Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Twinfan on July 27, 2007, 11:04:13 AM

Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Twinfan on July 27, 2007, 11:04:13 AM
Well, she's here and she's a beauty  :D

Here she is fitted with a potted Mule in the bridge and the original Wilkinson neck pickup (which is pretty nice - sorry Tim   :oops:).  The bridge pickup was way too hot though, and the Mule balances the neck and bridge volume/tone out superbly.

(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Relicside.jpg)

Pros:

Very light
Very resonant
Great matt finish
Looks a million dollars
Plays superbly
Lovely sustain and sweetness of tone

Cons:

The final poly(?) lacquer is OVER the relic-ing   :roll:
Feels a bit plastic-y
Original bridge pickup way too hot and fizzy
Original wiring was a complete mess (I've gutted it and re-wired it)

Overall:

A cracking guitar and it sits in between my other two Les Pauls tone-wise.  My Gibson Standard is very bright sounding and very vintage-y.  My Pearl Custom is thick sounding and rocks like a good 'un.  The Relic is somewhere inbetween - a great all rounder.

Here they all are as a set - my 1960 Standard, my 1959 Standard and my 1973 Custom  ;)

(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/ThePauls.jpg)
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Philly Q on July 27, 2007, 11:09:13 AM
A very good looking trio - like the cast of Charmed (not that I watch it).

I've forgotten - what pickups do you have on the Pearl?
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: samoth2 on July 27, 2007, 11:42:07 AM
I like Charmed :P

And I also like the guitars..
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Twinfan on July 27, 2007, 12:26:13 PM
Quote from: Philly Q
I've forgotten - what pickups do you have on the Pearl?


The Pearl has some non-BKPs in.  I'll send you a PM with the details in as Tim isn't paying for their advertising.  They're only cheapies but I like them.

The Pearl I have tuned to Eb to keep a bit of tension off it as the neck joint has some wood shrinkage, plus it's good for those Slash/Thin Lizzy moments  ;)
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: mesfigas on July 27, 2007, 01:39:07 PM
You have three beautifull guitars !!!!!!!!!!

I own a Tokai loves rock LS-180 ...(one piece maple curly top and one piece mahogany back.....Ebony fretboard)

The bridge is abraxas alnico 4 and the neck is John suhr ssv alnico 5.

My guitar sounds warm bright and  Thick.

The next pickup set will be the VHII set.

I try to find a pickup set not so bright because the ebony fretboard
already makes my sound bright.....i need something warm and a little dark.

Tokai rules.
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Dazza1004 on July 27, 2007, 01:48:16 PM
hey twin, how many guitars have you got ?
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: JamesHealey on July 27, 2007, 03:17:41 PM
VHII's are quite bright pickups i'd be tempted to try the Black Dog instead of the VHII if your guitar is too bright.
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: noodleplugerine on July 27, 2007, 04:22:29 PM
Gorgeous guitar - But how much extra did you pay for the relic'ing? :S
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: mesfigas on July 27, 2007, 06:08:03 PM
Quote from: JamesHealey
VHII's are quite bright pickups i'd be tempted to try the Black Dog instead of the VHII if your guitar is too bright.




Yes  i think you are right.

Thanks
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: 38thBeatle on July 27, 2007, 06:21:54 PM
Very nice my dual air moving friend.
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: dave_mc on July 27, 2007, 06:32:37 PM
very nice!

 :twisted:
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Twinfan on July 28, 2007, 12:09:50 AM
Quote from: Dazza1004
hey twin, how many guitars have you got ?


Ahem.  :oops:   20 currently, two on order.  I have a couple of Ibanez RGs I need to sell.

That's too many, right?
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Twinfan on July 28, 2007, 12:11:47 AM
Quote from: noodleplugerine
Gorgeous guitar - But how much extra did you pay for the relic'ing? :S


I didn't pay any extra as I bought it used  :D

The poor bugger who bought it new will have paid around £400 for the privilige...
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Ted on July 28, 2007, 01:13:48 AM
Quote from: Twinfan
Quote from: Dazza1004
hey twin, how many guitars have you got ?


Ahem.  :oops:   20 currently, two on order.  I have a couple of Ibanez RGs I need to sell.

That's too many, right?


You must have an understanding other half...  8)
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on July 28, 2007, 01:33:39 AM
That guitar is a stunner!!
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: horsehead on July 28, 2007, 07:18:48 AM
Twin, it's very Jimmy Page-esc with the front covered & the back open...were you going for that look?

Damn I love Tokai's
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Dazza1004 on July 28, 2007, 08:06:58 AM
Quote from: Twinfan
Quote from: Dazza1004
hey twin, how many guitars have you got ?


Ahem.  :oops:   20 currently, two on order.  I have a couple of Ibanez RGs I need to sell.

That's too many, right?


no way man, it's like justification for me to go out and buy more and have a clean conscience
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Twinfan on July 28, 2007, 11:53:36 AM
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
That guitar is a stunner!!


Cheers TO - I love it too  :D

Quote from: horsehead
Twin, it's very Jimmy Page-esc with the front covered & the back open...were you going for that look?


Yeah, I think Page's is a double black in the bridge?  I had this spare Zebra Mule lying around waiting for a guitar so it seemed the obvious place to put it.  I don't usually like the mix of covered/uncovered but in the Relic it seems to work really well.  On a "minter" I think it would look odd.

Quote from: Dazza1004
no way man, it's like justification for me to go out and buy more and have a clean conscience


Go for it  ;)

Quote from: Ted
You must have an understanding other half...


Yup I do.  She's a cracker  :D
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Twinfan on July 30, 2007, 11:35:34 PM
Well I've been playing the Relic for most of tonight, and it sounds and feels better than my Gibson Les Paul Standard  :oops:  I can't believe how great it sounds.  The Standard has unpotted Mules too   :o

The Gibson is too bright and shrill sounding so I'm going to put the original tailpiece back on it when I next change strings (it currently has a lightweight aluminium one fitted).  Hopefully that will smooth the tone out a bit.

I now understand the whole Tokai thing - the good ones really are very good!
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Philly Q on July 31, 2007, 12:40:34 AM
Quote from: Twinfan
The Gibson is too bright and shrill sounding so I'm going to put the original tailpiece back on it when I next change strings (it currently has a lightweight aluminium one fitted).  Hopefully that will smooth the tone out a bit.

That's interesting... I was thinking of getting one of those tailpieces for my Orville (mostly just as a weight reduction exercise, even a sub-9lb LP feels heavy to me).  Food for thought...
Title: My Tokai Love Rock Relic (pics and review)
Post by: Twinfan on July 31, 2007, 08:43:35 AM
It might not be the tailpiece, it may be that the extra sparkle of unpotted humbuckers doesn't work for my ears.  Or I might have freakishly high treble-based Mules as a result of the scatter winding.  I'll know more after the tailpiece swap...