. I put my favorite Seth Lovers in this guitar & it simply SINGS. I had thought it would be dark due to the single piece mahogany cap, NOT SO. It gives my '79 LS-120 a run for its money, maybe even more complex than the Reborn. LOVE LOVE LOVE it, but the slim neck just doesn't work for me. I am actively looking to replace this guitar with the EXACT same model w/o modification. . .

Please see all Pix! Tried my darnedest to show the variation in how the finish looks under different lighting situations/viewing angles - sometimes its a gorgeous brown, somtimes more red, sometimes looks opaque, sometimes the grain is very clear - LOVE IT!!!
 
Offered for 2yrs only in Old Red, Gold Top and Old Natural. S is for solid and from Peter's book " 1 piece carved Mahogany body" not capped then. Dimarzio pups as std.
 
Thank you. Thank you all. Really helps.

I love this place. Thanks guys!
 
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