Anyone know much about Tokai Love Rocks or other MIJ Les paul alikes on here???

riffpowers · December 2017

I'm after a gigging guitar , and I'm thinking a tokai.
I had a tolai es135 that I really loved.
I had a tokai love rock les paul custom alike that I didn;t like as much, I found the neck too fat/vintage and the pickups a bit paf/polite.

I think I need something that has a nice slim/fast neck and hotter pickups and a more aggressive sound.

What would fit the bill??!!

57Deluxe · December 2017

General consensus is that the Japan made models are excellent but jury is out on the China models.

I have my eye on a P90 Goldtop Love Rock...

a good price for a China made model here though if funds are tight

https://www.guitar.co.uk/tokai-uls55-love-rock-brown-sunburst

ellwood · December 2017

I have an 81 with OX4s that is flat out phenomenal.....MIJ

sweepy · December 2017

For the price of a Jap Tokai, why not get a Gibson LP Tribute or Studio ?

ab2017 · December 2017

I've a Korean gold top with Seymour's that has slayed many Gibson's

tone1 · December 2017

I’m still on the lookout for an old Tokai Lester

koss59 · December 2017

I’m in Tokyo at the moment and there’s a 1980 Tokai love rock for £400. Seems like a very good price I’m tempted to bring it back.

mbe · December 2017

riffpowers said:

I think I need something that has a nice slim/fast neck and hotter pickups and a more aggressive sound.

What would fit the bill??!!

Sounds like an ESP LTD Eclipse Deluxe would suit what you have in mind.

Three-ColourSunburst · December 2017

sweepy said:

For the price of a Jap Tokai, why not get a Gibson LP Tribute or Studio ?

Because for some the build quality of the instrument is more important than the name on the headstock?

riffpowers · December 2017

mbe said:

riffpowers said:

I think I need something that has a nice slim/fast neck and hotter pickups and a more aggressive sound.

What would fit the bill??!!

Sounds like an ESP LTD Eclipse Deluxe would suit what you have in mind.

I had one briefly, I liked it!! The thing that puts me off them in general is the fact that you don;t see many without active pickups.

riffpowers · December 2017

I'm changing the thread slightly to include any other MIJ le spaul alikes that are worth looking a.

Les paul alikes with Slim (non vintage style ) necks, ebony fretboards and hot (non PAF style) pickups are what I'm looking for spec wise.

sweepy · December 2017

Three-ColourSunburst said:

sweepy said:

For the price of a Jap Tokai, why not get a Gibson LP Tribute or Studio ?

Because for some the build quality of the instrument is more important than the name on the headstock?

Depends if you want to burn money when you sell on your Tokai after realising that it doesn’t sound like a Gibson Les Paul. I have paddled a fair few times in the Jap Tokai pool and even the top end models don’t have the warm bloom that a Gibson has, sounding too “Hi-Fi even when you swap the pickups out . We can pretty much all agree that Guitars get moved on pretty regularly here and the resale factor is worth contemplating .

Three-ColourSunburst · December 2017

FJN make some very nice Les Paul style guitars but most models tend towards a 'vintage' specification. They are made by Fujijen, the same company as makes the Prestige series for Ibanez, and seem to sell well in Germany. Not sure about the neck profiles but I think the top of the range LS30 (which has a solid flame maple cap) also has the fattest, most vintage neck profile, along with a rosewood fingerboard.

The Neo Classic LC 20 has an ebony fingerboard and Seymour Duncan 59 SH-1 / JB SH-4 pickups - not sure if these meet your needs.

http://www.fgnguitars.de/

http://www.lkg-guitars.de/gitarren/fgn-guitars-made-in-japan/

Some nice photo galleries on this site.

http://www.guitarsrebellion.com/a_stock_gallery/FGN_Neo Classic NCLS-10RF Heritage Dark Burst/index.html

riffpowers · December 2017

Three-ColourSunburst said:

FJN make some very nice Les Paul style guitars but most models tend towards a 'vintage' specification. They are made by Fujijen, the same company as makes the Prestige series for Ibanez, and seem to sell well in Germany. Not sure about the neck profiles but I think the top of the range LS30 (which has a solid flame maple cap) also has the fattest, most vintage neck profile, along with a rosewood fingerboard.

The Neo Classic LC 20 has an ebony fingerboard and Seymour Duncan 59 SH-1 / JB SH-4 pickups - not sure if these meet your needs.

http://www.fgnguitars.de/

http://www.lkg-guitars.de/gitarren/fgn-guitars-made-in-japan/

Some nice photo galleries on this site.

http://www.guitarsrebellion.com/a_stock_gallery/FGN_Neo Classic NCLS-10RF Heritage Dark Burst/index.html

I'd never even heard of those.

antifash · December 2017

Early 80-90s MIJ guitars are my favourites.

longjaw · December 2017

sweepy said:

Three-ColourSunburst said:

sweepy said:

For the price of a Jap Tokai, why not get a Gibson LP Tribute or Studio ?

Because for some the build quality of the instrument is more important than the name on the headstock?

Depends if you want to burn money when you sell on your Tokai after realising that it doesn’t sound like a Gibson Les Paul. I have paddled a fair few times in the Jap Tokai pool and even the top end models don’t have the warm bloom that a Gibson has, sounding too “Hi-Fi even when you swap the pickups out . We can pretty much all agree that Guitars get moved on pretty regularly here and the resale factor is worth contemplating .

John 11:35.

sunshinewelly · December 2017

i did not find i had an issue when i sold mine as far as resale values are concerned. i had an LS160 and it was lovely but the neck was a bit thick for my tastes (based on a R8).

Funkfingers · December 2017

Almost thirty years ago, I had an LS-60. I fed it Seymour Duncan SHPG-1N and SH-5 humbuckers. It played and sounded very well. In the back of my mind, I could not shrug off the idea that an American guitar would be "superior". Eventually, I restored the original (Gotoh?) covered humbuckers and sold the Tokai to help finance my first pre-owned PRS. (I still have that PRS.)

The ESP/LTD Eclipse series is very good. The number of frets and the control positioning varies from model to model. Anything from the 400 series up leaves the factory sporting American pickups. If you are going to customise, the 256 series is a valid starting point.

I am surprised that @HarrySeven has not contributed to this discussion. He has/had a nice, old Yamaha "Les Paul" type guitar. Perhaps, he has already traded it?

horsehead · December 2017

I've got an old LS-70 with some BKP's and specially wound jap pickup and it beats hands down every Gibson, save one I've ever played. 'Blooms' a lot more than the gibbo's and now, I'd rather have Tokai than a Gibson, especially with the company in the state is it now

Jez6345789 · December 2017

I am a big fan of Japanese Les Paul and hammered on an old 80’s Burny for years and owned a few others Wood, construction, all hard to beat in comparison to Gibson.

i sold the lot and felt I would get a good reissue Gibson r9

but after looking and looking I went back to a Greco 1200
a fairly high end Jap Les Paul with awesome pickups and so much character to the sound and that quality you expect all les Paul’s to have but most don’t.

i would happily go Japanese tokai or others.

BigLicks67 · December 2017

I know naff all about Tokai Les Pauls in general, but I have a Korean Love Rock and the build quality is excellent. If I was using it live I'd probably swap out the pick ups for a set of 57 classics, but that's it. Neck seems pretty slim and pretty wide.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Anyone know much about Tokai Love Rocks or other MIJ Les paul alikes on here???

Comments