I currently (only) have three guitars:
A Tokai Love Rock (Les Paul copy), a Yamaha Pacifica 112 and a Cuenca Model 40 classical guitar. I’ve had lots of guitars in the past, but sold them on to get different ones, being left handed limits things regarding choice of guitars – which probably isn’t a bad thing. The Yamaha is probably the one I’ve had for the longest time (it’s now 17 years old). I can’t justify having loads of instruments that I don’t play, so I’m focusing on the ones I do play.
I decided the Tokai and the Yamaha needed some work doing on them (I’d upgraded the Cuenca last year) for use in upcoming possible projects. This turned out to be a bigger task than I anticipated, but I’m finished now (I think !).
The Tokai is (from memory) the only guitar that I bought new, I got it from Music Ground in Leeds in 2004. It’s a Korean model and even though it was a relatively inexpensive instrument to buy, it’s probably one of the best guitars I’ve owned.
Pretty much everything has been replaced on it, as follows:
Pickups now Seymour Duncans ’59s
Gibson TP-6 Tailpiece and roller bridge
Schaller Machine heads
Electronics – ‘custom rewired’ (treble bleed circuit on / off and tone control bypass) – with push / push minipots and screened properly (lots of copper tape). The treble bleed capacitor when switched in or out makes a big difference to the sound of the pickups when they are turned down.
Various – Graphite nut, new knobs, metal jack plate etc.
Here it is:
Tokai
The Yamaha 112 has also been extensively modded. A Seymour Duncan JB bridge pickup and Fender silver lace sensors replaced the stock pickups. The body has now been sanded to remove the finish (had been sprayed metallic green at one point!), added locking machine heads and various bits and pieces. It is a very resonant guitar and I think this is probably due to the shielding of the pickup, gluing the neck and stripping the body down to the bare wood). Lastly, I scalloped the fingerboard above the 12th fret, to aid string bending – it didn’t !
The Yamaha is a no-thrills workhouse of a guitar and is very versatile, I’ve played it extensively. The lace sensors in particular give a great variety of tones. I call it the ‘Pete-caster’.
Pete-caster
Cuenca Model 40
I’ve had this guitar for 27 years now, my mother bought it for me for my 21st birthday. It was upgraded in 2011 to include a Schatten HFN-C pickup http://schattendesign.com/HFN-CS-Artist.htm and Rubner machine heads were added (both of which are recommended). It’s a very nice sounding guitar, which I think is in no small part to the fact that it’s been played a lot over the years.
Cuenca Model 40
