I just bought a guitar I've never even touched.

[hoss]

She's here and looking nearly like new! Very little dongs and scratches, less fretwear than my 2.5 year old Fender. Details coming soon.

I had to pay the full ****: 3.7% Customs+20% VAT

 

[Soundhound]

Mine showed up as well. Looks great, plays, uh, ok. I'm taking it in for a setup, have the tech give it the once over. I played it a little last night and ran into a stompbox problem. I've got a collection of great overdrives which I've collected all while just playing a strat. They do TOTALLY different things with an LP, it seems to me. Straight into the amp the guitar sounds ok. So the jury's out, I can't tell if I'm not used to an LP, or if my beautiful red tokai's beauty is only skin deep. We shall see.

 

[hoss]

Soundhound, what did they tax you for the import?

Mine needed a 1 hour long setup. The intonation was totally off, trussrod needed a good loosening, bridge needed to be set higher.

.009-.046 strings don't fit a Les Paul (IMHO). I will put 10s on soon.

The guitar sounds great and plays good, I like the "58" neck, the frets could be taller for my taste. No dead spots (a problem for many Les Pauls above the 14th fret).

The Seymour Duncan 59 at the bridge was great, but the Tokai at the neck was a bit tinny. I began installing my Burstbuckers but could not mount the neck pickup so far as the Tokai pickup uses thicker screws. I will get proper screws tomorrow.

My only complaint: The tuners are crap.

 

[Paladin2019]

My only complaint: The tuners are crap.

Are you sure it's not the nut? That's a common problem on any les paul in my experience.

 

[hoss]

My only complaint: The tuners are crap.

Are you sure it's not the nut? That's a common problem on any les paul in my experience.

Not sure yet. When I change the strings I will take a close look at the tuners and the nut, I will put graphite in the nut slots.

 

[Soundhound]

I don't think there was any tax for the import, Hoss. Is that possible? I took it to the local shop I like and am getting it set up. The bridge saddles almost all had to be all the way closest to the pickup, so the bridge may have to be moved. First we're gonna find out if that's neccessary after a proper setup, then I'm trying to decide on pickups to put in, the ones in there are pretty 2D.

 

[hoss]

I don't think there was any tax for the import, Hoss. Is that possible?

I'm trying to decide on pickups to put in, the ones in there are pretty 2D.

Yeah, 2D and "rattling" a bit. It's still possible you get a bill from your customs office mailed to you. I always thought the US government is anal about Japanese imports?

 

[hoss]

Update!
I changed the strings to 10s, nearly all of the rattling is gone it just plays better. I also mounted a historic switch tip, Schaller Security Locks and the Gibson Burstbuckers 2&3.

I checked the frets when I changed strings and fret wear is very visible but you don't feel it when playing.

For guitarporn lovers, here are wallpapers:
http://www.piller.at/music/tokai/finish1_big.jpg
http://www.piller.at/music/tokai/finish2_big.jpg

 

[Jim Jones]

Hoss,

That guitar looks fantastic!

Jim

 

[whitehall]

You have to watch the length of the adjustment screws too. I just put BB's in my goldtop and the neck pup screws were just a little too short. It started out okay but when I lowered the neck pup, she fell in. Yeah, I always put gibby toggle switches in . I just like the feel. And I dump all the chrome hardware....can't stand it. Must have Nickel.

 

[Soundhound]

Hoss, that is a beauty all right, congrats man!

If my Love Rock works out (jury's still out, but I'm hoping) I'm thinking of putting in some Wagner Darkbursts. Anybody have any experience with Wagner pickups in their Tokais? In particular the Darkbursts, or maybe the Crossroads or Fillmores. I'm also thinking about Classic 57s or Duncan Antiquities.

I'm after that bluesy Mick Taylor, Duane and Dickey sound, if ya couldn't tell... :wink:

 

[hoss]

Thanks, for the kind words, guys.

New developments: I encountered even more problems with the Burstbucker 3 in the Tokai than it had in the Les Paul. It hummed when I touched the cover (some grounding problem INSIDE the pickup) and it suddenly only had 7kOhm instead of 8.5kOhm impedance (wouldn't one bad coil reduce the impedance by 50%?).
I also noticed that on this Burstbucker the cover was NOT soldered on by Gibson (I have never seen a PAF/replica without solder joints between chassis and cover).
So I took the cover off, soldered it onto the Seymour Duncan 59 and put that back in the bridge position.
The SD 59 has 8kOhm vs. the 8.2kOhm of the Burstbucker 2 (neck). But these pickups work very well together (much better than the screaming BB3). Maybe the SD59 has a stronger magnet (Alnico V vs. II) to compensate for the weaker wound coils.

Finally I am going to buy the Gotoh SD90 vintage keystone tuners (the set for 29,- EUR), those Tokai tuners are the biggest piece of crap I have ever had on a guitar, you breathe at them and the pitch drops a semitone.

I recorded a short clip with the guitar tonight. This is my favorite "pickup comparison" clip with a live version of The Allman Brother's Soulshine. Warren Haynes (the greatest!) is on the left channel, the Tokai is on the right.
http://www.piller.at/music/sounds/soulshine_intro_ml.mp3

Soundhound, here is the same clip with my Gibson 68 Custom Authentic with the Wagner Crossroads
http://www.piller.at/music/sounds/soulshine_intro_cr.mp3

and here the 68CA with with the Burstbuckers
http://www.piller.at/music/sounds/soulshine_intro_bb.mp3

The recording was done with a Line6 Guitarport with a Warren Haynes Soldano patch.

I think the Gibson with the Crossroads nails Warren's sound pretty much. The Tokai comes in second with it's great wooden tone, the Gibson with the BBs screams too much for my taste.

 

[Soundhound]

Thanks a million hoss, nice playing by the way!

You know what I think I'm realizing is that I'd like the pickups I get to be able to do that warm duane thing, but I like a punchier, slightly cleaner Mick Taylor to Dickey Betts kind of sound. Warren Haynes is a great player no doubt, but I always found his tone a little buzzy (different strokes, dontcha know).

Okay now I'm really confused. Arg.

 

[hoss]

Okay now I'm really confused. Arg.

Get the Wagner Darkbursts. Or the Goodwoods even!

 

[Soundhound]

Thanks Hoss! The clips of the Darkbursts all have that wooly duane sound, which I love, but... can they do the cleaner, fat dickey betts and mick taylorish sound? How would that work? Do you need to roll the volume back on your guitar when you don't want the wooly warren haynes sound?

 

[hoss]

Do you need to roll the volume back on your guitar when you don't want the wooly warren haynes sound?

I want that sound :lol:

Well, I modded my 68CA with old NOS caps and 50s wiring which gives me much more room on the volume pots without losing too much treble. Turning down to 7-9 cleans up the sound without mud.

On the Tokai so far I think the pots work very well, better than on a stock Custom Shop Gibson!

 

[Soundhound]

So if I want that Dickey betts. Mick Taylor cleaner (only slightly dirty) fat sound, do you think the Darkbursts would be good for me? Or are they really made for the Duane, Warren Haynes wooly sound?

 

[hoss]

AFAIK the Darkbursts are for Duane's Hot 'Lanta sound, which had overwound pickups.
The Crossroads and Fillmore are more conservative PAF replicas.

 

[Soundhound]

thanks again Hoss! I think a call in to Jim Wagner may be in order. Hope you are liking your tokai, it's a great looking guitar...

 

[Paladin2019]

Finally I am going to buy the Gotoh SD90 vintage keystone tuners (the set for 29,- EUR), those Tokai tuners are the biggest piece of crap I have ever had on a guitar, you breathe at them and the pitch drops a semitone.

It already has gotoh keystone tuners. If tuning's as bad as you say it is, the problem is with the nut. Guarenteed.

Get a decent tech to cut you a bone or tusq nut, no more problem.