Tokai LC-85 Ltd Ed – Even better than the real thing?

Through some rather clever bargaining on his part, one of my sons recently got his hands on this – a Tokai LC-85.

The LC-85 is one of the top-end, Made-in-Japan-Tokais, and is their – shall we say – ”tribute” to the post-1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom.

We have a one-piece mahogany neck, which in this limited edition version is oil-finished, instead of lacquered in black.

The ebony fingerboard carries jumbo frets, as well as pearloid fret markers. Master luthier Juha Lottonen has given this guitar a fret polishing, as well as a new bone nut.

The body is made from a mahogany back and a carved maple top. Black and white binding gives the guitar a deluxe look.

As this guitar was acquired used the gold-coloured plating on the hardware shows some cool signs of wear. The bridge is a Gotoh tune-o-matic. The pickups are Tokai’s own PAF-Vintage Mark II -models.

And here’s a look at the sealed Gotoh-tuners…

This guitar plays like a dream – the feel is really effortless and fluid.

Tonally the Tokai PAF-style pickups sound great and lively, and they have a vintage style, medium output. It’s a fantastic humbucker tone with a little added sprinkle of bite, brought to the mix by the maple top and the ebony fretboard.

The only thing probably worth upgrading sometime, may be the slightly stiff, boxed three-way toggle selector.

Stay tuned for some soundbites in the near future…

05/10/2011 1

Schecter PT – the guitar that started it all

The year was 1979 and The Who’s Pete Townshend was looking for a sturdier and lighter guitar than his modded Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.

Townshend’s then guitar technician Alan Rogan went out and bought a humbucker-equipped Telecaster-style guitar made from Schecter parts in New York.

Pete fell in love with the guitar, and a while later commisioned more guitars using Schecter parts from British luthier Roger Giffin.

When Giffin went to the USA to work for Gibson’s West Coast Custom Shop, Schecter started building the Townshend-model themselves (before this they had mostly manufactured parts, and only a handful one-off-guitars).

Schecter is still manufacturing the PT-model, these days it’s part of their mid-priced Diamond-series.

15/09/2011 0

Schecter PT – firman kulmakivi

The Who -yhtyeen kitaristi Pete Townshend oli etsimässä vuonna 1979 kestävämmän ja kevyemmän kitaran kuin hänen silloin käyttämä modifioitu Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.

Townshendin silloinen kitarateknikko Alan Rogan hanki pomolleen Schecter-osista kasatun, Telecaster-tyylisen kitaran kahdella humbuckerilla.

Pete innostui kitarasta niin, että pyysi brittiläisen kitararakentajan Roger Giffiniä valmistamaan hänellä vielä muutama soitin lisää Schecter-osista.

Kun Giffin sai työtä Gibson Custom Shopilta, Schecter itse aloitti Townshend-kitaran valmistuksen piensarjassa, josta alkoi firman varsinainen taival kitaravalmistajana (ennen sitä ne möi vain kitaraosia).

Schecter valmistaa vielä nykyäänkin PT-mallia osana Kaukoidassä valmistetusta Diamond-sarjasta.

14/09/2011 2

Pure P-90s grit – ”Pinball Wizard” – P-90-mikkien rouhea soundi

Gibson 50th Anniversary Pete Townshend SG

07/09/2011 0

Squier Musicmaster Bass – Sounds!

The Squier Vista Musicmaster Bass (introduced in 1997) has been produced only for a short time, despite having been one of the best bang-for-the-buck-machines in the stable.

The original Fender Musicmaster Bass from 1971 was Fender’s most inexpensive short-scale bass at the time (probably ever). Many were sold as part of a two-piece set, which included a low-powered practice amp.

Squier’s version was one of the company’s first instruments made in China, and featured several genuine improvements over the Fender original.

The Squier features through-body stringing resulting in better sustain.

Instead of the Fender’s spartan two-saddle bridge, here we have an intonation-friendly four saddle bridge.

The headstock is finished in the same tasty seafoam green as the body.

The decent, full-sized tuners are good replicas of 1970s Schallers.

The best bit, though, is the Squier Vista Musicmaster Bass’ pickup. The Fender had been equipped with a rather weak Strat-style pickup. The Squier went for the singlecoil Precision Bass pickup, that had been on the first P-Basses (1951-56) – the result is a very healthy output and a full-bodied sound.

I used a Sans Amp Bass Driver for the Pro Tools -soundbites:

Musicmaster/fingerstyle

Musicmaster/plectrum

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Squier’s current bass lineup includes the Bronco Bass, which is clearly derived from the Musicmaster. The Bronco’s bridge is the 70s two-saddle type and the pickup comes from a guitar (!) – it’s a Bullet-series Strat-pickup.

28/08/2011 0

Squier Musicmaster -basson soundeja

Squierin 1997 vain lyhyesti markkinnoille tuotu Vista-sarjan Musicmaster-basso tarjoaa erittäin hyvän vastineen pienelle hinnalle.

Alkuperäinen Fender Musicmaster Bass tuli ulos vuonna 1971, ja tämä lyhytskaalainen basso oli silloin firman edullisin basso. Saatavana oli myös Musicmaster-setti, jossa myytiin basson lisäksi pientä harjoitusvahvistinta.

Squier Musicmaster oli yksi firman ensimmäisistä Kiinassa tuotetuista soittimista, ja sillä oli muutama parannettu yksityiskohta alkuperäiseen Fenderiin nähden.

Kielet kiinnitetään Squierissa rungon läpi, mikä parantaa soittimen sustainea.

Yksinkertaisen, kahdella tallapalalla varustetun alkuperäisosan sijaan käytetään tässä tallassa neljä tallapalaa, minkä ansiosta intonaatio on täsmällinen.

Lapa on viimeistelty tyylikkäästi samassa Seafoam Green -sävyssä kuin runko.

Isokokoiset avoimet virittimet ovat varsin käyttökelpoisia kopioita 1970-luvun Schallereista.

Parasta Squier Vista Musicmaster -bassossa on kuitenkin sen mikrofonivarustus. Alkuperäisessä Fenderissä oli melko heikkotehoinen, Strato-tyylinen mikrofoni. Squierissa taas käytetään samaa mikrofonia kuin ensimmäisissä Precision-bassoissa (1951-56) – ja soundi on erittäin mehukas ja itsevarma.

Ääniesimerkit tallennettiin Sans Amp Bass Driver -boksin kautta Pro Toolsiin:

Musicmaster/sormisoitto

Musicmaster/plektralla

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Squierin mallistossa on ollut viime vuosina Bronco-niminen basso, joka on Musicmasterin johdannainen. Broncon tallassa on vain kaksi tallapalaa ja mikrofonina toimii Bullet-sarjan Stratomikrofoni.

28/08/2011 0