Tokai? Burny? Edwards? Which is better quality?

[skydog]

Why are the Yamaha offerings excluded from these MIJ posts?

[tonebone]

Originally Posted by skydog

Why are the Yamaha offerings excluded from these MIJ posts?

shhhh, cause they are a secret!

[skydog]

Originally Posted by tonebone

shhhh, cause they are a secret!

Well, if that's all it is, I feel better already!

[acstorfer]

don't know if any of you are interested, but I saw a burny listed in craigslist today (cleveland, OH), perhaps the owner will ship if anyone here is interested. I guess it is actually located in Erie, PA.

Burny Les Paul Custom Replica Made in Japan

looks like a beautiful guitar

[vladmaximus]

i choose 1978 Tokai Reborn..

[UITA]

Get out of here.......never.

[Gasp100]

Don't forget about Epiphone Elite / Elitist. Yes, I have one in the classified section - it's killer, been playing it all day against my other Epi Elites. I might pull it out and find a way to afford it after all.
These are GREAT LP's... I think they are closer to a real LP than Edwards (although I have owned 3 Edwards and I do really like them, they are lighter and the tone is not as deep as these heavy assed Epi's).
I also have an Orville by Gibson SG and it's exceptional - great guitar, nitro but I think the LP's if you can find one are very expensive ($1200-1500?)
Regular Orville's are supposed to be nice, from what I've been told they have thinner style necks(?)
I owned a 1975 Greco LP Special and it was a POS... I don't trust older is better, that's just plain wrong. I believe the "Golden Age" is very early 80's to possibly early 90's. I'm not saying you can't find good stuff outside of that, but I would shoot for early 80's for any Burny, Greco, Tokai.
Burny's are said to be notoriously heavy but the very early ones might be nitro and many do include fret edge binding (if that matters to you). The later ones use the VH1 which are supposed to be decent.
I believe a general rule is: early 80's if possible, the higher the model number the more yen it cost when originally sold, the better it "should" be, any "Reborn" Tokai is probably killer. Nitro stuff obviously trumps poly. YMMV.
I can say from experience EVERYONE says their stuff is killer, lawsuit yada, yada... that is bunk. Do your research per manufacturer to get the real skinny. Tokai Forum - a subsidiary of TokaiRegistry.com :: Index is great for info as well.
Also, the Edwards are a very nice, NEW option.

[Gasp100]

Originally Posted by skydog

Why are the Yamaha offerings excluded from these MIJ posts?

Some models are better than others... some actually have maple bolt on necks as well. Which may, or may not be an issue for some LP lovers.
There is NO general rule... period. Research is the only way.

[Texas07R8]

Billy Gibbons has toured with a Goldtop Tokia Les Paul, concert video of it is on YouTube, think the show was in Germany where I could stop the video and actually see the Tokai logo on the headstock.

[fisheric]

A nitro finish is important to me on a les paul. i played my friends 1970 les paul last week and the thin finish makes it really feel like you can almost feel the wood through it.

I know the new higher end Edwards have a nitro finish, but do any of the new tokais have nitro?


Does anyone know of an era of MIJ LP brand that had nitro finish (burny, greco, tokai, yamaha)?

[tonebone]

Originally Posted by fisheric

A nitro finish is important to me on a les paul. i played my friends 1970 les paul last week and the thin finish makes it really feel like you can almost feel the wood through it.

I know the new higher end Edwards have a nitro finish, but do any of the new tokais have nitro?


Does anyone know of an era of MIJ LP brand that had nitro finish (burny, greco, tokai, yamaha)?

Here's the new Tokais,

vintagetop

[tonebone]

and all of these,

premiumtop

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by ptate

Look out for the Tokai Les Paul Reborn. It was one of the earliest and is built to the same dimensions/spec as the 58-60 Gibsons, i.e. Long tenon etc. They're very rare, but worth getting hold of.

Burny were licenced by Fernandes, Greco got bought out by Fender, Edwards a subsidiary of ESP and Orville were Gibson licenced originally.

Go for the oldest model you can find as they were almost identical copies of the early LPs.

This is untrue(old post I know). I love my 79' les paul reborn ls50 but..
Les paul reborn was the name of the 1st run of LP's. The models ranged from ls50 which are 58' neck profile but not correct hdstock angle and poly finish, 2 or 3 piece backs etc up to ls120( i dunno if the ls150 & 200 special order were avail yet). Nitro finish on ls80 and up and AAAA flame and 1 piece backs and often brazilian rosewood boards.


Then they changed for roughly a year that overlapped to Reborn old. Same \models

Then Love Rocks by late 80' which run thru the same range and I am lucky enough to own a ls150 from 1985! Nitro flame top beautiful 1 pc back and 59'

The new ones are up to ls470 and are extreme.

[classic]

Originally Posted by fisheric

I know the new higher end Edwards have a nitro finish, but do any of the new tokais have nitro?

The older models from LS80 up ... the newer models from LS150 (formerly known as LS135, plain top model) and above ...

[fisheric]

TB, Bernie, Classic, Thanks Guys!

Id really like to get a mid 80s love rock with a kick ass flame top and highly polished nitro finish.

something like yours bernie

[vladmaximus]

hmmm...
come & try out my mint 1978 tokai ls60...
then u know,why i love my tokai...

[toybitz]

Originally Posted by Red Baron

Did any of the real early copies go as far as having a 'Gibson' logo on them?

I saw a picture of a Burny "Les Paul" at our local advertising site.

[oldflame]

Just jumping in here. There are only a few Japanese brands that are worth having really. Go for the top end Greco's and Tokai's from the late 70's and very early 80's (assuming you can find one and pay for it). They are going up in value and holding their own. The rest is a waste of time, you'll get bored with it.

Saying all that about the top end T's & G's, it's hard to beat the Historic Gibsons. I sold all my old T's & G's when I got my first 40th Anniversary R9.

[oldflame]

Originally Posted by Red Baron

Did any of the real early copies go as far as having a 'Gibson' logo on them?

Only those destined to be sold to a mug.

[doublecut]

Burny were licenced by Fernandes, Greco got bought out by Fender, Edwards a subsidiary of ESP and Orville were Gibson licenced originally.

Fernandes own the Burny brand name. Kanda Shokai (Shokai means trading company) own the Greco brand name. Yamano Gakki (Gakki means musical instrument company) and Gibson produced the Orvilles.
Greco was never bought out by Fender. Greco is only a brand name and not a company. The company that is responsible for the Greco guitars is Kanda Shokai and Kanda Shokai are a part of Fender Japan. One of the Fender USA conditions imposed on Kanda Shokai when they joined Fender Japan in 1982, was that Kanda Shokai was to stop producing Greco Fender copies so as not to compete with Fender Japan models in Japan.

A lot of Burnys are Tokais. The Tokai guitar factory made a lot of Burny guitars for Fernandes.

[treefella]

None, Orville are by far the best. I have owned a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, Ibanez Artist, Ibanez Jem, Gibson ES335, Fender Strat (American), Ibanez RG350, Yamaha SG1000 and y Orville Les Paul with Bare Knucle Mule pickups is far better than any of them! Go here BKP Mules playing Comfortably Numb Solo to see a pic and here a clip of it! Oh, and if you want a Nitro finish the Orville by Gibson variants have just that!

[jmorrero]

I've owned tokai reborn, greco super real, greco mint collection but edwards is better






Video

YouTube - Jugg Amp Test (after biasing, new tubes)

YouTube - Jugg Amp Test (after biasing, new tubes)

[UITA]

Originally Posted by jmorrero

I've owned tokai reborn, greco super real, greco mint collection but edwards is better

In your opinion why?

[tonebone]

Originally Posted by UITA

In your opinion why?

He must'a bonded with it.

It is a good lookin axe.

[Annoying Twit]

Originally Posted by Kuroyama

Mail me Son! Tell me what to look for. If I spot it out, Im think we can work out something beneficial for everyone. So far most used gear Ive seen here has been reasonable. In fact I just bought a Les Paul Special which for some reason I cant fathom seems to go for more than a new Les Paul (studio or standard). Although Im finding fewer faults with my Photogenic LP copy than I expected... I had to buy the Special on principle. I figure the odds of me finding such a nice deal again were low. But then, its logic like that thatll have me fielding 12 guitars or more before I know it...

In any case, let me know, send me an address to send pics to, and lets see what we can find.

If you're in Japan, you could do this.

Buy guitars for people here, but on the proviso that you get to play them a bit before sending them.

Then, you'll start to learn what some really nice guitars feel like.

Then, change the deal to that: you'll buy guitars for people, but if someone asks you to buy a guitar, you play it, and it's "the one", then you keep it (not taking their money of course). That way, you get to pick through a number of guitars, and choose the best bargain for yourself.

[-=[Shifty]=-]

Originally Posted by Annoying Twit

If you're in Japan, you could do this.

He's already doing it.
The post you quoted is more than 2 years old. Quite a few MLP members already got MIJs through Kuroyama.
The last one got a nice MIJ Epi Junior in TV Yellow about 1 or 2 months ago, if I remember correctly.

[Udonitron]

Every maker has it's lower and higher end models. I have a gorgeous Burny, a Greco Super Real, a Tokai Les Paul Reborn, and a Fresher and they are all so damn nice but you know what? I play the Fresher the most...I love that guitar!! I think I am afraid at time to play my Burny...it's too nice haha

[vladmaximus]

oh my god...
why dont u guys just play...
please dont talk about what is better...
the main point is YOUR FINGERS man...

ROCK ON!!!

[UITA]

Originally Posted by vladmaximus

oh my god...
why dont u guys just play...
please dont talk about what is better...
the main point is YOUR FINGERS man...

ROCK ON!!!

Says the man who nearly married a guitar!!!

[59lespaulmann]

here is or was mine 2004 j page les paul i got from japan. it was my fav. no job-had to sell it for 900. it had alot of good upgrades.man o man do i miss it