kmarccoco
Well-known member
I kept my eye out for a tokai for my buddy pete. Pete is a Les Paul guy, but never played a Tokai. Pete had only seen and played my St 80 and St 100 strats. He liked them and i have been telling him about the reputation of the early tokai les pauls for about one year.
I've never been a real Les Paul guy, and I have never played a Tokai Les Paul.
Well , I found him a 1980 LS 80 Les Paul Reborn in Texas. He paid $1,600 delivered.
He got it today, and wow!, The Les Paul Tokais are great! I am now a Les Paul fan! The tone is awesome. It is in really great shape, near mint. It has a Dimarzzio in the bridge . The seller said that sometimes they were ordered from Tokai like that new. I don't know. it sounds great anyway. And the neck Goto pup is full of the "woody" vintage tone. NOw I know what the tokai les paul rave is all about.
We took it to Guitar center to compare it to the top Les Pauls they had there. We compared it to a $3,500 Historic, and a $5,000 VOS flame top. The tokai's tone was warmer and had more bell like tones than even the $5,000 gibbi. The Tokai was cleaner sounding, but still had a really nice break up tone at the same time. The Gibsons were more harsh and distorted quicker. The Gibsons bottom strings seemed a tad bit bright and slightly brittle compared to the Tokai. But, the gibsons did sound really good, just not as warm as the Tokai.. The intonation stayed the same all the way up the neck when plucking the top and bottom E strings together at the same time on the Tokai. The two Gibsons did not.
The guitar salesman was in awe and said openly thay the Tokai was a superior Les Paul after he played it for about 20 minutes! They were tested through a 59' Bassman. All three of us said that the Tokai had a notacible better tone, and had extra cool points because it was 27 years old.
The guitar salesman at Guitar Center are not real familiar with Tokai, but ever since I've been bringing in my springys, and now this Les Paul Tokai, they are getting quite familiar! They even admitted that the St 100 I brought in to show them is better sounding that the custom shop relics stratocasters they stock.. Thats from their mouth, not mine.. And they sell fenders!!
here is a pic of petes new LS 80
I've never been a real Les Paul guy, and I have never played a Tokai Les Paul.
Well , I found him a 1980 LS 80 Les Paul Reborn in Texas. He paid $1,600 delivered.
He got it today, and wow!, The Les Paul Tokais are great! I am now a Les Paul fan! The tone is awesome. It is in really great shape, near mint. It has a Dimarzzio in the bridge . The seller said that sometimes they were ordered from Tokai like that new. I don't know. it sounds great anyway. And the neck Goto pup is full of the "woody" vintage tone. NOw I know what the tokai les paul rave is all about.
We took it to Guitar center to compare it to the top Les Pauls they had there. We compared it to a $3,500 Historic, and a $5,000 VOS flame top. The tokai's tone was warmer and had more bell like tones than even the $5,000 gibbi. The Tokai was cleaner sounding, but still had a really nice break up tone at the same time. The Gibsons were more harsh and distorted quicker. The Gibsons bottom strings seemed a tad bit bright and slightly brittle compared to the Tokai. But, the gibsons did sound really good, just not as warm as the Tokai.. The intonation stayed the same all the way up the neck when plucking the top and bottom E strings together at the same time on the Tokai. The two Gibsons did not.
The guitar salesman was in awe and said openly thay the Tokai was a superior Les Paul after he played it for about 20 minutes! They were tested through a 59' Bassman. All three of us said that the Tokai had a notacible better tone, and had extra cool points because it was 27 years old.
The guitar salesman at Guitar Center are not real familiar with Tokai, but ever since I've been bringing in my springys, and now this Les Paul Tokai, they are getting quite familiar! They even admitted that the St 100 I brought in to show them is better sounding that the custom shop relics stratocasters they stock.. Thats from their mouth, not mine.. And they sell fenders!!
here is a pic of petes new LS 80
