solid or laminate?

villager · Dec 15, 2005

tricky ..I think solid..opinions? its 1983

togps · Dec 15, 2005

Hmmh, villager, in a recently posting, you mentioned, a Reborn Old, LS120, 1980, features a veneer top. So, following your logic, this top must be a photo finish.
Haha, I'm kidding. :lol:
Following my experience, above pictured lady could be LS120 from 1983. With a solid top

Hutton Steel · Dec 15, 2005

Please! Please! No more solid -v- laminate debates. Can someone like togps or Hans-Jurgen have the definitive word on this when it arises and leave it at that. In this case I'll take togps word for it. End of story. End of thread.

togps · Dec 15, 2005

2 x posted

togps · Dec 15, 2005

Haha, Hutton Steel, I understand you.
But look - this is a special Tokai forum. And due the poor information politic from Tokai Japan, this forum is the only source where other musician get a little bit enlighten.
This Tokai forum has a world wide reputation!!

Here for instance a nice example that even Japanese dealer are using the TOKAI FORUM for its reference:

Tokai ST-80GS――ヘッドに示されていたように「ヴィンテージストラトを忠実に再現」した、よき時代のTokaiのこだわりがうかがえる逸品です。

参考サイト「Tokai Guitar Registry」
http://www.tokairegistry.com/tokai-info/tokai-catalogs.html

シリアルNo.は「0005xxx」の1980年製
http://www.tokairegistry.com/tokai_fender.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982年頃に知人から譲り受けたギターで、今となってはほぼワンオーナーです。譲り受けた時は「定価8万円位のギター」と言われましたので、私はST-80だと思い購入した経緯があります。実際、細部を確認すると「ST-80GS」で間違いないと思います。よく鳴ります。
Vシェイプ（三角）ネック。
指板エンドに「80」の刻印（削った形跡がありますが、確かに「80」になっていました）。
ネック裏の「80」のシール（すでに剥がされていますが、確かに貼ってありました）。
PU裏の「E」スタンプ。
いわゆる「スパロゴ」（これは昔、私が消しました）。
サドル、ペグ裏の「TOKAI」刻印。

But here at the forum there are much more threads without debating tops of Tokais. :wink:

villager · Dec 15, 2005

The point of a forum is to share knowledge...and I will chhose when my thread is ended thank you
here is the answer I got from my Japanese guitar buyer...who kindly translated the catalogue..

tokai catalogue'81 and '82

'81 said, 120 have laminated flame top(Dimagio PAF?２）...so, solid top mean LS-150（PAF and SuperDistortion)

'82 said, 120 have solid top, covered Dimagio PAF. 150 have PAF and SuperDistortion

this has 2 covered Dimagio and solid top. year is '83. this mean LS-120

LS-120 at our shop was '80...so, it has laminated top.( gone to Florida USA )

so we have learned that the tokai catalogue actually says ..LS-120 1980 and '81 is a laminate top ..LS-120 from 82 onward is a solid top....they changed the specs ...simple .....

we learn and learn every day ...

bigmike · Dec 15, 2005

Wow great looking guitar...

I remember from my Ibanez archtop days guys wanted to know: solid top, or laminate. Sort of the same answer here, gently remove a pickup and look in the cavity - if it is a SOLID top and not laminate it should be pretty obivious.

But the catalog speaks volumes. Can't fault a guy whose just scored such a nice looking guitar to want to know if it's solid...

So all that aside, how does it play AND SOUND ??? Man now you got me jonesing for one of those... (I'm still tapped out from purchasing a '69 Gibson Super 400 CESN a month ago)...

BigMike

togps · Dec 15, 2005

villager said:
The point of a forum is to share knowledge...and I will chhose when my thread is ended

Yes, villager I agree. And I'm sure, Hutton Steel too.

BTW, is your Japanese friend able to translate the one or the other catalog in total? That would be a really a great advantage for the forum.
I am willing to share some of the costs.

Hutton Steel · Dec 15, 2005

Yes togps I do agree. The knowledge however is extensively discussed in the thread one down from this one: '1982 Love Rock LS100'. The subject of solid/laminate is discussed to the nth degree there. Have a look.

villager · Dec 15, 2005

yes ..but discussing it without reading japanese properly is really pointless...no -one on that thread has actually read the tokai catalogue specs in the original language......as far as I know...you read the complete thread referred too ....and everyone is suppositioning ...from a photo...has the chap taken a blade to the inside of the PU cavity yet? ...no ...well thats the only way to tell for sure .....I have had laminate tops which I would have sworn to be solid ...from just looking at them ...I have then carved a small proportion out of the PU cavity to check...mostly I am correct....but sometimes I am wrong ....If the catalogue says that, and my m8 is japanese with a superb command of english, then I will believe what the catalogue says .....untill I actually have it to cut into and see for sure........

ochay · Dec 15, 2005

I sure would like to get ahold of that nice brown case-

ScottA · Dec 15, 2005

villager said:
has the chap taken a blade to the inside of the PU cavity yet? ...no

Actually, I'm the chap, and if you read the gory detail in the entire thread, down towards the bottom I did take a slice. I couldn't get it to photograph, but yes, it did look like a veneer.

Even still, some pundits supposed that it was a solid top based on the photo evidence.

villager · Dec 15, 2005

cool...well thats the only way to tell....for sure...its so easy and doesnt make any difference at all...if I am in doubt about any of my guitars ..thats what I usually do...

I mean ..it makes no difference to the sound as far as I can tell...but for the sake of accuracy, I like to know...

theskywolf · Dec 16, 2005

ochay, you make a collection of Tokai cases 8)

ochay · Dec 16, 2005

8)

Problem is I have to wait to get my case(free shipping)

Daizo · Dec 22, 2005

Dear all,

I am from Tokyo Japan and participated this forum long time ago, but have got busier nowadays, so have had to be away from here. Today is a holiday in Japan and I would like to contribute to this forum a little bit.

I have checked all the Tokai Les Pauls on Japanese Yahoo Auction and certainly checked the above guitar whick looks great.

http://proxy.f2.ymdb.yahoofs.jp/users/ae9a5212/bc/__hr_14.jpg?BCpZgIEBBhicWVB.

Since guitar was sold, this link will disapper soon, but such a close shot is rare, so I am posting it here. One comment was made in the q&a section saying "this should be LS-200".

I do have 1981 Tokai Catalogue which says LS120 has a laminated top for your reference. However, I have seen various cases where LS-120 has a solid top. Maybe, it is case-by-case.

I also would like to note that I visited Tokai factory last month to talk about custom made guitars. They were really helpful and kind, so that perhaps 30 guitars will be custom-ordered to Tokai soon. Sorry I did not have a time to ask many questions to them about old Tokais. However, I will have some more chances to visit them in March or something.

luis · Dec 23, 2005

Glad reading you again Daizo and have a nice holidays.
Yes,Tokai people is very kind and helpful as you sai I got really impressed when toured the factory three years ago(I was really very very lucky).
Wow, 30 custom orders

my god!. Just let me know about them it is very interesting.

scoville · Jan 16, 2006

hello, i'm new here but i'd was wondering if a sample was taken from the instrument at the beggining of the post? or was it not necessary based on the catalogues description?

mercman · Jan 16, 2006

I realise my 150 is a new guitar and not one from the 80's but the principale is the same, I removed the front pickup and you can clearly see that the grain of the solid top runs through the depth of the top. The 80's one should be similar

Les

togps · Jan 16, 2006

Heyy, Hutton Steel ...
.... whazzup? :x

solid or laminate?

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