Special order LS50 paintjob?

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Puck Luck

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Location
Centereach,NY
20220811_214825691_ios-min-e1660401434877.jpg

Link with more pics
https://guitarrestos.com/1982-tokai-ls50-joe-walsh-paintjob/

Hey all, I recently acquired this guitar thinking it may have been a LS100OR and boy was I mistaken. lol I'm thinking it is an LS50. Question is they don't come in this color as far as I can tell. Think this was a special order? It looks too well done to be a repaint to me. It looks like it has a 3pc maple cap from the seams under the paint and the pickups are ls50 correct for a 1982 judging by other pics and the 18k resistance, the paint is not metallic at all so I don't think its an LS60MR. It looks pretty original and unmolested. What do the Tokai experts here think? lol
 
There was a similar one on eBay from Japan for a while.

I was thinking it was metallic red (MR).

Cool guitar. Looks nice with the green case.
 
Nevermind, you must be talking about this one. lol https://www.ebay.com/itm/174774822699?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A10rj-pHrTTAmLOuOyRtsTqw38&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174774822699&targetid=1587262742097&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9004491&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1587262742097&abcId=9300697&merchantid=112016914&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl92XBhC7ARIsAHLl9am5tyZDyC9OcVUhtg33VM9Wtss7hy_pVuz9_PpjMgFhzaEs6vaYJsMaAoKQEALw_wcB
 
Puck Luck said:
Nevermind, you must be talking about this one. lol https://www.ebay.com/itm/174774822699?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A10rj-pHrTTAmLOuOyRtsTqw38&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174774822699&targetid=1587262742097&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9004491&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1587262742097&abcId=9300697&merchantid=112016914&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl92XBhC7ARIsAHLl9am5tyZDyC9OcVUhtg33VM9Wtss7hy_pVuz9_PpjMgFhzaEs6vaYJsMaAoKQEALw_wcB

Yep. Notice the tag in the case even looks like it says LS60MR.

Not listed in the 1981 or 1982 catalogs as a color option though. Interesting.

Added cost for non catalog color increases the price normally. It’s 5,000 yen for Fender style guitars for the body. The back and neck are painted on this one too. Wonder if that could increase it from an LS50 to 60?

ZEOy5MZ.jpg


rFb3uqJ.png


3CdWOGm.jpg
 
Looks like a dang fine guitar whatever it is.

Puck Luck said:
the pickups are ls50 correct for a 1982 judging by other pics and the 18k resistance,

Wow, did Tokai use super hot pickups like that in the early 1980's?
I always thought they were half that, more like PAF.

I haven't tried the Maxon made V-2's I have at around 16k in my Reborn yet.
 
Sigmania said:
Puck Luck said:
Nevermind, you must be talking about this one. lol https://www.ebay.com/itm/174774822699?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A10rj-pHrTTAmLOuOyRtsTqw38&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174774822699&targetid=1587262742097&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9004491&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1587262742097&abcId=9300697&merchantid=112016914&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl92XBhC7ARIsAHLl9am5tyZDyC9OcVUhtg33VM9Wtss7hy_pVuz9_PpjMgFhzaEs6vaYJsMaAoKQEALw_wcB

Yep. Notice the tag in the case even looks like it says LS60MR.

Not listed in the 1981 or 1982 catalogs as a color option though. Interesting.

Added cost for non catalog color increases the price normally. It’s 5,000 yen for Fender style guitars for the body. The back and neck are painted on this one too. Wonder if that could increase it from an LS50 to 60?

ZEOy5MZ.jpg


rFb3uqJ.png


3CdWOGm.jpg

I thought I've seen it in a catalog somewhere but my mind is Jello at this point. Here is another LS60MR on ebay. I've seen a few of these doing searches through old posts in the various forums. Just never a non-metallic red paint LS50 yet.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234443536439?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1S2anmXG9QLWt_hGHgLoboQ93&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=234443536439&targetid=1587262742097&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9004491&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1587262742097&abcId=9300697&merchantid=559960357&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3eeXBhD7ARIsAHjssr8LQShjI4kDF7bUN9uN_sXBO9BGHfnfVFPJfxiHrYK6qolICW1xZU8aAmmAEALw_wcB
 
Loudmouse said:
Looks like a dang fine guitar whatever it is.

Puck Luck said:
the pickups are ls50 correct for a 1982 judging by other pics and the 18k resistance,

Wow, did Tokai use super hot pickups like that in the early 1980's?
I always thought they were half that, more like PAF.

I haven't tried the Maxon made V-2's I have at around 16k in my Reborn yet.
I have no Idea, If these are the LS Dynamic-II pickups like I think, they were only used in 1982 apparently on the LS50 only. The upper range models got the better pickups.
 
https://reverb.com/item/30161051-1982-tokai-love-rock-ls50-1958-model-vintage-electric-guitar-ebony-japan

This is a listing from a while back that sold for a 1982 LS50 and the seller mentions the pickups and resistance, which match mine in spec and looks. Only other resistance reference I've found to compare so far.
 
Puck Luck said:
Loudmouse said:
Looks like a dang fine guitar whatever it is.

Puck Luck said:
the pickups are ls50 correct for a 1982 judging by other pics and the 18k resistance,

Wow, did Tokai use super hot pickups like that in the early 1980's?
I always thought they were half that, more like PAF.

I haven't tried the Maxon made V-2's I have at around 16k in my Reborn yet.
I have no Idea, If these are the LS Dynamic-II pickups like I think, they were only used in 1982 apparently on the LS50 only. The upper range models got the better pickups.

Here's what I have found ere: the LS Dynamic pickups.

There were 4 different pickups called LS Dynamic in a year (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2).

They first appeared in LS50s in 1981.

"LS Dynamic I" had hexagonal pole pieces,

The first version (1.1) had a "T" stamp on the base plate and Pat Applied For in black ink.

1KTY4bA.png

"LS DYNAMIC I Version 1" with hex poles.

nFEFTjF.png

1981 LS50BB Inkie Nagano. "LS DYNAMIC"

LS Dynamic I, Version 1 (1.1)
Goto.
Open dbl cream.
Hexagonal pole pieces.
LS50.
1981.
"T" ink mark
Ink “Patent Applied For made by goto"
Neck:
Bridge:

The second version, (1.2) had "GOTOH" stamped into the metal. Still have hexagonal poles.

FuTZVPE.jpg

"LS DYNAMIC I Version 2" with hex poles.

sE7kHqd.jpg

1981 LS50BB SN 1014626

LS Dynamic I, Version 2 (1.2)
Goto.
Open dbl cream.
Hexagonal pole pieces.
LS50.
1981.
"GOTOH" stamped into metal baseplate
Neck:
Bridge:

Sometime before the end of 1981 there was a completely different pickup in LS50s called “LS Dynamic II” in the catalog description of the LS50BB.

The first version (2.1) had "GOTOH" stamped into the metal base plate.


oyoReum.png

LS Dynamic II with square windows.

6IQTaWy.png

LS Dynamic II Version 1. From a 1981 LS50

LS Dynamic II, Version 1 (2.1)
Open double cream
"GOTOH" stamped.
White coil side has adjustable slot heads.
LS50.
1981/82
Neck:
Bridge:

The second version like yours had a blank base plate (2.2).


1982-ls50-ls-dynamic-ii-bobbin.jpg

LS Dynamic II Version 2

1982-ls50-ls-dynamic-ii-back.jpg

1982 LS50 shown (Puck Luck)

"LS Dynamic II, Veriosn 2" (2.2)
Open Double Cream
Unmarked base
LS50.
1982
Neck: 17.95
Bridge: 17.75k
 

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