Advice for High (ish) end Guitar Buyer

dmddmm

Hi Guys, hope I am posting this in the correct spot

I have a budget of around 10 to 15 and am looking for the best les paul type guitar I can get my hands on.
I was hoping some of the wise men on here could lend their wisdom. \

I have the opportunity to pick up a Tokai LC132 BB for about 14, and also have been offered two chinese made tokais for about 9 thousand.

Then of-course there is going first hand but I am concerned about the quality of the instrument, for example the epiphones in that price range are decent but their hardware is quite poor for a 14k guitar.

GUIDE ME PLEASE

domhatch

dmddmm

Howdy. Ok, first thing I’m gonna say is there’s sweet blow-all wrong with them Chinese Tokais. Great bang for buck. But at R14k, you are simply not going to find a much better deal than the Black Beauty. Great guitar. Does it come with a hard case? If so, snap it up?

dmddmm

domhatch hi dom thanks for the reply, yeah with a case! I shall defs consider it seriously then

Dereks

Hi.

IMO. A high en Epiphone is much much more value than a low-end Gibson.

Will you gig with it?
Can you tell the difference for yourself?
What does the Tokai LC132 BB sound like, have you played it?
What does the rest of your rig look like (amps/pedals)
Which one sounds and plays the best for you?
Are you going for tone or looks?

Some people get locked in on a logo or almost non-existing differences in tone based on youtube reviews.
All up to you.

It's great to go with your feeling, which one makes you happy?

dmddmm

Dereks unfortunatly i dont have the chance to play it, a friend who works with guitars is going to check it out for me. My rig is (pls dont kill me) guitar rig on pc, but a nice big ibanez amp for home. I teach guitar so my rig changes all the time based on my location. Sometimes at the shop, sometimes at school.

At home its straight into the pc though. Thanks for the advice about getting locked in on a logo, I am defs open to everything and the info from more seasoned players is invaluable

guidothepimmp

Yeh the Tokai BB is proper. The Japanese ones are kitted out nicely. Have you spoken to Tokai SA about what he has in stock?

I bought mine from him new. With case and all that. Its the one in my avatar. I agree with Derek that the higher end Epi's have nicer features than the lower end Gibsons.

Also agree with Dom that the Chinese Tokais are fine too.

Good luck with your choice

dmddmm

guidothepimmp i did actually speak to thr guy at tokai sa but i will have to pay at least 5k more for a new one. Thanks great to know that tokai isnt a bad option

domhatch

Good luck mate. @Dereks has some fine points as well; your guitar needs to fit into your setup. And always, if possible, try before you buy.

That said, I’ve never been disappointed with a Tokai. None of the four or five I’ve bought so far, and I’m about to buy another!

Enjoy it, whichever you decide to go with.
dh|

Dereks

The black beauty with a case is sweet. Also. The alnico humbuckers on the epiphone les Paul standard are really good for home recording. I enjoy mine. It’s a good looking solid option for around 8k. You will probably get about R500 discount and pay about 10k if you buy the guitar and epiphone hard case from the same shop.

Good luck!