Difference LS70 to LS200

Where can i see on the guitar the difference between a Tokai LS70 (also available with a flame Top) opposite the LS200. Is the LS...-Name showed on the guitar? Can I see a difference between a laminated flamed and a massive flamed top or the laqueur finish. Because I don't won't to pay the price for a LS70 from a LS200. In a Guitar Shop did i see a beautiful flamed Tokai Les Paul (like Jimmy Page's Les Paul). Now I don't know if it is a LS70, a LS200 or a LS 320.
Please help me.
Pleeeeaaaaaaaaaassseee

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SirPsycho on 2002-05-31 12:08 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SirPsycho on 2002-05-31 15:02 ]</font>

I just bought an LS200 from the link below. When i asked Yoshi (the salesperson there), i interpreted it as the difference between the LS200 and LS320 is:

Quality of wood. The LS320 uses like a Honduras Mahogany for the body and neck. I think this is more an 'exotic' wood. Also the LS320 uses an all nitro-cellulose finish whereas the LS200 just uses nitro as like the last few coats or maybe just the body. Mine was sticky like nitro on the body and neck.

I think the difference in price is for the type and quality of the wood and other materials used.

Mine says Love Rock Model on the headstock.

One last thing is that the Japanese models are usually better in quality than the korean counterparts. I dont want to say avoid the korean models, but make sure you can see it and play it first so you can inspect it. This can be a problem if your buying via internet or phone.

Here is a link to my guitar and the link to the place i purchased mine.

http://www.backyardbullet.com/ls200_4788_09.jpg

http://www.backyardbullet.com/ls200_4788_11.jpg

Here is link to dealer:
http://www.cyborg.ne.jp/~universe/tokai_guitar/tokai_guitar.html


Dana

Thanks Dana but will know the difference between a LS70 opposite a LS200. NOT LS200 to LS320.
Can you help me again?

This is the same info found on the link i gave you. The wood and quality of wood is one difference between LS200 and LS70's. It may all be mohagony i suppose but the actual grade(quality) of wood is different.

Also the LS70's have a laminate top, which means it has a paper-like sheet thats placed on top to give it the appearence of flames. The LS200's have a mahogany top that is flamed. A process that can be time consuming and costly.

The fingerboard on the LS200 is Ebony whereas the fingerboard on the LS70's are rosewood. The fingerboard on my LS200 is jet black and smooth like glass.

LS200
Body:Flamed hard maple top:Mahogany back
Neck/Mahogany set-neck
Fingerbord/Ebony
Pickups/PAF-Vintage MK1
Finish/Lacquer
Color/Cherry_sunburst/Violin_finish/Heritage_Dark_cherry
A case is included.
Made in Japan.
Price/List price 200,000yen >>> your price call

LS75Q
Body : quilted maple laminated:rock maple top/Mahogany 2pc back.
Neck : Mahogany set neck.
Fingerboard : Rosewood.
Pickups/PAF-Vintage MK2
Finish/Polyurethane
Color/Cherry_sunburst/Violin_finish/Oak/Heritage_dark_cherry
Other/Pick-guard is included.
A case is not included.
Made in Japan.
Price/List price 75,000yen >>> your price call This comes to about $600 US dollars for the list price, the actual price would still be less.


LS70F Body : Flamed sycamore laminated rock maple top/Mahogany 2pc back.
Neck : Mahogany set neck.
Fingerboard : Rosewood.
Pickups/PAF-Vintage MK2
Finish/Polyurethane
Color/Cherry_sunburst/Violin_finish/Indigo_blue/See_through_red
Other/Pick-guard
A case is not included.
Made in Japan.
Price/List price 70,000yen >>> your price call This list price is about $560 US Dollars.

LS70S
Body : Maple top ; Mahogany 2pc back.
Neck : Mahogany set neck.
Fingerboard : Rosewood.
Pickups/LP-old(single coil)
Finish/Polyurethane
Color/Gold_top/Cherry_sunburst
Other/Pick-guard
A case is not included.
Made in Japan.
Price/List price 70,000yen >>> your price call This list price is about $560 US Dollars.



Hope this helps ya,
Dana

Let me also add that all flametops vary whether they are laminated or actual flame mahogany. I've seen some really nice laminated and actual mahogany tops, and i've also seen some terrible ones too.

I was lucky to find one with such a nice flame on it.

Dana

Thank you very much Dana!!!

SirPsycho

hi SirPsycho,
Most Tokai have a small black oval sticker that designates the model for you, also the shop should have hang-tags that tell you the model.
The tops are maple, not mahogany. It is not the easiest thing to spot a solid top from a laminate, but the difference between the LS70 and LS200 is around the same as the difference betwwen the Epiphone Les Paul and the Gibson R-9. There is that much of a difference.
Among the variences to consider are the quality of the body woods, the lacquer, the number of wood pieces, the neck/body joint, the fingerboard wood, the quality of the electrics, the plating of the metal parts, etc....
Vintage Gibson Les Pauls sound like they do for a good reason...Gibson changed the construction specs on 1968 and later models until returning the original specs for Custom Shop models ONLY.

To know which model it is, ask the price. Anything under US$2,500 will not be the LS200 or LS320, plus these 2 models tend to custom order only so most shops would not stock them anyway.

regards
Peter

You're right Peter, its Maple top and not Mahogony. I dont know why i said that. Thanks for the correction!

Dana

I am thinking of purchasing either a Tokai LS200 or a Gibson Les Paul. My question is, how close is the LS200 to the Gibson, more specifically:

1)How many pieces is the LS200 body made of?

2)How many pieces is the neck?

3)Does the neck binding cover the fret ends on the LS200 like the Gibson?

The reason I'm asking is the 2000 Tokai catalog doesn't mention if the Ls200 has a one-piece body/neck, while the LS320 is cleary labeled as having such. This leads me to believe that the body/neck of the LS200 are made of multiple pieces. To anybody who has one, any help would be appreciated!!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Frank555 on 2002-06-08 22:56 ]</font>

Frank,

1) I looked mine over and asked a few friends if they could see if the body was one piece or more. Looking at the seam right down the middle down the back, you might say it was two pieces, but if you look on the side (near where the lower body strap button is) the grain shows its one solid piece. The pattern carries all around the entire side like its one piece. I would say its one piece judging by mine. I think the LS320 is pretty much the same thing as the LS200 except it uses more expensive woods and higher quality electronics.

2) Just like the body, the neck looks like one piece also. the grain of the wood carries throughout the neck (not like you can see its two obvious different pieces of wood).

3) Yes the binding covers the fret ends just like the Gibsons. That was one thing i kept seeing wrong with the Gibsons i tried out, some guitars even had frets penetrating the binding, making areas very sharp.


I've seen guitars that anyone could easily tell it was mulitple piece bodies. My old Epiphones were very noticable. My LS200, i cant tell. I had an email from Yoshi at Universe Guitar Shop and i'm pretty sure it said it was 1 piece body and 1 piece neck. I'm embarassed i dont really know, but i cant tell on mine that its more than 1 piece for either.

[email protected] You could ask as well, same day replies.

The Tokai LS200 is suppose to be the spitting image of the Gibson Historic Reissues. Same exact dimensions.

Give Yoshi an email and copy and paste your #1 + #2 questions into the email if nobody here can verify.

Dana

Hey Dana,

Thanks for the response. I e-mailed Yoshi, and he confirmed that the body and neck are indeed one piece. I was thinking I'd have to save up for the LS320 to get the equivalent of a Gibson, but I guess not!!

Dana (the lucky person) is right about the LS200 being 1 piece body.
Keep in mind that while both the LS200 and LS320 have 1 piece bodies and neck, the LS320 is made from Honduras mahogany and not Sepele mahogany. The fingerboard, electronics and laquer finish are the other major differences between the cost of the 2 models.
Both models make for excellent playing and value, both models are closer to the original 59 LP than Gibson LP models (except R9)
Be confidant that you are buying the best craftsmanship with either model.

regards
Peter

Peter Mac, when you say "one-piece body" , surely you're talking about the mahogony backs? Aren't the maple tops on LS200's centre-seamed, making them two piece?

For SirPsycho: If I saw a 70 and a 200 together and the tops both looked good, I could tell them apart by the rosewood versus ebony fretboards, Personally, I'm not a fan of ebony fretboards, too bad they're on the more expensive models.

Peter Mac said:

Dana (the lucky person) is right about the LS200 being 1 piece body.
Keep in mind that while both the LS200 and LS320 have 1 piece bodies and neck, the LS320 is made from Honduras mahogany and not Sepele mahogany. The fingerboard, electronics and laquer finish are the other major differences between the cost of the 2 models.
Both models make for excellent playing and value, both models are closer to the original 59 LP than Gibson LP models (except R9)
Be confidant that you are buying the best craftsmanship with either model.

regards
Peter

Click to expand...

Peter, what differences are there between Sepele mahogany and Honduras mahogany(visually, tonally)? Are you saying that any models below the LS 320 use Sepele? I always thought that sepele was an inferior wood, am I incorrect in this line of thinking?

Hi Frank,

No, Sepele mahogany is not an inferior wood, just not as high grade as Honduras or Brazilizn mahogany. thats all. Visually it looks similar and tonally has the same characterisitics as mahogany. I cannot say for sure if Tokai lower end models ALL use Sepele, I would guess the Korean models might - my point was more the fact that Hoduras is ONLY used on the LS320.
Tokai Gakki would best answer the question about the origin of the mahogany used on each model.

Novasel, yeah, I am only talking about the mahogany part of the body. The tops are solid flame maple, book-matched with a centre seam.


SirPsycho, The LS320 however does not have an ebony fingerboard - it is Jacaranda (a botanic equivalent to Brazilian Rosewood or so I'm told)

regards
Peter