Tokai LS160 or LC200

[stratlt]

Tokai LS160 or LC200? need opinions. I can made order for LS420, but can't wait 6 months for it now.
I like both, Tokai LS160 and LC200. I try LS200 5A too...
LC 200 has incredible sustain, fast ebony fingerboard, but why it's not so popular here? I try search about LC200 in forum, but find a few results only...

 

[wulfman]

You can order an LS-420 from Japan I think, there are a few in stock in stores.

This one is on special at 278k yen, which is about $4k these days. I have seen it a few times as the Shinjuku store is a place I pass by fairly often.

http://1484.bz/shinjuku/123850/

I am sure they would be happy to sell it internationally.

If you are interested in a plain-top LS-150 at a decent price let me know. I have this 2009 one available with original h/c, will be putting it up in the classifieds on the weekend.

 

[stratlt]

You can order an LS-420 from Japan I think, there are a few in stock in stores.

Many thanks for your info and proposal, but for me is no reason to buy Tokai from shops in Japan because I working in musical instruments/pro audio industry in my country and can get it cheaper. But I need wait 6 months till Tokai will made it for me. Problem is that I need a guitar now (looks I just sold my Edwards E-130/RE to my friend today), and currently LC200, LS-160 and LS-150F AAA is possible options. By the way, anybody can tell me how big is difference in sound quality between LC200/LS200/LS160 and LS420? I currently can't compare side by side.

 

[Diamond]

No one here has played an LC200/LS160/LS420 side by side, except you...so you tell us about the difference in "sound quality".

The LC200 is an all mahogany guitar, no maple top, it sounds different to the LS160/200 5A...not better, just different.
The reason you don't read too much about the LC200 is because if you want a "Custom" you need look no further than a LC98.

How much do they want for the LS200 5A?

 

[sneakyjapan]

If you are interested in a plain-top LS-150 at a decent price let me know. I have this 2009 one available with original h/c, will be putting it up in the classifieds on the weekend.

just saw a 2008 LS-150 in Sendai this afternoon...looked like CTS pots and Orange Drop caps...yours too? They want 78,000 yen. 2 piece back as is the 160.
They have had a 98,000 yen 160 for a while as well...looks nice...both plain tops. `08 has a 2 screw truss rod cover...the 160 has the one screw version...but I took the History GH-T2 tele type instead of either Tokai...Honduras body, spruce top Timeless Timber maple neck rosewood fingerboard, original hard case....been looking for one for some time, they are very rare in this city...already have a couple of the History/FGN models...a BATT-20, another high end FGN...as good as anything else I see here in Japan, they made changes to the current crop...no longer listed as using Timeless Timber...now use something called Heritage wood...if you get a chance to play any of those high end Historys, you should...even have a Cool-Z black custom model that for $300.00 was a real steal...still had the plastic on the covers.
Couple of quick @ics with the little point and shoot I got for my niece to use...

2 piece back but looks like the book matched it...

they come with a fretboard protector...and not sure why theres a strat trem arm in the case but a little added bonus...

 

[sneakyjapan]

I`ll think about the LS-150, may go back for it...though I already have some old Les Paul Reborns.

 

[stratlt]

No one here has played an LC200/LS160/LS420 side by side, except you...so you tell us about the difference in "sound quality".

The LC200 is an all mahogany guitar, no maple top, it sounds different to the LS160/200 5A...not better, just different.
The reason you don't read too much about the LC200 is because if you want a "Custom" you need look no further than a LC98.

How much do they want for the LS200 5A?

I know that LC200 sounds different. And yes - I know that LC200 is all mahogany and has ebony fretboard (second big and Very important difference). First of all, my question is why not so many choose customs?
I can agree that maple top guitars have more detailed and more subtle sound. But by my opinion there is so many music styles where customs are more suitable.
Also I can't agree that "if you want a "Custom" you need look no further than a LC98". I just made comparision between LC98 and LC200. It's huge difference. First of all LC200 has definetly better sustain and guitar sounds more stable whole neck (which has ebony instead or RW in LC98). That's what I mean "sound quality".

 

[jacco]

...but I took the History GH-T2 tele type instead of either Tokai...Honduras body, spruce top Timeless Timber maple neck rosewood fingerboard, original hard case....been looking for one for some time, they are very rare in this city...already have a couple of the History/FGN models...a BATT-20, another high end FGN...as good as anything else I see here in Japan, they made changes to the current crop...no longer listed as using Timeless Timber...now use something called Heritage wood...if you get a chance to play any of those high end Historys, you should...even have a Cool-Z black custom model that for $300.00 was a real steal...still had the plastic on the covers.
Couple of quick @ics with the little point and shoot I got for my niece to use...

2 piece back but looks like the book matched it...

they come with a fretboard protector...and not sure why theres a strat trem arm in the case but a little added bonus...

Very nice Tele sneaky. How does she sound with that kind of wood used?

 

[wulfman]

Thanks for posting that Sneaky. I have seen those teles for sale on YJ but it seems like they have low and high end stuff so it is hard to tell which is which sometimes. 78,000 is a good price for the Tokai too, that is in the range that mine was in as well. Good guitars, I just have too many plaintops and need to clean house a bit.

BTW, my LS-150 has a 1-pc back, though I have seen recent LS-160s with flame-top veneers and 2-pc backs with different pickups and specs. Hard to keep track of the special models that come out all the time.

 

[JVsearch]

Also I can't agree that "if you want a "Custom" you need look no further than a LC98". I just made comparision between LC98 and LC200. It's huge difference. First of all LC200 has definetly better sustain and guitar sounds more stable whole neck (which has ebony instead or RW in LC98). That's what I mean "sound quality".

I have to agree, not because I've played them side by side, but because the LC-98 just seems to be a black LS, so you're not really going to get the Custom experience from it.

Yeah yeah ok, there were original Customs with maple and mahogany tops, but they did have ebony boards.

Besides historical accuracy, you must be getting something extra with the double the price LC-200?

 

[marcusnieman]

Wow, that Tele is gorgeous.

 

[Diamond]

Also I can't agree that "if you want a "Custom" you need look no further than a LC98". I just made comparision between LC98 and LC200. It's huge difference. First of all LC200 has definetly better sustain and guitar sounds more stable whole neck (which has ebony instead or RW in LC98). That's what I mean "sound quality".

I have to agree, not because I've played them side by side, but because the LC-98 just seems to be a black LS, so you're not really going to get the Custom experience from it.

Yeah yeah ok, there were original Customs with maple and mahogany tops, but they did have ebony boards.

Besides historical accuracy, you must be getting something extra with the double the price LC-200?

The LC98S has a maple top, the LC98 is all mahogany.
The all mahogany LC98 sounds completely different to the LS models, and you can't get the LC98 in black, it only comes in see through wine red.
The LC98S comes in black and white.

 

[Diamond]

Thanks for posting that Sneaky. I have seen those teles for sale on YJ but it seems like they have low and high end stuff so it is hard to tell which is which sometimes. 78,000 is a good price for the Tokai too, that is in the range that mine was in as well. Good guitars, I just have too many plaintops and need to clean house a bit.

BTW, my LS-150 has a 1-pc back, though I have seen recent LS-160s with flame-top veneers and 2-pc backs with different pickups and specs. Hard to keep track of the special models that come out all the time.

I'm not sure where you're seeing an LS160 with a flame top veneer and 2 piece back...those are the specs of an LS140F.
Possibly some dealer or seller is calling an LS140F an LS160 flametop, which is a lie, no such thing.
The flametop version of an LS160 is the LS150F AAA, solid maple flametop and one piece back.

 

[singemonkey]

It sounds like you like the LC200. I'd say get it. Not that many people have high end LCs mainly because more people like LSs if they're buying one high-end Tokai. But it's clearly a great guitar. As you say, one piece back, once piece top and ebony board.

I've got an LS160. Wonderful guitar. Can't go wrong. 1 pc back

 

[Johny642000]

And here's a link to the quick review I did of my premium series custom I bought 18 months ago

http://tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=16020&highlight=lc180s&sid=c74c7a1ad18168a2b9c18bd937926106

Mine's the LC180S model which has the maple rather than mahogany top but it's a wonderful guitar...

I don't know where you are but Rockem in the UK nare selling new high end LCs with maple tops on Ebay at the moment for ?1499 - they've got a white one which I've always wanted but unfortunately I'm broke so won't be in the market for a new guitar for a very long time...

 

[Diamond]

I don't know where you are but Rockem in the UK nare selling new high end LCs with maple tops on Ebay at the moment for ?1499

That's $2100, which is the same price they sell for in South Africa, R15,000.

Interesting, we usually pay double the price in SAfrica for guitars and gear compared to the UK and USA...but not with Tokais.

Gives himself a pat on the back.

 

[Johny642000]

Here's the link to the white one...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tokai-LC180S-VWH-Electric-Guitar-Vintage-White-Gold-/360391946729?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item53e908b1e9

There still using the old model number which is surprising as it's been the LC195S for at least a year and a half now...

Beautiful guitar...I want one, but I also want to try a Bacchus before long...and also, as mentioned, I'm broke...

 

[wulfman]

I'm not sure where you're seeing an LS160 with a flame top veneer and 2 piece back...those are the specs of an LS140F.
Possibly some dealer or seller is calling an LS140F an LS160 flametop, which is a lie, no such thing.
The flametop version of an LS160 is the LS150F AAA, solid maple flametop and one piece back.

Probably an HLS model rather than the LS.
The HLS-160s in several shops fit that profile, but that seems to be a Japanese market spec. Basically a tradeoff of more "historic" specs and different pickups for the 1-pc back.

http://www.hibikimusic.co.jp/tokai/spec.html
http://www.digimart.net/guitar/inst_detail.do?instrument_id=DS01404009