Need help finding a GOOD Tokai LS-70+. Can u help?!

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Tokaigi

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Hey peeps, im new to this forum, and to forums in general but i think i get the jest.

Im looking to buy a GOOD Tokai, an i must stress that im not willing to just buy anything because i currently own a fairly good guitar and i want to get a better one, which is usually the whole point. Obviously what i call fairly good could be sh*te to someone else or whatever but basically I own an Ibanez RG570, and im told that its not like other Rg570's (my mate had one just like mine and apparently mine was better ?) i dunno if this is true, not to call him a liar or anythin, but when i have asked someone in the past they didnt know anything about it. Its apparently a limited edition, or maybe a custom built one. I do like this guitar very much, it has a very powerful crunch and a nice lead tone.

I would like to get a guitar that is better than the one i currently have, i mean its too good to get rid of, but its not enough lol I would like to get my hands on a good Tokai LS as i love the Les Paul but wud never pay THAT kinda money for one. Slash is my hero so obviously i need a Les Paul type guitar to get close to him!!

So after all tha borin cr*p im sure that no one is left readin this **** but i felt it was necessary to clear up y im being a bit specific....sorry, im perfectionist at heart, as well as a tw*t.

ANYWAY!! My question is quite simply this. How or where do i go to find a good Tokai?
Are the new ones still up to scratch and is it worth buying one?

I've done some research of my own obviously an im pretty sure that the better Tokai's were early 80's pre lawsuit but im not sure that the later(est) ones are gonna be worth a go. Im gonna be hard pressed to get a Tokai from that era as they are now so rare but i would settle for a new one if its worth it...

Look sorry guys for takin so much time, as i said im a newbie to all this but for anyone still at their desk and still awake and yet still reading this i thnk u simply for givin it the time of day.

Any responses would be greatly appreciated

Tokaigi
 
Tokaigi said:
I've done some research of my own obviously an im pretty sure that the better Tokai's were early 80's pre lawsuit but im not sure that the later(est) ones are gonna be worth a go. Im gonna be hard pressed to get a Tokai from that era as they are now so rare but i would settle for a new one if its worth it...
The only difference between old and new MIJ Love Rocks in my opinion is that the model numbers and with it their specs differ, so a LS70 from today usually doesn't have the "better" specs like a LS60-70 from the '80s has. But to get the same specs (flamed maple veneer, one-piece back etc.) you can buy a new one with a higher model number without any problems.
 
So if i wanted to get the flamed top (which i do), one piece back (i wud prefer it over anythin else) i'd be looking at LS100 sort of range?

As i said i have done a fair bit of research but as i only have the net in work im only able to access certain information as the firewall stops me accessing more than i think is fair!!

Basically i want a good Love Rock, one that has a good feel to it, good tone and sustain obviously and one that i can be fairly confident in and by that i mean confident that i have bought a good guitar. Im very nervous of dropping such a big amount (for me at least) of money on a guitar that may turn out to be a pile of w*nk, as much as i find that doubtful through the amount of reviews i've read.

I'll have to have a look around and see if there are any in the guitar shops down here so i can try one...doubtful i would have thought but who knows. I havent been to my local guitar shop in ages cos i need some gear from there but i know once i go in i'll want more than i can afford lol

Thanks Hans
 
I f you want a flamed and 1 piece back you have to go LS150 and above.....LS80 and LS120 are very good guitars however...
 
Tokaigi said:
So if i wanted to get the flamed top (which i do), one piece back (i wud prefer it over anythin else) i'd be looking at LS100 sort of range?
Still depends on the age, because a 1-piece back was available in the late '70s and early '80s on some (not all) lower end models, but usually without flamed maple veneer. And like Luis already mentioned, a new Love Rock with these specs would probably have to be a LS150 (solid flamed maple top), although there seem to be exceptions to that rule, too. :roll: For example togps recently had a new LS85Q with a 1-piece back in store. Another important feature related to the mahogany back is the overall weight of the guitar, because a heavy one might have a 1-piece back while a light one is really rare (and usually expensive).
 
Thanks again guys for your responses, much appreciated!

Am i possibly being a bit too specific with what im looking for?

I mean this is the thing that kinda baffles me about all of this is, yeah ok maybe the LS150 is the guitar i would like to have and is probably the better quality guitar or whatever but all im really looking for is a guitar that plays well. I do want the flamed top, that for me i think is a must as i absolutely love the finish of the cherry sunburst flame, its gorgeous to look at.

Are there maybe lesser models, less expensive than the LS150 that still come with the Flamed top but are still good guitars?

i've tried and tried and tried to find things like this out but im finding it hard to know where to look. Ideally i would like maybe an up-to-date catalogue of sorts so that i could look through an pick the guitar with the specs i want even if i have to import it from Japan.

As i have said already im willing to go for a brand new or nearly new model if its worth it, the only thing that bothers me with it is that because of the law suit that ensued from Gibson i've read somewhere that Tokai had to change the way they made the guitars which leads me to think that they wont be of the same calibur as ones made before then....if u catch my drift. I know, Hans, that you have already answered this question for me and thanks for that, but i would like a lil more reassurance that a brand new model or nearly new model wont turn out to be a pile of bleep!!

Any help you can offer guys....

Thanks

Tokaigi
 
Tokaigi said:
Are there maybe lesser models, less expensive than the LS150 that still come with the Flamed top but are still good guitars?
Yes, but with a veneer of course. And if you're not ready to take the risk of buying a guitar without testing it, you simply shouldn't do it and rather buy one you could play in a shop. In the end nobody except you knows what you consider "a good guitar"...
 
Yes, but with a veneer of course. And if you're not ready to take the risk of buying a guitar without testing it, you simply shouldn't do it and rather buy one you could play in a shop. In the end nobody except you knows what you consider "a good guitar"...

Yeah hans, thas whats so god **** frustratin. I guess to put it in a nut shell it would have to be a guitar that is gorgeous to look at, so the finish is important to me cos to a degree that reasures me of the quality and because its gorgeous to look at lol

Secondly i want a guitar that has tone and sustain that of someone like slash, as i've said he's my idol. I know that i dont wanna be Slash but i find his style of playin grabs me by tha pants an shakes me around the room....in a good way obviously. I also know that the other part to having a great sound is the amp, and my amp is "killer" so im told...although i dont like to boast. Its a Mesa Studio 22+, if that means anythin to anyone, first time i'd heard of Mesa was when my mate told me about it so i got the amp and am very happy with it.

I guess its hard to describe what i think is a good guitar as my experience is still very new and little.

Thanks anyway guys, any more help you can offer will be appreciated but im sure your reachin the end of your patience with this now which is understandable lol

Really tho, thanks very much

Tokaigi
 
Tokaigi said:
I guess its hard to describe what i think is a good guitar as my experience is still very new and little.
Maybe you should specify how much money you want to spend for it, that would make the decision rather easy. Gorgeous looking and new at a medium price = LS80-120 with flamed or quilted top. The sound of those models is alive and resonant most of the time, but of course that's harder to guarantee than a nice top. Slash's tone is a bit too compressed and thin for my taste (at least the songs I know), but that also means that it shouldn't be too hard to get close with any "good" Les Paul guitar. ;)

Thanks anyway guys, any more help you can offer will be appreciated but im sure your reachin the end of your patience with this now which is understandable lol
It's understandable that you're unsure about jumping into the cold water without having played a MIJ Love Rock before, but maybe reading some more threads here might reassure you it's worth it. By the way, I'm gonna gig with my two oldies tomorrow night, and I wouldn't do this if I wouldn't be very proud of them (like most users here). :)
 
It's understandable that you're unsure about jumping into the cold water without having played a MIJ Love Rock before, but maybe reading some more threads here might reassure you it's worth it. By the way, I'm gonna gig with my two oldies tomorrow night, and I wouldn't do this if I wouldn't be very proud of them (like most users here).

Yeah maybe hans! ;) lol Good luck at the gig!

well i've done a bit more lookin an found an ls150 as previously mentioned. Its beautiful. The guy can offer me one when im ready to buy, with my intention being to play it first then stick a big fat deposit down for him to hold it for me for ?780.00 which includes delivery!! Apparently this is the AAA grade which im told is amazing.

My concern however started when i told my friend about it who said that i could get a genuine LP for that kinda money so its probably worth lookin at a Gibson rather than a Tokai. Looked into that and found that the only NEW LP's that are at the same price as the LS150 are the Studio models, which i gather are the lowest end Gibson LP. All the other models like the Standard, Classic, Supreme etc are at about ?1100+ which is way out of my affordablility levels. Im only looking to go as high as ?800 an i wanna be sure that its worth it u know?

So does anyone know if the LS150 is better than the Gibson Studio? and im talkin about newest models of Tokai LS150 and Gibson LP Studio.

Hans, thanks for your patience! lol and your right that im being causious about buying one as i dont want to spend that much money to end up having somethin that i totally regreted u know? thanks tho hans :D

Thanks guys

Tok
 
Tokaigi said:
Looked into that and found that the only NEW LP's that are at the same price as the LS150 are the Studio models, which i gather are the lowest end Gibson LP. All the other models like the Standard, Classic, Supreme etc are at about ?1100+ which is way out of my affordablility levels.
Right, Gibson fans like to (or rather have to) compare apples and oranges all the time... ;)

Im only looking to go as high as ?800 an i wanna be sure that its worth it u know?
Just play them side by side, as you seem to have the opportunity soon, and then you'll know. Featurewise there's absolutely no comparison between a Studio and a LS150, that's for sure.

Good luck at the gig!
Thanks, both came back home without any injuries, that was the most important part. 8)
 
Okay cool, im not sure that im gonna be able to play them side by side, but maybe! I'll get in touch with the guy today and see if he will have LP's there when i get the LS150 ordered in so i can play them side by side as you suggested. Thas a crackin idea!

I think maybe im being a bit careful about this whole thing, so im gonna trust my instincts and go with the Tokai i think, cos if i get it into my head that a Gibson at the same price would be better than a Tokai then im never gonna be satisfied. At least if i play them side by side i can hear and feel the difference.

Thanks Hans, as we say in my lil part of the world, your a legend! :D

Appreciate all the help you've offered. No doubt i'll be keepin in touch with you tho lol im sure i can think of more questions to annoy you with lmao

Good news about the guitars coming back in one piece ;)

Cheers

Tokaigi
 

Latest posts

Back
Top