Differences in MIJ LS models?

[TSL]

I'm a bit confused. The LS 60 (or 65) seems to have the same woods for the back, the neck, etc., as the 120, or even the 320.The mid range guitars (the 70-80/85 seem to have different woods). And what do they mean by laminated top, as oppossed to solid, do they mean veneer?

If I were to buy a new Tokai LS, what model will be closest to an original '57 Les Paul?
I'd like a one piece neck, and a two peice flame top, long tenon, etc.

The more I look through the catalogs here on line, the more confused I get. Someone recently posted about not buying a 320, as the neck isn't bound, seems odd for how much more the 320 costs than other models with binding? I'm really scratching my head here...

*The good news is, the wife is up for going to japan next year! I can go looking in stores then for an older MIJ LP, as oppossed to buying on eBay without playing first. The info on the older models I think I am getting a handle on, but still confused about the new ones, which have serious price differences.

 

[Paladin2019]

Okay, there seeems to be a lot of confusion here so I'll take it a step at a time.

I'm a bit confused. The LS 60 (or 65) seems to have the same woods for the back, the neck, etc., as the 120, or even the 320.The mid range guitars (the 70-80/85 seem to have different woods). .

All models use mahogany & maple construction as per standard les paul spec. The mid-ranges have multi-piece backs and 1-piece necks. The high-end models have 1-piece bodies, use rarer and more expensive woods, have nitro finishes, long tenons, have more figured maple tops, etc.

And what do they mean by laminated top, as oppossed to solid, do they mean veneer? .

Yes, laminated means veneer. It's a wood veneer, not a photo top.

If I were to buy a new Tokai LS, what model will be closest to an original '57 Les Paul?
I'd like a one piece neck, and a two peice flame top, long tenon, etc..

The 57's were the goldtops. If you want a 2-piece flametop then I assume you mean a 59, in which case your best bet would be an LS380. All the LS models are based on vintage spec to various extents, but the 380 is the best. Any LS100+ model would have a long tenon, 2-piece flame etc. but the 380 uses vintage-accurate woods and better pickups.

The more I look through the catalogs here on line, the more confused I get. Someone recently posted about not buying a 320, as the neck isn't bound, seems odd for how much more the 320 costs than other models with binding? I'm really scratching my head here....

The neck on the 320 *IS* bound, but there's some confusion as to whether the *FRET ENDS* are bound - ie. do the frets overlap the binding or do they have little plastic binding 'nibs' at the edges.

*The good news is, the wife is up for going to japan next year! I can go looking in stores then for an older MIJ LP, as oppossed to buying on eBay without playing first. The info on the older models I think I am getting a handle on, but still confused about the new ones, which have serious price differences.

You get what you pay for. The more expensive models use more vintage correct construction, woods, electronics etc. It's only this year that Tokai are really brancing out into the high-spec market.

 

[TSL]

Thanks for the in depth answer! The electronics mean little to me, as they are easily changed if desired, without doing any permanent modification to the instrument.

I suspect when buying a new one, I am likely to go for a 100 (120?), as I would like to have the long tenon, if for no other reason, just to compare the sustain with my LP that doesn't have it (and STILL really sustains). Although the 80's do look nice...I would have to compare in person a 100 and a 300 (320? 380, whatever they currently call them) to justify the difference in cost.

Thanks again.

...and I did mean '59, sorry.

 

[Paladin2019]

The electronics mean little to me, as they are easily changed if desired, without doing any permanent modification to the instrument..

It was the same for me - one of the reasons I bought a 200 over a 320 was that I was planning to modify away many of the 320's selling points including the electronics.

I suspect when buying a new one, I am likely to go for a 100 (120?), as I would like to have the long tenon, if for no other reason, just to compare the sustain with my LP that doesn't have it (and STILL really sustains). Although the 80's do look nice...I would have to compare in person a 100 and a 300 (320? 380, whatever they currently call them) to justify the difference in cost.

You'll have a hard time finding a high end LS outside Japan unfortunately. They do exist but they tend to be private sales direct from japanese shops or special orders from the distributor. You certainly won't find one on a shop wall. But trust me, they're worth it - they are to custom shop gibsons what the tokai mid-range models are to the Les Paul Standard.

Interesting fact regarding tenons: MIJ tenons, even on cheaper models, are all longer than standard Gibson tenons and a much better fit in the neck pocket. They reach to the end of the fretboard but don't have the lip extending under the pickup, so essentially you have the benefits of a long tenon even on the mid-range models. It's a sort of 'medium' tenon if you like. Long versions are used on the high end models for vintage accuracy and because it's a talking point for us nerds.

Gibson's tenon design is shockingly bad and results in the neck being noticeably less resonant. In these days of CNC machines and Japanese competition, the 'rocker' tenon really is inexcuseable IMO

Thanks again.

No worries. 8)