1981 Tokai LS-150 — A Near-Mint Survivor

This 1981 LS-150 is in such exceptional condition that it could almost be described as dead stock.
The small “150” grade decal that originally appeared on the back of the headstock has been carefully relocated inside the front pickup cavity by a previous owner.

The LS-150 came equipped with open-coil humbuckers —
a DiMarzio PAF in the neck position and a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge —
exactly matching the catalog specifications of the period.

At the time, the LS-200 and LS-150 were priced at ¥200,000 and ¥150,000, respectively,
both including hard cases.
Without the case, the body-only prices were ¥12,000 less.
Models below the LS-100 were sold without cases:
LS-100 for ¥100,000, LS-80 for ¥80,000, LS-60 for ¥60,000, and LS-50 for ¥50,000.

The back is a single piece of Honduran mahogany,
and the fingerboard, of course, is Brazilian rosewood (Jacaranda).
The flame maple top is more lively and untamed than the LS-200’s well-ordered figuring —
its flames dance with a kind of organic energy rather than geometric precision.

The lack of an amber tint suggests this example was finished in standard lacquer,
not in the cashew lacquer used on the LS-200.

Weight: 4.03 kg (including strings)
(Updated August 26, 2016)