Trying to decide between Tokai LS75 and Edwards E-LP-90LTS

[Rustyslide]

I've been lurking here for awhile, and think I'm going order a Japanese Les Paul copy soon-ish.

The models I'm looking at are the LS75 (plain top) from Apollon Music and possibly the LS90Q. The Edwards E-LP-90LTS, which I believe I'd be able to order from Ishibashi.

I really like the Violin Burst colour that people here have posted pictures of (like the Violin Finish ones here), but your pictures are all more red than the pictures from the Tokai catalogue or from Apollon Music site. A lot of the Cherry Sunburst pictures I've seen are just a bit too red for me, though in person, I don't think I'd mind too much . The Cherry Sunburst on the Edwards looks pretty good to me.

I've heard conflicting things about neck thickness - I would prefer a thicker rather than thinner neck.

Pros of the LS75 vs the Edwards:

• cheaper
  one ply top (ie, no veneer)
  the Tokai head stock (logo and 'Love Rock') a more pleasing to my eye (ok, this is minor, but...)
  more durable finish (poly vs nitro)

Pros of the Edwards

• pickups are more of a known quantity - I've never played a Tokai, I do like the Seymour Duncan SH-1
  the mysterious allure of nitro
  I've done business with Ishibashi before, and had a very positive experience with it

Also, does anyone know how Paypal's exchange rates compare to Visa's? When I bought a MIJ Fender from Ishibashi, Visa's exchange rate was 4-5% worse than the market (which is fine, except it was unexpected).

Phew!

Thanks !

 

[whitehall]

Well I have/had a new Tokai LS95F and a new Edwards ELP85SD. both from Ishibashi. The Tokai : has bigger frets and a bigger neck. The Edwards has a long neck tenon and real Duncan pickups. The Tokai has a much thicker cap. Both are poly guitars. The biggest difference for me was the weight. The Tokai was too heavy at 10 + pounds, the Edwards almost too light at 7.5 lbs. And the Edwards does not come with a pickguard. I kept the Edwards and sold the Tokai. Had they both been the exact same weight it would be a tough call, but I think I would then have kept the Tokai, because I like the bigger necks. ( I have a Gibson R8 that I love ).

 

[tudor]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum! :lol:

Try to read the bunch of corresponding threads on "Others" ...

... you'll find alot, I guess! :wink:

Roger

 

[Rustyslide]

I have read all the threads about the Edwards in the 'Others' forum already. Finding posts about specific Tokais is hard as they're marketed in the UK with the older model numbers, and many people here are in the UK.

I'm most curious about the colour of the Tokai 'Violin Finish' - are the edges of the burst red or more amber in colour?

 

[tudor]

Look at this ...

http://home.arcor.de/7okai/Upload/Finish/

It's from a German guys who sells Tokais ... the VF seems to be more dark/cherry red than amber at the edges, IMHO.


Roger

 

[Rustyslide]

I linked to one of his pictures in my first post - the picture of the VF finish on Apollon Music's site is more amber than red, so I was wondering which was typical.

 

[tudor]

So, obviously there are slightly differences ?!
So, you have to ask for realistic pics, I guess.


I would prefer the amber tone, too.


Roger

 

[tudor]

BTW - very often the pics will not give justice the real colour ...

When I purchased my LS150 I thought from the pics the back must be red ...

... but it wasn't, fortunately!!


Roger

 

[Pegcityrocker]

I'm not a real fan of the "redish" burst either, I have an LS80 in Matt Violin Finish and it is very Amber and not red at all. I suppose each one may be slightly different but here's a pic of mine that is fairly true to how it looks in real.

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[tudor]

Oh, what a beauty ... that's a realistic color I would prefer !!! 8)


... I've got it again ... GAS !


Roger

 

[Rustyslide]

That is pretty

I actually would like a dark red colour on the edges, sort of brownish, rather than bright cherry red.

I happen to have a perfectly wonderful Les Paul type guitar, a ...Gibson (ducks) all mahogany with no-frills deal, but my ideal electric guitar is a sunburst one Les Paul, with single ply binding, cream and gold plastic bits, nickel hardware, an open-book headstock and ... red-to-yellow sunburst.

 

[jawilluk]

Just thought I'd remind everyone that different makes and models of monitor show different colours for the same photos. So when two people agree about liking the colour of a particular guitar, it's likely that they are looking at two different colours in fact. Even calibrated professional monitors show different gamuts.

But you already knew that. :wink:

And although I prefer Cherry Sunburst myself, I have to say Pegcityrocker's guitar is a beauty.

 

[Pegcityrocker]

As far as neck thickness goes, theres a thread going on in the "other" section about Tokai vs. Edwards and it seems that some say their Tokai has a thicker neck and others are saying thier Edwards has the thicker neck.
As far as mine goes, the neck is fairly thin but not to the extent of 60's slim. I gues somewhere between 59 and 60. I really enjoy the neck but I'm GAS'ing for a nice fat '58 to give myself the best of both worlds. :lol:

 

[jawilluk]

My LS150s have nice fat necks. I don't know how they compare to a '58 but they're a good handfull. Much fatter than a 60's slim taper.

 

[luis]

LS150 neck is the fatest Tokai makes,in fact it?s fatter than Gibbo 50?s. It?s very comfortable however, and I have small hands,I really like it.LS70 is the next fatter neck on Tokai range.I could not try any LS200 however.... I ?ve owned several MIJ guitars and I really prefer Tokai necks, the one in SS-38 was really fantastic, more comfortable to me than a comparable Fender Japan half 80's made.

 

[TUNAFREAK]

I think the neck on my old ES 120 was fatter than my LS 150, But I loved both of them. They are no longer with me though.

Mark