1981 LS-100s with mahogany top

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aroomstudios

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tokai-1981-Love-Rock-Model-LS-100S-Mahogany-Top-1981/282955524324?epid=26017401242&hash=item41e176a8e4:g:l6kAAOSw2cVaoMEu

First of all this says it had been re-fretted and all the other stuff the description says. Since it was re-fretted or so they say. I really have no way of knowing this is a premium model. Could just be a ls50. The only real test is put some acetone on a small area and see if the finish in nitro. Nitro=premium model. Anyways, my real question. Is a Love Rock Standard like say a ls-80 or 100 with a mahogany top the same thing as a custom lc-100 or so? I know the custom would have gold hardware and so on block markers etc. But sound wise would they be the same?
 
Yeah, my two ls-80s from 1981 are also about the same weight as that one. I think one is close to 10lbs one about 9 lbs. The 100 is 9.7lbs or 4.4kg.

Do any of you guys know if this will sound like a custom? Ls series with a mahogany top should be the same thing as a LC custom right? LC-100 is one piece back nitro finish. The ls-100 is one piece back nitro finish. I know the gold hardware block inlays extra binding around the body will be different. But sound wise?
 
Lc100 has an ebony board, ls100 rosewood.. i doubt anyone can hear the difference between the two, but i also think thats the same for a maple vs mahogany cap..
 
I think there is a huge difference with the cap. When I compare my 1981 ls80 maple cap to my Burny 1978 Custom mahogany. There is a huge difference with sustain. This is the same as past Gibson Les Pauls I have owned custom vs standard and so on.

As per the fret board ebony vs rosewood. I think there may not be a difference at all or if there was it would be very small.

Unless there is something else with the difference with a custom and a standard that brings the huge sustain I would say it is close to 100% the mahogany cap.

Anyone else think differently or know something I am missing?
 
Looking at Ebay, it is listed by (at least) five sellers.

If you are seriously considering it you need to find who actually has it for sale.
 
Yeah, I know it is listed by multiple sellers. I do not know why they do that in Japan on Ebay. I have seen that many times before with other items in the past. Ebay has a really good customer service so if I do not get the item I will get my money back. I am not really worried about that. I am just wondering if this is worth it or if I just just spend a bit more and get a LC-100. I like heavy guitars at least heavy Les Pauls (9-10lbs). The thing I did not like about the LC-100 is it is light. Well at least the ones I hear about here are in the 7lb range. I already have 5 Les Paul type guitars right now (one custom Burny 1978, two standards with humbuckers Tokai ls80 1981 and two with p90's new Tokai and Warmoth). So, really the last thing I need is more Les Paul's. I just thought this one might be cool. I am going to think about this one for a few weeks if I do decide to do anything. If someone else buys it first I am not going to lose any sleep over it or anything.
 
Can be a large difference in price between the actual seller and those on Ebay.

Yes, here it is:

https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop4836/DS04198000/
 
That is cool it is less. I tried for the life of me to register at Digimart. I keep getting

Please enter your furigana with hiragana.

I have no idea what that means. Tried googling it and still cannot figure it out. I will try again tomorrow

Any of you guys registered at Digimart and know how to do it without speaking Japanese? The language translators translate most things but not everything.
 
You can use a proxy buyer like From Japan or Rinkya.

Or you can try to go direct through the sellers web site: http://www.lotusguitars.com/
 
They got back to me. They said they do not ship to USA and they sent me a CITIS link. I know you can get CITIS paper work in Japan in about 3 weeks but I guess they do not want to do it. Either way I could get it from one of the Ebay sellers if I want it.
 
Wouldn't hesitate buying a guitar from Cliff, having recently gotten a rare one from him.

He's in the US as well, so no CITES issues.
 
Hi guys,

Back to the LS-100S question.
I owned one of these for many Years and really liked it. Specs are:
- Solid Mahogany body with carved mahogany top
- 1 piece mahogany neck
- 2 x DiMarzio PAF ( double cream)
- Nitro finish
- 60's profile neck

This was the ONLY model LP Std with all Mahogany body - same one used on the LC-100 and LC-110 ( LC-60 had a different body construction)
They offered 3 finishes ( OR, ON, GT) very cool, very rare, very hard to fake or disguise.

Peter Mac
 
I have an OR mode ownerl and it is among the best guitars I have, very ligth (ligthest of all) and a lively sound perfect to play with other instruments, its great voice is there, you can here yourself playing. And as Peter Mac says a 60 profile but very comfortable. It has a set of Throbacks and old in spec PIO caps.
 

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