Les Paul style guitar comparison: Japan vs China Tokai Love Rock Pt.1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
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VIDEO - COMPARING THE FINISH & SPECS. OK, so... 1 - I had to use my phone, so apologies for the sound... Video camera broken :-( ... 2 - While editing, I realised I probably could have done some more direct tone comparisons, literally back-to-back... don't slaughter me for that lol! 3 - My hands were bloody freezing, so some of my playing was a bit "random", but I tried to be honest and true to my fellow guitarists and leave the fluffs in! :-)
Anyway... I had a chance to compare two Les Paul style Tokai models, so here you have one Made in Japan Vintage Series Tokai Love Rock and one Made in China Tokai Love Rock.
Their similarities are bigger than their differences and I will leave you to be the judge of what you prefer... Like I mention a few times in these videos, tone is subjective and it's all about what you like.
Also, each guitar plays differently. Two "identical" guitars on a production line will very likely sound different. The biggest differences here as regards playability are, that the Japanese one has slightly smaller frets, which were also finished slightly better on the bound edges but I have to say, you wouldn't notice the frets on the Chinese guitar unless you played the Japanese one back-to-back.
Each guitar was set up slightly differently, and the Japanese guitar's action was a little low for me personally. I will also put heavier strings on the Japanese one when they need changing.
In any case, I hope you enjoy the videos and please leave comments and SUB if you liked them!
Cheers, Love and Peace Muso pals! Mark
Japanese Model spec.
Tokai LS115F - VF
Mahogany neck and 2-piece body
Maple top
Rosewood Fretboard
Gotoh Tuners
Vintage Mk2 PAF type pick-ups
Chinese Model Spec:
Tokai ALS55 - VF (Violin Finish)
Alder or Ash 1-piece body
Top - unsure
Rosewood Fretboard
Vintage Mk4 PAF type pick-ups
Amps used:
Line 6 Spider V 120 combo, Soldano-model tone, medium drive
Fender Supersonic 60w combo
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Best video I’ve seen comparing and demonstrating these Tokais. Thank you for taking the time to do this. I’m almost ready to buy one but I gotta find the right one.
been using a Chinese Tokai for a long time whilst at uni and can say its one of the best guitars I've ever had. the Tuners never seem to go out of tune even when sitting about for a couple of days and I've only ever had electronic problems once so for someone who can't fork out £2000+ on a guitar the Chinese version are brilliant pieces of kit.
I agree... well worth the money! Cheers and take care, Mark
My Chinese LP is the best guitar I own,. Who would have thought?. I do have 3 Gibson LP's which are not as good but still very good as well. I prefer the feel of the Chinese LP.
If you leave those 2 Les Pauls together on the chair like that you might have a Les Paul Junior in the morning.. 😄
🤣🤣
Very good reviews, thanks for doing this. Cheers.
Thank you!
The Chinese one has a thin veneer to give it the look of a flame maple top, it might even be a photo finish, they sometimes stick veneers on the backs of the Chinese models to cover up the multiple pieces of wood used to make the body, you can look round the bottom edge of the body and you should be able to see how many pieces was used.
I have a Japanese Tokai from 2004, very high quality instruments.
depends on which Japanese model you get, there's several of them that come with solid flame or quilt tops.
Sure fire way to tell if there's something beneath the veneer is to look inside the lower cutaway, you should be able to clearly see 2 pieces of different wood in that area on a Tokai as the binding is the same width all the way round the body.
Or when/if you're ever inside the cavity, you'll clearly see if there's a solid cap in there too.
lespaulzrule I just examined it in the light and if it's a veneer on the back, it's a very clever one! the body looks one piece to me and it's what they state on their specs.... probably ash? for the top you're right though for sure - it's faux maple lol... maybe a veneer but I did read Tokai use sycamore on the cap for the Chinese models, although I have no idea what that grain looks like! Either way, it plays well and feels nice and solid. Compared to a Squier, which many of my students have, the Tokai is far nicer to play - fret finish etc.
MFGuitarLessons, they use thin veneers on the lower end Japanese models as well, but they fit the flamed or quilted veneers on top of a plain maple cap, you can see the solid top by looking in the pickup cavity, and also you can see the cap joining the mahogany back in the lower cutaway.
Can't fault Tokais at all, great guitars.
MFGuitarLessons it's a photo top. Extremely thin basically paper.
Just looked at my Chinese love rock and it does indeed have a proper cap. Can also see the separate pieces of body wood so it’s not veneered on the bottom.
The Chinese maple top looks better because, it’s a veneer. The Chinese body, back looks one piece because....... it’s a veneer
@Rod Nolan, little do you know. And FYI, Veneer means Solid in Japanese.
As for the Japanes Tokai: If it's in the below 2000$ range, then it does have a Maple cap but with a flame maple veneer on top. For a Tokai with solid flame Maple cap you pay as much as for a Gibson in the range of a 2019 Standard ... but it will have Custom shop attitudes ;-)
Does anyone knows how to read the model of a japanese tokai on the serial number ?
I own a Tokai from Japan and it is much better than a Gibson. Don't know about the chinese ones; But the japanese ones are very nice and for the price i prefer them to Gibson ones!
The Japanese is a 1/4 inch maple cap and the Chinese on is a thin venere .
Japanese one is mahogany 2 piece.
Chinese have 3 piece body but we'll coverd.
The pickups are PAF. Copys on the Chinese the Japanese one is Tokai pickups. The Japanese one is better build and a great guitar but the Chinese is not as much but can be made great.
Nice touch on the Japanese version as the bridge posts were set into the body like the 58-60 Les Pauls. The Chinese set the posts in studs. Also, the Japanese pots seem to move easily whereas the Chinese pots move much slower. I have fake with a blank headstock, 2" thick body with excellent cream binding, rosewood fingerboard, beautiful flamed maple top that is actually a thick maple cap, potted pu's and it sounds great. I leveled/dressed/polished the frets, put on a bone nut, replaced bridge and tuners.
Sounds good! I think quality pickips will always make the biggest difference to tone. Thanks for watching!
On the left it is my 2nd guitar. 00:07
I am pretty sure the China models have a 2 piece back. They are extremally good at hiding that seam.
Yeah! You never can quite tell!!
Tokai ALS55 real specs, Tokai Cat# 29, 2016:
Body: Flamed Maple + Maple Top, Mahogany back
Neck: Maple Set-Neck
F-board: Rosewood
Bridge: LS-VBC Bridge, LS-VTC Tailpiece
Pickups: LSC-F x 2
Colors: CS, VF, BS, STB, SBL, SR
Cool LP! :)
cheers! They're nice huh!? amazing value
The Chinese hardware is the generic stuff that companies such as Epiphone, Vintage etc use - not necessarily bad quality, just not as vintage accurate or as well machined as on the Japanese guitar. For example, the Chinese bridge has bigger posts that screw into ferrules sunk in to the body, whereas the Japanese model screws direct in to the wood. The Chinese stop bar will be a zinc diecast, whereas the Japanese one will be 'vintage accurate' aluminium. The Chinese pickups will be 'generic' Chinese wound 'buckers, wound to PAF numbers, but entombed in wax, the Japanese... debatable accuracy, but won't be 'potted' - depends who supplies the pickups.
Is the Chinese one comes with gig bag ?
not for me, no, I didn't get a gigbag. I hate putting Les Paul's in a gig bag anyway - I'm always scared of the headstock being knocked!
Checked the specs on the Chinese one. Body is a 1 piece basswood, neck a 2 piece maple.
Nice one - I thought that body was one piece and not veneered.... Thanks for checking!
I own a ALS 62 F 2014 chinese model from Tokais Traditional series..Body is a two pieces mahogony , Solid maple cap...neck is one piece maple...electronics are alpha pots...really well made guitar....I only had to replace the tuners and the pickups.... (gibson tuners and tone rider rock songs). I owned already 5 Gibson les paul Studios, 1 Gibson Standard, one Gibson Traditional...and many Vintage V100s....But i have to say the chines tokai is the best Les Paul I have ever owned..
Incredible guitar for the price...Current Sale Price for this guitar is in canada 1,299 Canadian dollar...thas 1000 USD.
I love Tokai's more than I love sponge pudding. The Japanese instruments are really great guitars. There's a Tokai hanging in the window of a pawn shop in town for less than 200 quid. what! Most likely a Chinese, but we'll worth further investigation...
drmarkreuter definitely!
What colour is that tokai it looks nice?
Hi, I think Tokai just refer to it as a Vintage Burst. Gibsons had a range of bursts, especially with the later models, which were effectively a collection of aged varieties, like lemon, tobacco, cherry etc. I'm not too sure of the original Gibson colours but I think Tokai were aiming for an aged sunburst look to compare with how an original Gibson would look after all these years? They do some sweet colours!
Is the Chinese one a licenced copy or like the ones they do marked as Gibson.....................aka Chibson? Maybe its a Chokai??
Haha, no , it's not a chokai lol. It's just a Tokai made in China. Same difference as Fender MIM and USA I guess
I have one of these. But I can’t find a serial on mine anywhere.
Where was it made? Maybe some don't have them, depending where they're made?
@@MarkFeaGuitar That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
Korean made ones can have no serial number.. but haven’t read anything about no markings at all. I am going with Korean made..
So, would the Korean Tokai's be between the Japanese and Chinese as far as quality?
Hi, to be honest I didn't hear about Korean-made before Tokais so I can't answer that with any authority... sorry!
No, not at all. Tokai MIC are way better than MIK and very close to MIJ. I guess it's "Old habits die hard"- sort of thing for some ppl when it comes to China. Grow up, kids.
@@sakuraguitars7990 I would actually agree on this one. I used to have a MIK Love Rock and now I have an LC85, and I tried a MIC and MIJ back to back. The MIK while still a good guitar wasn't as good as the MIC. The chinese was really good and the MIJ I tried that day was a bit underwhelming honestly so there wasn't such a huge gap. However my '05 LC85 is fantastic (but it's been upgraded with SD JB/59 before I bought it, which are a fantastic match to LPs IMO).
Might've been the light, but it looked to me like the Chinese one had a bit of space at the neck joint.
Ndlanding where? On the front? I'll look and let you know!
in fact, I just had another very close look at it and it's a really perfect fit....
Hi, and thanks for replying. I just watched again, and at 6:45 it looks like the neck and the body are well separate at the left (of the video). It looks like you can see the bed sheet through the joint.
the neck is perfect... must be the light reflecting an angle...
Muy bueno , traigan las guitarras a la Argentina
Muchas gracias amigo! Disfruta la guitarra?
its veneer back and top, made in china is not are real flame maple top, but who cares haha... it looks good tho..
They are both poly finishes which is a disappointment considering the Japanese model is three times the price.
@Edward1312 agreed but modern issues dictate I guess!? The Chinese one played better for me tbh!
Tokais are great, I imagine both are veneer finishes over maple cap
Also the modern ‘made in Japan’ Tokais are actually made in China and finished in japan
If you want a real nice Tokai get an ls80 from 79-81 lovely guitars
Probably veneers, yes, but still nice all the same!
Ridiculous comment. If it says 'Made in Japan', it's made in Japan. Unless it's a fake Tokai, obviously. What a dumb comment to make. Are you 12?
The China one looks shit. I picked it out instantly.
🥱
Chinese Tokai Les Pauls are garbage - I know because I bought one and never use it because it's simply the worst guitar I have ever played. The pickups are lifeless, the wiring looks like a birds nest, the pots are scratchy, the bridge rattles, and the strings fret out no matter how high you set the action. About the only thing it's good for is as a prop in a Who / Pete Townsend cover band. You might get the occasional one that is good but I've handled around about a dozen of them and they were all garbage.
The one I have is so bad I can't in good faith even sell it as I wouldn't feel right taking anyone's money for it.
Wow, what a shame. This one in the video was fantastic. How did you come to buy your current one then, if it plays so badly?
I bought it from an Authorised Tokai dealer in Australia when I was just starting out playing so I really didn't have much of an idea about what was good and what was bad because I hadn't progressed beyond basic chords at that stage. As I played the guitar it got worse. From electronics failing to frets wearing very quickly, the bridge rattling, and the pickups simply sounding very flat possibly due to raising the action to try and alleviate the frets buzzing. The truss rod adjustment is woeful as well and there's simply not enough adjustment available to give the neck enough relief.
Moving on I now own seven other guitars and they are all fabulous so it's not an issue for me. But I'd hate to hear of someone who didn't have the means to buy high quality / well made instruments end up with one of these abortions of a guitar.
The shop where I've purchased all my gear since use to stock them but no longer do because the quality is very hit and miss. They said occasionally you get one that's great but most of them are dogs. Then, even if you do get a good one the frets are about as durable as tin foil and the pots / switches also have very short life spans.
Absolute bollocks. I have a Chinese Tokai Lp custom it plays amazingly. It's just had a bone nut fitted, fret level, new 50s style harness and Bareknuckles installed. I'd pitch it against any USA Gibson
@@savedandblessed79 putting Slash pickups in mine it's a banging guitar although I imagine there will be one or two that are shite.
maybee you owend a Tokai legacy series Les paul...they are realy garbage....The Tokai chines Traditional series is really great...mahagony body...bone nut...thick maple cap...not comparable to legacy series....seems tradition series is a kind of a chines custom shop :-)