Question on new Tokai LC's and a NGD Eh!!

[Wraptail]

Beautiful!

 

[billbixby]

Selling it already. I had a LP in the past, but this thing is a brute. Too heavy for me, in the for sale section. Sucks, I'm pretty bummed I did not bond with it. I should have tried out a LP Supreme before I ordered it, but there's no music stores any more anyhow and Guitar Center doesn't stock anything.

I read that Tokai does not do any sort of weight reduction on the guitars. So if you like heavy, this is it. In the for sale section for less than I paid for it to move it quickly I hope.

 

[plexipaul]

I read that Tokai does not do any sort of weight reduction on the guitars.

Yes they do:
* * TOKAI GUITARS AUSTRALIA * *

 

[billbixby]

Well I guess that guy on the internet was full of sh*t eh?

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Yes they do:
* * TOKAI GUITARS AUSTRALIA * *

I'm not seeing anything on that page that talks about weight relief, and regardless, this is a page about a lower-end Chinese Tokai, not the high-end Premium Series model that Bill has.

 

[Matty]

Yes they do:
* * TOKAI GUITARS AUSTRALIA * *

No they don't.

 

[plexipaul]

I'm not seeing anything on that page that talks about weight relief, and regardless, this is a page about a lower-end Chinese Tokai, not the high-end Premium Series model that Bill has.

Sometimes you just. have to make consessions. These lower-end Tokais have basswood bodies and maple necks. Now, what do we know about basswood?

Ofcourse, if OP is a traditionalist and insists on having the mahogany/maple cap construction then look elsewhere.

 

[SingeMonkey]

MIJ Tokais are not at all weight relieved. Even so, my LS150 weighs less than my weight relieved Gibson. Some backs are just heavier than others.

Sad to hear you don't love it. It looks absolutely stunning.

 

[luis]

Originally Posted by luis View Post
Nice guitar, congrats!

I have been toying with an old LC100 and it finally turned a good guitar into great with some mods, it has a great neck pickup and middle sound, I am very very pleased. I changed some parts as fas as there were very few original ones (I compared them directly with my other Reborn from the same year and with thousands of detailed hi resolution pics I have collected through the time from reliable sources).
Compared thousands of pictures with your parts? You are on a tonequest!

I have been in touch with some of the more knowledge people regarding Tokai and have collected info since 1999 (including some interesting japanese books). I have the intention to finish my Tokai book anyday so I need to be as knowledge as possible but I am not able to write it in english so sales are very limited and no viable from a economical standpoint.
And yes I like to compare parts here and there and see how similar they are. Once, talking with a semipro guitar friend of mine and very knowledge, told me once he preferred a tailpìece from Tokai (original) over some other well known manufacterers and I trust him.
I have a similar one on my parts bin and will do the comparison very soon.

 

[Hitd]

amazing guitar.

 

[Thomas/Sweden]

You don't like new Tokai? Impossibru. Too much impossibru as of lately. Anyway, hope you'll find one you like.

 

[korus]

I have been in touch with some of the more knowledge people regarding Tokai and have collected info since 1999 (including some interesting japanese books). I have the intention to finish my Tokai book anyday so I need to be as knowledge as possible but I am not able to write it in english so sales are very limited and no viable from a economical standpoint.
And yes I like to compare parts here and there and see how similar they are. Once, talking with a semipro guitar friend of mine and very knowledge, told me once he preferred a tailpìece from Tokai (original) over some other well known manufacterers and I trust him.
I have a similar one on my parts bin and will do the comparison very soon.

While at it, do the comparison for the STUDS also. I mean, if you have stock studs on the other Reborn, and these are STEEL as Pigtail studs are, my bet - which part will be contributing more to the tone of truly vintage voiced guitar - would be on studs - stock vs Pigtail (IF both are magnetic steel, whether nickel or gold plated), not on tailpiece - stock vs Pigtail (IF both are aluminum, whether nickel or gold plated). My ears tell me that the aluminum used for tailpiece has not changed much since '50s, but 'cold rolled' steel being used for studs is audibly different. And I do not have experience with MIJ guitars, and stock hardware used on them, so I do not know if studs used for top models like Reborn is actually magnetic carbon steel and not brass. Just check with the magnet.

Just try both studs keeping the same tailpiece on the guitar, whichever you chose/prefer. It's even easier than tailpiece change, you can just loosen the strings enough, they stay on tuners, unscrewing studs 4-6 half turns, first top then bottom one then top then bottom one again, until they are out of the guitar, replace studs then screw them one by one 4-6 half turns each. Hope this description makes sense to you. And keep the break angle of strings at bridge constant, but I guess you know that already.

 

[luis]

korus, Tokai uses opposite metals for studs (posts) than Gibson 50s so you have steel on ABR-1 posts and brass on tailpìece ones (I guess Gibson changed it late 60s ?). Bushings are shorter and softer and you go deeper into the top with Pigtails, bass is less agressive and note sustains longer.

I just tried some steel metric studs against softer original from Gotoh (same guitar no other mods) and I can say I noticed an audible difference for the "better" to my ears.

 

[JVsearch]

Selling it already. I had a LP in the past, but this thing is a brute. Too heavy for me, in the for sale section. Sucks, I'm pretty bummed I did not bond with it. I should have tried out a LP Supreme before I ordered it, but there's no music stores any more anyhow and Guitar Center doesn't stock anything.

I read that Tokai does not do any sort of weight reduction on the guitars. So if you like heavy, this is it. In the for sale section for less than I paid for it to move it quickly I hope.

Sorry to hear that. Yeah, in many ways the internet is a **** way to buy a guitar.

Apparently this is the world we asked for - cheaper and cheaper prices. Good isn't it!