According to the catalogue in 1984, Tokai adapted dressing board top for TLS-100 and under grade.  So from 1984 for a while, only TLS-200/150 have genuine carved top.

Around 1980, LS-80 and upper grade equipped nickel hardware and brass bridge, but after 1984, only flagship model mounted those parts.  This guitar seems to equip the same grade hardware as of LS-60/50 around 1980.

Pickups are DiMarzio PAF, same as catalogue description.  TLS-200 mounted Seymour Duncan Vintage’59 then.  TLS-200/150 probably manufactured as regular products then because no description of “custom order” on the catalogue.

Strange top.  You can see belt-like black stains in its top, it’s spalted maple by wood rotting fungus infiltration.  Spalted maple has much value for the material of high grade guitars.  In Japan they call it “Suminagashi”which means the stream of Indian ink.

Even if high grade material, spalted maple doesn’t fit for cherry sunburst Les Paul.  Black stain in youthful cherry top makes us imagine rotten cherry.  In fact, I have never seen such a cherry sunburst Les Paul like this.  I can’t understand Tokai made such a guitar like this then.  4.03kg(includes strings). (Updated 2016.8.26)