Tokai Japan vs Tokai China - Love Rock (Les Paul) Info & Tones
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- In this video I compare the difference between the Japanese made Tokai guitars versus the Chinese made guitars. The Japanese made guitars are on par with Gibson Custom Shop quality and the Chinese guitars are like a high end Epiphone which I prefer over a Studio style Gibson for example.
I am using my Blues Deluxe amplifier with a few pedals which I mention in the video.
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Thanks for that. A well articulated and personal view with some nice playing.
I have just purchased a Chinese Tokai Love Rock Model, brand new, for a ridiculously low price that like yours, plays amazingly well.
I'm inquiring on a Love Rock and so searched YT for this. Great assessment, imo. Thanks!
very informative video Shane - I wasn't sure about the Chinese Tokai's till I watched this but for the level I'm at the sound is great. Thanks for the useful info.
Interesting review, I was hoping someone would do such a comparison. Very informative!!!
I've been hunting for some Japanese tokais, but here in the states they cost pretty similar to a Gibson. And without being able to try it first, it makes it difficult to judge. What a great pair of les pauls. Awesome to hear that it compares directly to your 56 gold top in terms of quality
I know this is an old post but you should check out The Guitar Dude in South Florida. He has some Tokais and he’s not charging insane markups. He also has Burnys, Edwards, Greco and Orville. Check him out. 🤙
Shane you convinced me to try Tokai and now I'm hooked
I agree with your assessment. That being said to my ear the Chinese pick ups lack tonal range of the Japanese Paul. Before changing pickups I would check the pots to ensure they are in fact 500k .
Love reading your reviews as they tell it as it is ,, cool
Great review, great playing.
That was sweet, Ive been curious as to the difference, a review like this is what I've been hoping for. Seems the Chinese is better than I'd imagined.
Tokai are great aren't they!
Thanks Shane man .i lost my 90s Epiphone n feel lost without her so I was checking the Tokais out as a wee step up for myself .
I’ve not been playing that long n adored my les Paul I’m on a budget so the love rocks look a good way to go.
I prefer the Chinese one to be fair .
Just bought an ALS55 with Violin finish... as a previous Gibson LP Standard owner, I wondered what to expect from the Tokai but I have to say I was blown away by the playability of this "cheapie". Anyway, I'm giving this one to my son as I said he could have it before I started playing it much so now, I realise, I have to go buy another for me... just wondering whether to get another Chinese one or go for a Japanese. I know they are always subjective - tone, feel, playability etc so found your video intriguing... Think I will just have to try a few back to back in the store! Alright, cheers for the video dude! Good luck, all the best, Mark
Strongly considering getting a Tokai Telecaster Legacy, they look good for the money. Thanks again Shane
Easiest way to tell how many pieces are in a guitar body is to look at the bottom edge. I've had Les Paul's that look like one piece, when you look at the back, that have turned out to be two or even three pieces, when you look at the bottom. interesting comparison. Thanks, Shane!
This was really helpful for me found a used Japanese model I was interested in. Bought it.
Thanks - great review. I'd be interested in hearing a composition between one of these and a JHS Vintage.
Great video Shane! That Japanese Tokai is a gem! Love the neck profile! I own a '77 Greco EG900 and though it has a slim tapper 60's neck profile, I absolutely love it! Real Gibson killers!
Always wanted to try a nice MIJ Tokai, or an Edwards compared to my '94 Korean Epi LP.
Great review, as always! Thank you :)
P.S. Love the Cherry Burst!
Thanks Steve :-) Many thanks mate.
Clown Burst!
Loved the little Brothers in Arms intro. Even the Chinese one came very close to the actual sound.
Nice guitars. Great review!
Great playing man, thanks for the comparison.
hi Shane, i'm currently looking to buy a Tokai goldtop or burst from their custom shop series LS1, and your video has just confirmed what i have figured already. These guitars are looking and sounding fantastic....not cheap, but at a realistic price for quality......good one
ps and like you i wasn't so keen on the "tomatosoup" colour...but i remember, the first ones in the late 60s early 70s were all looking like that...even Gary Moore's was still cherry red then...when i saw him a few times in the early 70s..:-)
Have tested 3 or 4 différent Love rock from Japan. Sounds awesome for the price ! Great substain.
I have a Japan Tokai (58, fat neck) but had to swap the pickups. Huge feedback at even modest levels. Voodoo pickups installed. Now it is a great guitar.
Wish shops around here carried these. Love how they look and sound!
Love Rock are not sold in North America by Tokai dealers because of the potential Gibson threats of lawsuits.
Great video, I have a Japanese Love Rock, same color, my guitar has a sticker (60) between the two top tuners, back of the head stock. I was told it was a 1960 copy. I followed up on the serial #.
Mine is a 1984.
Denis, It's wrong. 60 means "LS-60". Also means price 60000JPY (600USD), in that era. I have 81's tokai too. can't believe how great it sounds at that price! I love my tokai, won't sell it! :)
Good honest review
ho do i know from a photo wich is the japanese One?
I own a white Japanese tokai it’s absolutely amazing.
I think more people should try the tokai guitars.
Great guitars!
If it's modeled around a 58 or 59 Les Paul, your Japanese model should definitely have a one-piece mahogany back. Both guitars sound sweet Shane. Cheers, Raj
I just drive down to Sydney to pick up a Love Rock LP.
Barely played, and it feels great….
HOWEVER, it also has that buzz on the high strings.
Think I will be replacing the bridge.
Cheers mate, your reviews are rock solid!
Rock on!
Great comparison Shane. I couldn't agree more, Tokais are great value for money, i actually have a chinese made tokai strat, its way better than the squier within its price range :S
can someone answer my question if you can, hows the tuning stability on tokai legacy guitars (mainly telecaster). planning to buy one but still sketchy if i should buy or not.
Does anyone know Which tokia model had the long tenon from the 80s love rock les Paul version
I think they both sound great in their own way. I used to work at PRS as a body sander so the first thing I’m looking at is the general shape of the body and checking for inconsistencies. Mayyybeeee I’m wrong but to me the Japanese one had its top sanded with a lot more care and consideration to subtleties, the Chinese one on the other hand looks like it’s pretty much sanded flat right at the pickup switch (typically you leave a lip most the way around). Are my eyes right or am I just talking out my ass?
They both sound great and very similar actually, the difference in clarity is probably mostly due to a difference in pots and pups.
Just ordered a 90's Korean-made Love Rock on Reverb. Beautiful, beautiful flame burst (without the unsightly bright orange contour you get with Epi's). Will keep you posted!
Did you get it? How is it?
@@froggyjosh It's awesome, thx for asking! The pickups sound amazing (noticeably better than Epiphone Probuckers in my opinion) and the super slim neck profile is very comfortable. I actually sold my Epiphone PlusTop Pro Les Paul to be able to purchase the Tokai and I have no regrets at all. Very happy!
@@jacquesd5781 That's great to hear. Seem the quality of cheap guitars is HEAPS better than it was 20 years ago when I was buying guitars
Installed a pair of EJ Custom DiMarzio's into a Chinese Tokai LP. The guitar burst into life, amazing difference. Next upgrade will be the bridge..
I may have missed it, but does the Chinese guitar have a real flamed maple top, or is it a veneer over a maple cap? Interested to know it it would be easy to strip and respray with a trans finish. The price is nice if I can refin one.
I am not seeing the Les Paul on the Tokai website. Where can I find these?
I had recently purchased a used "06 Love Rock" but didn't notice until I got home that the headstock is the same as epiphone seemed a little strange to me, do you have any clue why that is??
In '58, Gibson started the cherry sunburst, but with plain maple tops. In '59 the maple had more curl and figure, and the neck was slimmed down slightly. So yeah, sunburst is fine for 58, with neck profile being the other change. A bit of a too-nice top on there, but otherwise good. ;)
Thanks for the information Ken, most appreciated mate :-)
The Tokai made in Japan is just awesome! I've got one and this is my fav "Gibson'
Where you buy these japan one ?
@@nicolasmayrand7157 on reverb and this guitar is fantastic. I will not sell my SG and Explorer but i should do this. Tokai 900 euros, Gibson's ones 1400 !
I have a Tokai LS1000 made in Japan, equivalent to a Gibson R9, in luthery quality as well as tones, but I paid it $1600 used from Reverb ($2000 new ). I sold my Gibson LP Standard 2011, no regret.
Shane, a lot of the Chinese guitars tend to have that G string buzz to them on the bridge. I think it's the inherent build of that clip that holds the saddles in. Have you still got that SG or did that move on over the years?
Nice review....
its not hard to re solider wires from one side of pots..to another..and you will have "lefty" way volume up/down..or opposite way...
Unusual case and good comparison
Here in my city, I just have 2 options: ALS60Traditional and LS138
Vintage
Also left-handed, like you
Your comparison helps me a lot, the brand and models are rarities, even the prices are lower and apparently the 60, which I wanted to buy, has already been sold, I am forced to acquire the 138 but it is a lot of money (here)
Would you really recommend it to me? I have not found much information about its exact parts or pieces
I love it. I'd really like one. I have a '58 Gibson LP VOS, but I'm nervous about playing it daily! Lol. I'd love to get one of these and compare the two. You know the only thing that really puts me off? The fact they call it, and print on the headstock, Love Rock! Man, that is just super cheesy!
Agree, i got a Japanese one, gr8 guitar but that name...
awesome review dude! Now I wanna get one.
Where did you get the chinese love rock from? I can only find the version with the "crooked" headstock here in europe
I love all your videos, excellent work Shane! Have you tried faber rebirth les paul models?
Great video Shane! Both are beautiful guitars although it would be a hard sell for me personally with the Japanese version without first owning a Gibson, but I'm sure that's just me.
I wonder how much of the difference comes down to pups and pots?
These are amazing guitars, I have the Chinese version, I cannot fault the sound or the quality. Tokai ROCKS!
Both Pickups clean show clearly that the japanese sounds way way better
DIFFERENT PICKUPS..... nothing to do with where its made.
The third option is a Korean built one. I got one of those this week
HELP! I'm left handed and in the uk. Where is the best place to get a tokai love rock from? Seem very hard to get over here (especially as a leftie). I'm looking for the Tokai LS129 Nitro Goldtop in left handed. Or even the standard LS129 or any decent Japanese gold top love rock. Any useful links would be gratelly apreciated.
hey man do you think you could do a Gibson vs Tokai comparison? and a Gibson pickup in Tokai comparision? I own a LC-122 Ebony custom Tokai (Japanese.) Absolutely love it, but I really want to hear the difference between Gibson and Tokai.
Do affect that it has a maple neck? Sounds less like a typical "les paul", like an Epiphone? What do you think?
Hey Shane, are the bodies of these two guitars the same dimensions. I have a UALS 48 in lefthand version (alder body, maple neck) and the body just seems a little smaller than original LP. I think the chineese ones are a little bit shorter, which can be seen looking at the volume knob near the tailpiece (it's in the same line on ALS where on the LS and on the original LP , that knob is a little move back).
Great guitar for the money though. Had to change funky tuners and bridge, but now it's really great to play.
yes
Well, they both sound good to me. I prefer thinner necks but everyone is different right? Weird about your studios, mine was perfect out of the box, possibly the best playing and setup guitar I own next to my Ibanez Prestige. My studio was only $799 with a Gibson HS case, it's a silver burst with block inlays and no binding which was a GC special color at the time I believe. Another difference in taste is I don't like any binding at all, it makes the necks feel weird to me and much harder to change and work on the frets. Cheers and thanks for the demo :)
I own a beautiful Tokia les Paul. Special inlays and zebra pickups. Can’t figure out the exact year or model. Possibly the odd ball “Canadian” tokia.
its tokai not tokia
Is the Chinese one a maple cap with a flame veneer? Also the neck, frets, action; would be nice to hear details on those.I prefer jumbo frets and thin necks. You only said it was different. I have an Epiphone SG Modern that absolutely rings the bell. Insane guitar, completely stock and wouldn't change a thing on it.
Hi Shane. What model is the Chinese Tokai you played? From the price I'd suspect it may be a Legacy. I've just bought one today which I'm expecting later in the week. it's a similar sunburst to your Japanese model in the video. My plan is to put Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups in it. What were some of the alternative pickups you used in your Chinese model?
Hey Shane. What exact model Japanese Tokai do you have? I'm thinking of getting one. Thanks!
Nice one Shane...does the Japanese model hae nitro cellulose paint finish?
Matthew Hunt (Yamaha Rex 420
Hey Shane do you still have the CS Les Paul to compare to either or both of these guitars? Cheers.
Great video. Totally agree about the sound on the Chinese ones being darker. With my Tokai Les Paul Custom ALS-50C I have to boost the treble and presence on the amp.
Does your Chinese Tokai have Japanese pots in it as mine does - I thought they would have been from China.
I'm going to re-wire mine 50's style so it doesn't roll the highs down so much when I decrease the volume - if that fails - then I'll be installing better pickup.
That WILL work. I have mine wired that way and it's a lot more effective.
very nice done....ty
I just got a tokai gold top les paul Chinese one amazing so happy saved myself 300 from not getting the epiphone les paul
What is the model number that you bought?
They both look fantastic but Japanese Tokai does sound better in this back to back comparison. The both sound good and I’m not sure I could tell the difference without this kind of comparison.
Not sure who told you that color was only available from ’59 on but they are mistaken. The burst Les Paul was introduced in 1958. Flame tops were extremely uncommon in ‘58 but there were a handful made. There were basically 3 color ways from 1958 on. Tuxedo was the flagship. It was a black LPC. Funnily enough the most collectible and expensive today (burst) was the mid tier when released. It varied in color depending on the person applying the finish and how clean that particular top was. If it had flaws near the edge that could be hidden with the finish they would apply a dark burst if it was a better piece of wood they would apply a cherry sunburst. And the cheapest of the carved top les Paul’s was the gold top.
Another thing about the Japanese Love rocks compared to the Chinese models is the woods and hardware differences, the Chinese use a Maple top over the mahogany body but with a extra thin flame veneer on top of that top. and they usually use maple necks with a scarf joints at the headstock. Japanese ones use a full thickness flame maple cap (no veneer, mine is 5/8" thick!) over the mahogany body and a mahogany neck. Long neck tenons as well usually. As well as Much better quality bridge and tail/tuners and pots etc. so the extra money does massively equal the extra quality
The Chinese Tokai Les Paul has Japanese pots and switches which are the same as in the Japanese ones.With respect to the body the Chinese Tokai is not Mahogany it is basswood with a Flamed Sycamore laminated Top. www.tokaiguitarsaustralia.com.au/tokai_traditional_lp_style_als_48.htmlThe Tokai LP Custom ALS-50C [made in China] is a basswood body with a maple neck and a rosewood fret board. It uses Japanese pots and switches with pickups / Bridge and tail piece from either Korea or Japan or China depending on the production run. Mine has a Korean Bridge with Chinese Pickups in it.
tdunster2011 ah interesting, I thought it was mahogany. Cool! I got a Korean ES60 with maple neck, it's pretty awesome. actually I put all the Japanese pickups, tail bar and tuners onto it from my love rock basically everything I upgraded I swapped over. Very formidable 335 copy that only cost me 250 quid at the outset. You can't go wrong with either end of the Tokai range period imho :)
Please respond.Whats the difference in neck feel?I own Tokai Asl48 and its superb guitar.But i'll do pickup upgrade bridge tuning machines maybe pots...
The Japanese guitar has a wider neck much more like a 50's Les Paul. The Chinese one is way thinner.
Hi, do you think that the japanese Tokai is better tha the Japanese Edwards? or The Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard?
g/day maTE , HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY FOR A SECOND HAND CHINESE tokai les paul love rock
Great stuff. I'm on the fence between the japanese and the Chinese. I'm leaning towards the Japanese as much as anything I think it will hold its money. I had a Japanese and a Taiwan(?) Strats. They were both great and I sort of regret selling them.
So mate, you say you’re got the custom shop Les Paul so is there any tonal or playing difference between the USA real deal and the Japanese Tokai? And if there is what are they. Lastly any chance of you doing this again with the US custom shop and the Japanese Tokai please.
There is a Tokai that is made in Korea being sold from Ontario, Canada (just outside of Toronto). "LS Standard" + hard case for $575 cad.
I dont know where you saw that, but the ones from CME are fakes. I found out the hard way. If that is who you are talking about, he has been barred from putting them on Reverb due to that. Last time I checked, he was still selling them out of his own store. Caveat Emptor.
@@artful_dodger59 , so here in Canada there is an authorized Tokai dealer called, Westcoast Guitars out of Vancouver.
There is also a company out of Ontario called Music Express Canada who sells "Tokai Love Rock" guitars. The owner claims he and Tokai parted ways but he's been selling Tokai guitars for decades. They're made in South Korea. These guitars are considered "knock off" or "Fakai".
@@jackflash5659 Thats it! MEC! He sold me a Fakai that was so bad, I started the refund procedure with Reverb right away. To get my facts in order, I wrote Tokai in Jp, and they confirmed it was a bad fake, would not tell me why because they do not want their methodology known, and said that it is illegal for ANY single cut body styles to be sold in North America. Along with the info I sent to reverb, he was dumb enough to list "Custom color Tokai's" "Special Edition" or some such nonsense, and the colors were exactly what those Fishbone guitars he sells are. What are the chances of Fishbones being all coincidentally the same color as the "Special Edition" Tokais. *derp*. Fortunately Reverb made him pull the fakes, but lots of people bought them and he still lists them in his shop. Total scammery. Not sure how it can continue for so long.
@@artful_dodger59 , hope the matter was resolved and you got your money back. The irony is Tokai has been making Gibson LP copies for decades. Tokai used to sell their copies in North America for a few years until Gibson sued them back in the 80's
MEC decides to play the game with a twist. They knock off Tokai guitars with the "Tokai" name on it. (we're used to Chinese companies doing this ),
Tokai Japan is one of several "lawsuit guitar companies" that have been making copies of Gibson LP for decades and cannot sell out of North America for fear of lawsuit from Gibson. Tokai guitars are probably the closest to a Gibson.
Where can i buy one of these tokai japan
A very gd review
odd that the controls are positioned slightly different between the 2.... judging from stop bar proximity.
Walla Dennis Easley nice observation!
It actually appears that the stopbar tailpiece is farther away from the bridge on the Chinese instrument!
Also, the MIJ Tokai has a real ABR-1 style bridge and it's studs are mounted directly into the maple top. The Chinese instrument's bridge utilizes a pressed in stud with threads for the bridge posts to mount. Could be part of the reason the MIJ is brighter. Also of note, the MIJ Tokai is built with a vintage correct long neck tenon, not likely the case with the Chinese guitar.
You can't go wrong with a MIJ Tokai LP guitar, only real difference between the MIJ Tokai and a Gibson are the resale value. If you can afford a MIJ Tokai you won't be disappointed.
The top of the line MIJ Tokai Love Rock guitars are actually built closer to Historically Correct Gibson specifications than a current Les Paul Standard.
Also, Mind Blown about the left handed guitars having right handed control pot directions of operation, I would have never guessed that to be the case!
Japanese Tokai Love Rock have orange capacitor... love that tone...
Hi Shane -
At 9:16 you mentioned that the main difference in how the Japanese model compares to the Chinese model is the neck. I watched this video over 3 times now, twice listening intently for what I thought I had missed, but you never described the Chinese Tokai's neck at all that I can find. You said the Japanese model had a 50's neck, which is a bit of thicker neck (what most folks refer to as a "baseball bat" neck), but you never described the Chinese models neck at all. Is it thinner than a LP Studio, about the same, or different in some way that makes it better than a Gibson LP neck...? It would be great to have a bit more information on that...
I'm actually considering 2 Tokai's at the moment, with one being Chinese (which I"m leary about because of the duller sounding pickups) and the other being Japanese... and since pickups can always be swapped out (something else you didn't give us any info about as far as which ones you tried, and how they made the guitar sound, or even why you put the stock pickups back in), knowing what the difference is between the necks could be the deciding factor for me here.
And thank you for the otherwise excellent detailed comparison, and demos... much appreciated...! ;-)
I did reviews on all of these guitars. The neck on the made in China one is far thinner and the feels a lot cheaper when it comes to the finish.
hey shane check out the tokia legacy model i have one its great good cheap Chinese guitar...
Thanks for the video, I really enjoyed it as I am looking to buy a Chinese Tokai Love Rock. I am torn between the Chinese Tokai Lemon drop and the Chinese Burny Lemon drop and can't find much comparing them online. Have you used the Chinese Burny Les Paul? If so which would you say was better?
fyi its not the colour but the book-matched maple top that did not appear until '59.
justrockon426 they had flame in 58 just not as flameie as the the 59s
the Chinese one is fine, but the Japanese one is like studio recording quality
What should I buy, this or Epiphone?
New pick ups in the Chinese and you’re golden.
How can i get one in the U.S.
Why not put volume up on Chinese one?
Interesting.I prefer darker sounding,lower output guitars. I have a Gibson 335 which is quite bright(Alnico 5 pups I think)and I've also got a much cheaper Tanglewood TSB59 which has Entwistle Alnico 2 pups. It is less bright than the Gibson and to my ears it's smoother and I prefer it!
kingstumble alnico 2 for me I like the rounder smoother less spikey sound. a custom wound set with about 8k output and alnico 2 are my fave.
What Japanese model is that one..?
I have noticed Tokai brand guitars being advertised as being made in Taiwan which begs a few questions like 1) Are Tokai electric guitars made in Japan. Korea and China?If they are not being made in Taiwan now were they ever? If so when did production swing over to China? Hope you can find out the answers.
Well, whats the diff in the necks? It's edited out....
Did you try Fujigen guitars?
I actually find the Chinese guitar ,more bluesy ... but then I just bought a Tokai ALS-62f-vf I wonder Shane what do you call a good price for that guitar? I don't think I paid too much and I'm hoping its as good as the Japanese love rock?
Do affect that it has a maple neck? Sounds less like a typical "les paul", like an Epiphone? What do you think?
Hey Shane any idea what the weight is on the MIJ Tokai? I have a MIJ ebony LS 95 around 10 lbs.
Thanks
It's really quite heavy mate. I don't know the exact weight but it is as heavy as my old Gibson 56 VOS custom shop was.
intheblues These Tokai are really great. Owned a few and have a 81 LS 50 in brown sunburst as well.
I put a set of WCR American Steele humbuckers in that one.
Keep up with your channel Shane and keep playing!
Fret buzz? They have the button cheap pots on the Chinese one
Does Tokai Japan still use nitrocellulose? If anyone knows Thank You in advance, I appreciate it.
Try different pickups in the Chinese and retest it !
That’s just putting a different shade of lipstick on a pig
@@ToneNerdPickups no its not, pickups are 80% of the guitars sound