My 2003 MIJ Tokai LP

[MiniForklift]

Enjoyed reading the Greco thread and looking at the pics of Oldie’s stunning new addition. Thought I’d share a couple of pics of my #1; I’ve actually had this one for quite a while and out of the other LP’s and even an R7 Goldtop this is the one that I always reach for

Feels and sounds like it’s improved tonally since I’ve had it, maybe because it’s played every day and rarely in its case. It’s a 2003 MIJ although I’ve never been able to find the model number, nothing stamped or written anywhere that I can see. Has some greening starting on the top and the binding has faded into that creamy yellow colour. There's something special about it and I'm not even sure what it is, but I'm glad I have it

[Mattress5]

Welcome back!

[MiniForklift]

Cheers Matt, hope you are keeping well? I’m meeting up with jeremyb tomorrow for a coffee, I’m going to give him a pack of the Curt Mangan’s I bought from you to try - I think they’re great

[MiniForklift]

Have to give kudos to Chur for the electronics tidy up he did on it last year. The good part was that the previous owner had upgraded to paper in oil caps but the bad was that the work was really roughly done

He ended up spending an afternoon on it, pulled out all of the wires and tidied up the mess that it was. Seemed to think that the pots could be original (500k, MIJ)? Before & after shot for reference

[hamo]

Ohhh I like that

[MiniForklift]

Ohhh I like that

It's not the most striking or 'flamey' top, but everything I look for in a good LP is there in spades. Weighs just under 4kg, very resonant when unplugged, neck profile is somewhere between a 58-59 and extremely dynamic when running into an amp (articulate down the bottom and that airy honkiness when you're playing near the top)

Spent $300 on a couple of upgrades. It had some awful stupid Kluson style tuners on when I got it, the ones where you put the string through and then tighten them up on the front so it clamps the string down. Have never came across them before but I struggled with them and they made string changes a real PITA! Finally swapped those out just before Christmas for a set of very lightly aged Gotoh's, no issues with these ones at all. I also replaced the original tailpiece with a Gotoh aged aluminium one - a noticeable difference in weight when you're holding both of them

Upgrading the pickups doesn't really interest me as I really like whatever's in there, will have to have a look and see what they are next time I change the strings. Assume they're just whatever were in it when it left the factory, guessing they're likely Gotoho MkII's

[MiniForklift]

It had some awful stupid Kluson style tuners on when I got it, the ones where you put the string through and then tighten them up on the front so it clamps the string down. Have never came across them before but I struggled with them and they made string changes a real PITA!

[MiniForklift]

I’ve got something incoming later today so if that stacks up how I think it should… this one may have to leave the nest

[chur]

I’ve got something incoming later today so if that stacks up how I think it should… this one may have to leave the nest

Nooooo, don't do it, you know the one you currently have is the one for you
I say this as it's outlived many high end Gibbos

[MiniForklift]

Restrung the old girl last night . Have been having a switcharoo with some old parts, chucked on this Faber tailpiece that’s been outside in our garden since 2020

[MiniForklift]

It’s a 2003 MIJ although I’ve never been able to find the model number, nothing stamped or written anywhere that I can see.

The original owner tracked me down a while back to let me know it's an LS80F. He purchased it in Japan before bringing it back to NZ with him