Easy Crossing said:
After doing some further research it appears the HLS160 has a veneer top (Bummer) for me, as I like an all solid maple top. Amazing how they went to extremes of making a period correct guitar then just at the threshold of holy grail territory they throw on the veneer, making it another close but no cigar effort. It's still built well and looks great though!
The point is that you can have a flame or plain top for 160k Yen, but if you want flame at that price you have to accept a veneer. If you want a solid flame top you have to pay 260k Yen for the LS-260.
It makes sense to me because they have everything covered now at different prices. Flame is mainly about looks anyway, and maybe people that are concerned with looks don't mind that it's a veneer? I mean, nobody in the general population will know!
The "H" stands for Hibiki which is the shop that started the idea for Tokai to do some models that are closer to vintage spec and look.