Hi all

I stumbled across this thread on MyLesPaul forum which is quite useful for referring to when trying to identify Tokai guitars as well as read up on their history.

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/other-les-pauls/167940-tokai-facts-theory-photos-id-thread.html

Have a great festive season.

Cheers

Dino

Also check the neck pickup cavity for a model number. And you can check the serial number on http://www.tokairegistry.com/. :?

For anyone who doesn't own a Tokai... Get one. They raise the bar on what you expect from a guitar.

psyx wrote: Also check the neck pickup cavity for a model number. And you can check the serial number on http://www.tokairegistry.com/. :?

For anyone who doesn't own a Tokai... Get one. They raise the bar on what you expect from a guitar.

Why not just get a real Fender or Gibson....?

Vic wrote:

psyx wrote: Also check the neck pickup cavity for a model number. And you can check the serial number on http://www.tokairegistry.com/. :?

For anyone who doesn't own a Tokai... Get one. They raise the bar on what you expect from a guitar.

Why not just get a real Fender or Gibson....?

Vic, they'll get there in the end! It's a natural progression! ?

Vic wrote:

psyx wrote: Also check the neck pickup cavity for a model number. And you can check the serial number on http://www.tokairegistry.com/. :?

For anyone who doesn't own a Tokai... Get one. They raise the bar on what you expect from a guitar.

Why not just get a real Fender or Gibson....?

Not to split hairs or anything, but that means paying more for the name on the headstock.
Not for the craftsmanship.

Chabenda wrote:

Vic wrote:

psyx wrote: Also check the neck pickup cavity for a model number. And you can check the serial number on http://www.tokairegistry.com/. :?

For anyone who doesn't own a Tokai... Get one. They raise the bar on what you expect from a guitar.

Why not just get a real Fender or Gibson....?

Vic, they'll get there in the end! It's a natural progression! ?

Easy now boys. You don't want to incur the wrath of Lance on this thread...

Dinosaur Snr wrote:

psyx wrote: Also check the neck pickup cavity for a model number. And you can check the serial number on http://www.tokairegistry.com/. :?

For anyone who doesn't own a Tokai... Get one. They raise the bar on what you expect from a guitar.

+1 ?

+ a lot ?

Arno West wrote:

Chabenda wrote:

Vic wrote:

psyx wrote: Also check the neck pickup cavity for a model number. And you can check the serial number on http://www.tokairegistry.com/. :?

For anyone who doesn't own a Tokai... Get one. They raise the bar on what you expect from a guitar.

Why not just get a real Fender or Gibson....?

Vic, they'll get there in the end! It's a natural progression! ?

Easy now boys. You don't want to incur the wrath of Lance on this thread...

No need. Apart from superious quality of Tokai, no music store has given me the service that I got from Lance. Lance, keep it up!

got ya !! :roflmao:

Not this argument again?

That said, my “breezy” (I bought on a whim at a good price) is currently my “go to guitar”, each day I fall a little deeper in love with her. They are truly great and remarkable quality guitars for their price!

Thanks for importing these wonderful instruments Lance!

Vic wrote:
got ya !! :roflmao:

Troll!! ?

Thank goodness our guitar forum members are more civilized than the TGP guys... lol

If the guitar plays well - rock it.

RobbieZ wrote: Apart from superious quality of Tokai

So Robbie, have you ever played a real-deal Gibson? How would you know if Tokai quality is 'superious', then?

keep it light please.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: keep it light please.

And so we have a fiery thread which is something that was due to happen again soon.

Gearhead wrote:

RobbieZ wrote: Apart from superious quality of Tokai

So Robbie, have you ever played a real-deal Gibson? How would you know if Tokai quality is 'superious', then?

The debate about Tokai guitars being superior to Gibson guitars has been waged on numerous forums and in numerous threads. I think the debate can be broken down into the other well discussed question whether Gibson still produces guitars that are worth their price. I think the general opinion is that Tokai guitars are mostly flawless or very close to it. This means that any slip-up from Gibson will result in people saying that Tokais or many other LP copies are superior.
In the end its all probably quite irrelevant. The differences are also probably very small. The important fact is that Gibson has to work hard to stay ahead in the game and these competing manufacturers keep them on their toes.

psyx wrote: And so we have a fiery thread which is something that was due to happen again soon.

Not really - I was impressed with how everyone managed to sidestep Vic's blatant trolling. But then, Tokai and Gibson fans have been taking pokes at each other for the last few years here - they just can't resist it (total slaves to their Pavlovian reflexes). Anyway, most of it is more ? than >.

But the longer it runs in a thread, the bigger the chance that someone else - not in on what is almost an "in-joke" here - sees it and takes offence. Then things escalate quickly...

psyx wrote: The debate about Tokai guitars being superior to Gibson guitars has been waged on numerous forums and in numerous threads. I think the debate can be broken down into the other well discussed question whether Gibson still produces guitars that are worth their price. I think the general opinion is that Tokai guitars are mostly flawless or very close to it.

All Tokais, or the MIJ Premium range? The MIC Tokais are good for the price, but not in the same quality ball park as, for example, Singemonkey's battered beauty. So I think we can directly compare SOME Tokais to Gibbos, but not ALL.

Two potential problems if we don't make those distinctions
1) Guy buys an MIC Tokai and thinks he's got something as good as a genuine made-in-USA Gibson
2) Guy picks up an MIC Tokai, reminds himself that he's read that Tokai are better than Gibson and so holy crap! Gibson must be outrageous rip-offs.

(In both cases we can argue that "Guy" has not done his homework thoroughly, but not everybody buying a guitar is as well equipped info-wise as some of the worthies of GFSA.)

I think the Parlotones play Gibson... -1 to them... ? they auctioned one off a while back. In that case I wouldn't pay for the "name" on the guitar. ???

I had a chat with the wife recently about how she sees the trend of little bowties and really wants to buy one for our sons but won't because she doesn't want to be seen as following the trend.
The answer from me will always be, if you like it, do it. Don't do it because of what other's say and only because of that.

The Tokai's I've played (albeit for a short time and MIJ) have been great quality but the traditional Les Paul design doesn't speak to me (unless it's paisley). Even the Gibson's I've played were meh.

Gearhead wrote:

RobbieZ wrote: Apart from superious quality of Tokai

So Robbie, have you ever played a real-deal Gibson? How would you know if Tokai quality is 'superious', then?

Yeah, pretty sure Robbie was trying to emphasise the word "super" and not "superior" ?