2000 LS-320 Goldtop - What have I purchased?

I'm hoping that my new (for me) LS-320 Goldtop has some form of a history. I was told that it was built for Guitar Universe by Tokai, a run of 5?
This has serial 00001, and seems to conform to the following specs provided by the seller:

Hard Maple top (can't verify since it's painted)
1pc Honduras Mahogany body
1pc Honduras Mahogany neck
Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard
Gibson '57classic Pickups

Some questions...
What is Guitar Universe?
Any idea what is under the gold paint (just curious)?
I also have no idea of the guitar's worth, but I'd love to get a sense
Is it as rare as the seller told me?
Does anyone know the history of the guitar?
Are there further specs of the 2000 LS-320s or does that vary?

Any information would be appreciated, Tokai doesn't seem to have ever sold a goldtop LS-320 themselves. I will say that it is amazingly well built and plays wonderfully. And it wasn't cheap...sigh. But it felt like a fair price for the quality.

Thanks!

Can you post pictures?

Here is how:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=25951

The 2000 catalog shows the LS320 as a flame top....

https://www.vintagejapanguitars.com.br/en/tokai-2000-catalogue/



One on Reverb.

https://reverb.com/item/21663426-tokai-ls-320-love-rock-2005-burst-violon-finish

Tokai LS 320 - Les Paul 59 Replica , a truly rare guitar made in Japan , the flagship of the Tokay Line in 2005 , compare to a Gibson Les Paul R9 Custom Shop Historic.
Similar specs to the current Tokai Ls 420 , but with Brazilian Rosewood for this 2005 LS 320 :

AAAA Maple Top , 2 pieces center seam in Violin sunburst finish
Body : one piece Honduran Mahogany
Neck : one piece Honduran Mahogany , quarter sawn with Brazilian Rosewood fingerbord
Junction Neck Body : Long Tenon
Neck : 18 ° angle
Aluminum Tailpiece
Two SH55 Seymour Duncan Seth Lover Pickups
Nitro lacquer finish

Saw this from the forum in 2007:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7382

They were a retailer for Tokai as of 2009.

https://www.tokairegistry.com/links.html

Tokai has relationships with different vendors where they will make special guitars per their specs. Hibiki is one that comes to mind. Kurosawa Music is apparently another. Guitar Universe may have been one of these?

I will post pics when I get home from work.

Pretty sure it is the real deal and thanks for the heads up on g.s. Universe!

Just found this on the g.s.Universe website
http://www.gs-universe.com/justcomein.html

(2000) TOKAI LS320GT ￥183,750 SOLD
TOKAI LS320GT
2000 UNIVERSE Limited products #U0001
2pc Hard Maple top/1pc Honduras Mahogany bock body,
1pc Honduras Mahonagy neck/Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard,
Gibson '57classic Pickups,
'80s TOKAI "dead stock" Bridge-brass saddles,
'80s TOKAI "dead stock" magnesium Tailpiece,
All Lacquer Finish (brass powder)
Hard Shell Case

Guess I found it...although the sale seems to have happened long ago.

That's really cool. I will post the pics so other folks can see if the site is changed.

Btw, looks like Guitar Universe is/was in the same town as the Tokai factory, Hamamatsu, Japan.

Serial number U0001

A small limited run (5?) was ordered by Tsurumi-san through Tokai. I played one at his shop when I was there with Adachi-san. He asked him to sell me that one at a nice price I refused (I did not want to take advantage on that deal) and I ordered one from the factory next year. Mine is a great great Les Paul I do love, 19 yearas old at this time. My treasure.

Hope it helps!

How cool! So Mr Adachi knew him. I had guessed that since they were in the same town. Very cool.

luis said:

A small limited run (5?) was ordered by Tsurumi-san through Tokai. I played one at his shop when I was there with Adachi-san. He asked him to sell me that one at a nice price I refused (I did not want to take advantage on that deal) and I ordered one from the factory next year. Mine is a great great Les Paul I do love, 19 yearas old at this time. My treasure.

Hope it helps!

Click to expand...

So luis, is this guitar actually from 2002 then? 2003 minus one year?

luis said:

Hello everybody!

I am trying to date all recent (2000-2020) catalogs. I can do an approximation in some cases. Can you help me?
Do not heasitate to correct me...

Vol 21- 2000-2002?. This one was my first Tokai catalog. I own several but one given from Japan before/when I bougth mi first LS70VF from Yoshi Tsurumi (Universe)
Vol. 22- 2003-2004 I got several and got the first as a gift with my '03 LS320
Vol. 23-2005-2006?. I got one as a gift also.
Vol. 24: 2007.2008?
Vol. 25- 2010?
Vol. 26. I don 't got any so cannot comment- ???
Vol. 27-
Vol. 28-
Vol. 29- 2016?
Vol. 30-2018?

Click to expand...

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=26284

After Luis's post, I did some searching here on Tokai Forum. Someone named Villager bought it from Yoshi of g.s.Universe and made this post:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=58205

So there is more confirmation that it's a 2000 LS-320, although IDK value. The person I bought it from said that he had paid $3K for it more than 10 years ago. That seems about where figured-top LS-320s are selling for now...maybe the scarcity increased the value, who knows.

I do know that it sounds amazing run through my GK amp and has better action than my PRS.

Oh cool. He’s a long time member here and a well known dealer of vintage Japanese guitars.

Here’s a link to his site:

http://www.japanguitars.co.uk/

Interesting comment by luis in that other thread from 2007:

luis said:

I handle this guitar when I met Yoshi back in 2002. I thought it was a 5 pieces limited run,one of them belonging to Rod Stewart guitarist if I understood correct.Noticed an inked serial number which is very odd in actual Tokais. I was about to buy it but this was Yoshi?s personal guitar so.....It?s a really good guitar and a pre 20005 one which I prefer just because fret edge binding.

Click to expand...

Yoshi just emailed me the following:

"It is LS320 which was made by special order in 2000.

And # 00001 was sold after being displayed in the store for several years as my property.

# 00001 is gibson '57 classic Pickups
And I use Tokai parts from the 80's.

It was a good guitar that I also loved."

What an interesting interchange between manufacturer and retailer...can you imagine Gruhn and Gibson or Martin having such an agreement for a production run of 5 guitars?

He also asked me where I found it...Craigslist...under the heading of Tokia guitar...TG for misspelling!

That is nuts. Would be interesting to trace the path from Tokai/Mr. Shohei Adachi>Guitar Universe/Mr. Yoshi Tsurumi>villager>unknown?>CraigsList seller>you.

Maybe villager has a record of who he sold it to?

And if you got it on CL I assume you are in the US? So that is multiple continents (Japan>UK>US).

I just recall a well known dealer bought a similar (if not that one) directly from Tsurumi-san). I guess the cost would be lower than comented above but not sure, there was not such Tokaimania as nowadays with prices rising over and over.

I was looking at my personal pictures and i just found a printed one with Yoshi Tsurumi and me handling the above mentioned guitar , I just forgot I had it!

Oh wow.... Very cool. Small world!

SCruzLoose said:

After Luis's post, I did some searching here on Tokai Forum. Someone named Villager bought it from Yoshi of g.s.Universe and made this post:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=58205

So there is more confirmation that it's a 2000 LS-320, although IDK value. The person I bought it from said that he had paid $3K for it more than 10 years ago. That seems about where figured-top LS-320s are selling for now...maybe the scarcity increased the value, who knows.

I do know that it sounds amazing run through my GK amp and has better action than my PRS.

Click to expand...

I recall many years ago when TF member villager did indeed have your LS-320 gold top listed for sale on his web site.
You certainly have done your home work in regards to tracking the guitars' history. 8)

As far as what typically appointed (flame top) LS-320s are currently priced at; that is market driven for sure.
The original run of LS-320s were produced from a ball park period of 1997 to 2005 and one used to be able to see examples offered fairly often.
Now LS-320 examples are rarely seen to be offered in the used market.

I look back to the original run of Tokai LS examples from circa 1978 to 1982 and note that the only LS model from that period made with Honduran body and neck, and also with Brazilian, was the LS-200. Those are now ~40 year old guitars and when they are rarely offered they are now selling in the $7K to $11K plus range.

Interesting to see the few newer MIJs offered with Honduran and Braz, examples such as Crews, Provision, Tokai, and others that are offered for $6K plus and examples are selling.

IMHO if anyone had a circa late 1990s to mid 2000s LS-320 in a minimum very good original condition and they offered it for less than $5K then I would say that would be a purchase to seriously consider, if one is in the market for such an example.
Lumbers such as Honduran and Brazilian are certainly not easily sourced now and having an instrument that is 20 plus years vintage made with these species would certainly be a desirable guitar, IMO.

Late to the thread, but Yoshi at GS Universe definitely has/had a fairly influential relationship with Tokai.

It was Yoshi who negotiated with Tokai for them to make me a one-piece-top LS-320 in about 2002. It took him a while to persuade them and/or them a long time to find a suitable piece of wood, but he did make it happen. For which I will be eternally grateful.

Great buy OP.