Tokai or Edwards, educated opinions welcome!

[PonchoGreg]

Hi guys,

Might have been done to death, but here it goes... Has anyone played both higher-end Tokais (around the LS150) and Edwards (LP98 LTS and the like)?

I've owned a nice Tokai, so I know they're fantastic guitars. Never had the opportunity to play an Edwards though. The consensus on Edwards LPs is that they're really nicely crafted and generally sound good.

Specs-wise the LP98LTS seems to be really close to the Tokai LS150: one piece back, long neck tenon, nitro over poly finish... The only discernible difference as far as I can tell lies in the pots and caps (CTS and Orange Drop for the Tokai) and the flamed top (veneer for the Edwards, solid for the Tokai).

What puzzles me is the price difference; we're talking a ?400 gap in the UK. Can a solid top be really worth that much? As for the electronics, changing the pots and caps isn't that costly (around ?30).

So, if you've had a chance to play both brands, do enlighten me: is there a sizeable jump in quality between a Edwards LP98LTS and a Tokai LS150?

Thanks in advance for your time!

 

[marcusnieman]

If I'm not mistaken, the LS150 flametop is a veneer and the plaintop is solid.

I think the Edwards 130 Relic is closer to a Tokai LS150 (currently 160). In fact, I was toying with the Edwards 130 and decided to spend a couple hundred more to get my LS150. I already have the Edwards Jimmy Page LP and that to me, offered more in terms of coil split options than just a plain old Les Paul.

 

[PonchoGreg]

Cool Marcus, thanks for the post. I really thought that the LS150 had a solid flamed top (not that I mind that much). Anyone can confirm this?

If that was the case, that would make the difference in price even harder to understand. Comparing your LS150 to the Edwards Jimmy Page, is there a massive difference in quality/tone?

 

[guitarslinger]

I suspect you are looking at the LS150 for the UK market. Which has solid flamed top. The Japanese site does not feature this model and instead has a plain top model which has a similar model code these days. Just to confuse you.

A lot of the guys based overseas look more at the Japanese site than the UK ones, so you'll get people quoting different model numbers at you.

And don't let's get started on model numbers again! :evil: :roll:

 

[marcusnieman]

Cool Marcus, thanks for the post. I really thought that the LS150 had a solid flamed top (not that I mind that much). Anyone can confirm this?

If that was the case, that would make the difference in price even harder to understand. Comparing your LS150 to the Edwards Jimmy Page, is there a massive difference in quality/tone?

Well, there is some issue with Edwards being assembled in China. Me, I don't care. It's a great playing guitar, gorgeous flame top and the Super Circuit coil splitting feature is very cool. All four pots are push/pull and it gives you a ton of tonal variances. It's very light (right at 7 lbs and non weight relieved) and really punchy sounding.

The Tokai on the other hand is as close to a Gibson R8 as you can buy and for a fraction of the cost. Personally, I think the Tokai is a more desireable guitar, better resale value and fully built in Japan. It's as good a Les Paul as you can get.

Here's a couple pics of both of them:

 

[Emiel]

If I'm not mistaken, the LS150 flametop is a veneer and the plaintop is solid.

I think the Edwards 130 Relic is closer to a Tokai LS150 (currently 160). In fact, I was toying with the Edwards 130 and decided to spend a couple hundred more to get my LS150. I already have the Edwards Jimmy Page LP and that to me, offered more in terms of coil split options than just a plain old Les Paul.

Marcus, how are the Edwards JP and the LS150 compared to each other?

I had an Edwards E-LP-92-SD but couldn't get on with the lack of low end, I've had chats with various owners and they all said that Edwards seems to use a different type of wood on the cheaper models, hence the Edwards sounds a bit thinner and aggressive. Because of the special lightweight wood the guitar bodies don't need weight relief holes.

 

[PonchoGreg]

Thanks for chiming in guys, really useful posts.

Edwards being partly made in china is probably how they can afford to put out such quality at such a relatively low price. And boy, does the flame on that edwards JP look great...

 

[marcusnieman]

Marcus, how are the Edwards JP and the LS150 compared to each other?

I had an Edwards E-LP-92-SD but couldn't get on with the lack of low end, I've had chats with various owners and they all said that Edwards seems to use a different type of wood on the cheaper models, hence the Edwards sounds a bit thinner and aggressive. Because of the special lightweight wood the guitar bodies don't need weight relief holes.

See my comments above the photos. If I were going to buy a Les Paul, I'd buy a Tokai.... the LS150 (160) is pretty much the last Les Paul you'll ever buy from a player perspective.

The reason I bought the Jimmy Page was for the coil splitting option.... that guitar produces more sounds (from basic Les Paul, to Peter Green out of phase, to single coil Strat like tone, etc) than any single guitar I've played.

As for the wood and light weight, I really couldn't care less because the tone and punchy pickups are just right. The light weight compared with a regular Les Paul is a nice change. I'd buy the Edwards all over agan

 

[marcusnieman]

And boy, does the flame on that edwards JP look great...

Yeah, it's real vibrant. The older ones seem to be both flamier and lighter than the new ones:

 

[marcusnieman]

Here's the 130 Relic I was talking about earlier. They come with Duncan Antiquities and it looks like a solid, 1 piece body:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Edwards-ESP-LP-STD-Relic-Lemon-DROP-W-S-DUNCAN-PU-/150535948585?pt=Guitar&hash=item230ca44929

No Jimmy Pages on eBay currently. I think they are now discontinued but they still pop up.

 

[Emiel]

Great insight Marcus!

P.S. there is an Edwards Jimmy Page in great condition for sale in Germany in the classified section. 800 euro should be around 680 pounds, seems like a bargain!!

 

[marcusnieman]

Great insight Marcus!

P.S. there is an Edwards Jimmy Page in great condition for sale in Germany in the classified section. 800 euro should be around 680 pounds, seems like a bargain!!

That's not bad at all BUT be sure it is the Super Circuit coil splitting model. It also came in a standard, non Super Circuit configuration.

 

[Big Willie Style]

There's a JP for sale on the forum now, and I know for a fact there will be another one for sale this June (along with an SG-155) when a certain Canadian forumite finally moves home from South Korea. :lol: Stay Tuned.

Jason