Just got a LS320, what can I expect?

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Felipe Nacif

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Hi everyone, I'm a newbie here, and I live in Brazil. I just bought a LS320 but I guess it won't be here until late next week.

I'm really excited about the guitar, I only hear great things about it, I hope it's as good as everyone says.
I have 2 Les Pauls (plus some other 20+ guitars), one is a nice 01 Std, the other is a 81 Heritage 80 Std. This last sounds considerably better than the Std, even my Std having Seth Lovers right now.

I'm truly expecting the Love Rock to be a winner.
Love Rock players, please give me your thoughts!

Good to be here (My Love Rock will be the first ever sold to Brazil!)




Felipe
 
Hey Felipe
Welcome to the forum. When you get it, we want all the details - a full blown product review. :eek:

I think you can expect a lot from a 320. Congratulations.
CM
 
Benvido o foro Felipe.I am waiting for a LS-320 review from you too.It must be a high end LP for sure.
 
Thanks a lot.
In fact I got it from the factory, same price the regular dealers sell to the japanese market, same price Yoshi quote me. No one sells Tokai around, so they agreed to sell direct. So far, very smooth deal!

Felipe
 
Hey Felipe,

Sorry, I did see your questions to me at the TCM forum but didn't get a chance to reply. I didn't get any chance to play the LS320, infact my own LS80F was imported from Japan sight unseen. If the quality and tone of my Love Rock is a quarter of what the LS320 will be, then you don't have to worry a bit!

Let us know when it arrives k? I can't wait! Do you have a pic of the guitar?
 
Hi There
This is only my second post and already I'm confused. I have been checking out the Guitar shop universe site and definitley the guitars are beautiful, but what's the story with the prices? I admit I know nothing about Tokai and I did have to e-mail Ned with the serial number of my newly aquired lefty gold-top, (Ned informs me it's a 2002 Japanese made model), but I paid NOTHING like what they are being advertised for on the site, there is a LS320 FOR ABOUT ?2500, I paid ?425 sterling for mine.Now before anbody slates me, I dont know the difference between this model and mine, truth be told I dont even know the model number of my golt-top, but it's a big difference. Maybe it's one of those marketing ploy's where they advertise the guitars very high, but give it to you at a knock down rate? If I was to order another Tokai lefty off this chap,and I would seriously think of doing so because I love this guitar already, how much would I expect to pay for the guitar including shipping to Europe? I always liked the look of the Telecaster copy's, can they be had on-line? in left-handed form?
Please excuse my ignorance and I am greatful for any info received.

LEFTY-GT
 
standard procedure for shops here in Japan is to take 20% off list price. so that would be 64000 yen off the 320000 yen list.... still a serious chunk of change. Now, if you guys are paying a lot less outside Japan I`d be pissed off.... but not surprised. Because, a couple of years ago the Fender Japan Sting bass was being sold Stateside for about 500$, it was 120000 yen here, more than double the price. If you are able to get the top of the line Tokais for as littlle as you paid, I will have my sister order me one from Canada. Or a web pal from the States.
 
sneakyjapan, I should have said that mine is second-hand, but I think you cann get a new one for not much more than I paid, at least I have seen a new on on wizard's guitar's site in England for about ?450. Is there a huge gulf between the different model's? Though mine was,nt new, it is a 2002, it's perfect in every way, in fact the only thing I'm not crazy about is the neck pick-up, I find it a bit muddy. Does guitar shop universe, or any-body else for that matter, offer any of the other model's on-line?

LEFTY-GT
 
LEFTY-GT said:
sneakyjapan, I should have said that mine is second-hand, but I think you cann get a new one for not much more than I paid, at least I have seen a new on on wizard's guitar's site in England for about ?450. Is there a huge gulf between the different model's? Though mine was,nt new, it is a 2002, it's perfect in every way, in fact the only thing I'm not crazy about is the neck pick-up, I find it a bit muddy. Does guitar shop universe, or any-body else for that matter, offer any of the other model's on-line?

LEFTY-GT

You got a 320 for ?425?!?!?!?!?!?!

If that's true you are the luckiest person alive IMO.

If you haven't already, I'd remove the neck pickup and see what model number is written in the cavity. That's not a bad price for even a low-end Jap model but if it's a 320 you're seriously quids-in.

All Jap tokais are very well made but there are big differences between the cheapest and most expensive - they have been covered elesewhere, or maybe someone else can offer more help than I can. :roll:
 
Paladin2019, I definitley dont know what model mine is, but It's definitley not a 320, judging by the photo's I've seen on the net.In fact the only information I've had is from the main man on Tokai's, Ned. I must remove the pick-up tomorrow to see what model it is.

LEFTY-GT
 
well the 320`s have Duncan pups, lacquer finish, highly rated quilt or flame tops, deep neck joints, I`m sure they use CTS and CRL electronics and if they are like all other Japanese makers the top of the line gets a lot more TLC than the low end stuff. Plus, they must have one piece backs better wood for the necks, best of everything I assume. I must say I`ve never seen a 320 in the city I live in, thank God, it probably would follow me home.
 
I was looking into an import of a Tokai LS200 or 320, until a Heritage H-150 CM goldtop custom followed me home, so to speak. When you get into guitars in the $1000 and up range, it's pretty hard to go wrong if you deal with legit people and brand names. Given the choice, I'd take a 320 over a Gibson Historic, any day. There might not be a better Les paul made on this planet...
:lol:
 
http://w1.422.telia.com/~u42235727/sneaky.htm#Ornetts
here`s one that made me sell my Gibson LP standard.
speaking of the one on top of course.
 
Hi Dave and gang,

My LS320 arrived yesterday, and I'm still in shock. This guitar is the real deal, and I'm ready to say it's top 5 in my all time favorite list. It's imply amazing how these guys get the job done here.

Mine came in Cherry SB, Chevron top, unbeliavable FLAMED mahogany back!
The tone is fantastic, I did a quick a/b with some of my faves here, including my TCM Taurus Custom, and both my Gibsons Les Paul Heritage 80 and a 01 Standard.
Tone and workmanship are very close to TCM's, but the vibe has a more vintage feel. Compared to the Heritage, more snap, more clarity and more complex tones, but the Gibson has a wonderful smokey mid range compression that no guitar I've played could match.

Now, compared to the Standard, it simply destroyed my Gibson in every aspect. I might sell it to get another Tokai. And I had trouble to find a Standard this nice, but the Tokai is in another level.
I've played two "moderne" Gibsons that I can't forget, one was a 84 pre-historic and the other was a Murphy aged 59 reissue in Hawaii, probably a Yamano guitar. Both were out of this world, and the Tokai is the only guitar ever capable to match these two. I've never played the real deal, but I can live with these replicas!

Special thanks to Dave Tang (aka Quilt top). After you bought your Tokai, your review of that guitar pushed me into the Tokai world.

Thanks again, pics ASAP!
 
Felipe,

Glad you like the LS320. If I have the dough, I would swing for one myself. Imagine the Gibson histroic specs at the price of a regular standard! I don't care if it says Tokai for that matter! Please post some pics and a tone report when you're done warming up to her!

I wouldn't compare it against any TCMs as they are made so differently. However, it would be interesting to compare it against the Taurus though. I think in terms of attention to details, Terry probably still has a slight upper-hand but if it's constructed like a true-burst, then I bet the tone is definitely something else! Nothing sounds like a great les paul!!!

I've been watching the new Led Zep Dvd and what tone a 50 yr old design can produce! I've been playing some LZ tunes, especially my favorite "Heartbreaker" lately! Man oh man, my Tokai can sure smoke!

I am really glad that I've pushed you to buying a Tokai. Keeping playing, bro.! No.1 TCM collector in Brazil!

:wink: :D
 
Congrats Felipe, LS320 top Tokai AAAA maple top, Honduras mahogany, would love to own one of those, maybe someday :)

Zep DVD, nice one QT, watching that made me want to buy a Tokai, not the only reason though but everytime I watched it listening to JP's sound swung it.

I had to learn The Ocean and I love playing Heartbreaker too, well any Zep riff really.
 

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