Very Expensive Vintage LS-200s ? on YJ

[guitar hiro]

currently on Yahoo Japan for a paltry $8,400 plus is a (claimed) 1980 Tokai LS-200. Is it real, or is it Memorex?
Seller claims the guitar has Honduran Mahogany & Brazilian; is that the spec for 1980 LS-200?
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b496082209


here is an ended listing for a claimed 1979 Tokai LS-200 that sold for over $11,500. Is it real, or is it Memorex?
This seller makes no claim of Honduran, nor of Brazilian.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/au ... ef=alt_txt


So, anyone here know the actual spec for the (vintage) LS-200? Honduran, or African 'hog?
Brazilian, or Indian rosewood?

[mdvineng]

From Peter's book, he doesn't believe that Brazilian was ever used by Tokai due to expense and rarity etc

[Loudmouse]

Doesn't the "Tokai" logo look a little low on the headstock of that 1979?
I guess they were all hand placed anyway?

[guitar hiro]

Doesn't the "Tokai" logo look a little low on the headstock of that 1979?
I guess they were all hand placed anyway?

The seller mentioned this in the listing; translated (of course) here.
"The gold logo of the LS200 is also in a slightly downward position peculiar to 1979."

[guitar hiro]

From Peter's book, he doesn't believe that Brazilian was ever used by Tokai due to expense and rarity etc

No Braz? How about Honduran?

[mdvineng]

Madagascar or Indian mentioned as having very little difference to Brazilian. Also that a lot of Tokais are falsely declared to have Brazilian because the Rosewood naturally darkens with age to look like Brazilian.

[guitar hiro]

Madagascar or Indian mentioned as having very little difference to Brazilian. Also that a lot of Tokais are falsely declared to have Brazilian because the Rosewood naturally darkens with age to look like Brazilian.

It would be interesting to know what the English translation of the Tokai catalog has to say as far as fingerboard lumber for the LS-200.
I don't read Japanese so, I can't translate any info from the catalog myself.
I do understand that some folks make claims, often unsubstantiated.
Maybe Harold could take a peek at the Tokai catalog & see what it states for the fingerboard lumber for the LS-200.
Would also be interested to know what it states for body & neck lumber; Honduran, or Mahogany aka not Honduran.

As far as vintage Tokai LS examples, I understand the allure, the hype, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I'm just glad I purchased my 2000 LS-320 many years ago & now it is a 20 year vintage example; of course, not 'vintage' Tokai.
At least with the 2000 LS-320 there is pretty much certainty of the lumbers used, as the catalog specs were published in English too.
My LS-320 just keeps looking better with time; spec wise particularly. Honduran, Brazilian, long tenon, etc., which I doubt any of the 'vintage' LS examples have all of those specs.

[mdvineng]

You can use Google translate for the catalogues.

See here https://www.vintagejapanguitars.com.br/ ... catalogue/

[guitar hiro]

You can use Google translate for the catalogues.

See here https://www.vintagejapanguitars.com.br/ ... catalogue/

never been able to 'copy' any of the print from PDFs, to put it into a translator.
How does that work?

[guitar hiro]

So, oddly enough I see the below post by 'wulfman' from just yesterday, from a different forum & look what he has to say about the subject; seems like he agrees with my opinion

"I often see people saying the old Tokais had Brazilain boards and Honduran mahogany but haven't seen any evidence of that. Are you basing that on what the wood looks like, or did someone sell it to you as having those specs? I've got an 81 LS-150 but the board is not Brazilian and I doubt the wood is anything but African mahogany."

As I stated in my October 29, 2020 post, it would be nice if 'wulfman' could translate the verbiage from the catalog(s) for the higher end, vintage Tokais; i.e. the LS-150 & the LS-200. Hey Harold, where are you?

[wulfman]

I've been busy so haven't kept up with the threads here. I did just look at the catalog and there is no mention o Brazilain boards or Honduran mahogany in the catalog. It is always possible there is some LS-200 with those custom specs of course.

[Blackout2112]

Well it’s back for sale on YJ

[guitar hiro]

I did see a scan recently of Tokai info for the 1978 to 1982 LS models; it states that the LS-200 fingerboard is Brazilian.

So, it seems to be that the LS-200 from the era was the only LS specified with Brazilian for the fingerboard.
The scan also shows the LS-200 as H Mahogany for the body; I assume Honduran, and the finish as Cashew.
This all seams reasonable but I suppose it is possible to alter text; the text is all in English which seems odd.