Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In with Google

Become a Subscriber!

Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!

Read more...

Tokai Les Pauls

What's Hot
4114Effects4114Effects Frets: 3131
in Guitar tFB Trader
Hi guys - not really up on Tokai guitars but they look lovely. Been offered a Japanese LS85Q in trade for a £550 amp - is this about right value wise? Looks to have a lovely quilted maple top and a decent build quality. Just can't find much info on them price-wise.

Any other Toaki worth looking out for? 

Thanks!
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1

Comments

  • SnapSnap Frets: 6256
    The Tokai Love Rock was often said to be better than a US Gibson, and according to everyone I know who's had one over the years, they are brilliant guitars. PRice wise, sorry, not much help on that, but ebay etc should give you a view.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    That seems about right, it's what my 85Q went for a few years ago, always worth a little haggle though ;)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • fobfob Frets: 1430

    The Tokai Forum are pretty much the font of all knowledge for these - friendly bunch too.

    http://www.tokaiforum.com/


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • ThorpyFXThorpyFX Frets: 6090
    tFB Trader
    Hi guys - not really up on Tokai guitars but they look lovely. Been offered a Japanese LS85Q in trade for a £550 amp - is this about right value wise? Looks to have a lovely quilted maple top and a decent build quality. Just can't find much info on them price-wise.

    Any other Toaki worth looking out for? 

    Thanks!
    I have had a few Japanese tokais over the years, always been lovely instruments. I've had a LS-50, LS-200 and a few strats too. £550 sounds about right though if its in good nick.
    Adrian Thorpe MBE | Owner of ThorpyFx Ltd | Email: thorpy@thorpyfx.com | Twitter: @ThorpyFx | Facebook: ThorpyFx Ltd | Website: www.thorpyfx.com
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11414
    Good guitars, but the pickups aren't vintage PAF style if that's what you are after - or at least they weren't on the one I had.  I measured the DC resistance of the bridge pickup at around 10.5 kOhms if I remember correctly.
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GuitarseGuitarse Frets: 165
    I have  Tokai ES 60 (335 copy) which is awesome with upgrades. 
    Never ever bloody anything, ever!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    Very difficult to source new Japan-made Tokais in UK these days...
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
    __________________________________
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • does the headstock have a dimple or is it a proper gibson shape? the latter will have been made in japan. £550 is probably about right... but it will be a veneer top and multipiece body if thag bothers you, likely with ceramic pickups
    1979 Tokai TE-85
    1980 Tokai LS-80
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • 4114Effects4114Effects Frets: 3131
    tFB Trader
    monoamine said:
    does the headstock have a dimple or is it a proper gibson shape? the latter will have been made in japan. £550 is probably about right... but it will be a veneer top and multipiece body if thag bothers you, likely with ceramic pickups
    Looks like this: 





    0reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • shuikitshuikit Frets: 224
    That looks EXACTLY like my one!  Going to have to check the case as soon as I get home to make sure it's still in there!  :)

    I seem to remember that the model numbers refer to the list price so LS85Q would have listed at 85000 yen or something like that, so the same model number can be quite different depending on the year.  Not sure if this helps at all.  
    2reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • SunDevilSunDevil Frets: 511
    edited February 2017
    These are definitely better made guitars for the same money for the equivalent Gibbo, They sound pretty good out of the box and can be tweaked with upgrades into killer guitars.

    They are poly not nitro if that matters to you?

    They tend to be a little heavier than the Gibsons and the necks are leaning more towards the 60s than the fatter necks

    I sold a 2010 LS85Q with Duncans, Grovers, 50s / CTS loom and an alu tailpiece for around £550 a couple of years back. I think I'd bought a Gator case for it to, so that was part of the deal


    The answer was never 42 - it's 1/137 (..ish)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • DefaultMDefaultM Frets: 7271
    I had one of the top of the range ones. It was so good, wish I hadn't sold it. 
    I'd say that it didn't feel as 'substantial' as my Gibsons, but it sounded just as good.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monoamine said:
    does the headstock have a dimple or is it a proper gibson shape? the latter will have been made in japan. £550 is probably about right... but it will be a veneer top and multipiece body if thag bothers you, likely with ceramic pickups
    Dimple headstocks are MIJ too, just built for the UK market.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • DominicDominic Frets: 16014
    I have played a lot of high end MIJ Tokai Les Pauls and a 335 ..........they are all astonishingly good -extremely well built and sound superb - only high end MIJ come with PAF types but no reason why this LS80 couldn't be better than 99%of G types with some good Bareknuckles,Lollars,OX 4 s or similar
     I think the price is right 
    I also think it is probably nitro -their nitro finishes look very poly like because apparently they get a nitro coat on top of poly which seems a bit strange.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • thomasw88thomasw88 Frets: 2316
    edited February 2017
    I have a Tokai LC85 and a Gibson les paul standard.

    The tokai is better made,  looks better, better finish, better feel.
    The gibson is lighter and  is  a perfectly good guitar. It also smells nicer!
    Being a short fat bloke I tend to use the Gibson for gigs more than the Tokai but If I had to keep one for playability I would keep the Tokai,


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Sounds like a good offer. If the guitar feels nice and you'd prefer another guitar over the amp, I would go for the deal.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Limehouse_BluesLimehouse_Blues Frets: 1160
    edited February 2017
    Tokais are fantastic. have owned a few early 80s ones and more recent. Never played a Gibson (original bursts except ed) that felt and sounded as good until my R0 came back from Florian Jäger. 
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BucketBucket Frets: 7751
    edited February 2017
    I've got a Japanese-made PR100, which is a double-cutaway, 24-fret, fixed-bridge PRS-style guitar.

    It is absolutely fantastic and is level pegging with my Strat as my most-used guitar. And it was £350 used, with a hardcase AND aftermarket DiMarzios. Bargain of the century.


    - "I'm going to write a very stiff letter. A VERY stiff letter. On cardboard."
    0reaction image LOL 3reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • longjawlongjaw Frets: 420
    I've got a couple of MIJ Tokais and a Gibson Les Paul and both the Tokais are better.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • murraypopsmurraypops Frets: 56
    edited February 2017

    I have a Tokai LS150 and high end Tokai R4 replica.  Both fantastic,  especially the R4.  I remember being really nervous when ordering a Tokai and strangely disloyal to Gibson but forgot all about it when I opened the box. I did upgrade the pickups but given that you can get mojo/oil city/deacci at good value it’s a good problem to have.

    I might look at selling my LS150 to explore the MIJ tele or strats if anyone's interested.  


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.