NGD LS196 GT

I looked everywhere for this guitar and actually gave up looking on Saturday, then Monday morning I was browsing around looking for something else and I found this guitar at an online store here in Japan, and for about $200 less than the regular store price. So I ordered it and it just arrived. The specs are one piece mahogany back, two piece maple top, one piece mahogany neck, "deep" neck joint, 18º head angle, rosewood fingerboard, lacquer finish, PAF-Vintage MK2 pickups, CTS pots, Switchcraft switch and jack and orange drop caps. It just arrived and it's still a little cold from being outside all day, but it plays and sounds really nice. I'll let it sit overnight and give it a good play tomorrow. This is the one guitar that I felt like I was missing in my little collection, so now I'm a happy camper.

This model disappeared from the Tokai website about a week ago and has been replaced with the LS214. I called one store and was told that the LS214 won't be available until June of next year. Judging from my search, this may be the last LS196 goldtop.

Congrats! I love gold tops. I have a '79 LS80GT. Great guitar, but the stain on the mahogany is so dark that you can't see the wood grain. Yours is nice with the clear finish. Enjoy.

Sigmania said:

Congrats! I love gold tops. I have a '79 LS80GT. Great guitar, but the stain on the mahogany is so dark that you can't see the wood grain. Yours is nice with the clear finish. Enjoy.

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Thanks. I have a '79 LS80 sunburst that I love. I wish I could have found a goldtop to go with it. But I'm happy with this new one. The last time I bought a new Tokai was in 2006. I don't think I'll be buying anything else for a while, other than maybe parts. Or an amp.

Bill

A couple shots of the family. Just ignore all the junk in the background.

Nice family!

8) what differences you feel between 2 love-rocks of yours? not as individually but generally, as new one and old one? how do you feel the overall differences between the vintage and new one? anyways, congratulations!

Es335 is gorgeous

HAMAMATSU said:

8) what differences you feel between 2 love-rocks of yours? not as individually but generally, as new one and old one? how do you feel the overall differences between the vintage and new one? anyways, congratulations!

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The LS80 has a slightly slimmer neck which makes it a little more comfortable for me to play. But it's really a small difference. The LS80 also sounds a bit warmer, and more broken in, for lack of a better word. The LS196 plays and sounds like a new guitar, which it is. It's hard to put that into words, but it seems to have a quickness or snap that I think will mellow with age. Or at least I hope it will. I restrung the LS196 with my favorite strings, replaced the tailpiece studs with steel ones, and top wrapped it, so it feels a little more comfortable to me now.

To be honest, the differences aren't huge. One thing I appreciate about the MIJ Tokai guitars is that they seem to be consistently good. That's one of the reasons I'm such a fan.

mdvineng said:

Es335 is gorgeous

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Thanks. It's an ES130. I had 3 Tokai 335's, sunburst, cherry and this natural one. Of the 3, this one sounded the best so it's the one I kept.