Need help with Wine Red Tokai lc98 or lc 200 and price

[evenfell]

Hi
It is not often I post here, but the time has come to buy myself a les paul.
I was thinking on a Gibson, but then I started reading about the Tokai models.

I have one selling a wine red lc98 or lc200 he is not sure of the model, but states in the add that it has ebony fretboard, does that make it a lc200?

I have three questions:
1. Is it really true that they sound and feels as good as gibson custom?
2. What is the stock pickups like, and what kind of neck does it have, slim 60s?
3. He wants about 600 GBP/1000 USD for it, is that a fair price for either lc98 or lc200?

Thanks

 

[Diamond]

That's a very fair price for an LC98, it's a ridiculous price for a LC200.
I doubt either guitar has an ebony fretboard.

What does a Gibson Custom sound and feel like?
It sounds like whoever is playing it and what amp it's being played through, and how good the skills are of the guy who's playing it.

Feel?
Do you like the way Les Paul's feel?
The feel depends on the guitars potential to be setup.

You want a guitar that has GREAT hand crafted fretwork...not plekked as part of a mass production process..."plek and pray" is no way to finish a guitar, IMO.
You want a guitar that is hand finished with flawless paint work and construction.
You want a guitar that you can take to a qualified/experienced guitar tech and in 5 minutes he can tweak the setup as close to perfect as is possible with any guitar.

My guitar tech spends the same amount of time tweaking a $5000 Tom Anderson as he does a Tokai LC98...5 minutes.

 

[evenfell]

That's a very fair price for an LC98, it's a ridiculous price for a LC200.
I doubt either guitar has an ebony fretboard.

What does a Gibson Custom sound and feel like?
It sounds like whoever is playing it and what amp it's being played through, and how good the skills are of the guy who's playing it.

Feel?
Do you like the way Les Paul's feel?
The feel depends on the guitars potential to be setup.

You want a guitar that has GREAT hand crafted fretwork...not plekked as part of a mass production process..."plek and pray" is no way to finish a guitar, IMO.
You want a guitar that is hand finished with flawless paint work and construction.
You want a guitar that you can take to a qualified/experienced guitar tech and in 5 minutes he can tweak the setup as close to perfect as is possible with any guitar.

My guitar tech spends the same amount of time tweaking a $5000 Tom Anderson as he does a Tokai LC98...5 minutes.

Thanks for the reply.
Does someone know how to tell the difference between a lc98 and a lc200?
What to look for regarding serialnr and oter things that identifies The model
As far as I can tell The lc200 Wine red are made in The 2000's and the mij was customshop in The 80's. Would a mij lc be better than new tokais?

 

[Diamond]

A MIJ LC model is a current guitar.
There is no Custom Shop.
Tokai make the LC98 and LC200 Wine Red today.

To check if the guitar is a LC98 or LC200.
Check the pots, the LC200 will be CTS, the LC98 will be made in Japan.
Check the pickup selctor switch, the LC200 will have Switchcraft stamped on it, the LC98 switch will have no stamps on it.
The LC200 will have brass saddles, the LC98 wont.
The LC200 will have a one piece body, you will not see joints through the wine red paint.
The LC98 will not be one piece, you'll see a joint somewhere on the body.

 

[Karl Kaufmann]

The LC200 will have nitro, the LC98 wont

 

[wulfman]

LC-200 has fret edge binding as well and real mother of pearl block inlays.

 

[gordon]

The LC98 will still be a great guitar.

 

[Diamond]

The LC98 will still be a great guitar.

+1

I sell them quicker than any other model...and they sound killer.

 

[mattbarlow]

That's a very fair price for an LC98, it's a ridiculous price for a LC200.
I doubt either guitar has an ebony fretboard.

LC200 does not come with ebony these days ??
My 2008 LC185 (at the time ) has ebony fretboard

 

[wulfman]

Here is an LS-195 with ebony borad and MOP inlays.
http://www.digimart.net/guitar/inst_detail.do?instrument_id=DS01903175

 

[stratlt]

That's a very fair price for an LC98, it's a ridiculous price for a LC200.
I doubt either guitar has an ebony fretboard.

LC200 does not come with ebony these days ??
My 2008 LC185 (at the time ) has ebony fretboard

LC200 definitely come with ebony fingerboard!

 

[JVsearch]

The LC200 will have nitro, the LC98 wont

Top coat only on all new Tokai LS's below LS-420 level.

@Diamond - Yeah, no ebony on LC-195/200? Catalogue says the board is ebony.

The current LC-107 (LC-98) is specified in the catalogue as having a rosewood fret board. If the rosewood wasn't darkened for using on the LC-107 this would be a good way to work out which model was which when you only had photos to go on.

Are you able to check the guitar in person? What year is it?

 

[luis]

If you want a real Custom would look for a mahogany top (LC-200) but they come in red finish I don not like (it reminds me a late 60s-70s models I am not looking for).LC-195 have a maple top so it would not give a truly Custom sound but a Standard in Custom dressing.

 

[mattbarlow]

If you want a real Custom would look for a mahogany top (LC-200) but they come in red finish I don not like (it reminds me a late 60s-70s models I am not looking for).LC-195 have a maple top so it would not give a truly Custom sound but a Standard in Custom dressing.

I should be insulted
My 2008 LC200 Wine Red rocks !!!
Dont have much experience with good LP s but its an insane player although a tad heavy