Recent content by singemonkey

I'm not a big fan of flame tops, so my LS150 is just perfect. But I have to admit, I'm not 100% wild about Tokai's taste in flame. They seem to be 85% pin stripes. I guess a lot of people like that. But I loved the fiddle-back tops Bacchus put on their flame maple classics a few years back.

Italics you mean? Thanks! My crafted in Japan logo is in italics. Woohoo! Tokai!

Man. If I lived in the US, that SG would be sold and I'd be in a lot of debt

According to the list of serials, a V serial number should be MIJ, not CIJ, and made by Fujigen. But my alder bodied sunburst Jazzmaster says CIJ. Anyone know what factory it was made in? Or if there's a way to tell? It seems like it could be made by Fujigen, Tokai, or Daita I'd really...

It's strange. It looks like it has a veneer top, standard capacitors. I would have thought if it were the flame top LS160, it would have a solid top and orange drop capacitors.

Sorry to necropost. But yeah. I have a recent Tokai, and Gibsons. The comparison is interesting but, in fact, both are compromises to CNC's limitations. Yes, a top end Tokai should find a more elegant solution to those spots of filler. Totally agreed. But what does Gibson do? Find a way to...

My buddy put a Black Dog and a Mule in an LS92 and the it's got me looking forward to putting Bareknuckles in my LS150. It's a **** fine sound.

Yes. The board is normal. I have an LS150 too. The inlays are an upgrade from those found in the lower priced models which are pretty bland looking. Not that the difference is that great. I've used mine for a lot of gigs now and prefer it to all my other guitars - including two Gibsons...

My buddy has a wine-red '81 Custom and it's quite superb. Pickups sound amazing. Very smooth and warm. Congrats.

Your Tele looks straight out of '67. Try to wear an Afghan coat and some round blue sunglasses while playing it. Seriously. It looks way better than all the comparisons. IMO it looks better than even the Fender original.

Probably safer to go with the guitar you know, all things considered. I'm sure the Tokai is great, but if you've got one guitar you know and one you don't...

Crazy. These are amazing LPs.

One thing I can say for the LS models is that you're paying for diminishing returns. My LS150 is a beautiful sounding LP, but really, the difference between it and an LS93 is pretty minimal. Mostly you're paying for the chunk of body wood (and a flame top on some models) and the hardware and...

A true blind LP test would be a wonderful thing. I doubt any brand would be a clear winner. And I don't think original '50s LPs would easily stand out against modern high-quality LPs (Gibson Historic, Tokai, Navigator, Heritage, etc.) using PAF clones like Bareknuckles, or Sheptones...

I will agree that LP Customs, while having custom shop logos, don't seem to be made at the same level as the LP reissues. They seem much more similar to the factory models - poorly made... for the price they sell at. Yeah. Why a Nashville bridge? Buying sight-unseen, you have a much better...