sneakyjapan
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I came.....I saw.....I purchased.
How did you discover Tokai?
- Thread starter Simple Simon
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Midnight
Member
I came across Tokai thanks to a UK guitar store by the name of Regent. This was back in September of last year, 2005. But, they sadly do not deal with Tokai any longer. 
I was on the look out for a new guitar, I'd been playing for about two years and thought I deserved a new, good quality axe. I owned a Stagg PRS Copy, which was not a very good guitar at all, but it was my first electric and served its purpose. I was starting to lose interest in playing because I wasn't really enjoying it a whole lot, even though I always wanted to play, but I wasn't seeing myself progress a whole lot once I reached a certain level, and it was getting me down, so I decided to get a new axe to reignite my desire to play. I narrowed my search (with the aid of the great forum members over at the Regent forums) down to an SG, and a Les Paul. I was of course looking at Gibson, but I wasn't too happy about the price tags on their guitars so then I looked to Epiphone. I wasn't going to make the beginner mistake again by buying without knowing anything about the guitar, so I registered at the Regent forums and asked around. I was put onto Tokai, who were being talked up on various sites around the internet, not only the Regent forums, for their value for money, and build quality, among other things. I eventually put a line through the choices of Gibson, and Epiphone, and circled Tokai, based on the numerous positive comments I saw for Tokai.
Anyway, I eventually opted for the Les Paul, over an SG. I live over in Northern Ireland, and Regent are based in England, so I would be ordering online with no hands on demo of the guitar, but I felt secure enough in choosing a Tokai, and in dealing with Regent. I ended up with a Tokai Love Rock LS-70F in Cherry Sunburst, and a Hiscox Hardcase. It's one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever laid eyes on, and it plays like a dream. It has a great sound too, but my amp (a Marshall MG15 DFX) doesn't really do the guitar justice, so it's only really got to shine when I've played it through a friends (Kustom) amp. I have honestly yet to find a neck to rival that of my Love Rock, it's just the most comfortable necks I've ever played on. There was literally nothing negative to say about the guitar. In fact if I was to go over it with a fine tooth comb all I could complain about was the disappointing fact that the toggle switch went intermittent without a matter of weeks, but that's just a switch. The build quality, the playability, the sound, and the finish are all top notch.
I was on the look out for a new guitar, I'd been playing for about two years and thought I deserved a new, good quality axe. I owned a Stagg PRS Copy, which was not a very good guitar at all, but it was my first electric and served its purpose. I was starting to lose interest in playing because I wasn't really enjoying it a whole lot, even though I always wanted to play, but I wasn't seeing myself progress a whole lot once I reached a certain level, and it was getting me down, so I decided to get a new axe to reignite my desire to play. I narrowed my search (with the aid of the great forum members over at the Regent forums) down to an SG, and a Les Paul. I was of course looking at Gibson, but I wasn't too happy about the price tags on their guitars so then I looked to Epiphone. I wasn't going to make the beginner mistake again by buying without knowing anything about the guitar, so I registered at the Regent forums and asked around. I was put onto Tokai, who were being talked up on various sites around the internet, not only the Regent forums, for their value for money, and build quality, among other things. I eventually put a line through the choices of Gibson, and Epiphone, and circled Tokai, based on the numerous positive comments I saw for Tokai.
Anyway, I eventually opted for the Les Paul, over an SG. I live over in Northern Ireland, and Regent are based in England, so I would be ordering online with no hands on demo of the guitar, but I felt secure enough in choosing a Tokai, and in dealing with Regent. I ended up with a Tokai Love Rock LS-70F in Cherry Sunburst, and a Hiscox Hardcase. It's one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever laid eyes on, and it plays like a dream. It has a great sound too, but my amp (a Marshall MG15 DFX) doesn't really do the guitar justice, so it's only really got to shine when I've played it through a friends (Kustom) amp. I have honestly yet to find a neck to rival that of my Love Rock, it's just the most comfortable necks I've ever played on. There was literally nothing negative to say about the guitar. In fact if I was to go over it with a fine tooth comb all I could complain about was the disappointing fact that the toggle switch went intermittent without a matter of weeks, but that's just a switch. The build quality, the playability, the sound, and the finish are all top notch.
leadguitar_323
Well-known member
My first guitar was a Suzuki LP copy, that was in the late 70's. It wasn't too bad for a starter but badly needed setting up.I went to see my local music store about a set up and it was at this time that i was told about numerous quality guitars coming out of japan.Thirty years later and after several guitars including high end jacksons and a very good gibbo SG i saw a review for a LS 90Q in an aussie guitar mag, I remembered the tokai name from my conversation all those years ago and my curiosity had been awakened. To cut a long story short, I recently bought the LS 180 Hisashi had for sale on e-bay and i have to say they are incredable instruments. I have spent many hours since buying it trying to find its limitations and so far i have only found one and that is not a complaint it's just that i would prefer some pickups with more grunt.Overall a wonderfully constructed guitar with loads of tone and supurb feel, i doubt i will ever sell her. Long live MIJ guitars
TUNAFREAK
Well-known member
On the Epiphone sight! I am so glad!
Mark
Mark
I bought a Tokai ST-62 at a music store in Providence, RI in the late 80's, 88 I think. I had never heard of them before, but I really liked the guitar so I got it. He had some Breezy Sounds as well, but no Love Rocks as I recall. That was my main guitar, on and off, for quite a few years. I remember vague rumors in my youth of Japanese guitars that were "better than Gibsons" and lawsuits to keep them out, but I'm not sure I ever heard the name Tokai until I played that Strat. I bought a 1975 Ibanez LP copy in Cambridge, MA in 1996 and that was my main guitar for a while.
When this internet stuff and ebay got up to speed I just started researching Tokai and got the itch to buy a Love Rock. I picked up a 1983 LS80 in 2003 from Katana and a 1982 LS100 in Ochanomizu last summer. Both fantastic guitars.
The tone quest continues...
When this internet stuff and ebay got up to speed I just started researching Tokai and got the itch to buy a Love Rock. I picked up a 1983 LS80 in 2003 from Katana and a 1982 LS100 in Ochanomizu last summer. Both fantastic guitars.
The tone quest continues...
Novosel
Well-known member
I first come across Tokai around 1987. Way back in the sixties when I was just a pup, I had owned a sunburst '59 Les Paul, sold it in the seventies (yeah, I know ) and when I began playing again, I wanted a Les Paul but didn't like what they had morphed into. Around that time I was playing an affordable copy (a Cort, I think), and went into a little guitar shop to buy a case for it. The owner said he didn't have any LP cases, and when I pointed to a black one sitting on a shelf, he said, "There's a guitar in that one already". I walked over, lifted the lid and was stunned. Funny name - "Love Rock" - yet practically the twin of my old burst, so supremely beautiful and well crafted, but I wasn't in the market for a new guitar although it never left my mind...
A couple of months later, I went back to that shop to try out some amps. When the owner said, "What guitar do you want to use?", I just smiled and pointed to that black case still sitting on the shelf. Long story short, the amp stayed and I left with a new old stock '84 ALS60 flametop. Twenty-two years later, I still have it.
) and when I began playing again, I wanted a Les Paul but didn't like what they had morphed into. Around that time I was playing an affordable copy (a Cort, I think), and went into a little guitar shop to buy a case for it. The owner said he didn't have any LP cases, and when I pointed to a black one sitting on a shelf, he said, "There's a guitar in that one already". I walked over, lifted the lid and was stunned. Funny name - "Love Rock" - yet practically the twin of my old burst, so supremely beautiful and well crafted, but I wasn't in the market for a new guitar although it never left my mind...A couple of months later, I went back to that shop to try out some amps. When the owner said, "What guitar do you want to use?", I just smiled and pointed to that black case still sitting on the shelf. Long story short, the amp stayed and I left with a new old stock '84 ALS60 flametop. Twenty-two years later, I still have it.
mlivingstone
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Sorry for coming in so late on this one but I've been offline for a few months now.
The first I heard of Tokai was in the late 70's early 80's when Harry Baird's music in Belfast started importing them. Our local guitar hero Jim Armstrong started regularly gigging with a Love Rock and Springysound to give his original 58/59 Burst (can't remember which now) a rest (tried to blag a drunken strum on the burst once when the Pound club was closing down and the only drinks they had left were Carlsberg Special and vodka - not a good combination - however I digress!).
A few years ago I was in another Belfast music shop and the owner told me that Jim had semi-retired and had sold the 58/59 Burst for god knows how much but had replaced it with an off the shelf Love Rock.
No better recommendation from the once third best guitarist in the world - apparently!
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Armstrong_%28guitarist%29&action=edit
The first I heard of Tokai was in the late 70's early 80's when Harry Baird's music in Belfast started importing them. Our local guitar hero Jim Armstrong started regularly gigging with a Love Rock and Springysound to give his original 58/59 Burst (can't remember which now) a rest (tried to blag a drunken strum on the burst once when the Pound club was closing down and the only drinks they had left were Carlsberg Special and vodka - not a good combination - however I digress!).
A few years ago I was in another Belfast music shop and the owner told me that Jim had semi-retired and had sold the 58/59 Burst for god knows how much but had replaced it with an off the shelf Love Rock.
No better recommendation from the once third best guitarist in the world - apparently!
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Armstrong_%28guitarist%29&action=edit
funkynassau
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Being a lefty, my choices are limited, and I'd been looking around for a lefty electric. I researched eBay and found a lot of different brands but dont recall any Tokais. I visited my area music stores and found the usual Strat knockoffs that the young teens at the music school play. They didnt appeal to me. I kept in mind my teacher's advice not to settle, dont buy something just so I can buy something, be sure I want it.
One day my husband and I went into a music store and there was the Tokai, it had the body shape I wanted, it was a lefty and electric! I loved the look of it. So we talked to the owner a fair bit and I learned about Tokais. I then researched them on eBay and various websites and ask my musician friends, not many actually know much about them, tho my teacher thinks highly of them.
Back to the store, and I played it for 90 mins or so and asked a pile of questions and got my answers. In the end I bought it. That was just last week and so far I am really loving it. It's beautiful and it sounds sooo nice and it's easy to play. I have a guitar lesson tomorrow and I cant wait to see my teacher's face when I show him my new baby!
Funkynassau :lol:
One day my husband and I went into a music store and there was the Tokai, it had the body shape I wanted, it was a lefty and electric! I loved the look of it. So we talked to the owner a fair bit and I learned about Tokais. I then researched them on eBay and various websites and ask my musician friends, not many actually know much about them, tho my teacher thinks highly of them.
Back to the store, and I played it for 90 mins or so and asked a pile of questions and got my answers. In the end I bought it. That was just last week and so far I am really loving it. It's beautiful and it sounds sooo nice and it's easy to play. I have a guitar lesson tomorrow and I cant wait to see my teacher's face when I show him my new baby!
Funkynassau :lol:
MMMMM I dont like the normal things in life, i like to be different now.Why should i pay just for the name and now they are just riding on it, ok in the early days Fender & Gibson were the main ones for heavy rock which was the kind of music i played back then in the late 60s.In the 70s i was on tour and i played a 1959 white strat,they were the guitar for me strats,ive owned about nearly every mainstream make of guitar and a few you have not heard of,one was a WEM 5th man,and with playing for 40years ive had a few guitars and ive played with some legends in my time.In the late 70s early 80s all my mates were raving on about Tokai Strats,but i didnt buy one or try one .I was now playing a Gibson SG and a Gibson Goldtop.Then i bought one of the 1st Levison Blades RH4 made in switzerland nice guitar everything you ever wanted out of one,with a ebony fretboard, but like we all do i sold that one aswell :lol:.I still had one or two guitars i gigged with.I was on E-Bay last year looking at guitars and i came across VILLAGERs E-Bay site,well i remembered id heard of Tokai on my travels in the early 80s so i gave Villager (MARK) a phone call,Nice guy we had a good chat and i thought (This guy nows his MIJ guitars),so i bought a 81 LS-80 off him and later a LS-120 what can i say thats not been said about Tokais i now have 6 Tokais and ive just discovered a guitar called a Fenix made by Young Chang like Tokai they will be the next one on the move up. 8)
.I was now playing a Gibson SG and a Gibson Goldtop.Then i bought one of the 1st Levison Blades RH4 made in switzerland nice guitar everything you ever wanted out of one,with a ebony fretboard, but like we all do i sold that one aswell :lol:.I still had one or two guitars i gigged with.I was on E-Bay last year looking at guitars and i came across VILLAGERs E-Bay site,well i remembered id heard of Tokai on my travels in the early 80s so i gave Villager (MARK) a phone call,Nice guy we had a good chat and i thought (This guy nows his MIJ guitars),so i bought a 81 LS-80 off him and later a LS-120 what can i say thats not been said about Tokais i now have 6 Tokais and ive just discovered a guitar called a Fenix made by Young Chang like Tokai they will be the next one on the move up. 8)Simple really,in the early 90's my mate had a Squier strat in olympic white,
he didn't like the colour that much so he swapped it for another strat copy
that just happened to be a candy apple red Springysound...beautiful it was!
he didn't like the colour that much so he swapped it for another strat copy
that just happened to be a candy apple red Springysound...beautiful it was!
MIJvintage
Well-known member
eBay, and imagine that sooooooo many folks seem to think eBay is evil, huh................
adrianclark
Well-known member
Sometime in 1984... a sunburst Love Rock was reviewed in one of the earliest issues of Guitarist magazine. It looked stunningly gorgeous, got a great review and gave me hope that a penniless schoolboy like me could possibly afford to buy something that looked convincingly like Jimmy Page's guitar.
There weren't many Tokais in Lincoln, so I ended up with a Squier Strat. My first semi-decent guitar. And then, with the pointy 80s in full swing, I forgot all about Tokai.
It was only three or four years ago that I remembered about them. Looking on Ebay for parts for a "bitsa" Strat project, I saw a rather battered 84/85 Goldstar Sound (left-handed... that's the crucial bit). Bought it, treated it to a set of Kinmans, and it's easily the best Strat I've ever played.
I'd almost forgotten about the Love Rocks, but got the urge to own a Les Paul of some sort about a year ago. I wasn't in a hurry, as my 335 covered most of my "classic humbucker" sonic requirements, but I couldn't resist the LS95 on Ebay (and I see that the seller, rabpal, is right here). I've spent a couple of days gradually fettling the setup, and now it's absolutely spot on.
Adrian
There weren't many Tokais in Lincoln, so I ended up with a Squier Strat. My first semi-decent guitar. And then, with the pointy 80s in full swing, I forgot all about Tokai.
It was only three or four years ago that I remembered about them. Looking on Ebay for parts for a "bitsa" Strat project, I saw a rather battered 84/85 Goldstar Sound (left-handed... that's the crucial bit). Bought it, treated it to a set of Kinmans, and it's easily the best Strat I've ever played.
I'd almost forgotten about the Love Rocks, but got the urge to own a Les Paul of some sort about a year ago. I wasn't in a hurry, as my 335 covered most of my "classic humbucker" sonic requirements, but I couldn't resist the LS95 on Ebay (and I see that the seller, rabpal, is right here). I've spent a couple of days gradually fettling the setup, and now it's absolutely spot on.
Adrian
tudor
Well-known member
Hi Adrian,
Welcome to the forum ... :lol: :lol: :lol:
We appreciate your story of coming into contact to the 7okais ... :lol:
Well done - and feel comfortable here ... :lol:
Could you provide some pics of your beauties ... ???? :wink:
Roger
Welcome to the forum ... :lol: :lol: :lol:
We appreciate your story of coming into contact to the 7okais ... :lol:
Well done - and feel comfortable here ... :lol:
Could you provide some pics of your beauties ... ???? :wink:
Roger
Tokai came to Australia(officially) in 1984.
The first store to get them was "MUSICMAN" in Sussex st Sydney(no longer around).
I fell in love with them at first sight....all the models had beautiful flame topped finishes and each of the models were subtly different from the next...so they seemed less mass produced than most and they played brilliantly.
At that time the retail price was close to $2000 AUS...waaaaaay out of my price range.
In 1990 after a few years of squirreling cash away I was in the market for a Les Paul and approached a store in Sydney with a view to ordering a custom shop model.
Whilst in the store I happened to notice a beautiful Les Paul hanging on the wall ...stunning flame top...beautiful Nitro finish.
While the guy in the store was writing up my purchase order for a Les Paul Heritage I took the Tokai for a spin.....that was all it took...I was hooked like a marlin..!!!
I got the guy to tear up that order to Kalamazoo on the spot and paid cash for this Tokai and never looked back.
I DID wind up buying a Gibbo '60 reissue a few years later but it's more of an investment and I rarely use it and never live...the Tokai is the workhorse for me.
Funny side note Number 1:
About 3 weeks after I bought the Tokai I ran into a mate of mine from a rival band and told him about the tokai....he asked me where I bought it and then said that it was his guitar and if he had known that was interested he would have sold it to me for half price
:-?
Funny side note number 2:
The guitar that was in that original shipment from 1984 that i tried out and fell in love with...I now own.
The first store to get them was "MUSICMAN" in Sussex st Sydney(no longer around).
I fell in love with them at first sight....all the models had beautiful flame topped finishes and each of the models were subtly different from the next...so they seemed less mass produced than most and they played brilliantly.
At that time the retail price was close to $2000 AUS...waaaaaay out of my price range.
In 1990 after a few years of squirreling cash away I was in the market for a Les Paul and approached a store in Sydney with a view to ordering a custom shop model.
Whilst in the store I happened to notice a beautiful Les Paul hanging on the wall ...stunning flame top...beautiful Nitro finish.
While the guy in the store was writing up my purchase order for a Les Paul Heritage I took the Tokai for a spin.....that was all it took...I was hooked like a marlin..!!!
I got the guy to tear up that order to Kalamazoo on the spot and paid cash for this Tokai and never looked back.
I DID wind up buying a Gibbo '60 reissue a few years later but it's more of an investment and I rarely use it and never live...the Tokai is the workhorse for me.
Funny side note Number 1:
About 3 weeks after I bought the Tokai I ran into a mate of mine from a rival band and told him about the tokai....he asked me where I bought it and then said that it was his guitar and if he had known that was interested he would have sold it to me for half price
:-?
Funny side note number 2:
The guitar that was in that original shipment from 1984 that i tried out and fell in love with...I now own.
QuattroSte
Well-known member
I wanted a Gibson ES335 so I went looking for one. After a very short while it became apparent to me that I could not afford the 2Kplus to buy one in Ireland. What alternatives were there? There's Tokai so I found this site and started reading about them. Ordered an ES100 and was just blown away with the quality of the instrument. Since then I have bought an LS50 (81) and resold as I didn't like it much at all, but I also bought a 2005 LS200 which is another fantastic instrument. I have also managed to buy a Gibson LP (new) and this is also a fine instrument albeit more expensive.
I need a Tokai Strat next with rosewood fretboard! to compare to my US Strat!
I need a Tokai Strat next with rosewood fretboard!
to compare to my US Strat!Kenmac
Well-known member
Hello. I first posted here several years ago but recently re-joined. Here's my Tokai story. Back in the early 90's I used to check out the local "Buy & Sell" newspaper and I saw an ad for a Tokai Strat. I'd already heard of Tokais at that point and the infamous "lawsuit" so I figured they must be pretty good guitars. I called the guy about the Tokai and went to his place to check it out. It was a Goldstar Sound model and when I played it through his amp it sounded pretty close to a Fender Strat. Unfortunately the strings were a little on the high side but at that point I was getting into slide guitar so I figured this would be perfect for slide so I bought it for, get this, $250.00. The body was a little on the rough side but I didn't really care as it sounded good. BTW the guy even had the original case which looked exactly like a vintage Fender Tweed case. A couple of years later I changed the stock pickups for Fender Lace Sensors and it *really* sounded like a Strat then. I still have the stock pickups in the case. That's my Tokai story.
I called the guy about the Tokai and went to his place to check it out. It was a Goldstar Sound model and when I played it through his amp it sounded pretty close to a Fender Strat. Unfortunately the strings were a little on the high side but at that point I was getting into slide guitar so I figured this would be perfect for slide so I bought it for, get this, $250.00. The body was a little on the rough side but I didn't really care as it sounded good. BTW the guy even had the original case which looked exactly like a vintage Fender Tweed case. A couple of years later I changed the stock pickups for Fender Lace Sensors and it *really* sounded like a Strat then. I still have the stock pickups in the case. That's my Tokai story.adrianclark
Well-known member
tudor said:
I certainly will! There hasn't been much decent natural daylight just lately, but I'll see what I can do tomorrow...
cheers,
Adrian
Well, I've been playing for the best part of 30 years now. Way back when I started I went through the usual handful of awful guitars before getting my first "proper" guitar - it was a late 70's CBS Fender Strat.
All my guitar playing friends were envious as I was the first to get a top brand name guitar, but secretly...I hated it. I was never happy with it, couldn't get a good sound out if it, wouldn't stay in tune, bits falling off...it was rough!
Then I saw some Tokais in a book "The Guitarists Handbook" and they looked stunning, I had to have one! In the end, I traded my "real" strat for a Tokai Springy Sound (must have been about 1982) and found out what a Strat is supposed to be - what an amazing guitar!
A few years later, I sold it to a friend of mine. He went through a bit of a difficult break-up with his wife and she smashed it up!!!! what a disaster, I should never have got rid of it.
Fast forward another 10 years, and I walk into Chandler Guitars in London - and there is my Tokai Strat - not the exact one of course, but it looks identical so I bought it then and there and still have it to this day. It has locking machine heads, aged scratchplate and Fender Noiseless pups now, and to be fair it is a Goldstar not a Springy, but it is still one fine guitar!
All my guitar playing friends were envious as I was the first to get a top brand name guitar, but secretly...I hated it. I was never happy with it, couldn't get a good sound out if it, wouldn't stay in tune, bits falling off...it was rough!
Then I saw some Tokais in a book "The Guitarists Handbook" and they looked stunning, I had to have one! In the end, I traded my "real" strat for a Tokai Springy Sound (must have been about 1982) and found out what a Strat is supposed to be - what an amazing guitar!
A few years later, I sold it to a friend of mine. He went through a bit of a difficult break-up with his wife and she smashed it up!!!! what a disaster, I should never have got rid of it.
Fast forward another 10 years, and I walk into Chandler Guitars in London - and there is my Tokai Strat - not the exact one of course, but it looks identical so I bought it then and there and still have it to this day. It has locking machine heads, aged scratchplate and Fender Noiseless pups now, and to be fair it is a Goldstar not a Springy, but it is still one fine guitar!
