Hello you lot!... ha ha I got my words a bit mixed up this week and I said that the fretboard on this guitar is made from 'Caramelised Jatoba' which suggests it's baked for so long it turns into sugar! 😂 obviously that's not correct... it is in fact 'Carbonised Jatoba' which has a completely different feel and tone.
@@danrunnoft6642 hahahahahahahahahahahaha, "Caramelised sweet licks, with Colin's great sweet chops". turning to sugar, Nice, lmao. better than carbonised "sweeter sounding". Take care.
Just wanted to say, you are a class gentleman. I've never heard you beg for any of the things other youtubers do. The other channel makes sense, and I respect the way you presented it. Very refreshing, and well done. Look forward to these upgrades.
Thank you for your wonderful guitar videos. I find them very informative, entertaining and perhaps oddly, very calming. You're not screaming or playing chug metal or bombarding us with ads or promotions. Just a good bloke showing us great guitars. Keep up the good work. Cheers!
I have an old 1981 Love Rock and I must say it is hands down the greatest guitar I have ever played or heard! I found it in a junk store. I t was in rough shape but I paid $100 for it and then put another $400 into restoring it. I love it! I would happily buy any guitar this company makes.
Hi Colin. I look forward to your videos every Friday. It's a breath of fresh air to have a grisly unbiased opinion of a guitar or guitars. I also love your playing which makes a huge difference! Or up the great work.
I have been lucky enough to own both the Chinese and Japanese Tokai Lps, plus a goldstar strat, the Japanese LP was on par with any Gibson, and I've owned both so I know, the Chinese version is let down by the cheaper pots but that's not an expensive upgrade, like the epiphone's they are great for gigging around the pubs and clubs....
The smaller potentiometers are absolutely fine. A pot is a pot. There will be absolutely no difference in the sound. Where you may notice a slight difference between the cheaper ones and the branded, cts ones or whatever, is that the pricier ones may feel a little smoother. Also sometimes they have a better range of adjustment ie they gradually increase rather than go from 0 to 10 with very little in-between. They also might last a little longer. But in most cases you will not have these issues. Unless you have any of these issues with your pots then there really is no reason to change them. It always makes me shake my head when I see reviewers or whatever taking issue with the smaller pots in lower priced guitars. It's such a non issue.
@@paulgordon6949 Hi Paul thanks for the comment, I am wondering if you watched the film to the point where I did say words to the effect of 'we shouldn't really judge them anyway as they may work great'.. and then the point further on where we actually tested them and they didn't work very well at all? I don't see how you could say its a non issue if you had, and it makes me shake my head when people leave comments without watching the film for the full story. Anyway, as it turns out these ones didn't work very well and will need changing. ✌
Great show my friend. You really separate yourself from the field doing the tear downs. You go the extra mile and that is really appreciated. Keep posting and I'll keep watching. Thomas from Idaho
Aloha and mahalo Colin! I knew a guy that bought a used Love Rock back in the late eighties. He was very happy to have found it. He must have known what He purchased. In my ignorance, if it wasn't a Gibson it wasn't a Les Paul. Well now I know, it may not be a real Les Paul but it could be better than a Gibson or at least more affordable. I used to like to mix my Marshall and Fender amp together. Don't have these amps anymore. More lost treasures. Good job! Looking forward to the next comparison and project: whichever, comes first or together.
Your playing was spot-on. Worry not, my brother. I pulled out my Epi LP Modern w/Probuckers and my trusty Bluesdriver for this video. We sounded great together, in my estimation. I love your technique. I don't comment often, but, unbeknownst to you, we hang out quite a lot. I'm getting on, been in Bangkok for the latter chapter. If I were in the UK, I'd definitely show up at your door, at some point. You are a righteous dude.
Thanks man, I know we've spoken before and you've been around since the early days so glad you're still here! Please send me over good playing vibes today as I'm about to shoot some more stuff with all the Les Pauls and I need some inspiration... mmm Joe Walsh today I think 🤔😎👍
Colin i played 3 guitars today a Gibo les paul £1550 used . A cheap lemon drop £ 380 and a tocai £ 540 and my analysis from looking at the build and sound I bought thr Tocai sunburst les paul. I watched your review after i bought and i have to agree the Tocai finish is awesome the sound well very rich rounded large with good tone controls. I found it difficulg to seperate the Gibo sound ftom the Tocai. I looked at the goldtop but the sunburst did it for me. My first guitar was Epi les paul sunburst 45 years ago which i sold. I returned to guitars now im 60 plus ish so havd a lot to learn You channel is inspiring me to learn blues . Cheers dude very enjoyable watching.
I own one of those old Japanese Tokai “Springy Sound” Stratocasters, it’s an amazing guitar which I’ve owned for around 35 years so I was quite interested to see what you made of this Chinese Les Paul copy offering. The old Japanese Love Rock Les Pauls were very highly regarded and used ones sell for quite a bit of money these days. Being like most old guitar players I’m highly suspicious of any changes and always wondered if the Chinese guitars were any good so this review was much better than I’d feared it might be. From what I heard the guitar sounded really good for the money and any upgrades to the electronics,(if wanted ), could probably wait until finances permit. The build quality seems to be very good and I think that the guitar would make an excellent first guitar or an instrument for a more experienced player looking for a Les Paul type to add to their collection . Good luck with the new venture! At less than a quid a week it looks like a bargain.
Cheers Henry, the great thing for me about this channel is I am gradually getting to look at things like this Chinese Tokai, and likewise I was a little unsure what I’d find but pleasantly surprised. I now have to look out for a Japanese version to compare… my collection will one day match yours! 😆👍
Thanks for the great Tokai review. I always enjoy watching your channel. I recently bought a Japanese made Tokai goldtop LS196 (now changed to LS214). It has a 1-piece mahogany body and neck with a 2-piece maple top and a lacquer finish. It’s a better guitar than many of the Gibson’s I tried. But partly inspired by you, I replaced the bridge and tailpiece with Faber parts, replaced all the electronics and put in a set of Monty’s PAF’s. The pickups are the best I’ve tried so far, and I’ve tried many. I learned about both Faber and Monty from your channel, so many thanks for that. As a Tokai fan (I have 3 so far), I look forward to seeing more. Cheers.
Hey Bill, cheers man that’s great to hear that my films have been useful and inspired you to do this!… I’m now looking forward for doing the same with this one and have some PAFs on order already! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I’m sure you’ll find the changes worthwhile. I have put Faber bridges and tailpieces on 4 guitars so far and have two more bridges sitting here waiting to be installed. And I’m extremely happy with Monty’s PAF’s. That was a great shout. Thanks a lot.
Still have my hand made japanese les paul yamaha studioLord 1980 ...got it for 800 morrocan dirhams...around 80 dollars...old used now but with a beautiful sound and magical pick up and the neck is unbelievable 😇
These chinese Tokai’s are actually great modding projects. You’ve got a great base with greats woods, bone nut, good frets and a LP copy with authentic look and feel. The only downside is the low quality electronics. I ripped out the electronics on my ALS-62 gold top and replaced it with a wiring kit from Mojotone with cts pots. I also replaced the stock pickups with a set of seymore duncans. It is now a great playing and sounding guitar. The bridge and tuners could be improved but stock hardware works fine.
That might just be the perfect axe to "sacrifice" for a 2 tone down setting for my daily QOTSA practice...well, in it's ebony incarnation that is! Thank you sir
Tokai built guitars for Gibson in the 70's. Mainly for the Japanese market i believe. Also, up until 2015, they were also building for Fender. The Japanese stuff is absolutely superb.
Those frets are great. Not as tall as modern guys like, but they're a good blend of height and width. They polish fairly easily, and stay clean and friction free for a good amount of time. They will dent, and need recrowning after a few years of heavy use.
Out of two of my guitars I have a Tokai Breezysound that was made in Japan in 1983. The build quality of it is exceptional and it's the guitar I would run into a burning building to save. I bought it privately in 2002 and in that time I've compared it to many Fender USA & Mexican Teles that I've come across and they've all left me wanting my Tokai. The other is an Epiphone 1960s Les Paul Tribute that was made in China in 2012. After trying out an awesome looking and finished Tribute Plus with a photo flame sunburst top it felt clunky and as I started to mentally add up what needed fixing I ask the guy if he had another one. He came back apologising that this one was just a plain sunburst top but he'd obviously never played it because it oozed quality as I played it. Everything about it felt right to me (I've been playing 40+years). OK, it comes loaded with Gibson USA '57 Classics, Series/Parallel Push/Pull Pots and it sounds great but they got the finish quality right. This is just my observation everybody. Guitars, in fact anything made anywhere, is produced to a price point, and yes there are other factors but price is number one. Anyone old enough will remember hearing "If it's made in Japan, it won't be very good" which strange enough is the chorus often repeated today about "Made In China". In my opinion, so far China has done something similar to Japan. Showing that they can produce real quality, in years to come "Made In China" will cease being a slur and will be a statement of quality.
Cheers Andrew, I was pleased to see Phillip McKnight defending the fact that where something is made these days is largely irrelevant and echo what you say it all about price point. There are great options available now for those who want to take advantage of them! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I've only just found your channel Colin so I've subscribed and I'm starting back at the first video to satisfy my chronic guitar addiction. Thanks for the weekly supply 🤣😂🤣.
Yes!!! You got one! I scored a black Tokai LP Custom model back in November, paid more for it than a used Epiphone. I put some work into it putting it to my spec and it’s killer. Debuted it at a club gig and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s actually the guitar in my pic here. Kudos!
I've read that the higher end Tokai's have a nitrocellulose finish, just like Gibson's. From what I've seen on Reverb higher end Tokai's appear to keep their value too! Your channel is great and has been an immense value over the last several months, keep up the great work!
Thanks Kenneth, that’s interesting to hear, I reckon I shall be looking into Japanese version next… still cheaper than Gibson so that could be fun! Cheers for the support it’s appreciated 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I have an Tokai Gold Top P90 LS196 Made in Japan, with Nitro finish. Yes, they are VERY high quality and go for around $1500US give or take. Their quality is in line with Gibson Custom Shop. They are much nicer, quality wise than any Gibson non custom shop I've had. You should take a look at the higher end Tokai's. BTW the higher the model # the "higher quality" it is. Which means Honduran vs African mahogany and some other minor things.
Well mate. I finally solved my GAS with a 2019 Chinese Tokai Love rock Goldtop. It’s absolutely all I hoped it would be at a great price. Thanks for the entertaining videos. Only problem is now I want a Japanese one 😂
One of the best parts about this channel is that you aren't bought and paid for by the gear manufacturer you're experimenting with. Whether you and I would agree on the feel of a neck or the weight of a guitar, I think we definitely have similar tastes in tone. I agree that a 50s wiring loom and some quality pickups would take this guitar to another level. Overall, the thing is unbeatable for the price though. And they make them left-handed!! That ALWAYS matters to us south paws!! Thanks for another great review once again!! 🙏🔥🎸
I just got my first Gibson les paul standard made in 2021 and love it when I first got it,it wasn't in tune so once I tuned it up and hit a chord while not plugged in and holly shit it rang out loud what seemed like forever, I love just hitting a note over and over and when you really hear that note then the guitar will lead you the rest of the way such a great guitar and it is not even broken in yet
I have a black Tokai love rock made in China 2006 , i replaced the original tuners with Kluson tuners it made a big differens staying in tune. It's a great guitar.
In 2008 I bought low end Love Rock, Made in Japan. In 2008, it's price was similar to Epiphone Les Paul Custom Made In China, that weren't made so well back then. My Love Rock in terms of tone, playability, setup, finish quality is great. But the hardware quality was low. Pickups are "ok-ish", but the tailpiece and its screws were made from some cheap alloy - they got bent under string tension. I've upgraded them to new screws and 100% aluminium tailpiece and the guitar plays great :) With Tokai you get what you've paid for. Higher end Tokais have great materials and finish, but they are so expensive, that it might be a better investment to just buy Gibson. Then used Tokais are amazing value.
In 1982, a music store in Vancouver Canada, started selling Tokai, my luthier mate who did work for that shop rang me and said get down here and check these out, and hurry...! When I got down there, there were no Love Rock guitars left , but I picked up three "Springy Sound" Strats, and two "Breezey Sound" Telecasters, all for $249 dollars each, with case... Turned out my Luther mate picked up four of the Les Pauls. After all these years, I am finally down to one Telecaster and it's still my main guitar .. they are absolutely brilliant....!
@@theguitaristas I was lucky to get what I got! the shop got a shipment of 30 or so, and they were all gone in a few days... The shop staff bought up almost all the rest ( at full retail..! ).As they say "first in, best dressed"..!
I've liked Tokai ( and other Japanese Lawsuit guitars ) since the 70s. Saw CCR where John fogerty had an Ibanez Les Paul Custon right down to the Diamond on the headstock, play a whole concert on one in 1973. Later found out it was an Ibanez copy, just no name on the headstock but the "diamond" on it. Sounded great and he only brought out his 68 Les Paul custom ( his Black Beuty) tuned to D to do Proud Mary and Fortunate Son as an encore. Now, those Japanese lawsuits are highly valued ( I have a veritable list of the Goodies). Cheers from Downunder.
I’ve seen you before playing guitars in a music store on line. It was to get your option on guitars. Anyway your guitar evaluation now is very nice . You have a calm attitude and politeness that I can listen to. I’ll look for you and listen as you know what your talking about. Good luck and be cool. Steve Eugene Or. USA
I recall reading somewhere back in the days that numbers in Tokai models are tied to how much japanese yens they cost at the moment. Like LS70BB was 70000 yen and so on. That A in that model name is always Made in Korea or something, non-japanese model. Took a while to catch that Knocking on a heavens door. Love those melodies you have ;)
I haven’t seen you in a few episodes Colin but then I haven’t been watching a whole lot of guitar content. So I thought I’d take a minute to commend you on your always great shows. I feel like I’m sitting around having fun, shooting the breeze and talking guitars. No BS I just like your show!
I’m having a carved gold top tele with the Gibson bridge and tail pc and dimarzio 35th anniversary pups made buy a guy in Oklahoma. Should arrive in a few weeks. Really excited.
tonight! on guitaristas! colin got a gold guitar. james may got a vol knob. richard hammond : um... pots looks little bit too short. and jeremy clarkson : POWERRRR!!!GAIN!! POWERRRR!
A friend of mine has got a first edition of these when they came out ..great sound ,well made,plays great ,they out Gibson’ed Gibson for build quality and tone ..and it’s fell a few times over the years and surprise the headstock never broke off it …
My Chinese Love Rock is the best les paul I ever played. Best built, best feeling. Thin neck. Didn't love the original pickups. Dang it's a great player
What a fanatastic review. Breaking up the technical sections with some musical interludes allows the video to flow nicely. Back in the 1980s the Australian Dollar was very weak against the USD so the American guitars (Gibsons, Fenders, RICs etc.) were very expensive here in OZ. The "replica" models from Ibanez, Aria, Tokai and Fernandes were absolute bargains - often 30% to 40% of the cost of the real badge! For those of us in the know, the Japanese builds were every bit as good as the American models and they were very easy to customise if desired. Should have bought a lot more of them back then because many of them are worth a pretty penny now. Thanks and Cheers from the Land Down Under.
LS is the model, the letter "U" indicates it's for the UK market. I have an MIJ Love Rock which is amazing. The number after the ULS denotes it's price at the point of sale. For example my Tokai Love Rock was originally a ULS 75, but the same guitar today may well be a ULS 95 (or what ever the price from Japan is when it was made). so the number may well change over the years but does not denote a higher quality. In my humble opinion (other opinions are just as valid and may well be different) if you want a tokai, get a Japanese one. If you want a guitar in this price bracket buy a Vintage brand.
Love Rocks are no longer available NEW in the USA. I think they gave up in 2003-2004. I remember them in the late 70s and 80s. I went with the Ibanez Les Pauls in the 70s and still have a few pre and post lawsuit examples. I actually have found some 2003-2004 Love Rocks in my area and I will check out one soon. Thanks Colin....I am appreciating this channel more and more. Question, during the beginning of this video there is a Gold Top on the floor on the right side as you look at the video...what is that? Keep it up! Thanks again, Mike
Hey Mike, cheers man thanks for the support as always! There are two are gold tops kicking around while I filmed this… the epiphone 50s and the sire L7 both of these will feature I next weeks comparison video! 😎👍
I only know Sanko as a manufacturer of steel tubes for bicycle frames. In this area they have quite a good reputation for making strong yet lightweight high end steel tubes. So you can assume that it has to be a good thing that the fret wire is made by them.
Nice. Can’t wait for the comparison with the Sire. By the way, talking about frets I prefer Jescar, but I haven’t seen them on many budget oriented guitars.
I’ve got the Burny P90 Goldtop, loverly guitar, the P90’s sound glorious! Surprisingly it and my other Burny (a 3 pickup Black beauty Jimmy Page Les Paul model with Bigsby) have small post bridges, thumb bleeder pointers on the control knobs and correct “open book” headstock! Chinese made too I believe but no flaws and arrived beautifully setup! I will more than likely upgrade the pickups and pots etc eventually (Well you have to, don’t you) but for now I am completely happy with the way they sound and operate.
Cheers Cecil, are they the Burny/Fernandez models?… I looked at some of those so interesting to hear they have different hardware I should check them out. I love this ‘job’ my list of necessary guitars just keeps growing!! 😆👍
Interesting point,,, the tokai's ,burny, grass roots all have les paul copies and they are all good!! The High end Tokai's are made at Fujigen company. They had the original licence to make the Orville! So that's were the law suits came in! Tokai is Fujigen.
Hi mate, good review. I bought one of these online 2nd hand for $100. It had a few bangs and bumps but I was stunned by build quality. Put 59 Seymours in it, new pots and wiring (split coil) on one. It's a great sounding guitar and very playable.
I have replaced the electronics on all my Chinese tokai s and ive only got one Japanese tokai but i gave that the full treatment too even though it did not really need it…
👍🏻👍🏻 Great review once again, Colin! I have the MiJ LS136 which has the Gibson shaped head stock. I believe the "UA" added to the model name indicates the altered head stock for avoiding copyright issues in the EU and also that it is MiC. The made for EU MiJ models used to have a tiny nib in the middle of the Gibson shaped head stock for the same purpose IIRC. We in OZ are a little behind on the copyright business, convicts that we be 😉
Cheers man 😎 You Aussies do have a refreshing view of certain rules and regulations… common sense and a particular kind of stubbornness is all we need sometimes! 🤣👍
Regarding the smaller "dime-sized" pots, I have a Samick Artist Series Edition SG (MIK) from '96 which has them. They have an extremely accurate taper to them. When you take the volume down to 0, then increase it to 1/2 you get sound which increases incrementally accurately as it is turned up. Same with the tone controls, a very differentiating change in tonality. No big jumps in volume or tone like with some cheaper pots (or even more pricey ones). Not all smaller pots are bad.
110% agree, ...i might have stockpiled a few;), they generally wire one cap per tone pot too, (prewired and ready to roll), ive matched those to p90's very effectively. lovely taper. blade switches not to bad too.
Hi Colin - I´m one of the "older gents" 😂 and I remember Tokai well, because I ownd one in 1981! It was my 2nd "Les Paul Copy" and the only thing I swapped it for was a "real Gibson" (Les Paul Deluxe in cherry sunburst)! Sure it was one of the japanese ones and from the distance even the "Love Rock Model" logo looks like "Les Paul Model", everything was copied perfect and it was an amazing guitar. Tokai made Les Pauls, Flying Vs, Strats and so on, I think Ibanez did the same at this time. The shop was full of these guitars around 1980! Very interesting to see what the chines version have to offer - thanks for that and another entertaining video comes along this friday! Take care of you - see you next Friday! Greetings from Germany!
@@theguitaristas Mmmh - yes I agree and here we come again to the point what we want: the original product from the company that invented and created it (and then for much more money what they deserve in my opinion for their workand idea) or the well made "copy" from someone who just take the idea, produce it and sell it for way less money. And this decision we have to make for ourself and no one should blame "the other side" for that. Because of this I love your channel bringing up affordable guitars in detail and compare them with the "real deal" (I´m sure to notice you love both😂). Thanks again for this and as we see - more and more people like it! Bluesy greetings from Germany - now I visit a big music shop to compare some Fender Strats, because I plan to create a personal partcaster strat together with my luthier. It´s so easy with the Fender ones - so I give it a try!
Colin, sir, I like I said have one Japanese love rock tokai an ls196vf and one Chinese love rock I’m unsure what model but it was under 1000 aud but I also have a tokai Chinese made Flying V which plays better than my genuine Gibson Flying V which of course got stolen now days I own very few guitars over $1000 aud maybe one custom shop fender telecaster and a custom shop RI 56 strat all my “ Gibson s” ( I know you won’t approve but won’t judge me neither) I have 3 les Paul copies/ fakes/ homages one of them has no branding however like the tokai s I’ve put a lot of work into them again they had those mini pots not CTS so I’ve done the full work on nearly all my guitars(all my “les Paul’s”) but not my tokai Flying V that is stock and bloody amazing .., I wish you much success with your channel I think you are the most unaffected reviewer and hope you stay that way all the best …. A fan from sydney , Australia…rock the cradle of love!!!
Cheers man, thanks for the kind words and support!... I am loving this Tokai so going to try and get some more. You have reminded me I still don't have a Flying V so I must fix that soon!! Hey I love your fine city man, I had some great times there and believe it or not I bought a Fender Strat while visiting a while back... I don't like Strats much but I won't ever sell it as it reminds me of the great times I had in your fine fine city. 😎👍👍
I have a Fender MIM 2011 Blacktop Strat, which is a HH model and the pickups are the same, not sure of ohms, but markings are identical, the pots and 5 way switch are full size and much better quality
Watched you direct on the new website. Great quality broadcast. Like I said your dace on the infinite sustain was worth the entrance fee. I'll always come back.. like and post a comment to keep the momentum on you tube going. Cheers Colin great review wondered what new tokai was like.
Cheers Paul, yes thanks I saw your comment and replied thanks… already made more work for myself! 🤣 glad you like it, I think the broadcast quality will be superior and that’s expected but at the moment there’s no matching the community we have here, so as I said in the film there are options and I look forward to see you whenever you pop up!
woww brother this one sounds great "all stock"! and thats before the "monty treatment"..... if youre not doing anything with the stock pups from this one please consider that santa didnt drop by the house and leave anything lol! ill be happy to give them a good home....recently picked up an epiphone les paul special2...all stock...sounds great...but id like a lil more as always to make it even better... excellent song choice by the way...i spotted what it was straight away too!
It's all great honest top shelf stuff mate..Big cheers from Australia...🤙🎸👍🍻.. Having a cold one after building all day, getting my guitar fix... BRILLIANT.Looking at the P90 version...
Another great review! I look forward the the head to head to head between the Tokai, the Sire and the Epiphone!! Speaking of Japanese quality standards, in the first decade of the 2K's I bought a number of the Epiphone Elite (then Elitist) guitars, produced generally in the Fujigen Japanese plant. Without exception they were top notch, and I wish I had them to this day; but rough times forced me to sell. Anyway, thankfully the 2020+ Epiphones, though not Japanese nor built to Japanese standards, are exceptional in quality themselves and I've now started to fill the gap! For me, they've earned my brand loyalty but I do love seeing and learning about other manufacturers products and in general, LOVE to see the market filling with true quality options for us, the little guy or gal!!!
Good idea for the other channel. 👍 Great playing, as usual. Excellent vibe. 🎶 I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you do with the electronics and the comparison.
I was supposed to save money for a Larry Carlton L7, since all reviews seems to be great. After seeing your reviews I started doubting, long story short today I acquired a Tokai Love Rock, and I am soooooooo happy with it!!!! It sounds like Slash, Gary Moore and Thin LIzzy. Amazing sound.... Thx for your reviews mate, it made me make a good decision.
Nice one Edwin!, I do think you made the right choice... the Tokai is way cooler than the Sire and will hold its value in the unlikely event you ever want to sell it 😎👍
@@theguitaristas So far the Sires hold value as well, they sell 2nd hand for new value in the Netherlands, due to the delivery problems, people don't want to wait. Owning a goldtop Les Paul was a dream since childhood, so this one is a keeper, the value is of importance for my kids. 😉
Thanks again for another wonderful video. Your videos are second to none and I really enjoy watching them. I would like to see just how much a 50s wiring kit would bring this guitar to life as you mentioned it would be one upgrade thats not too expensive and it's the weakest area of this guitar. When I swapped the pots on my classic vibe stratocaster to the Seymour Duncan full size pots it brought the stock pickups to life.
Love it i need one of these because i cant see paying Gibson $3000 for one im very intrigued by these LPC copies, have a Burny now just bought another one and next will get a Greco, an Orville and one of these
Hello again, real interesting breakdown here. I’m aware of the ‘Chibson’ guitars although I wasn’t aware of the Tokai brand. I don’t really follow these brands but it was very interesting none the less, thanks!
Cheers Thomas, I suppose these differ because they are not actual 'fakes' like Chibsons. Tokai are very well respected guitars and made to be played 😎👍
Another fantastic review, love this stuff, looking forward to the Les Paul comparison video, thanks for the brilliant work you put into the videos, Any chance of T-shirts coming soon? Keep well ✌️
My first real guitar was a lawsuit era Les Paul Deluxe by "Axiom" it had CTS pots and genuine original epiphone mini humbuckers. One of the best guitars I've ever played
It had a sparkly top and I thought that was in accurate but I found out on troglys show that Gibson made sparkle tops in red blue and gold making it a copy of an even rarer guitar
Colin, as usual, top job. I love your channel and look forward to seeing you every Friday. It’s just fun to watch a fellow guitar nerd tear stuff down and dish on it. And I always chuckle out loud at least two or three times per episode. “And the pickup selector switch, you know it looks like a, you know… hell, I don’t know anything about switches!” Classic Colin. Oh, and that sustain… really nice!
lovely video as usual....just keep it up....I don't mean to stroke you, but if I wanna know the nerdy stuff, your the channel I go to....unbiased opinions are old hat to us, but you really help making a choice to buy or not...as ive.said I have purchased 3 guitars based on your videos... your services known or not help those of us who would stop in for weeks in the shops, and try different guitars out till we found that 'magical' one....I think these companies are striving for comparative Q.C., so when someone like your channel really geeks out about it, they make them so there equal....thats what I think ppl don't get, Q.C. has a different meaning in 2022 as opposed to 2000...so thank you for all ya do, and continued success
Cheers Darth, that’s appreciated… I suppose i do my best to look at these guitars with far more attention than I’d ever have paid in a shop so if I do anything that helps you make a decent buying decision that’s a proper result. I’ve still got a load to learn though and that’s also why I ask a lot of questions of you lot, so keep helping me out to and hopefully in time to come this channel will be one of the most reliable places to come for the information you need! 😎👍
@@iainfreeman5112 Well. I've heard other ppl say the Epiphones are really crap and get any Chinese Tokai instead :) But the Epis are also on the list. Unless I find something used for a good deal
I've got one in a dark tobacco burst, upgraded with a set of Vanson tuners and a set of Tonerider Rebel 90 humbucker sized P90s that I'm considering selling on as I have a Gibson Les Paul Tribute and a Dean Soltero to cover my Les Paul needs and fancy trading my Tokai to fund whichever guitar I might get. I'm quite fancying a Les Paul Special or Casino or something like that 👍
Great video! I love P90's. I bought a harley benton vintage les paul copy. Not the right color, but still cool. By the way I like Petter Green very much. He is the best blues singer and player, composer to come from Great Britain!
Right! And now you've got me looking into Made in Japan Tokais... It gets more and more complicated. To think you had me all decided after that Epi/Gibson comparison! I guess it's part of the fun right?
I have a UALS62 in cherry sunburst. I did, as I always do, install Faber hardware. And it's currently out having a '50s wiring harness and a set of Pearly Gates going in. But, it's still a great guitar straight out of the box.
Thanks again for another great video Colin. A single cut Goldtop always catches my attention. Hand crafted Japanese guitars are excellent and I don't have any issues with getting another one. I will definitely help out the channel. Also great choice for the play out I was, rocking that song a couple of days ago.
Hello you lot!... ha ha I got my words a bit mixed up this week and I said that the fretboard on this guitar is made from 'Caramelised Jatoba' which suggests it's baked for so long it turns into sugar! 😂 obviously that's not correct... it is in fact 'Carbonised Jatoba' which has a completely different feel and tone.
Caramelized would be for for those "sweet licks".
@@danrunnoft6642 🤣Nice one!! 🙌
@@danrunnoft6642 hahahahahahahahahahahaha, "Caramelised sweet licks, with Colin's great sweet chops". turning to sugar, Nice, lmao. better than carbonised "sweeter sounding". Take care.
Pickups: 2 x LSC-F made in Korea Tokai Original Magnet Ferrite ceramic I put in a pair of Aliexpress Donlis Alnico 2 Humbucker Pickups ))
Well it did sound sweet so I suppose caramelised isn’t far off the mark
Just wanted to say, you are a class gentleman. I've never heard you beg for any of the things other youtubers do. The other channel makes sense, and I respect the way you presented it. Very refreshing, and well done. Look forward to these upgrades.
Thanks man that very kind and very much appreciated! 😎👍
I agree I've been watching for the past year and really like his channel.
Thank you for your wonderful guitar videos. I find them very informative, entertaining and perhaps oddly, very calming. You're not screaming or playing chug metal or bombarding us with ads or promotions. Just a good bloke showing us great guitars.
Keep up the good work. Cheers!
Thanks man that’s really appreciated! 😆👍
I have an old 1981 Love Rock and I must say it is hands down the greatest guitar I have ever played or heard! I found it in a junk store. I t was in rough shape but I paid $100 for it and then put another $400 into restoring it. I love it! I would happily buy any guitar this company makes.
That sounds like a nice one Chris! 😎👍
Hi Colin. I look forward to your videos every Friday. It's a breath of fresh air to have a grisly unbiased opinion of a guitar or guitars. I also love your playing which makes a huge difference! Or up the great work.
Thanks for the kind words!! 😎👍
I have been lucky enough to own both the Chinese and Japanese Tokai Lps, plus a goldstar strat, the Japanese LP was on par with any Gibson, and I've owned both so I know, the Chinese version is let down by the cheaper pots but that's not an expensive upgrade, like the epiphone's they are great for gigging around the pubs and clubs....
Cheers Henry 😎👍
The smaller potentiometers are absolutely fine. A pot is a pot. There will be absolutely no difference in the sound. Where you may notice a slight difference between the cheaper ones and the branded, cts ones or whatever, is that the pricier ones may feel a little smoother. Also sometimes they have a better range of adjustment ie they gradually increase rather than go from 0 to 10 with very little in-between. They also might last a little longer. But in most cases you will not have these issues. Unless you have any of these issues with your pots then there really is no reason to change them. It always makes me shake my head when I see reviewers or whatever taking issue with the smaller pots in lower priced guitars. It's such a non issue.
@@paulgordon6949 Hi Paul thanks for the comment, I am wondering if you watched the film to the point where I did say words to the effect of 'we shouldn't really judge them anyway as they may work great'.. and then the point further on where we actually tested them and they didn't work very well at all? I don't see how you could say its a non issue if you had, and it makes me shake my head when people leave comments without watching the film for the full story. Anyway, as it turns out these ones didn't work very well and will need changing. ✌
Great show my friend. You really separate yourself from the field doing the tear downs. You go the extra mile and that is really appreciated. Keep posting and I'll keep watching. Thomas from Idaho
Thanks Thomas that’s really appreciated! 😎 👍
Love affordable, quality goldtop single-cut guitars.. You're playing is great on this one.
Cheers Allen! 😁👍
Aloha and mahalo Colin! I knew a guy that bought a used Love Rock back in the late eighties. He was very happy to have found it. He must have known what He purchased. In my ignorance, if it wasn't a Gibson it wasn't a Les Paul. Well now I know, it may not be a real Les Paul but it could be better than a Gibson or at least more affordable. I used to like to mix my Marshall and Fender amp together. Don't have these amps anymore. More lost treasures.
Good job! Looking forward to the next comparison and project: whichever, comes first or together.
Thanks Victor! 😎👍
Your playing was spot-on. Worry not, my brother. I pulled out my Epi LP Modern w/Probuckers and my trusty Bluesdriver for this video. We sounded great together, in my estimation. I love your technique. I don't comment often, but, unbeknownst to you, we hang out quite a lot. I'm getting on, been in Bangkok for the latter chapter. If I were in the UK, I'd definitely show up at your door, at some point. You are a righteous dude.
Thanks man, I know we've spoken before and you've been around since the early days so glad you're still here! Please send me over good playing vibes today as I'm about to shoot some more stuff with all the Les Pauls and I need some inspiration... mmm Joe Walsh today I think 🤔😎👍
@@theguitaristas Excellent choice, mate.
Colin i played 3 guitars today a Gibo les paul £1550 used . A cheap lemon drop £ 380 and a tocai £ 540 and my analysis from looking at the build and sound I bought thr Tocai sunburst les paul. I watched your review after i bought and i have to agree the Tocai finish is awesome the sound well very rich rounded large with good tone controls.
I found it difficulg to seperate the Gibo sound ftom the Tocai. I looked at the goldtop but the sunburst did it for me. My first guitar was Epi les paul sunburst 45 years ago which i sold. I returned to guitars now im 60 plus ish so havd a lot to learn
You channel is inspiring me to learn blues . Cheers dude very enjoyable watching.
Nice one! 😁👍
I own one of those old Japanese Tokai “Springy Sound” Stratocasters, it’s an amazing guitar which I’ve owned for around 35 years so I was quite interested to see what you made of this Chinese Les Paul copy offering. The old Japanese Love Rock Les Pauls were very highly regarded and used ones sell for quite a bit of money these days. Being like most old guitar players I’m highly suspicious of any changes and always wondered if the Chinese guitars were any good so this review was much better than I’d feared it might be. From what I heard the guitar sounded really good for the money and any upgrades to the electronics,(if wanted ), could probably wait until finances permit. The build quality seems to be very good and I think that the guitar would make an excellent first guitar or an instrument for a more experienced player looking for a Les Paul type to add to their collection . Good luck with the new venture! At less than a quid a week it looks like a bargain.
Cheers Henry, the great thing for me about this channel is I am gradually getting to look at things like this Chinese Tokai, and likewise I was a little unsure what I’d find but pleasantly surprised. I now have to look out for a Japanese version to compare… my collection will one day match yours! 😆👍
Thanks for the great Tokai review. I always enjoy watching your channel. I recently bought a Japanese made Tokai goldtop LS196 (now changed to LS214). It has a 1-piece mahogany body and neck with a 2-piece maple top and a lacquer finish. It’s a better guitar than many of the Gibson’s I tried. But partly inspired by you, I replaced the bridge and tailpiece with Faber parts, replaced all the electronics and put in a set of Monty’s PAF’s. The pickups are the best I’ve tried so far, and I’ve tried many. I learned about both Faber and Monty from your channel, so many thanks for that. As a Tokai fan (I have 3 so far), I look forward to seeing more. Cheers.
Hey Bill, cheers man that’s great to hear that my films have been useful and inspired you to do this!… I’m now looking forward for doing the same with this one and have some PAFs on order already! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I’m sure you’ll find the changes worthwhile. I have put Faber bridges and tailpieces on 4 guitars so far and have two more bridges sitting here waiting to be installed. And I’m extremely happy with Monty’s PAF’s. That was a great shout. Thanks a lot.
Probably the best guitar review channel on YT. Keep it up, mate.
Wow. That outro lead for what I am assuming is "Heaven's Door" was absolutely inspirational. Thank you.
Cheers man that’s appreciated! 🙏😊
Still have my hand made japanese les paul yamaha studioLord 1980 ...got it for 800 morrocan dirhams...around 80 dollars...old used now but with a beautiful sound and magical pick up and the neck is unbelievable 😇
Nice one! 😎👍
These chinese Tokai’s are actually great modding projects. You’ve got a great base with greats woods, bone nut, good frets and a LP copy with authentic look and feel. The only downside is the low quality electronics. I ripped out the electronics on my ALS-62 gold top and replaced it with a wiring kit from Mojotone with cts pots. I also replaced the stock pickups with a set of seymore duncans. It is now a great playing and sounding guitar. The bridge and tuners could be improved but stock hardware works fine.
That might just be the perfect axe to "sacrifice" for a 2 tone down setting for my daily QOTSA practice...well, in it's ebony incarnation that is!
Thank you sir
Tokai built guitars for Gibson in the 70's. Mainly for the Japanese market i believe. Also, up until 2015, they were also building for Fender. The Japanese stuff is absolutely superb.
Cheers for this.... is that an actual fact?... tell us more please are these branded Gibson or something else??
Makes my Fridays!
Cheers Brent man that’s appreciated! 😎👍
Those frets are great. Not as tall as modern guys like, but they're a good blend of height and width. They polish fairly easily, and stay clean and friction free for a good amount of time. They will dent, and need recrowning after a few years of heavy use.
Out of two of my guitars I have a Tokai Breezysound that was made in Japan in 1983. The build quality of it is exceptional and it's the guitar I would run into a burning building to save. I bought it privately in 2002 and in that time I've compared it to many Fender USA & Mexican Teles that I've come across and they've all left me wanting my Tokai. The other is an Epiphone 1960s Les Paul Tribute that was made in China in 2012. After trying out an awesome looking and finished Tribute Plus with a photo flame sunburst top it felt clunky and as I started to mentally add up what needed fixing I ask the guy if he had another one. He came back apologising that this one was just a plain sunburst top but he'd obviously never played it because it oozed quality as I played it. Everything about it felt right to me (I've been playing 40+years). OK, it comes loaded with Gibson USA '57 Classics, Series/Parallel Push/Pull Pots and it sounds great but they got the finish quality right. This is just my observation everybody. Guitars, in fact anything made anywhere, is produced to a price point, and yes there are other factors but price is number one. Anyone old enough will remember hearing "If it's made in Japan, it won't be very good" which strange enough is the chorus often repeated today about "Made In China". In my opinion, so far China has done something similar to Japan. Showing that they can produce real quality, in years to come "Made In China" will cease being a slur and will be a statement of quality.
Cheers Andrew, I was pleased to see Phillip McKnight defending the fact that where something is made these days is largely irrelevant and echo what you say it all about price point. There are great options available now for those who want to take advantage of them! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I've only just found your channel Colin so I've subscribed and I'm starting back at the first video to satisfy my chronic guitar addiction. Thanks for the weekly supply 🤣😂🤣.
Yes!!! You got one! I scored a black Tokai LP Custom model back in November, paid more for it than a used Epiphone. I put some work into it putting it to my spec and it’s killer. Debuted it at a club gig and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s actually the guitar in my pic here. Kudos!
Nice one! … I am a fan already 😎👍
Love the length of these videos! Makes my lengthy trip home from work that bit faster! Great video as always. Roll on next Friday
Cheers Jason! That’s good to hear too as I am beginning to think I am testing the patience of my audience! 😆👍
I've read that the higher end Tokai's have a nitrocellulose finish, just like Gibson's. From what I've seen on Reverb higher end Tokai's appear to keep their value too! Your channel is great and has been an immense value over the last several months, keep up the great work!
Thanks Kenneth, that’s interesting to hear, I reckon I shall be looking into Japanese version next… still cheaper than Gibson so that could be fun! Cheers for the support it’s appreciated 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I have an Tokai Gold Top P90 LS196 Made in Japan, with Nitro finish. Yes, they are VERY high quality and go for around $1500US give or take. Their quality is in line with Gibson Custom Shop. They are much nicer, quality wise than any Gibson non custom shop I've had. You should take a look at the higher end Tokai's. BTW the higher the model # the "higher quality" it is. Which means Honduran vs African mahogany and some other minor things.
You are a class act !! I love watching and listening to your casts. Thank you so much !!!
Always my two favorite lines: "Let's play with some knobs." and "So what we'll do now, is take it apart." Carry on brother!
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sounds better straight into the amp, more top end but wow! that guitar has some amazing sustain on it & it is the guitar nothing else, just wow!
I agree, but it's nothing a few beers wouldn't fix.
Well mate. I finally solved my GAS with a 2019 Chinese Tokai Love rock Goldtop. It’s absolutely all I hoped it would be at a great price. Thanks for the entertaining videos. Only problem is now I want a Japanese one 😂
Very touching guitar playing, loved it.
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At last Tokai, can't wait the next video about comparing with Epiphone. Great video
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One of the best parts about this channel is that you aren't bought and paid for by the gear manufacturer you're experimenting with. Whether you and I would agree on the feel of a neck or the weight of a guitar, I think we definitely have similar tastes in tone. I agree that a 50s wiring loom and some quality pickups would take this guitar to another level. Overall, the thing is unbeatable for the price though. And they make them left-handed!! That ALWAYS matters to us south paws!! Thanks for another great review once again!! 🙏🔥🎸
Cheers man, I have definitely bonded with this guitar quickly and relish the thought of improving it 😎👍
I just got my first Gibson les paul standard made in 2021 and love it when I first got it,it wasn't in tune so once I tuned it up and hit a chord while not plugged in and holly shit it rang out loud what seemed like forever, I love just hitting a note over and over and when you really hear that note then the guitar will lead you the rest of the way such a great guitar and it is not even broken in yet
Nice one!… when you love a guitar that’s all you need to inspire the music! 😎👍
I have a black Tokai love rock made in China 2006 , i replaced the original tuners with Kluson tuners it made a big differens staying in tune.
It's a great guitar.
Tokai, Greco, and Ibanez were the big three of the 70's lawsuit copies.
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In 2008 I bought low end Love Rock, Made in Japan. In 2008, it's price was similar to Epiphone Les Paul Custom Made In China, that weren't made so well back then. My Love Rock in terms of tone, playability, setup, finish quality is great. But the hardware quality was low. Pickups are "ok-ish", but the tailpiece and its screws were made from some cheap alloy - they got bent under string tension. I've upgraded them to new screws and 100% aluminium tailpiece and the guitar plays great :) With Tokai you get what you've paid for. Higher end Tokais have great materials and finish, but they are so expensive, that it might be a better investment to just buy Gibson. Then used Tokais are amazing value.
In 1982, a music store in Vancouver Canada, started selling Tokai, my luthier mate who did work for that shop rang me and said get down here and check these out, and hurry...! When I got down there, there were no Love Rock guitars left , but I picked up three "Springy Sound" Strats, and two "Breezey Sound" Telecasters, all for $249 dollars each, with case... Turned out my Luther mate picked up four of the Les Pauls. After all these years, I am finally down to one Telecaster and it's still my main guitar .. they are absolutely brilliant....!
Cheers Steve, just a bit cheeky of him to snag all the Les Pauls before you got there! 🤣👍
@@theguitaristas I was lucky to get what I got! the shop got a shipment of 30 or so, and they were all gone in a few days... The shop staff bought up almost all the rest ( at full retail..! ).As they say "first in, best dressed"..!
I've liked Tokai ( and other Japanese Lawsuit guitars ) since the 70s. Saw CCR where John fogerty had an Ibanez Les Paul Custon right down to the Diamond on the headstock, play a whole concert on one in 1973. Later found out it was an Ibanez copy, just no name on the headstock but the "diamond" on it. Sounded great and he only brought out his 68 Les Paul custom ( his Black Beuty) tuned to D to do Proud Mary and Fortunate Son as an encore. Now, those Japanese lawsuits are highly valued ( I have a veritable list of the Goodies).
Cheers from Downunder.
I’ve seen you before playing guitars in a music store on line. It was to get your option on guitars. Anyway your guitar evaluation now is very nice . You have a calm attitude and politeness that I can listen to. I’ll look for you and listen as you know what your talking about. Good luck and be cool. Steve Eugene Or. USA
Thanks Steve that’s appreciated! 😎👍
Enjoying the complete reviews top to bottom and your playing style Thanks.
Much appreciated!
I recall reading somewhere back in the days that numbers in Tokai models are tied to how much japanese yens they cost at the moment. Like LS70BB was 70000 yen and so on.
That A in that model name is always Made in Korea or something, non-japanese model.
Took a while to catch that Knocking on a heavens door. Love those melodies you have ;)
...absolutely love this man -
😊🙏
I haven’t seen you in a few episodes Colin but then I haven’t been watching a whole lot of guitar content. So I thought I’d take a minute to commend you on your always great shows. I feel like I’m sitting around having fun, shooting the breeze and talking guitars. No BS I just like your show!
Cheers Steve, appreciated man! 😎👍
I’m having a carved gold top tele with the Gibson bridge and tail pc and dimarzio 35th anniversary pups made buy a guy in Oklahoma. Should arrive in a few weeks. Really excited.
tonight! on guitaristas!
colin got a gold guitar.
james may got a vol knob.
richard hammond : um... pots looks little bit too short.
and jeremy clarkson : POWERRRR!!!GAIN!! POWERRRR!
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I just heard of a company using Honduren Rosewood, I was quite surprised.
A friend of mine has got a first edition of these when they came out ..great sound ,well made,plays great ,they out Gibson’ed Gibson for build quality and tone ..and it’s fell a few times over the years and surprise the headstock never broke off it …
Dawson used to be a huge chain up north with like 6 shops. They recently went under and closed all their shops. They only operate online now
My first guitar came from Dawson. Shame they had to scale back. Good service.
My Chinese Love Rock is the best les paul I ever played. Best built, best feeling. Thin neck. Didn't love the original pickups. Dang it's a great player
It’s Friday it’s Guitarista Magical
Thanks Edward! 😆👍
What a fanatastic review. Breaking up the technical sections with some musical interludes allows the video to flow nicely. Back in the 1980s the Australian Dollar was very weak against the USD so the American guitars (Gibsons, Fenders, RICs etc.) were very expensive here in OZ. The "replica" models from Ibanez, Aria, Tokai and Fernandes were absolute bargains - often 30% to 40% of the cost of the real badge! For those of us in the know, the Japanese builds were every bit as good as the American models and they were very easy to customise if desired. Should have bought a lot more of them back then because many of them are worth a pretty penny now. Thanks and Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Cheers man, thanks for the kind words and support! If only we all knew back then what we know now eh?! 😆👍
I used to play two Tokais in the 80' s a 59 burst and a ES 335 blond.
How many times I regreted that I sold them.
LS is the model, the letter "U" indicates it's for the UK market. I have an MIJ Love Rock which is amazing. The number after the ULS denotes it's price at the point of sale. For example my Tokai Love Rock was originally a ULS 75, but the same guitar today may well be a ULS 95 (or what ever the price from Japan is when it was made). so the number may well change over the years but does not denote a higher quality. In my humble opinion (other opinions are just as valid and may well be different) if you want a tokai, get a Japanese one. If you want a guitar in this price bracket buy a Vintage brand.
Love Rocks are no longer available NEW in the USA. I think they gave up in 2003-2004. I remember them in the late 70s and 80s. I went with the Ibanez Les Pauls in the 70s and still have a few pre and post lawsuit examples. I actually have found some 2003-2004 Love Rocks in my area and I will check out one soon. Thanks Colin....I am appreciating this channel more and more.
Question, during the beginning of this video there is a Gold Top on the floor on the right side as you look at the video...what is that?
Keep it up! Thanks again, Mike
Hey Mike, cheers man thanks for the support as always! There are two are gold tops kicking around while I filmed this… the epiphone 50s and the sire L7 both of these will feature I next weeks comparison video! 😎👍
I only know Sanko as a manufacturer of steel tubes for bicycle frames. In this area they have quite a good reputation for making strong yet lightweight high end steel tubes.
So you can assume that it has to be a good thing that the fret wire is made by them.
If i have one of this , i will definitely do 50's wiring with better wires and jack
Best Guitar review channel ! Also it would be awesome if u get ur hands on Slash signature Epiphone "Victoria" Gold Top
Another nice video as always. I agree, upgrading the pots would be a plus! I'll definitely be a paid subscriber! Stay safe, keep buying and playing!
Cheers man that’s appreciated 😎👍… I’m definitely going to do an upgrade job on this one! 😆
Nice. Can’t wait for the comparison with the Sire. By the way, talking about frets I prefer Jescar, but I haven’t seen them on many budget oriented guitars.
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I’ve got the Burny P90 Goldtop, loverly guitar, the P90’s sound glorious!
Surprisingly it and my other Burny (a 3 pickup Black beauty Jimmy Page Les Paul model with Bigsby) have small post bridges, thumb bleeder pointers on the control knobs and correct “open book” headstock!
Chinese made too I believe but no flaws and arrived beautifully setup!
I will more than likely upgrade the pickups and pots etc eventually (Well you have to, don’t you) but for now I am completely happy with the way they sound and operate.
Cheers Cecil, are they the Burny/Fernandez models?… I looked at some of those so interesting to hear they have different hardware I should check them out. I love this ‘job’ my list of necessary guitars just keeps growing!! 😆👍
And like some of the other gents or ladies have said class….reviver,and i love tokai s,finishing is always superb
Interesting point,,, the tokai's ,burny, grass roots all have les paul copies and they are all good!! The High end Tokai's are made at Fujigen company. They had the original licence to make the Orville! So that's were the law suits came in! Tokai is Fujigen.
I am about to embark on an upgrade project with this one so watch this space! 😎👍
Hi mate, good review. I bought one of these online 2nd hand for $100. It had a few bangs and bumps but I was stunned by build quality. Put 59 Seymours in it, new pots and wiring (split coil) on one. It's a great sounding guitar and very playable.
Nice one Paul… $100! 👌
Very nice playing nice tone why pay a fortune on a guitar good enough for me.
Thank you.
Cheers Bob! 😎👍
I was down Denmark street on 9th May 2023 and these are stocked by Rose Morris .
Yes true… that’s a outstanding the only place I could find them 👍 next time I’m in town I’m definitely popping in to try a Japanese version!
I have replaced the electronics on all my Chinese tokai s and ive only got one Japanese tokai but i gave that the full treatment too even though it did not really need it…
Yay!!! Another excellent video by the Arse Looping Guy 😎👍. Would love to see you comparing the new LP-Clones with a ‘90s Orville.
Cheers David… they are quite highly rated and I’m guessing you’ve got one of those? 😜
👍🏻👍🏻 Great review once again, Colin! I have the MiJ LS136 which has the Gibson shaped head stock. I believe the "UA" added to the model name indicates the altered head stock for avoiding copyright issues in the EU and also that it is MiC. The made for EU MiJ models used to have a tiny nib in the middle of the Gibson shaped head stock for the same purpose IIRC. We in OZ are a little behind on the copyright business, convicts that we be 😉
Cheers man 😎 You Aussies do have a refreshing view of certain rules and regulations… common sense and a particular kind of stubbornness is all we need sometimes! 🤣👍
Regarding the smaller "dime-sized" pots, I have a Samick Artist Series Edition SG (MIK) from '96 which has them. They have an extremely accurate taper to them. When you take the volume down to 0, then increase it to 1/2 you get sound which increases incrementally accurately as it is turned up. Same with the tone controls, a very differentiating change in tonality. No big jumps in volume or tone like with some cheaper pots (or even more pricey ones). Not all smaller pots are bad.
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110% agree, ...i might have stockpiled a few;), they generally wire one cap per tone pot too, (prewired and ready to roll), ive matched those to p90's very effectively. lovely taper. blade switches not to bad too.
As always...another incredibly entertaining and informative video! GREAT JOB!!!
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Hi Colin - I´m one of the "older gents" 😂 and I remember Tokai well, because I ownd one in 1981! It was my 2nd "Les Paul Copy" and the only thing I swapped it for was a "real Gibson" (Les Paul Deluxe in cherry sunburst)! Sure it was one of the japanese ones and from the distance even the "Love Rock Model" logo looks like "Les Paul Model", everything was copied perfect and it was an amazing guitar. Tokai made Les Pauls, Flying Vs, Strats and so on, I think Ibanez did the same at this time. The shop was full of these guitars around 1980!
Very interesting to see what the chines version have to offer - thanks for that and another entertaining video comes along this friday!
Take care of you - see you next Friday!
Greetings from Germany!
Cheers man, I suppose even back then we just thought ‘Japanese Copy’ and dismissed them! 😆👍
@@theguitaristas Mmmh - yes I agree and here we come again to the point what we want: the original product from the company that invented and created it (and then for much more money what they deserve in my opinion for their workand idea) or the well made "copy" from someone who just take the idea, produce it and sell it for way less money.
And this decision we have to make for ourself and no one should blame "the other side" for that.
Because of this I love your channel bringing up affordable guitars in detail and compare them with the "real deal" (I´m sure to notice you love both😂).
Thanks again for this and as we see - more and more people like it!
Bluesy greetings from Germany - now I visit a big music shop to compare some Fender Strats, because I plan to create a personal partcaster strat together with my luthier.
It´s so easy with the Fender ones - so I give it a try!
Colin, sir, I like I said have one Japanese love rock tokai an ls196vf and one Chinese love rock I’m unsure what model but it was under 1000 aud but I also have a tokai Chinese made Flying V which plays better than my genuine Gibson Flying V which of course got stolen now days I own very few guitars over $1000 aud maybe one custom shop fender telecaster and a custom shop RI 56 strat all my “ Gibson s” ( I know you won’t approve but won’t judge me neither) I have 3 les Paul copies/ fakes/ homages one of them has no branding however like the tokai s I’ve put a lot of work into them again they had those mini pots not CTS so I’ve done the full work on nearly all my guitars(all my “les Paul’s”) but not my tokai Flying V that is stock and bloody amazing .., I wish you much success with your channel I think you are the most unaffected reviewer and hope you stay that way all the best …. A fan from sydney , Australia…rock the cradle of love!!!
Cheers man, thanks for the kind words and support!... I am loving this Tokai so going to try and get some more. You have reminded me I still don't have a Flying V so I must fix that soon!! Hey I love your fine city man, I had some great times there and believe it or not I bought a Fender Strat while visiting a while back... I don't like Strats much but I won't ever sell it as it reminds me of the great times I had in your fine fine city. 😎👍👍
I really really like gold tops so I like this guitar and it sounded great I heard they were good
Cheers Benny... more gold top fun coming this week! 😎👍
I have a Fender MIM 2011 Blacktop Strat, which is a HH model and the pickups are the same, not sure of ohms, but markings are identical, the pots and 5 way switch are full size and much better quality
Thanks David that's good info! 😎👍
Watched you direct on the new website. Great quality broadcast. Like I said your dace on the infinite sustain was worth the entrance fee. I'll always come back.. like and post a comment to keep the momentum on you tube going. Cheers Colin great review wondered what new tokai was like.
Cheers Paul, yes thanks I saw your comment and replied thanks… already made more work for myself! 🤣 glad you like it, I think the broadcast quality will be superior and that’s expected but at the moment there’s no matching the community we have here, so as I said in the film there are options and I look forward to see you whenever you pop up!
woww brother this one sounds great "all stock"! and thats before the "monty treatment".....
if youre not doing anything with the stock pups from this one please consider that santa didnt drop by the house and leave anything lol!
ill be happy to give them a good home....recently picked up an epiphone les paul special2...all stock...sounds great...but id like a lil more as always to make it even better...
excellent song choice by the way...i spotted what it was straight away too!
It's all great honest top shelf stuff mate..Big cheers from Australia...🤙🎸👍🍻.. Having a cold one after building all day, getting my guitar fix... BRILLIANT.Looking at the P90 version...
Cheers Ben! 😎🍺
Another great review! I look forward the the head to head to head between the Tokai, the Sire and the Epiphone!! Speaking of Japanese quality standards, in the first decade of the 2K's I bought a number of the Epiphone Elite (then Elitist) guitars, produced generally in the Fujigen Japanese plant. Without exception they were top notch, and I wish I had them to this day; but rough times forced me to sell. Anyway, thankfully the 2020+ Epiphones, though not Japanese nor built to Japanese standards, are exceptional in quality themselves and I've now started to fill the gap! For me, they've earned my brand loyalty but I do love seeing and learning about other manufacturers products and in general, LOVE to see the market filling with true quality options for us, the little guy or gal!!!
Yet another great, no nonsense review. Thanks very much.
Cheers Steven! 😎👍
I like the guitar & look forward to seeing the upgrades. Stay healthy , great video as always.
Cheers man! 😎👍
Good idea for the other channel. 👍
Great playing, as usual. Excellent vibe. 🎶
I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you do with the electronics and the comparison.
Cheers John! 😎👍
I was supposed to save money for a Larry Carlton L7, since all reviews seems to be great. After seeing your reviews I started doubting, long story short today I acquired a Tokai Love Rock, and I am soooooooo happy with it!!!! It sounds like Slash, Gary Moore and Thin LIzzy. Amazing sound.... Thx for your reviews mate, it made me make a good decision.
Nice one Edwin!, I do think you made the right choice... the Tokai is way cooler than the Sire and will hold its value in the unlikely event you ever want to sell it 😎👍
@@theguitaristas So far the Sires hold value as well, they sell 2nd hand for new value in the Netherlands, due to the delivery problems, people don't want to wait.
Owning a goldtop Les Paul was a dream since childhood, so this one is a keeper, the value is of importance for my kids. 😉
Thanks again for another wonderful video. Your videos are second to none and I really enjoy watching them. I would like to see just how much a 50s wiring kit would bring this guitar to life as you mentioned it would be one upgrade thats not too expensive and it's the weakest area of this guitar. When I swapped the pots on my classic vibe stratocaster to the Seymour Duncan full size pots it brought the stock pickups to life.
Thanks that's appreciated! Yes I'm gong to for the 50's wiring and will try some different pickups in this... should be a fun project!
Love it i need one of these because i cant see paying Gibson $3000 for one im very intrigued by these LPC copies, have a Burny now just bought another one and next will get a Greco, an Orville and one of these
Hello again, real interesting breakdown here. I’m aware of the ‘Chibson’ guitars although I wasn’t aware of the Tokai brand. I don’t really follow these brands but it was very interesting none the less, thanks!
Cheers Thomas, I suppose these differ because they are not actual 'fakes' like Chibsons. Tokai are very well respected guitars and made to be played 😎👍
Your a fantastic player sir.
Thanks John that's very kind and very much appreciated!! 🙏😊
Another fantastic review, love this stuff, looking forward to the Les Paul comparison video, thanks for the brilliant work you put into the videos,
Any chance of T-shirts coming soon?
Keep well ✌️
My first real guitar was a lawsuit era Les Paul Deluxe by "Axiom" it had CTS pots and genuine original epiphone mini humbuckers. One of the best guitars I've ever played
It had a sparkly top and I thought that was in accurate but I found out on troglys show that Gibson made sparkle tops in red blue and gold making it a copy of an even rarer guitar
Colin, as usual, top job. I love your channel and look forward to seeing you every Friday. It’s just fun to watch a fellow guitar nerd tear stuff down and dish on it. And I always chuckle out loud at least two or three times per episode. “And the pickup selector switch, you know it looks like a, you know… hell, I don’t know anything about switches!” Classic Colin. Oh, and that sustain… really nice!
Cheers Will, thanks for the kind words man that’s appreciated! 😆👍
lovely video as usual....just keep it up....I don't mean to stroke you, but if I wanna know the nerdy stuff, your the channel I go to....unbiased opinions are old hat to us, but you really help making a choice to buy or not...as ive.said I have purchased 3 guitars based on your videos...
your services known or not help those of us who would stop in for weeks in the shops, and try different guitars out till we found that 'magical' one....I think these companies are striving for comparative Q.C., so when someone like your channel really geeks out about it, they make them so there equal....thats what I think ppl don't get, Q.C. has a different meaning in 2022 as opposed to 2000...so thank you for all ya do, and continued success
Cheers Darth, that’s appreciated… I suppose i do my best to look at these guitars with far more attention than I’d ever have paid in a shop so if I do anything that helps you make a decent buying decision that’s a proper result. I’ve still got a load to learn though and that’s also why I ask a lot of questions of you lot, so keep helping me out to and hopefully in time to come this channel will be one of the most reliable places to come for the information you need! 😎👍
seriously, great job
Well done Sir! You could definitely tell by your playing that you really enjoyed this tasty guitar. 🎸
Cheers Tim! 😎👍
Tokaï guitars are most of the time masterpieces, got one :)
😎👍
One of the guitars I'm considering buying. This deserves a like before watching for the timing alone :)
Don't. Consider the Epiphone equivalent over this Tokai.
I'll compare it with the equivalent Epiphone and Sire L7 next week.
@@iainfreeman5112 Well. I've heard other ppl say the Epiphones are really crap and get any Chinese Tokai instead :) But the Epis are also on the list. Unless I find something used for a good deal
I've got one in a dark tobacco burst, upgraded with a set of Vanson tuners and a set of Tonerider Rebel 90 humbucker sized P90s that I'm considering selling on as I have a Gibson Les Paul Tribute and a Dean Soltero to cover my Les Paul needs and fancy trading my Tokai to fund whichever guitar I might get. I'm quite fancying a Les Paul Special or Casino or something like that 👍
Dude, live your videos. Information and entertainment. Dig it.
Cheers Brian that’s appreciated! 😎👍
Pickups: 2 x LSC-F made in Korea Tokai Original Ferrite ceramic I put in a pair of Aliexpress Donlis Alnico 2 Humbucker Pickups ))
Love your videos. I think all that giutar needs is a wiring kit and some semor ducan pickups and it will be a kick butt giutar!
Great video! I love P90's. I bought a harley benton vintage les paul copy. Not the right color, but still cool. By the way I like Petter Green very much. He is the best blues singer and player, composer to come from Great Britain!
Cheers David! 😎👍
Right! And now you've got me looking into Made in Japan Tokais... It gets more and more complicated. To think you had me all decided after that Epi/Gibson comparison! I guess it's part of the fun right?
I know!... I seem to have opened that can of worms for myself too! 😆👍
I have a UALS62 in cherry sunburst. I did, as I always do, install Faber hardware. And it's currently out having a '50s wiring harness and a set of Pearly Gates going in. But, it's still a great guitar straight out of the box.
Thanks again for another great video Colin. A single cut Goldtop always catches my attention. Hand crafted Japanese guitars are excellent and I don't have any issues with getting another one. I will definitely help out the channel. Also great choice for the play out I was, rocking that song a couple of days ago.
Cheers Tom! 😎👍