Need help to ID UNKNOWN 1981 Tokai LS model???

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Orthodoc5

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I recently acquired a higher end 1981 Tokai LS model from a seller who did not know the exact model number. The usual model# sticker was missing from the headstock. Click here for link to photos. [/ht...ortant or not. Any help would be appreciated.
 
the Tokia logo doesn't look like it has the cashew lacquer & the pic showing the body end of the fingerboard looks like Indian rosewood.
Going from those two attributes I would say it being a LS-200 is unlikely but that's just one opinion.
I would say either a LS-100, or a LS-150. :)
 
Is the top a veneer or solid? Is the body one piece? Also, what pots are in there? Wondering if it had a PCB and was rewired?

And looks like quite a few mods. Was the top routed for the tremolo?

Edit: I see the top has been routed out for the trem. What a crime to do that to that beautiful guitar.

LXM2Rup.jpg


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Also, what pots are in there? Wondering if it had a PCB and was rewired?
 
guitar hiro said:
the Tokia logo doesn't look like it has the cashew lacquer & the pic showing the body end of the fingerboard looks like Indian rosewood.
Going from those two attributes I would say it being a LS-200 is unlikely but that's just one opinion.
I would say either a LS-100, or a LS-150. :)

Thanks for your input guitar giro. I don’t have much experience ID’ing Brazilian rosewood so that helps. I agree with your headstock logo observation. The few LS-200 images I have seen from this period have a more “Gold-ish” appearing Tokai logo which confirms your observation.
 
Sigmania said:
Is the top a veneer or solid? Is the body one piece? Also, what pots are in there? Wondering if it had a PCB and was rewired?

And looks like quite a few mods. Was the top routed for the tremolo?

Edit: I see the top has been routed out for the trem. What a crime to do that to that beautiful guitar.

Hi Sigmania, thanks for your input. Yes, it has a one-piece body and neck and a 2-piece solid top (no veneer). I’m not sure about whether the pots are original or not. The previous owner did in fact route the heck out of it for that Kahler tremelo.
 
I'm not sure about this, but...

From some reading I have done, it looks like later LS150s had bumblebee caps originally. Not sure about in 1981. Yours seems to have orange drops?

And the LS120 and below would have had a PCB?

Hoping someone else will chime in that knows more?

Wondering if yours had a PCB and was "upgraded" with new caps and pots? Would not surprise me with the other mods.

If so, that would make it an LS80 or LS120 I believe.
 
Wiring in a 1981 LS200 from the catalog.

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Wiring in your guitar.

z7YXcsA.jpg
 
I’ve seen that catalog shot of the wiring so obviously mine is most likely not an LS-200 based upon the differences we’ve discussed. Thanks all for the help...
 
I posted that thinking that the LS150 and LS200 likely had similar wiring if the LS150 did not have the PCB. Hopefully someone can chime and and confirm or deny that.

Your guitar has what looks like Sprague type Orange Drops, and the solder joints, and pots look different from what I can see.

Maybe somewhere in the forum there is a shot of a control cavity of an early 80s LS150? I tried looking, but didn't find much.

If it has been re-wired, then it seems likely that they switched out a PCB which would make it an LS120 or LS 80 I believe? Unless they replaced the wiring for some other reason? They obviously did a lot of mods.

I'll keep looking for pics of old wiring in an LS150. The ones I found were from the 2000s and had CTS pots and bumblebee caps.
 
I found some pics inside of control cavities that another member, Cliff, posted on his Flickr site.

I am not sure if these have original wiring, but think they could be helpful.

These pictures are from a 1980 LS150 that Cliff owns.

Oil caps. Possibly replaced?

Similar pots to ones in catalog of LS200. Note the notch on the top.

Pickups likely changed. Looks like a mix of DiMarzios. (One PAF and one Super Distortion?)

Hopefully Cliff can confirm if this is original wiring if he sees this post.

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And Cliff's 1980 LS200 with same pots, and orange caps shown in the Tokai catalog.

(Seymour Duncan Pickups with steel braided cable. Original?)

TioH9vm.png
 
A different 1980 LS200 of Cliff's.

The black oil caps again.

Steel braided cable for Seymour Duncan (?) 59 PAF pickups.

Same pots as in the others and in the catalog.

lSezYIL.jpg


ocE0d12.jpg
 
And another 1980 LS200 of Cliff's with the orange caps like the catalog. Same pots as catalog.

DiMarzio PAF pickups (Replaced?).


4mkvPkI.jpg
 
A 1981 LS200 of Cliff's.

Again, same orange caps and same pots as Tokai catalog.

DiMarzio PAF pickups covered.

MrY1a09.jpg


VaPVkoh.png
 
And another of Cliff's amazing guitars, a 1982 LS150.

Same orange caps and pots as catalog.


Mjo4fw0.png
 
It's looking like your guitar was likely re-wired (pots & caps switched) based on what I am seeing. That's my best guess.

The LS200s and LS150s I posted all have the same pots as the catalog, which are different than yours. Most also have the same orange caps as in the catalog shot of the LS200 wiring.

Cliff likely changed some of the pickups and possibly some caps to the black oil type. The solder joints on some of the guitars seem to suggest that as well.

Anyway, from what I am seeing I would say it is likely that it had a PCB and someone chucked it when they replaced all four pots and caps.

Looks like your guitar has DiMarzio PAFs as well. Possible previous owner installed covers. One is soldered, the other I don't see any solder?

If it had the PCB, then I would say that your guitar was probably an LS120. If it didn't have a PCB, then an LS150?

I don't think your color finish (VF?) was available as an LS80.

qvNPYpf.png


Hope that is helpful.
 

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