Tokai LS-320

[Mick51]

Recently, I had the opportunity to purchase Villager's 2005 LS-320. It is a wonderful, well built instrument, and I am quite sure that we will have many happy years together.

This one..

Let me say that I did not purchase this as a collector, purchased ait at a price that was more than fair, and understood that it was not a new instrument going in.

The less than perfect:

Three minor doinks on the top. A scuffing/scratch of the finish on the side, below the binding, near the p/up selector switch. Two minor indentations on the side, lower bout, above the jackplate; these appear to be slightly through the lacquer. Has apparently hung on a neck display rack, from what looks like a reaction on the lacquer where the neck and head join on the top - left hand - side. One small doink on the back. The bullet-shaped TRC had only one screw, at the apex. It appeared to be trimmed off 2-3 mm above the nut. The TRC screw from the bottom had apparently been used as the top screw on the pickguard.
I'm not impressed with Tokai's choice of knobs - definitely not as good manufacture as my 1981 LS-120. Not keen on some of the wiring - specifically from teh p/ups to the p/up selector. Should be vintage braided cloth.

The good to really good:

Arrived in six days from France to central Iowa, USA, and two of those days were weekend. Packed very well, arrived safely. (what's a doink if the neck and headstock are intact? )
The top is simply fantastic. Long tenon with a considerable lip. Fretboard (not fret-edge, which this model does not have) binding and execution is excellent. Neck is excellent, nice, beefy grip, without being too large - virtually identical to the 1981 LS-120. Body is very resonant. Frets are broad and rather tall - if you can't bend with these, raise the action and use a slide. Intonation is just about dead-on - close enough that I'm not messing with it.

I did change p/ups. The Seymour Duncan/Seth Lovers were quite good, better than I expected. But, their voice just isn't "live" enough, something subjective. Swapped them with a pair of Wolfetone (Wolfe Macleod) Legends, with lightly aged covers, AL-2 magnets. Just excellent. I asked for a set that would pge Clapton's tone in "Sitting on Top of the World," and these do. I have several sets of Wolfetone Dr Vintage; the Legends are slightly rounder in tone.

What have I missed? Just an excellent guitar, wonderful dealing with Villager, even my wife is happy.

Some pics from swapping the p/ups, for anyone interested..


http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu103/Mick51_98/Tokai LS-320/GD_0502_03.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu103/Mick51_98/Tokai LS-320/GD_0502_04.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu103/Mick51_98/Tokai LS-320/GD_0502_08.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu103/Mick51_98/Tokai LS-320/GD_0502_10.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu103/Mick51_98/Tokai LS-320/GD_0502_11.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu103/Mick51_98/Tokai LS-320/GD_0502_15.jpg

Finally, with her older sister..

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[TOKAI JOE]

hello mick51, glad u got a excellent gtr this time. does braz feel good
to your fingers n eyes?? anyways a small question here for ya........

which gtr ls320 or ls120 feels better to you? which is better u think?

i know that ls320 is a premium modern model which has a very trans
sexy juicy tone yet not dried, vintage tasty tone. and ls120 has a
vintage type, dried tasty hollow kind of solid body tone by now
even its got the laminated top. so whats your deep opinion mick51?
thanks!





8)

 

[TOKAI JOE]

8) hey villager, need your help here so help us..............


@ from what year to what year LS320 was available EXACTLY?

@ from what year to what year LS380 was available EXACTLY?

@ what was the highest model before LS320? and did it have
the premium stuff in it like braz/honduran/hardmaple/USA pus.




as we know LS470/370/380/320 were all basically the same but
w/different pickups. these models were actually based on the 7
prototype models called LS300 from 1995 which "hunter philly bob"
on this forum has one. LS300 was originally made by the tokai engineer
named kunishi furuhashi who is a good friend of mick and i sometimes.
he also made those popular figured top LS150s and the founder of
"the neo-select" and "sword" gtrs from his direct tokai store in nagoya,
japan. he was before a chief engineer at tokai in the 80s mostly.
since he has done several stores of his own and still active today.
just a small history here.

http://www.meikyokudo-neo.show-buy.jp/tokai%201.htm


8) he does english only some so try not email him as much. thanks.

 

[hunter]

Joe,here are some pics of the ls300 you referred to above...The solid top is amazing on this one.The back is one piece African mahogany...fret end binding..5A hard maple top.....Brazillian rosewood.....custom gotoh p.a.f......High quality pots w/blackcat cond.....brown cover plates...no serial #....As you say,1of 7 first prortotypes

Joe,these are the specs as I recall from your conversations with Mr. Furuhashi.If I am wrong please correct me...


Many thanks for all your help Joe

 

[TOKAI JOE]

no problem philly bob. heres your super rare baby! all correct the infos
you have now.....j when do you show us your vintage goldtop??

 

[Mick51]

Hunter: Fantastic fretboard inlays!

Joe: The LS-120 does have a solid top, and not laminate.

You ask a very hard question. Both are excellent guitars. The LS-120 has had a few years to mellow in. But, whoever built it, they did magic. It is rather scuffed up on the back, sides, a bit on the top. The frets are worn; some would want them crowned, but I can bend and pull all that I want.
The LS-320 has some mojo. When I first play a guitar, sometimes I can feel it from the wood into my gut and my hands. This one did that as soon as I changed the p/ups
But, the LS-120 is just alive. I would like to shake the hand of whoever built it.

I have an early 1969 Gibson LP Custom; it happens to have post-PAF, pre-T-Tops, although with the red, and not purple, wire. I have had it for many, many years. It is my litmus test.

The LS-120 is so close it's hard to tell a difference. When Wolfe wound the Dr Vintage's I put in that guitar, he did a fantastic job. It sings, rings, and screams.

The LS-320, I put a set of Wolfetone Legends; they don't have quite as much bite, a bit rounder. It's getting all my playing time now, while I dial in p/up height, polepiece height, etc., to find that very best sweet spot.

Very hard to give you and answer, Joe. If I had to go up front right now, I would take the LS-120, and my Mark II-B. No effects, pedals, nothing else. Unless it was swamp/roots rock. Then it would be the Gibby.

I have several more LP's. There is really only one that I would consider parting with. And then there are the G&L's. Better not get started..

 

[MIJvintage]

Very hard to give you and answer, Joe. If I had to go up front right now, I would take the LS-120, and my Mark II-B. No effects, pedals, nothing else. Unless it was swamp/roots rock. Then it would be the Gibby.

Mick51, nice 320; glad to see it arrived so fast, and safely too.

Does your import stuff clear Customs at O'Hare?
Hopefully they didn't peg you on the 320.

Interesting that you would take the 120 first, the Gibby second, and I assume the 320 third.

What does the 320 weigh in at?
Is the neck quarter sawn?

My 320 is 9 lb. 3 oz. :-? & the neck is quarter sawn

 

[Mick51]

Does your import stuff clear Customs at O'Hare?
Hopefully they didn't peg you on the 320.

Interesting that you would take the 120 first, the Gibby second, and I assume the 320 third.

What does the 320 weigh in at?
Is the neck quarter sawn?

My 320 is 9 lb. 3 oz. :-? & the neck is quarter sawn

Quarter sawn: Yes. The Tokai folks did a lot of things right on this model, and this particular guitar.

Weight: No idea; I don't have a postal scale or such. Indistinguishible in weight from the LS-120, which means they're within an ounce or two; and very close in weight to the Tokai spalted-top I got from Togps. All have to be somewhere between 9 and 9 and a half pounds.

Customs: Yes, via Chicago. To quote Elmer Fudd: "Be vewwy, vewwy quiet." I have gotten four guitars via Chicago port of entry; I was nipped for duties on one, and the others got through. And the one I got nipped was by far the least expensive - a late 80's/early 90's Burny P-90's Goldtop. Which weighs a ton. Must have used wood from the very bottom of the tree on that one.

The Gibby would be first; but, it doesn't get to leave the house much. Honestly, the Gibson LPC, the LS-120, this LS-320 - they are all just excellent, resonant instruments. I'll give the LS-320 a few years, then we'll see.

There are others I haven't mentioned, but, enough about that.

 

[villager]

hi joe .. I am not 100% certain on the exact years sorry but i think 320 was either 95-2005 or 1998-2005 380 started in 2005, before the 320 I dont know what was the highest model, I have no experience of tokai between 84 and 98.. my latest old tokai is an 84 and my earliest new was I think a 95 320, but could have been 98, cant remember, but that one had the best top I have ever seen on a tokai.. see below..

 

[TOKAI JOE]

8) thanks guys and whoever has those premier tokai bursts must be
very happy! again mick51 congrats! keep pickin in the heartland!!!

tokai joe. 8)

 

[TOKAI JOE]

hey bob, just found out this super scary truth and now dont you ever never
sell your ls300 no matter what and take it to your grave with you or sure
give it to your son!

its that the gtr pictured on all the recent tokai catalogs, as LS380/470,
the one on the catalogs i gave you, is actually your guitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

boooooooooob who are you really? why you keep getting all the great ones?

go check the catalog vol. 23/24 now and see the pic. compare it with
any pic of your gtr, you will know its just your guitar there!!!!!!

amazing huh?............guess it could happen sometimes to someone lucky.

:wink:

 

[ganzua]

I want one of those Lemon drops with hon/braz!

I thought all higher models 320, 380, 470... only came in CR and VF. What's the trick? Are they special orders or are re-finished with yellow nitro?

 

[TOKAI JOE]

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/99p10.jpg

it was even on both the 1997/1999 catalogs as ls320 already
and again its exactly just yours. seems to have the tokai trussrod
cover originally not a gibson type currently on yours by the ex-owner.
anyways its so historical you cant never sell. you have the one bob.
no doubt we all know it now!

bob......its crazy!....................................................... :wink:

 

[hunter]

Joe,wasnt sure if you meant the same model or the photo is actually my guitar until I looked in the catalogue.......W.T.F......

The grain in the top does look to be the same especially between the pickups....Is it possible to have two tops that are that closely matching ???

Now I will be looking at pics till my eyes bleed 8)

Always appreciate your info Joe

Bob

 

[hunter]

Joe,I dont believe it, but even the fret markers are the same top to bottom with there little distinguishing markings.......

 

[TOKAI JOE]

bob......its the same gtr in the pic on the catalog........i mean its yours!!!!!
just compare your actual gtr and its pics of yours, and the catalog pic....
its the same bob........really........use my pic of your gtr in this thread
and compare the catalog pic. both from the side shot not the top to the bottom.
you will really see everything matching and even the grains under
the flames are the same. anyways its reallllllllllllllly your gtr on the catalog
since 1997 til this year. u know bob guess how many catalogs tokai has printed
since and which all has that pic of your exact gtr? to all over the
world? millions man. now it means million people has the pic of your super
rare ls300! and u know the world keeps the catalogs for the records so
that means your gtr is forever super famous and on the record! seriously,
think about this hunter bob. no joke! ......now its ok if u damage your eyes
just keep looking at it til u accept the truth it could happen to you...........
crazy bob........laters!.....................................................................j


8)

 

[TOKAI JOE]

no problem philly bob. heres your super rare baby! all correct the infos
you have now.....j when do you show us your vintage goldtop??

8) use this pic and the catalog pic to see the both matches completely!!!!!

 

[hunter]

Joe I agree....same guitar ....what are the odds of it landing here in philly.......that is too f....n cool ...thanks bro 8)

 

[TOKAI JOE]

8) bob......thinkin about your ls300 deep since this morning and
i really gotta say this to ya. know about it all and never part
with it......u know your ls300, has been on the tokai official general
japanese catalogs since 1997 to still this year as ls320/380/470.
and those catalogs have been printed and given really millions since.
many people keep it and on the net it will stay as the official records
of tokai forever. so your gtr will be shown there forever as the one.........
this is really unbelievable and even historic. no tokai gtr before ever
done that. its the one absolutely, and you are the one who received
it by the destiny. so no matter what never leave it. even most whatever
happened in your life from now on. if ever needed to leave it for
a while then ask me or mick no doubt. we take care of it well for ya.
but we know you dont so it doesnt happen. you now got the one
and its forever truely the one. philly bob, you now have something
very historically important. take care of it well bob!.......tokai joe.



8)

 

[TOKAI JOE]

http://www1.odn.ne.jp/tokaigakki/products/premium/ls470.html

8) here it is again bob, its even on the world-wide web site always!