DonovanB wrote
I do like the idea that Tokai are positioning themselves as quality guitar makers, but unfortunately they are not positioning themselves as original which immediately puts the brand name in the leagues of Starfire, Johnson, Venson, and Samick.
Re: the hype
This is just a case of making people aware of a good alternative for somebody looking for a particular kind of guitar. It strikes me as absurd to say, "I wouldn't buy one because of the hype." How many hyperbolic Tokai ads litter the guitar mags you buy? The reality is that we are all exposed to the "hype" around the well known guitar brands. I don't think of it as hype, but as a Gibson owner, I know that a Gibson is not a Gibson is not a Gibson. So, when I say to people who say, "I'm thinking of buying an Epiphone," that there are other alternatives, I don't think it's anywhere close to the millions Gibson, Fender and others legitimately spend on marketing. It's because of the lack of awareness, that I, and others, feel the need to pass on what we've learned.
Re: there are other copies
Among the high quality copies of Gibsons, there is currently one game in town. This is not to say that a high end Greco won't beat out a low-end Tokai.
Re: They're in the same category as Starfires
Donovan is quite right that these guys should not be applauded for the excellent design of their guitars. You don't go, "Tokai and Burny and Bacchus and Edwards are great because the came up with the most awesome guitars." But I don't believe that all copies can be lumped together.
Someone mentioned copies of paintings - and it's a good analogy. Many copies have been legitimately painted, and are worth a lot of money, because it's a difficult thing to do well. Are they worth the same as the originals? Of course not. Not even close. The original was unique, and commands a stupendous value for that reason. It can be owned by one person, and it's value is further increased by that fact.
Now in this case, the number of 1950s and 1960s Gibsons can never increase. That makes them worth a huge amount.
The comparison is not between the originals and Tokai, or other Japanese copies. The comparison is between their copies and Gibson's.
What we're talking about, is people wanting to feel like they have Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Now only one person can, and it's probably too valuable to display. So massive fans look to copies. They don't want the fact that they could never afford the original to stand in their way. Now say there's a guy in France who paints four copies a day. Even a person who's never seen the real thing up close can see it's not a very accurate copy, and thinks, "hmmm... should I get this? Or should I just get a print." But luckily it's cheap.
Another painter paints one every 2 months, having painstakingly studied hundreds of close ups, and visiting the painting every time it appears in exhibition. He makes the paints himself to be just like Van Gogh's. He has the canvas specially prepared. Now an expert seeing this goes, "Ah, I can pretend this is the real thing because it's so close," and pays $1000 for it.
This is what Tokai did with their Les Pauls. This is what Gibson did with their reissues. What Starfire does is produce something reminiscent of the original. But you can't pretend it's the real thing.
So let me put it like this finally. Do you pay vastly more (and the prices you're noticing are the South African retail mark-up - same as with anything; as Alan has pointed out. These are competing with VOS Gibsons, not Starfires) for your accurate copy of the Van Gogh to be painted by Van Gogh's great-granddaughter? Yes, she can put "Van Gogh" at the bottom. But you still know it's not the "real thing".
Trying to make people aware of this great, largely unknown opportunity is not the same as saying, "you should hate your Gibson, or Epiphone." I love my Les Paul and I always will. But Tokai still have something brand new to offer. And telling people about it is not the same as hype. So there ?
