ZZ Top's Billy Gibbon's 1985 Tokai 'GRIND' Love Rock Being Offered @ Auction

Here is what looks to be a 1985 Tokai LS Love Rock Model, played, toured, and owned by none other than Billy Gibbons, from ZZ Top. This is the so called 'GRIND' guitar that Billy owned for many years.
Minimum bid is $30K. Good luck ............................
https://www.gottahaverockandroll.co...s_Owned_and_Stage_Used__Grind__-LOT34207.aspx

Bill can be seen in this video from 1997 playing the GRIND Love Rock ................

 

I asked the seller of the Billy Gibbons GRIND Love Rock which model the guitar is but I have yet to receive a reply. I'm guessing it's likely a LS-200.


I have owned several Tokai LS models over many years, some early (so called vintage Tokai) and some later ones. I have owned several Tokai ST & ES models too. I really like the gray bottom U single coil pickups in the STs. Tokais are some interesting guitars. Oddly the largest neck profile I have ever had on any LS was from a 1981 Tokai LS-50 'inkie.' I know inkies don't command the same level of respect that the Tokai produced/non inkies command but I have owned a few inkies & they are just as good as the Tokai made LS examples, IMO.

1981 Tokai Love Rock LS-50 'inkie' - 100% original condition with rare OS top color





Here is a very special 1981 Tokai LS-60 Love Rock - 100% original condition with the BS top color



The most expensive LS I have is my 2000 Tokai LS-320, which I have owned since March, 2008.
It has the Honduran body back & neck, and the Brazilian rosewood 'board.

2000 Tokai Love Rock Model LS-320 - 100% original condition with VS top color

 

The auction ended with one bid & the ending price was the minimum/opening bid = $30,000.
That is the most expensive price point I have ever seen a Tokai sell for.
Some folks seem to believe the GRIND Tokai is a LS-200 but I contacted the seller & the seller was never able to offer me solid evidence of what model the guitar is.
I hope the person that purchased the GRIND Tokai is happy; $30,000 is a Hell of a lot of scratch for a Tokia but then they were saying something similar about real burst many years ago.


I am quite glad I purchased my 2000 LS-320 second hand in 2008; it has the best available lumber specs (Honduran, Brazilian, 4A Eastern Maple, etc.) for a Les Paul type & a comparable Gibson type would cost much more $$$$.

 

No doubt the celebrity association had everything to do with the $30K minimum bid amount & the fact that one bidder was willing to part with $30 to own it.

The going rate for vintage Tokai LS-200 examples has been running in the $5K to $8K range for the past few years. There are the typical variables that affect the ending price points; top color, condition, weight, originality, etc.

The thing about the higher end vintage Tokai examples are (1) the spec was not specifically Honduran (2) no specified spec for Brazilian and (3) no long neck tenon. The circa 1997 to 2003 LS-320 has all of those attributes.

Don't get me wrong, I like vintage Tokai but the specs aren't 'top spec.' Sure, they are now 'old' lumber but LS-320s are now circa 20 years old & one day they will be the new vintage.
Thought about selling my LS-320 but don't need the ca$h so, keeping such a high spec Les Paul, that has better specs than the vintage Tokais, for le$$ than 2 & 3 times what the older ones are now selling for is looking better & better, every year that goes by.
I didn't feel that way nearly 13 years ago when I bought my 320 but time sure can change things.
I honestly wouldn't sale my 320 for 3, or even 4 times what I paid for it, even if someone was crazy enuff to make such an offer.
It's just an insanely great Les Paul that just so happens not to be a Gibson.