New Tokai Owner, need info help please!

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Guy McDude

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Hello!
Im a new Tokai owner and would like to confirm some things about my guitar.

According to the site, I think its a MIJ 1999 model, with a Sycamore top?
Im interested in any other details like what kind of pickups etc.

thanks in advance for your help

link to photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ue7x8wctdmw81qq/AAAT3YdG8w0XI2ll4Fs8yuSoa?dl=0


all the best,
Guy
 
Thanks Guys,
Im at least the third owner of the guitar, so Im not sure about any of the changes especially the headstock decal.
Im not sure if I like it or not.

the bridge pickup is pretty bad, but the neck is actually very very good.

Did I read correctly that its a sycamore top?

Are these weight reliefed / chambered like real Les Pauls?

Lastly, what LP model was this based on?

thanks again for all the info!

Guy
 
Guy McDude said:
Thanks Guys,
Im at least the third owner of the guitar, so Im not sure about any of the changes especially the headstock decal.
Im not sure if I like it or not.

My advice? Get rid of it. It looks badly done and, if nothing else, it's dishonest.

Knobs are easy to change and the truss rod cover looks good - swapping them out is a common mod. Check the electronics cavity for changes too.

Guy McDude said:
Did I read correctly that its a sycamore top?

Maple top. The flame effect is a sycamore veneer, about the thickness of a piece of paper but still real wood.

Guy McDude said:
Are these weight reliefed / chambered like real Les Pauls?

No.

Guy McDude said:
Lastly, what LP model was this based on?

None in particular - it's Tokai's own take on a les paul. Having said that, the neck profile is fairly chunky but not by too much, similar to a '59.

24.75" scale, like all LP's.
 
Thanks again for the info.

My guitars are just tools, so if it dosent affect the sound, like the headstock decal, and knobs, im not putting any more than the 375.00 that I already have into this guitar.

I think I will put a a set of Fralin Pure PAFs in it, as they sound stellar in my other "real" Gibsons.

thanks guys!

Guy
 
Diamond said:
Guy McDude said:
Are these weight reliefed / chambered like real Les Pauls?


Guy

Are "real Les Pauls" weight relieved or chambered? :D

yes.

"Every Gibson USA Les Paul between 1982 - 2007 is weight-relieved. They do not have solid-body construction. Weight-relief is also known as "swiss cheese holes" and refers to the nine holes drilled out of the body in order to reduce the weight of the guitar.Sep 18, 2010"
 
Guy McDude said:

I think diamond knew the answer to that already. He was referring to the fact that weight relief is a modern phenomenon and that the Les Paul in its golden age never had it, or needed it. Gibson's use of heavy wood that needs to be weight relieved wood is often seen as a mark of its low quality, a callback to the Norlin boat anchors of the 70's.

And also pointing out, of course, that Tokai have never used weight relieved wood...
 
Worth mentioning, Gibson uses several types of weight relief:

https://www.google.com/search?q=weight+relieved+or+chambered&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjcsYSMsOjVAhVrw4MKHfpsAX8Q_AUICigB&biw=1600&bih=770#imgrc=Ac5XQgyooPL71M:
 
Paladin2019 said:
Guy McDude said:

I think diamond knew the answer to that already. He was referring to the fact that weight relief is a modern phenomenon and that the Les Paul in its golden age never had it, or needed it. Gibson's use of heavy wood that needs to be weight relieved wood is often seen as a mark of its low quality, a callback to the Norlin boat anchors of the 70's.

And also pointing out, of course, that Tokai have never used weight relieved wood...


I guess it depends on how you look at it. at this point theyve been weight relieving the guitars for longer than they havent.

Theres been alot of great music made with these tools made from 82 on.

That being said, I own both "weighted" versions, and I cant hear any sonic differences between the two.

all the best,
guy
 

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