LS120 with solid maple cap

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oldflame

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What's he talking about solid maple cap. I can see the veneer and my eyes are shot... :-?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3733915760&indexURL=2&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting
 
Your not wrong oldflame, veneer it most certainly is. I can see the mahogany, two layers of maple or sycamore and the veneer on top.
I find it strange that the seller does not give the full serial number when you can make most of it out from the nicely blurred photo, it seems to be 01 for the year.
 
Here?s an LS120 from Japanoldguitar ? they say top is ?laminate? (ie veneer), so I think you must be right. But with a veneer top I can?t see why this model was ever worth twice the price of an LS60 ? at least the 60 had a solid top (& decent Gotoh fittings) :-? .

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3733646427&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT


Ian.
 
Hi Ian,

Yeah saw that one. I had a sniff around another LS120 a week back but again she had a veneer.

There is a school of thought that states a few LS120's had a solid cap. The flame wasn't that great apparently. More 'flitch' match than quarter sawn.

A question for Supernout perhaps?.... :)
 
Hi Lee ? do you know if the fittings are supposed to be better on the 120 (compared to LS50/60/80) :roll: ? At what point did your money buy a solid flamed top (in 1980/81)....,LS150, LS200 :-? ?

Ian.
 
time you started counting the number of pieces that make up the mahogany back on that LS60 :-?

agreed on the LS120 - looks like an LS70F from 2001 to me ... odd

GB
 
Wouldn't the LS120 have that number stamped in the fingerboard at the last fret? And, wouldn't it also have a long tenon?
 
Not sure about all the fine details folks. That's why I mentioned Supernout. Now there's a knowledgeable chap.

Ian,

I'm unsure about prices from the very early 80's. All my brochures are in storage right now. If I recall correctly, the 1984 'Blue Suede Music' (uk distributor at the time) catalogue I have lists the LS200 at ?995.

It lists it, but I've never seen one here in the UK. And boy have I done some hunting and travelling about only to lift the bridge pup on arrival and spot the veneer... :cry:
 
I been looking at this one too.

BTW Lee that was my 120 you were looking at last week. It ended up going to California.

Yes it was a laminated top. As is the one discused in this thread.

I've emailed the seller regarding the pickups, he list them as Tokai PAF's but all the 120's I've seen have dimarzio's
 
Hi Jp-fx

Your guitar looked nice and as discussed, the top may have been solid because the flame was more "flitch" looking than "quater sawn/book matched" like you see on most veneer's. Shame it wasn't but there you go.

The quest continues ..... :roll:
 
an early 80's LS-200 in the UK for ?995, i'll take it !!!!!!!!

i wish.

i've constantly got guitars coming from Japan and I've never had a 150 or 200. they are sold the second they hit the delaers shelf.

in the 'can't get my hands on one for love nor money' ratings they are up there with the Yamaha Weddington Custom which i've also been searching for forever.

ah well
 
how much would you say that's worth because i've been thinking about bidding on it.

i've been holding out for that color for over a year so what do you guys think.
 
guitarboy said:
that depends on what you think it is

:roll:

GB

well i haven't been able to test it out and never actually been able to play a tokai at all. I'm pretty much a noob at les pauls and tokais so I just want to know that I don't make a mistake and buy this guitar and regretting it because i could have had a much better guitar.
 
Hi Lee ? good to hear from you :) ? well that advert is odd for several reasons, not least the claim ?under 7lbs? :eek: , but I don?t think he mentions veneer & doesn?t show any internal photos where you might see the seams, so what drew your attention to that particular ad?

I wonder why Tokai found it necessary to use veneer on models as high as 120. OK, it?s a cost cutting measure, obviously; but it seems out of character considering the overall accuracy & attention to detail. By comparison, I think Gibson tops are always solid(?), although since the Norlin Period everything apart from the Historics are shot full of holes lol :lol: .

Ian.
 
I was also wondering if an LS-120 would really have a two-piece (rather than one-piece) back. If so, that and the veneer top are really making me think an LS-100 is a step up!

From the ad: <<These instruments came with a sticker on the back of the headstock designating their model. The sticker is gone but you can still read the model LS120 where the sticker was pasted.>>

Wouldn?t the model number be imprinted on the high end of the fingerboard?

<<Sold for 120,000JPY or in today?s dollars, list at the time was around $1200USD.>>

Did the model number really correspond with the price in Yen? If so, cool!
 
LawsuitFan said:
Did the model number really correspond with the price in Yen? If so, cool!

They still do. It's a bloody confusing system as the list prices go up every so often, so today's low end model was yesterday's medium.
 
Hi LawsuitFan ? unfortunately Tokai stopped impressing the model number into the Fretboard in late 79 or early 1980 :( . But, yeah ? I?d hope for better than a 2-piece back & veneer top on a 1981 LS120, after all that?s no better & perhaps worse than the 1981 LS60 & LS80. One thing?s for sure, if it really is under 7lbs then the back must be zero-pieces lol :) !

Ian.
 
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