Dear-oh-dear... 3rd new guitar since January

[AndyR]

I'm really gonna have to get off this forum - it's bad for my wallet!  :lol:

I've even caught "buying a guitar for a set of BKPs I already own" syndrome now...   :(  

I had Mules in a maple-capped basswood Epi Les Paul. Nice guitar, but the Mules didn't do what I was expecting - especially now I have the "extremely mahogany" Explorer from a few weeks back to compare it with. So I went out looking for an LP type guitar that gave me and my Mules what we deserved.

Sorry for the cr@ppy state of my camera/photograghy-skills, but if you can't tell from the pic, it's a Tokai Love Rock (Japanese). First I tried some Chinese ones, nice, but variable quality, I felt, and the best sounding one had issues in the pickup mounting area. The guy in the shop said "the best ones are from Japan, but they're more expensive". Nice one, I'll try one of they then please - "we don't stock them"...

I found this one in the next shop, fell in love, extracted an offer of discount and ran away for coffee/thinking/fag-break because it was more than I was planning on spending. I cruised further afield and tried some Epis, even some Gibsons, but nothing felt quite like this one, and each option I tried was getting more expensive, not cheaper (I've even finally seen a Mira in the flesh now - but I dared not touch it in case Twinfan and others are right...).

When I got this one home, I played it for ten minutes (I think the Tokai pups are ok, btw) then I ripped it to bits to put the Mules in. It's very well made inside, on a par with my Japanese Fender Strat.

Anyway, I was right, the Mules are now gorgeous, what I was originally expecting from them. And this guitar is utterly beautiful to play, to wear, to sit gazing at - the photo does not do it any justice at all. And as an added bonus, the spare Gibson ceramic pups from the Explorer have gone in the Epi - and so far that seems to be a good match as well.

[Crazy_Joe]

Good choice!

[Jonny]

I wonder how Elitists match up with Tokais.

[hunter]

...found this one in the next shop, fell in love, extracted an offer of discount and ran away for coffee/thinking/fag-break because it was more than I was planning on spending

Tip from someone who did this 2 years ago: stop smoking will give you easy 1 more guitar a year and 10 more years to play them :O)

[TheIronBeast]

Good choice of guitar man!

Tokai's are gorgeous guitars! I am a Gibson guy myself but my cousin owns a Tokai Les Paul and I play it every time I go to visit him.

Congrats on the purchase!

[FELINEGUITARS]

...found this one in the next shop, fell in love, extracted an offer of discount and ran away for coffee/thinking/fag-break because it was more than I was planning on spending

Tip from someone who did this 2 years ago: stop smoking will give you easy 1 more guitar a year and 10 more years to play them :O)

+1
The money you save by giving up a 20 a day habit will even get you one of my custom built guitars in about a year or so.

Most people who smoke a pack a day end up maybe going through 10 packs a week if they go out socially as you tend to offer fellow smokers a ciggie when you light up yourself. 10 packs a week =£200+ a month.
(It's quite shocking when you see it like that -£200)

Or spend it on a nice amp!

[opprobrium_9]

first thing i said when i saw that was "good god"

nice advice hunter, i don't smoke, but good advice nonetheless

[Jonny]

£2400 is A LOT of money. :o

[AndyR]

I hear you guys  :D although my particular habit's only about £15 a week - I smoke roll-ups. I have done the maths many times over the years: it's £780 a year for me at the moment - yeah it is "another guitar" but I can live with that, I see it as not a lot different than if was spending that much on alcohol (I'm not, that's £2-£3, if that, a week!) or chocolate or something.

When I was younger I tried to use the finance argument to stop smoking -either as reward, or because I couldn't afford the heating or whatever - but it never worked for me, I could always find cash for fags and guitar strings. Now I'm not so poor... (and don't particularly want to stop either - that's the key part) ... no chance of it working!

Now if it really was £200 a month... a) I'd be kicking meself! b) It's possible I would consider stopping for financial reasons! I agree with you Jonathan, you putting it like that - I'm shocked to realise that there are people who spend that much on smoking.

[AndyR]

Good choice of guitar man!

Tokai's are gorgeous guitars! I am a Gibson guy myself but my cousin owns a Tokai Les Paul and I play it every time I go to visit him.

Congrats on the purchase!

Yeah, I've been very pleasantly surprised - it's the first time I've played a Tokai since trying the early strat copies when they first came out, I didn't really like the feel of the ones I tried, so I've never considered Tokai since. I went out yesterday thinking Epiphone or Vintage - I've heard good things about them as well (and I have one of their early resonator guitars from a few years back). But I've heard several people talk loving of their Love Rocks on here, and someone recommended Tokai while I was browsing yesterday, so I gave it a go.

The missus has just come home and goes "oh yes, you're right - that's very pretty..."  :D

[Philly Q]

...found this one in the next shop, fell in love, extracted an offer of discount and ran away for coffee/thinking/fag-break because it was more than I was planning on spending

Tip from someone who did this 2 years ago: stop smoking will give you easy 1 more guitar a year and 10 more years to play them :O)

+1
The money you save by giving up a 20 a day habit will even get you one of my custom built guitars in about a year or so.

OK guys, this has inspired me....

:idea:  I'm going to take up smoking!   Then in a few months I'll pack it in and save enough money for a custom guitar.  But I have a nagging feeling there's a flaw in my logic somewhere....




Nice guitar Andy!  Japanese Tokais are great, and I really like the look of a black LP with cream trimmings.  :)

I wonder how Elitists match up with Tokais.

I've never tried an Elitist, but I think they're built in the Fuji-Gen factory, the same as the Japanese-market Epis (with proper Gibson shape headstocks, which took over from Orville by Gibson).  I have a couple of  those Japanese Epis and a couple of Tokais, and I'd say they're on a par in every way.  They all feel a lot like older Gibsons, which isn't really the case with the Korean models, which seem to go for the look but not the feel.

Of course Tokai have models at different price points (I have an SG-155 and a cheaper SG-75, both Japanese).  I'm not sure if Epiphone do the same with the Elitists.

[Jonny]

Of course Tokai have models at different price points (I have an SG-155 and a cheaper SG-75, both Japanese).  I'm not sure if Epiphone do the same with the Elitists.

An Epi LP Custom Elitist is around £600, which is why I'm interested in them. I love the LP Custom look. :D

[Philly Q]

An Epi LP Custom Elitist is around £600, which is why I'm interested in them. I love the LP Custom look. :D

Sounds pretty reasonable value, I'd have thought.  You could probably find an equivalent Tokai or older MIJ guitar cheaper on eBay, but then you'd have to pay VAT, import duty etc on top.

The only thing I don't like about those Customs are the rosewood boards - no problem sound-wise, but a Custom really needs ebony to look right.

[Jonny]

An Epi LP Custom Elitist is around £600, which is why I'm interested in them. I love the LP Custom look. :D

Sounds pretty reasonable value, I'd have thought.  You could probably find an equivalent Tokai or older MIJ guitar cheaper on eBay, but then you'd have to pay VAT, import duty etc on top.

The only thing I don't like about those Customs are the rosewood boards - no problem sound-wise, but a Custom really needs ebony to look right.

Yes! Quite right, plus I've never owned a guitar with an ebony fretboard (yet) but me thinks I could dye it or something.

[noodleplugerine]

An Epi LP Custom Elitist is around £600, which is why I'm interested in them. I love the LP Custom look. :D

Sounds pretty reasonable value, I'd have thought.  You could probably find an equivalent Tokai or older MIJ guitar cheaper on eBay, but then you'd have to pay VAT, import duty etc on top.

The only thing I don't like about those Customs are the rosewood boards - no problem sound-wise, but a Custom really needs ebony to look right.

Yes! Quite right, plus I've never owned a guitar with an ebony fretboard (yet) but me thinks I could dye it or something.

You need one!!!

I played all rosewood untill I got my viper and my jaw dropped at how much nicer it is to play.