Tokai Love Rock new vs. old? Which Goldtop should I buy?

[Ziggy Stardust]

Hi! I'm considering to buy my first Tokai guitar. I've been playing guitar for 8 or 9 years now, and have yet to old a gold top.
Here's the ting, I got offered a Gibson Les Paul Historic R6, which seems pretty sweet, but then again the price.
It's so expensive I wouldn't even dare to play it :lol:

So Im looking for a players guitar, not a collecters. I've heard some great stuff about 80's Tokai guitars.
Can those which are prodused today measure with the 80's? Sorry if this question has been asked a load of times

I just sold my Gibson Les Paul Standard because I was looking for a Gold Top. Which Tokai gold top should I be looking for? Which do you recommend?

I've heard that I should try to get a hold of an old love rock model, but at the same time I've been told that the new ones are great.

And not at least, where can I get a hold on one? I found a brand new Tokai Love Rock LS85S Gold top with p-90's on ebay. How do that one compare with the Gibson?

Cheers!

 

[krameree]

I'm suprised no one has got back to you re this thread! so here is my 10p worth. I used gibsons for years and got sick of their up and down quality, nitro sticky finish and I ended up changing pickups on each les paul.
The tokais have a gloss finish which is very smooth and non sticky, build quality of the jap models is easlily as good as gibson usa if not more consitant. I have 2 gold top LS75 and really like the pickups (though I use the neck pickup coil tapped so have changed that pickup to a dimarzio classic paf) and I love it. I also have a LS125 seb which sounds a tad more alive.
bottom line is the tokai delivers everything I need from a les paul, better finish than gibson, equal if not better build, great tone and with a good setup great playability.
Let me know if you want a goldtop as I may sell one of mine as I fancy a tokai sg

 

[ACY]

i!
.............How do that one compare with the Gibson?...........

In fact, guitars are not really compareable. Each guitar is a unique instrument, only existing once on this planet.

So if you want to compare - what do you want to compare?

A really good CS Gibson, or a Gibson out of the standard range? It don?t matters, you can get a very good CS Gibson which can be out of your range in taste (as guitarsounds are still a very individual thing) , and you can get a standard Gibson which will knock you out in sound and will be perfect for you! (I wonna say great sounding)

Let?s say it different. If you wonna get a Les Paul style guitar, with very good quality, you can go and get a japan made guitar. Even there you?ll find guitars with more weight, sounding thicker and not so resonant, but in generell the guitars are very good.

You?ll know, when you hold it in your hands! :wink:

cheers, "ACY"

 

[goldie]

How do that one compare with the Gibson?

Hi Ziggy,
playing Gibson guitars for a while i got my first Tokai GT last year. It is MIJ from 2006, maybe LS85S.

I would not compare her to a Gibson, because she is very unique.

She is an instrument to me, allowing a journey into killer tone. If you have the chance to get one at Ebay, do it, you won't be disappointed.
I'll do some improvements to her, like Faber Kit, Tailpiece and Bridge, and Zephyr P90 made by Dave Stephens, coming soon.

Cheers

 

[Anonymous]

I would like a Goldtop with P90s, but the problem for me is that all the Tokais except for the top model (145?) are finished in poly, whereas I prefer nitro. I'm not sure what the situation is with Gibson - maybe they use poly too? But if it matters to you, bear it in mind.

 

[skalie]

Had something similar to Goldie's for a couple of weeks now, talk about a guitar with personality, fit makes me feel like I can play a lot more competently than I could before.

 

[krameree]

hey ziggy
sent you a message re the goldtop sale, let me know if you are interested
Cheers
Krameree

 

[SuperGrade]

I just picked up a very similar Fernandes Super Grade goldtop... and i love it 8)

It's made in japan, says so on the underside of the bridge and tailpiece... I guess it's early 90's, based on what i've been reading here and on related websites (it has a trussrodcover with 2 screws with white line and the pointy things on the sides that stick out)

It has a comfortable weight (weighed 4 kg om my bathroom scale), at least when compared to my ultra heavy Pearl LP custom (unfortunatly in pretty bad state)

The only thing that's "wrong" with it is that the gold color is too yellowy...
What's the color like on your goldtops ? (when compared to the original gibson color)

 

[leadguitar_323]

Quote, "It's made in japan, says so on the underside of the bridge and tailpiece... " That only means that the bridge and tailpiece were made in Japan.. It is more than likely MIJ but the hardware is not the way to tell...

Mick

 

[SuperGrade]

Ok i agree, but as there was never much doubt about the fact it was made in japan in the first place, i just saw this as a confirmation... (it looks to be original hardware, although i agree that's something you can never know with 100% certainty)
These things don't have serial numbers, so there really isn't that much else than the hardware (and of course quality & finish) to go by...