Just bought my first Tokai, Love Rock, what do you think?

[mike_levitt]

Hi,

This is obviously my first post - and I just bought a Tokai.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7301497127&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6

What do you think? I think I paid a lot for it, but it looked cool, and was light, which is important to me.

I own a fleet of G & F, some of them very old, others very expensive. I've been hearing about these Tokai guitars, and was intrigued, so I figured why not. I also wanted a guitar to try different pickups in, as my Gibsons are too expensive to play that game with - with all of the obsession with broken solder joints, etc.

So what do you think about this guitar? Know anything about the pickups? How is the hardware? Any problem areas to check or worry about?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[CS Jones]

Hi Mike,
Yeah, I saw that one too. Looks good to me and less than $600 not including shipping seems like a good price to me...of course, this is coming from a guy who's spent about $3k (including total shipping costs and hardshell cases from the sellers) within a month!

My only experience with Tokais has been just recently. I bought an '81 LP (check the previous posts on "ebay alerts" - I've rambled on and on so much about it that I'm afraid I'm becoming annoying about it). Long story short...I was taken completely by surprise by it; so much so that I bought 2 Springy Sounds too within the last week (neither of which I've gotten yet). All I can really tell you is if it's only nearly as good as this '81 I got you won't be disappointed by it - not at all. I've gigged with it twice. The pickups in mine are excellent at clean volumes. They can take really high gain settings too with a little caution to where you stand and how you dial in your gain (I use all homebuilt equipment... no name brand amps or pedals except a Heil Talkbox and a Maxon AD900 delay).

I think it looks great and only 8.5 lbs. mmm...I think you'll love it I hope you do!

Clay

 

[javelin70]

Hi Mike and welcome! I have a 1984 Love Rock goldtop serial 40170xx and it also has the LS-80 '57 PAF pickups, it came like that from the factory. The (T)LS-50 should have Vintage MKII pickups. I like my goldtop very much, it's also lightweight and has very nice tone/sustain. I kept the pickups because they sounded very good, there was no reason to swap them for anything else. It wasn't until 2001 (I bought it new in '84) I removed the pickups to see if there were any markings in the pickup cavity (there wasn't) and discovered that the guitar had better pickups than it should.

It's a '58 replica so it has a rather fat neck.

Let's hope your Love Rock is as good as mine!

Mike

 

[mike_levitt]

Thanks guys. I'm glad you think this one looks good.

I'm really intrigued by this, and hopefully I'll love the guitar. And if I don't I can always sell it to one of you!

I appreciate the info.

Mike

 

[Novosel]

Hi Mike! I have Tokai 57 PAF's in my '84 LS60, and they sound terrific. The neck pickup is probably the best sounding and useful pickup I've ever had in any of my humbucker-equipped guitars. The bridge pickup is great in high gain situations, but maybe a little thin in the clean setting - but, hell, who wants to play clean anyway! :wink:

 

[mike_levitt]

Hi Mike! I have Tokai 57 PAF's in my '84 LS60, and they sound terrific. The neck pickup is probably the best sounding and useful pickup I've ever had in any of my humbucker-equipped guitars. The bridge pickup is great in high gain situations, but maybe a little thin in the clean setting - but, hell, who wants to play clean anyway! :wink:

I'm glad to hear that, but what am I going to do with the Wagners that I ordered to put in this guitar!!

How is Vancouver this time of year? I spend a few days there for the Champ Car race in the summer. IMO, Vancouver is one of the best cities on earth - you are really lucky to live there.

But now the race is cancelled, and we're going to Edmonton! What do you think about that?

Thanks for the heads up on the pickups.

Mike

 

[Novosel]

Yeah, Vancouver tend to put the kibosh on anything fun. Best weather and scenery in Canada; worst radio stations on the planet. They are fixated on oldies (I think we've all heard "Hotel California" enough in our lives!). Vancouver likes to think of itself as a world-class city, but it's got a long way to go.

Of course, I wouldn't live anywhere else in the Great White North - haven't had to pick up a snow shovel in ten years!

 

[mike_levitt]

Yeah, Vancouver tend to put the kibosh on anything fun. Best weather and scenery in Canada; worst radio stations on the planet. They are fixated on oldies (I think we've all heard "Hotel California" enough in our lives!). Vancouver likes to think of itself as a world-class city, but it's got a long way to go.

Of course, I wouldn't live anywhere else in the Great White North - haven't had to pick up a snow shovel in ten years!

Well, the radio does suck, but I think it sucks everywhere. Seems to be a music scene there, though - I'm always seeing flyers and stuff. I always have a great time there. People in Vancouver seem to be happy, and know how to have fun. And the women are great looking there.

I really like it. I also met the happiest homeless guy in the whole world there! Great restaurants, lots to do. People are nice.

I also go to Toronto and Montreal every year, but if I had to choose, I would live in Vancouver for sure.

You are a lucky man!

Mike

 

[CS Jones]

I live in the most southern part of Canada. It's called Florida :evil: (We see a lot of our Candian friends down here).

If any of you can ever get down this way look me up... especially you Jim Jones... tear yourself away from Mr. Gillies and come by and see me (and bring me one of your amps ).
Clay

 

[Jim Jones]

Hehehe!

Thanks Clay, but you should know, as a Floridian it's not wise to offer an open invitation to a Winnipegger! I'll pack up the snow shovel and be there tomorrow.

Jim

 

[calieng]

Yeah, Vancouver tend to put the kibosh on anything fun. Best weather and scenery in Canada; worst radio stations on the planet.

I lived in Vancouver for 10 years. I agree it is the best city in Canada!

I finally had to leave after one too many rainy winters. I'm in San Diego now. Usually no rain (except for lately) and no GST!

 

[mike_levitt]

I had to wait a couple days for Hiro to round up a new case for the guitar - so he shipped it yesterday, and it arrived this morning - Saturday!

They do have 1/2 time advantage, but to go from Tokyo to Michigan in 36 hours is insane!

The seller was "japanoldguitar" and I would definitely recommend this guy.

Anyway, the guitar is all original and solder joints and that are all untouched. Has the PC board control cavity stuff, but it is working fine and I'm leaving it alone.

It's very light, and plays and sounds fantastic. I love the 57 PAF pickups - they are excellent PAF style replicas. The neck profile is very fat - almost as big as my gibson 57 and 58 reissues. It's bigger than a Gibson 59, and way bigger than a 60. Playability is excellent, and it's very comfortable. The top is definitely a 2 piece with a center seam (which I guess is unusual in an LS50.

Comparing the Tokai to my other big - buck gibsons (R6, R7, Supreme) I have to say that the workmanship is comparable. Inlay work is better on the gibsons (tighter edges, less filler) and I noticed that the Tokai bindings were taped, not scraped when they were finished (a bit of overlap there) but all in all they are all in the ballpark. And in terms of tone and playability they are just about interchangable.

If you blindfolded me and handed me the Tokai, and told me it was a '58 reissue, I would believe you.

This is a very nice guitar, and I'm floored. Thanks for the info everybody!

Mike

 

[ian]

Hi Mike ? sorry your post just slipped off my radar somehow ?so just wanted to say belated welcome & congrats on the guitar :-? .

Yep Hiro is a good guy, nice guitars & straight to deal with. I think you got a pretty decent price, those early Love Rocks are rising all the time. Agree with the above re pups ?all the early Gotoh variants are pretty good (may need potting in high-vol/high-gain situations). Inlays are same on my LS60 (extra filler), it?s little things like that you pay for on LS80 & above (1978-85), ie inlays get sharper & detail finish is better ? but that guitar should give pretty decent Les Paul tone & vibe, regardless of price... cool guitar 8) .

Ian.

 

[mike_levitt]

Hi Mike ? sorry your post just slipped off my radar somehow ?so just wanted to say belated welcome & congrats on the guitar :-? .

Yep Hiro is a good guy, nice guitars & straight to deal with. I think you got a pretty decent price, those early Love Rocks are rising all the time. Agree with the above re pups ?all the early Gotoh variants are pretty good (may need potting in high-vol/high-gain situations). Inlays are same on my LS60 (extra filler), it?s little things like that you pay for on LS80 & above (1978-85), ie inlays get sharper & detail finish is better ? but that guitar should give pretty decent Les Paul tone & vibe, regardless of price... cool guitar 8) .

Ian.

Thanks Ian.

I like the guitar a lot. Honestly, other than stuff like the way the fret ends meet the binding, they nailed it. I have a bunch of "real" les pauls, and this one is right in there.

Could definitely play it as the #1 guitar without complaint..

I'm curious - has anybody pulled out the PC board and put "real" pots and caps in? Noticed any improvement or change in the tone...?

And since this is a "vintage" guitar, should I just leave it alone???

Opinions?

Mike

 

[ian]

I'd leave it ... they used that CB right from the start in 1978 on everything below at least LS100 ... so vast majority of Tokais have it, but I never yet heard of anyone either having a problem with it or feeling that it was somehow messing up the tone (& guitarists are a pretty critical lot, .. even to point of imagining tiny tone differences lol). Funny really, because you might imagine a CB would cost them more than a couple of caps, might have expected it in higher models. Yeah, if you swapped it for an RS tone kit or something then I think it would marginally decrease the value of the guitar :-? .

Ian.

 

[mike_levitt]

I'd leave it ... they used that CB right from the start in 1978 on everything below at least LS100 ... so vast majority of Tokais have it, but I never yet heard of anyone either having a problem with it or feeling that it was somehow messing up the tone (& guitarists are a pretty critical lot, .. even to point of imagining tiny tone differences lol). Funny really, because you might imagine a CB would cost them more than a couple of caps, might have expected it in higher models. Yeah, if you swapped it for an RS tone kit or something then I think it would marginally decrease the value of the guitar :-? .

Ian.

Thanks Ian. I didn't know if it was considered important, or a problem!

I would guess they did it this way because you can assemble the board in advance, then just solder the leads on, as opposed to having to work inside the assembled guitar.

I appreciate your help!

Mike