Has buying Tokai stopped you buying Gibson ?

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S58CL-IAKOT

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Gibson and BMW, its all about the name on the headstock or the badge on the bonnet. I got my ivory white LC85, took the tuners off it and fitted brand new gotoh non locking rotomatics and a bone nut cut for 11-49 string gauge. When I remember my old ivory white Gibson Les Paul custom , which was a cracking guitar, and what it cost compared to the LC85,it makes me feel ill. When I think of historic gibsons ive owned and how much they cost , that makes me feel ill too.

Next guitar I buy will be another LC85 in ebony, yank the tuners off, get a bone nut cut for 11s and its good to go. Impeccably built and consistant and its all good.

Will my credit card take another hit for an overpriced Gibson......absolutely not, especially when you consider the crap that dealers have to put up with gibson like not allowing to sell tokai guitars alongside.............shameful.
 
I've gravitated away from the top end Tokais since they now approach $2k and well above. I have four Historic LP's that I bought for under $1850 each. Great values in used Historics can be had.
 
f5joe said:
I've gravitated away from the top end Tokais since they now approach $2k and well above. I have four Historic LP's that I bought for under $1850 each. Great values in used Historics can be had.

Interesting.
Many guitarists claim how a Gibson is an investment, yet a new Gibson "Historic" loses half it's value the day after you buy it.

Gibson USA models should be made like the "Historic" models and in the same factory, the "Historics" are not special, they're made the way any Japanese guitar factory makes it's guitars.

No need for a "high end" Tokai, an LS92 and 98 is as good as a Les Paul can be. IMO
 
S58CL-IAKOT said:
Gibson and BMW, its all about the name on the headstock or the badge on the bonnet. I got my ivory white LC85, took the tuners off it and fitted brand new gotoh non locking rotomatics and a bone nut cut for 11-49 string gauge. When I remember my old ivory white Gibson Les Paul custom , which was a cracking guitar, and what it cost compared to the LC85,it makes me feel ill. When I think of historic gibsons ive owned and how much they cost , that makes me feel ill too.

Next guitar I buy will be another LC85 in ebony, yank the tuners off, get a bone nut cut for 11s and its good to go. Impeccably built and consistant and its all good.

Will my credit card take another hit for an overpriced Gibson......absolutely not, especially when you consider the crap that dealers have to put up with gibson like not allowing to sell tokai guitars alongside.............shameful.

All Tokais come with bone nuts, cut for 10-46 string gauge...even the Chinese made Love Rocks have bone nuts.
You didn't need to change the nut, just needed to be re filed for thicker gauge strings.
 
Diamond said:
f5joe said:
I've gravitated away from the top end Tokais since they now approach $2k and well above. I have four Historic LP's that I bought for under $1850 each. Great values in used Historics can be had.

Interesting.
Many guitarists claim how a Gibson is an investment, yet a new Gibson "Historic" loses half it's value the day after you buy it.

Gibson USA models should be made like the "Historic" models and in the same factory, the "Historics" are not special, they're made the way any Japanese guitar factory makes it's guitars.

No need for a "high end" Tokai, an LS92 and 98 is as good as a Les Paul can be. IMO

I agree wholeheartedly with most everything you say. The Historics are special amongst its Gibson bretheren though. But, I like my Historics a whole lot! Love my '82 LS-70 GT too. It all works, as they say.
 
f5joe said:
I've gravitated away from the top end Tokais since they now approach $2k and well above. I have four Historic LP's that I bought for under $1850 each. Great values in used Historics can be had.

Exactly my experience - used Historics can be a pretty good buy, especially if you're in the USA where there's a wider selection available.
 
I would say no, it depends on the individual guitar. If I like the guitar, the feel, the sound, the construction, and the price is a good enough value for money then I will certainly be open to playing and then buying.

Every manufacturer (and each guitar) has their strengths and weaknesses. I have seen problems with Tokai guitars, they are not all perfect. Luckily we have many choices to try and find what works best for ourselves.

It is getting harder to find value at the prices some Tokai guitars trade for these days! And for me part of the fun is the challenge of locating a certain Tokai model. Gibson production and custom guitars are plentiful enough here in the USA, but there aren't a lot of LS-120 guitars to be found, that is for sure.
 
Cali Girl, I agree ..... the hunt is fun. Harder these days with a lot of folks now tuned into Tokais.

I sold a couple of FINE LS-120's from the early period. But, to me, and as good as they are, I enjoy my Historics more. Not throwing off at all. Just my personal tastes.
 
Cali Girl said:
I would say no, it depends on the individual guitar. If I like the guitar, the feel, the sound, the construction, and the price is a good enough value for money then I will certainly be open to playing and then buying.

Every manufacturer (and each guitar) has their strengths and weaknesses. I have seen problems with Tokai guitars, they are not all perfect. Luckily we have many choices to try and find what works best for ourselves.

It is getting harder to find value at the prices some Tokai guitars trade for these days! And for me part of the fun is the challenge of locating a certain Tokai model. Gibson production and custom guitars are plentiful enough here in the USA, but there aren't a lot of LS-120 guitars to be found, that is for sure.

How many current LS160s have you played in the USA?
Actually, how many LS92 and 98s have you played in the USA?

If you find an LS120 on eBay will you buy it blind, without feeling it, hearing it and checking the construction of it?
 
Diamond: I bought a used 2008 LS-230 Koa topped Love Rock a couple of years ago. It was nearly perfect in its construction. I regret selling it now. The 'new' Tokais are very well done. (speaking of high end MIJ's, of course.)
 
pretty much

though for the stuff i play, i want the gibson-style guitars to be pretty good value- they're not really aimed at the main styles of music i play, so I was never really going to drop ?2k+ on a custom shop gibson anyway. If i were, I'd still check out the gibsons along with the higher-end tokais.

as has already been said, the tokai prices have been rising a lot recently, too.
 
I think in the UK the question needs reversing as a well known shop in South Yorkshire that used to sell Tokais here now can't/doesn't and it's a bit of a bummer.

However that aside and while I like the Tokai I already have my answer is no. I will buy more Gibbies next year, probably second hand because the market for them is way down but I'm going to look at nabbing an R7 and an R0 at some point.

It won't stop me buying more Tokais either (assuming I can find them!) FWIW but I'm just answering the OP's question.
 
Vintage Gibsons? No but who can afford them? Only vintage Gibson I have is a 69 ES150D (335 shape, ES175 thickness and master volume on lower bout) but I am jonesing for an old ES330.

Current Gibson's? Depends on the guitar and how it plays and sounds. I will admit I have a few current ones for that reason:

SG Classic (P90's)
SG Faded (with Burstbuckers)
61 SG reissue (with full Faber upgrades - best sounding SG I've ever played)
50's Tribute Les Paul (P90's)
 
I guess people buy Tokai becxause a reason: really good quality at a nice money, every segment of the market. Well, high end are really expensive now and tops are not those we love but Gibbo counterpart are more expensive. I made my choose a lot of years ago and I?m really happy with my Tokais.I was able to compare them and I bought a Gibson,but sold it.
 
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