I played my first Tokai today..

[_tom_]

Went to the geetar shop today as I was in town anyway and noticed they had a Tokai display so I decided to play one of the Love Rocks... it was perfect! Felt so much better than my Epiphone LP Custom and although I was only playing into one of those Fender G-DEC's it didnt sound too bad either. Seriously got gas for one of these :D

How much do the neck sizes vary on em though? I dont know what model I played as it had no label or anything hanging off the headstock. The neck I played wasnt fat like my friends Gibson LP studio (which feels like cr@p compared to this guitar btw :P) but wasnt as thin as the neck on my Epi, bit wider aswell. All I know is that its Korean and was the "typical" les paul finish - like the one that Page plays on The Song Remains the Same DVD. The guy who knows about guitars wasnt there today so there was no one to ask when I was there :( Hopefully the guitar will still be there in November so I can convince dad I need this one for my birthday :lol:

There were also some really nice Fender Teles that I played, again I didnt see a model or anything on them so I have no idea what I liked really hehe

[gingataff]

Tokai got famous in the 70s (I think, but I don't remember cos I was quite young back then!) for their Fender and Gibson copies, but in the 80's they made a series of super strats, vaguely Jackson/Charvel-esque. A mate of mine at the time had one and it was great, I have never to this day seen one on sale second hand. Has anyone else played one?

[Skybone]

Don't know much about the Korean built Tokai's, just that the one's I've played have felt really nice, much better than the equivalent Epi's anyway! Plus I am GASing a Korean Tokai Firebird, I'll just "have" to make do with my 2 MIJ Love Rock's... ;)

BTW: 2nd hand MIJ Love Rocks are generally around the £500 mark (for the recent models, the "vintage" 80's ones go for a little more), so if you can stretch the budget, you can get yourself an excellent players guitar.

Most Tokai Love Rocks have a neck that's roughly based on the 1958 LP profile, although I have seen and played some MIJ Love Rocks with chunky necks, which were very similar to the Gibson '59 profile.

For more info about Tokai's, check out:

http://www.tokairegistry.com
http://www.tokaiforum.com

[_tom_]

TBH I have no idea what the 1958 profile is, I dont know if I've ever played a guitar with that neck. Any idea how to measure my Epiphones neck size with just a tape measure (if thats possible) so I have something to work from? Cheers for that forum as well I'll probably sign up sometime, I'm thinking about trying to sell my Epi to buy a Tokai now :P

[Searcher]

Went to the geetar shop today . . . the guy who knows about guitars wasnt there

???   :?

Bizarrre.

Tokais are very cool, eh?  There's a pawn shop here that's had a few of them in and I've watched them sell one by one, all the while mourning their passing, but not having the cash to justify another guitar.  :(

[_tom_]

hahah I know, well its not just a guitar shop, they do drums as well, and a few trumpets and stuff I think.

[Twinfan]

Sounds like you played a regular Korean ALS48 Love Rock.  Wait until you try a Jap one, they're even better!

I think all Love Rocks have a pretty similar neck profile, which is the non-clubby LP type based on a '58 Gibson.  In '59 Gibson upped the neck sizes to be really chunky and slimmed them again in 1960 to their "slim taper" style.

[_tom_]

Cheers, probably was that one as the other pictures on the Tokai site dont have the same finish as the one in the shop. Sounds like the '58 neck is what I like best then, as I cant stand my mates LP Studios fat neck.

Looked exactly the same as this one in terms of finish though - http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/Catalogue/ViewProduct.aspx?productId=2004

Very nice  8)

[lp_man]

I think everyone here knows about my love of Japanese guitars :D

Check out what I have just ordered:
http://www.guitarjapan.com/edwards/spec/e-lp-90ltc.html

Long tennon neck, nitro finish, duncan pickups - that means you can sell them on e-bay and get aprox £40 a piece! Thats nearly enough for one BKP :D

I think when it comes I'm ditching the Duncans and getting a set of nailbombs!

Mmm

-Will

[_tom_]

Those Edwards look really nice actually, which colour did you go for?

I was interested in Jap guitars but I'm always worried about buying a guitar online in case I dont like it when it arrives as I havent played loads of guitars so dont know the differences between different necks etc.

[lp_man]

Those Edwards look really nice actually, which colour did you go for?

I was interested in Jap guitars but I'm always worried about buying a guitar online in case I dont like it when it arrives as I havent played loads of guitars so dont know the differences between different necks etc.

I know how you mean, I'm kinda taking a leap of faith with this one! Some people find it kinda lame, but I ordered another black custom to compliment my Orville :P What I'm happy about is the price I'm getting it for (approx £430) I know that I can sell it for that here in the UK. Burny are also one to look into: http://www.fernandes.co.jp/burny/rlc/rlc55s_blk_index.html but apparently they aren't as good as Edwards (which is ESP Japan by the by).

I havn't come accross a Tokai in real life if I'm honest and havn't tried one, but they are probably the most reputated of all Japanese copies and thus, highly disirable, thus ! More expensive! In recent years ObG copies have gone up substantially too, £750 some of them which is getting a bit out of hand. I thought I'd try a different copy this time so I went with Edwards, I'll let you know how it turns out!

-Will

[FELINEGUITARS]

Tokai got famous in the 70s (I think, but I don't remember cos I was quite young back then!) for their Fender and Gibson copies, but in the 80's they made a series of super strats, vaguely Jackson/Charvel-esque. A mate of mine at the time had one and it was great, I have never to this day seen one on sale second hand. Has anyone else played one?

It was really early 80s when they got noticed for their Fender and Gibson copies. The Golden Sound Strats, Breezysound Teles and the Love Rocks went dowwn a storm at a time that the USA companies were really in trouble with quality.

They did make a huge range - some only for Japanese Market as well

Same with Fernandes - good guitars

[FELINEGUITARS]

Felt so much better than my Epiphone LP Custom and although I was only playing into one of those Fender G-DEC's it didnt sound too bad either. Seriously got gas for one of these :D

Tom - have you ever had a full set up on that Epi?
As in a fret dress and set-up?
It may make all the difference as the Epis are usually really well made but often in need of some good attention. All guitars suffer with fingerboard shrinkage to some extent - even brand new Gibsons and the like.

Spending £80-100 on a really good set-up may really make that guitar brilliant and the extra money you save by not having GAS for another LPlets you buy BKPs.
And it will make the money you invested in the LP in the first place really pay you back in having a great feeling axe that you cant get enough of.

We recently refretted a Richwood LP for Johnny Mac  which was a cheap old LP copy and it came out great - think he's really loving it now -0 especially as he had some cold sweats put in too

[lp_man]

Felt so much better than my Epiphone LP Custom and although I was only playing into one of those Fender G-DEC's it didnt sound too bad either. Seriously got gas for one of these :D

Tom - have you ever had a full set up on that Epi?
As in a fret dress and set-up?
It may make all the difference as the Epis are usually really well made but often in need of some good attention. All guitars suffer with fingerboard shrinkage to some extent - even brand new Gibsons and the like.

Spending £80-100 on a really good set-up may really make that guitar brilliant and the extra money you save by not having GAS for another LPlets you buy BKPs.
And it will make the money you invested in the LP in the first place really pay you back in having a great feeling axe that you cant get enough of.

We recently refretted a Richwood LP for Johnny Mac  which was a cheap old LP copy and it came out great - think he's really loving it now -0 especially as he had some cold sweats put in too

I totally aggree on the set up! I used to own a Epi LP custom, I sold it for more than what you can buy a new edwards for, which I am hoping will be jsut as good if not better than my ObG at the moment. I don't want to give you more gas, but the ObG killed the Epi in terms of pretty much everything. Sorry I couldn't help it :( :)

[_tom_]

Hmm good point, I havent ever had it properly set up. Not sure of the quality of any of the techs around here though, could always make the trip over to you I suppose as I know people on this forum are always pleased with your work..