So I bought a Tokai in violin burst having watching this and several other videos. I’ve had it a couple of months now and I have to say it is an amazingly good guitar for the money. The pickups are quite hot but failing them back still gets vintage tones so I won’t be changing them. It has a bit more grain through the flame than I like and the knobs have a short shaft but it really is flawless. Fretwork was perfect. Finish was perfect. Action was high so I dropped the bridge and raised the stop bar to make the strings bendier. I have a Gibson Les Paul I bought new in 98. The Tokai feels 100% Gibson. The neck, the weight distribution etc. If I had bought a Gibson for 2.5k I wouldn’t have expected anything better than it.
In my opinion, Sire just walked in and *took over* the "working man's guitar" market. You get locking tuners and rolled fretboards on all of their models, Ebony/Roasted Maple fretboards on their Gibson/Fender style models, and they use high quality wood and hardware. I think once people start playing their instruments, they are going to give Fender/Gibson a run for the money. People are comparing Sire to Epiphone/Squier, when they actually compete against Gibsons and Fenders at twice the price, if not more! I am planning on getting their entire line over the next 2-3 years.
Tokai has a broad variety of guitars. Chinese made tokai's that compete against the Epiphone stuff, mid level industrial japanese made instruments, that can stand in front of Gibson's standard lineup, and custom shop master grade instruments, that Gibson can't make at this level. I don't know if Sire has a custom shop section, my bassist has one, and they are decent, could not imagine a Sire topping a Tokai though.
@@boboutelama5748 Tokai are not widely available here in Canada, and personally, I don't order guitars without playing them first. I actually have had a weird rollercoaster ride with my Sire L7. I got it home, plugged it in, and loved it. The neck is just *magnificent*, and I can't imagine a SC guitar with a better neck and fretboard at double the price. But similar to what Colin said, it didn't *excite* me. But it turned out, it was *me*. I had gotten too caught up in buying gear. I got the Sire out after putting it away for a month or so, and boy have I bonded with it now. The neck is just *magnificent*, and what I like the most about it is that all three pickup positions are *very* useable. I find most HH guitars sound kindof blah in the middle. The *only* negatives I have with the Sire is that it's not *perfect* for ultra high gain. I almost compare the pickups in it as being somewhere between those in a Gretsch Jet and your typical PAF. They have a lot more clarity that a lot of PAF-style pickups, but they don't handle high gain as well as a tradition PAF PU. Also, the pots are a *tad* lackluster. A cheap upgrade, but I wish that Sire had started using CTS pots as standard. It's a super cheap upgrade, and levels a lot of the playing field between them and Gibson/Epiphone. Epiphone switching to CTS as standard on basically their entire line was just *genius*. I'll say it again, the Sire neck is a *dream* to play on. I can't even explain it to someone who hasn't played one. The satin finish plus the rolled fretboard edges and the impeccable fret work just makes it a dream to play. I described it to the guy who sold it to me at the shop that it was like the neck "disappears" once I start playing it, that I feel like i'm playing on air!
I just don't see Chinese/Indonesian guitars competing with American guitars. You get what you pay for. Sire might be the best of the Chinese/Indonesian guitars, though!
Great video as always... I went to Anderton's this morning and purchased the Sire L7... I tried the Epiphone 50s but for me the L7 felt more comfortable to play.
I have an old Tokai love rock (japanese) - not sure how old but I bought it used well over 20 years ago. I have quite a few gibsons, but when I want 'the real thing', I go for the tokai lol. Honestly it plays and sounds more like a very old les paul than any gibson reissue, and I've played a few. Nothing wrong with the epiphone - some of the more recent stuff, ie last 10 years or maybe a bit more, has been absolutely excellent.
I have a 20+ guitars (65 years old) that I’ve bought since the 70’s. There really IS something about a P90. I gravitate back to them. Suhr hadn’t offered them on models I purchased,so I went back to Gibson, which has improved their neck quality so much since PLECking became standard. Everyone has their favorites, but you could put a P90 on a lawnmower and it would sound “just right” ✌️
Love your channel and presentation! Got a Tokai Reborn Old (LP) from 1980 here, it's a locomotive - its sound is HUGE! Absolutely kills my Epiphone LP (South Korea), despite the Epi being a good guitar with SD Antiquities.
I was looking for an affordable guitar to carry around when I teach guitar lessons and I found an used L7 in black. I find it very comfortable, it has a fast neck, the frets are good and it doesn’t weight too much, it’s 8,4 pounds.
I do enjoy your reviews, straight forward and down to earth - spades a spade!! I bought my first Les Paul in 14 years two weeks ago - an Epiphone "1959 - Lemonburst" with the genuine Gibson pickups and wiring - one of the Andertons' specials. Love it, great feel, great sound and really great value and really enjoying playing again after a few years away from playing electrics.
Cheers man, sounds like you're doing important work bringing high speed internet to the people and we thank you for that!! 🙌 so warm up and chill out the weekend is here! 😎👍
Great video as always!!! I just wanted to say that anyone who's on the fence about fat necks should try one before they totally write them off. I have small hands AND arthritis so I naturally gravitated towards slim necks. But I've found that since I got my Epi '59 Les Paul with the fat '50s neck carve I don't suffer nearly as much from wrist fatigue. I think the added support the fatter neck offers to my hand is taking up some of the duties my thumb used to do. With only a minor change to my playing style I can play for an hour or two again with minimal pain or fatigue. Now that I've gotten used to fat necks the slim-taper carve feels like total dookie. Just one man's opinion of course, but it's an educated one!!! 😉
I'm with you on this! Fat Necks rule! I own a Ibanez JEM 70V in Seafoam Green which has a real real flat and slim Neck - many thrieve for this -, i keep playing my "lower" Guitar Range way more as long as they have a kinda chunky Neck!!
i have noticed something similar. In some "shapes” of neck, all the weight of it would be right at one point, while it gets distributed more evenly on ”chunkier”necks if there is more area of contact with our thumb.
For me it went the other way. The D shaped neck was life changing after playing only the fender c shape. Good thing there’s so much variety these days!
I like the "Slimtaper D" Epiphone uses sometimes. I have a 339 Pro with it, and it's super comfortable to play! The darn thing just screams to be played!
Wish there had been something like this 25 years ago when I got my first electric, couldn't afford an epiphone so went with a Yamaha Pacifica 112, good guitars. Bought a Les Paul Standard in Wine Red in 2005, cost me £1,500, she is a beuty. Great channel.
good morning! I have discovered the secret of the flannel shirt. It's great for practicing. it's stylish and functional without being too flashy. Flannel says "hey. listen to this!" I still haven't worked out my timing while arse-looping....my buns are slow and unresponsive. I'm getting older....maybe arse-looping is a young mans game.....great review! I think I'm turning into an SG kinda guy
Fully addicted to the channel. I'm a poor dude. Every penny I spend is heavily planned. I really really appreciate your channel and Love your sound too. I Almost always agree with you. I love the bands you drop when reviewing. You're a good good influence on the young and I believe that you are bringing a measurement of Ponk soul to this TH-cam thing. Much love to you and yours from Salem Massachusetts. I asked the trustees to let me join join. Only time will tell. -FLEA Up the Ponks son up the Ponks. I'm going to go find you more viewers.
To my ear the Tokai sound the most like vintage Les Paul. I have never played a Sire that didn't feel like it had bricks in it britches. The ES 335 style guitar was the heaviest semi's I have every played
There's a video of Joe Walsh setting up a Les Paul on TH-cam. He said that newer ones use a neck angle that forces the bridge pickup and bridge to be way off the body of the guitar. Look at how high the bridge, strings and pickup are on the Gibson and compare it to older ones and various copies. I'm keeping my PRS 245 that has a bridge that's slammed down as far as it'll go. Joe Walsh knows a thing or two about what makes a good Les Paul
Delighted to see the Tokai come out tops sounds great and well balanced, Epiphone yep it’s an Epiphone…the Sire is sure the new kid but don’t thing would take much to tidy up the loose ends … would be great to know the back story on Japanese/Gibson/Tokai ! … another cool review… cheers
What I love about your channel and the way you demonstrate and talk through your reviews just never disappoints , not be holding to the manufacturer and being truthful 🎸🎸👍
I’m new to your channel but man your content is fantastic. Thank you. I will be subscribing now. I’ve watched about 4 videos, all Epiphone, and I’ve really been helped out by your info.
Tokai is def my favorite of the three, just love the shade of gold they got. And I feel the same about the epiphone necks. I’ve picked up a few in stores and the necks just feel too thick and full to me. I usually don’t mind thick necks, but the epiphones didn’t feel as comfortable.
Thanks for a great review. I will go for the Sire all day long for a great build quality in their own factory. Nowadays when everyone is shopping online i trust the Sire better. I own one myself, tobacco sunburst and its great. Also like the satin neck its so smooth. After that i would go for the Tokai. Its hard to trust Epiphone and even Gibsons in their quality control. I rather go for smaller builder than masproduced guitar. Unless you cant try them in a store. I dont bother about the name or resale value. For me its all about the best build guitar at the best pricepoint. Thats why i bought the Sire L7.
Hi! Great video! One of the strengths of the L7 is its versatility, but if you don't like the sound of the Sire just replace the pots with the 500 ohm ones from the gibson or cts and I can assure you it will become better than the tokai;)
Soprattutto devono essere grandi di solito i potenziometri di queste chitarre sono tutti piccoli che poi non capisco perché risparmiare su una spesa così piccola da parte della casa costruttrice...
Yes, yet another cool show. Gold Tops are a beautiful guitar. After watching the play through a couple of times, to my ear the Epiphone just sings, which in turn makes me think I should get some Burstbuckers for my Les Paul and then go for some 50’s wiring with the 500k pots. That’s probably worth more than the guitar itself.
So Agree... D shape for the neck is not as comfortable as C shape. I tried, epi 50's and classic at the store, didn't want to go back to 50's. Good to know that Tokai has thinner and not D shape neck, because I haven't tried Tokai guitar before, can't find it in my local music store. I thought I want heavier les Paul too, but as you said we're not getting younger, I am not playing guitar standing for 2 hours like 20 years ago, but lighter guitar is better for me. Tokai is perfect to me, and in Indonesia, Tokai is cheaper than Epi and sire more than 15%, I think that's a bargain. Nice video as always. Thanks
Do as many Epiphone vids as you like Colin. I now have 5 Epiphones, all excellent, great value. Nice to see them put up against other makes & have to agree that for my limited playing ability the price point is where I look at Epiphones & other models. I might be coloured by my foray into slightly more expensive guitars. Bought a bit of a retirement present for my self a couple of years ago in a USA Fender Tele. I have tried to like it, but it spends it's time hanging on the wall. I only get it down when I feel guilty & sorry for it for about 5 minutes...... then pick up one of the Epiphones again or, dare I say one of our Faith accoustic guitars.
The Tokai Love Rocks is 1200 EUR used here in Germany - if you can get your hands on the P90 version at all. So twice the money of the L7V or L7 respectively.
Loved them all really. I really wish Epiphone made a gold top with P 90s or even mini humbuckers. I'd buy one. However I do love the pro-buckers. I also have adapted to the D shape neck as well. It took a while, but I found my comfort zone. Thanks again Colin. Cheers.
Hi Colin, great review! After you compared the Epi LP 59 to the Gibson LP 08, I went to the guitar shop and wanted to buy the Epi LP 59. But I ended up liking it less than the epiphone prophecy les paul, which really does feel like a real Gibson.
Cheers man, I’m glad that’s coming across… for sure we are building a brilliant community of like minded guitar nerds! Thanks for your support man it’s really appreciated! 😎👍👍
just found a 2020 Sire L7 Gold top for $500 with a case...great guitar! No interest in the Tokai, and I've owned Epiphone ( also worked there as an Inspector - handled thousands of them, less than zero interest at this point)...I must disagree about the Epiphone... For the money, the Sire is the guitar of the 3...
Colin seems uninpressed with Sire in general! I have a Sire as well Backlineguy, and it's *wonderful*. I think those expecting it to be a full on "PAF" sound might find them jarring, but I find the guitar *super* versatile. And the thing sounds great clean OR dirty, which I find rare in a HH guitar.
By high end, what exactly do u mean? Because you can get a cheap tokai ($500+ cad) or a mid range ($1000+ cad) or the rlly expensive ones ($2000-$3000)
Turns out a local store sells both the Sire and the Tokai. Have to go and try one of these Tokai guitars. Happy to have discovered your channel recently.
Highlight of my week! Another stonker of a vid mate. Might have to get myself the Epi 50s Gold Top to go with my Cheery Burst one! :) have a great weekend!
I'm an intermediate player and do not do gigs. I exclusively play in either my front room or a friends that I'm jamming and I will be seated with a strap so the weight of the L7 isn't an issue. What attracts me to this guitar, besides it's build quality, is the satin neck. I have to admit that I have clammy hands and have come to hate gloss necks even on my 30 year old Taylor 512.
Good Day Colin! Thank you for another great video and all your time. Headed to Knoxville in a few weeks to see Mr Bonamassa, ahead of this I have scoped out a few guitar shops to hit along the way. One happens to have the Tokai gold top. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 it’s still there. See you next week!
Anything over 9lb I'm not interested, and closer to 8 than 9 is much preferred. I love Goldtops but I don't like them too glittery or sparkly so I'm afraid the Sire fails on both counts (personal opinion only before anybody has a go!)
I ended up getting 3 LP ish guitars, 2 Agiles, a gold top P90's surpassing Gibson quality...amazing! 1 white Agile with humbuckers. 1 Blitz I ordered from Japan made by Aria Pro ll which is about 2 lbs lighter than the others but lacks in quality. "10 lbs get out of here!" LOL. Still loving your channel Colin!
What I like most in the Epiphone is that chubby neck that l even prefer to that of my Gibson 1991 LP so my choice is the Epiphone even if the Tohai looks great... Like always it's a personal choice.. All the three are very good guitars I suppose but the Epiphone gives me a very good feeling playing it and... This is it 👌👌👌👍👍👍😎😎😎... Very good job... This is my favorite TH-cam channel 👍👍👍🎸🎸🎶🎸🎶
Yes, Sire has been available here in the states, and seem to be doing well.😎👍 Looking forward to the forum😎👍 That is...as soon as I can figure out how to get on🤣 Apparently my (only) device can't sync in its current configuration... Well...where there's a will... There IS a way😎👍 😎👍❤🖖 Love Brother
Hi Colin I'll keep posting comments to keep this side going but it's particularly nice and smooth on your other format. To me supporting this channel is what it's all about. Great subjects discussed by Colin my mate down the pub. Nowt better.
Cheers mate! It’s getting harder to keep on top of all the comments here on TH-cam so if this keeps growing I can see a time when the subscription channel is the place for questions and answers. Thanks for being an early adopter to that brave new world! 😆🙏👍
Really good playing in this one! I love gold tops. I keep thinking that I need an Epi 50's gold top, but in reality, I don't need any more guitars. The beveled edge on the pick guard looks weird, but I'd probably change it. I really should sell something before getting any more.
Nice and thorough comparison! Whenever you're looking at "cheap" guitars, you have to accept the fact that there are going to be certain shortcomings of some kind compared to higher priced guitars. Usually these shortcomings have to do with the quality of the wood that is used. Not the type of wood, but the grade quality of that wood that takes into account weight, appearance and sonic aspects. The Tokai looks the closest to an actual LP, while the Sire looks that least similar as the body finish, pointier horn and the binding throw me. I don't like satin neck finishes either, nor the shaved neck joint. The Epiphone fell right in between for looks. The Tokai sounded the best in my opinion and the Sire sounded harsh and cheezy by comparison. The Epiphone was in between again. I've played both the Epiphone and Sire models. I don't like the Sire's neck as it just feels wrong to me. The Epiphone's neck is thicker, but with more shoulder (D-shape) which is ironic since it's claimed to have a 50's style neck and it's more of a fat 60's style. You'd think Epiphone should get that right. I've never played a Tokai guitar, but I've heard good things. My friend just bought an Epiphone Slash Model LP and it's really nice for the price. This brings me back to my initial point of having to take the price point into consideration when looking at guitars in this segment..
Thank you for the great content in the video, I enjoyed the head to head comparisons of the 3 LPs There’s nothing you can’t do with any of them that you could do with a Gibson,
Nice video! I enjoy gold tops with p90s. I have a Harley Benton! I am never selling it.😃 It does need a bit of an upgrade perhaps but it's so cool. Comes with p90s. Not so gold in color. Be safe be well. I like the talk I.
The Kalamazoo headstock is cool, no question, but would it kill Gibson to give Epiphone an honest-to-goodness Gibson headstock just once? Gripes aside, would love to see more Tokai on the channel, specifically, SGs, Juniors and Firebirds. Many thanks.
I like what Sire is doing right now. I have a Larry Carlton H7V 335 with dog ear P90 pickups that is killer. I just ordered an Epi 50's Gold Top and can't wait for it to arrive. I had a Gibson 57 Historic Gold Top many years ago but traded it for a Martin HD 35 acoustic. Dumb move.
This is nectar for me as I’m starting to hang my nose over an affordable LP style to add to the stable, mostly to leave in Eb and satisfy my Slash fantasies!! I have been gravitating towards the Harley Benton’s mostly due to the positive reviews and almost worryingly low price, but I get the feeling I’d want to swap out the pickups after too long so I might be better off just spending more and getting something akin to these 3.
Hey Antony, I know people rave about Harley B's but I can't help thinking the Epiphone or Tokai in would be more satisfying... and when you are ready to upgrade a couple of double black bobbin humbuckers and there's Victoria right there! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I think you are right, although I’ll be looking for a burst of some sort as I’m a traditionalist at heart and like to see the grain of the wood (even if it is only a veneer!). I did have a Vintage V100 AFD once, I regretted selling it from the moment I handed the parcel to the post office!
Everyone does rave about the Harley Bentons, I'm sure one would be a great guitar. My advice would be to try a few epis and find one that you like, because rest assured if it's a 50s standard it's a great base to upgrade. The long neck tenon and decent electrics mean you only really need to upgrade the bridge and drop some uncovered pups in and you have a decent Victoria clone. I have the epi 50s standard exactly like Colin's and it blew away my Japanese tokai that cost around £1300. I think I just got a dud as it was superbly well built but just had something missing and seemed dead soundwise. I'm not sure if HB have full size pots but they definitely won't be CTS pots and they likely don't have long neck tenon on the cheaper models. The slash alnico 2 Seymour Duncan's do sound fantastic but pricey, and really made my old vintage lemon drop into a decent appetite replica.
@@donge9589 thanks for the advice Paul, and I think you are right, I’d be better spending the extra up front. I’d love to get the chance to try guitars but Lincoln is not very well served with music emporiums! I’ve seen Colin check out bridge and tailpiece sizes for the purposes of upgrading them but I don’t know what that would give you? I can understand changing out a trem bridge but not so much a stop tailpiece.
@antony edwardson It was one of Colin's videos that highlighted that you can often get a bigger difference in sound by upgrading stop piece and bridge of a guitar before looking into pickup changes . It's all down to the cheapness of the metal many stock bridges are made from. If you have an upgraded bridge that transfers the vibration from the string more effectively into the body it can make a massive difference in how lively and resonant the guitar is. Then if your still not happy you can always spend more on pickups to get a sound closer to what your ideal. I haven't yet changed anything on my epi 50s goldtop, but probs will change the bridge and tail piece for a Faber set or similar. It's testament to how great the epi is stock that I haven't changed the pups yet, the first thing I do with most guitars is slap some Seymour antiquities into it.
I looked at the Tokaj catalogue:there are some beautiful guitars,specially the ones made in Japan and finished in nitro laquer...but they have the same price as a Gibson and at this point..🤔🤔🤔🎸🎸🎸
I have the Vintage Joe Bonamassa gold top, its a heavy beast, and very loud, I bought the Sire S7 in the Maple blue top, excellent build quality and playability.
Legends say anyone plays better on a goldtop Les Paul 😅 Thanks for this mate. I will try the Tokai and the Sire. But at this point Sire has my preference (sparky gold + satin neck). Cheers from France.
I really like the newer style headstock Epiphone are using, the Gibson Style headstock looks much better and makes the guitar more serious looking. It's a strange way of looking at it but small things like that matter to me. By the way, I always enjoy your reviews and your manner of presentation, much better than many of the shouty American reviews. Thanks for another good video, looking forward to more of them.
Cheers Mark, thanks for the support man it’s appreciated! When I first started this channel I put in the description… ‘like all the other TH-cam channels but with less shouting’ … it’s true! 😂👍👍
@@theguitaristas I get fed up of those in your face Americans who seem obligated to shout "Hey what's up" and speak to you in rather loud tones. There is a canadian guy out there who is easier on the ears but I'm a similar age to you and I just want to relax. By the way, I've got three guitars out of my five you might like to review, two MIJ Tokai's , a love rock and a telecaster and a Heritage H555
I have a Japanese Tokai (Goldtop + P90s) and an Epiphone Les Paul Special (TVY+P90s) and the Tokai is like 10 times the quality of the Epiphone. But it is heavy at 10.8 Ibs so i play the Epiphone more lately. Try to get your hands on a Japanese Tokai, Colin. You'll be impressed by the craftmanship and quality.
Just thought it might be worth mentioning you can fix the sticky neck issue on your Gibson's pretty easily. There are probably thousands of pages of forum posts discussing and arguing over this very thing. I also have this issue on two of my guitars but never on others (which is strange). I use the microfiber 'rubbing' technique, I am sure there can be arguments made about premature wear. Just take a clean microfiber and rub it up and down the neck with some speed and elbow grease. Generate a bit of friction to the point it starts to warm the neck. This makes the neck slick and slippery for a while but the problem does eventually come back. For how easy it is to fix I have never sought a different solution but others have tried just about anything that comes to mind
Well, it’s not really a Larry Carlton version unless there are “session food-truck” stains around the knobs. You can customize with Tabasco session sauce formally available at Sunset Sound 🤭 or GIT.
Great film! Tokai's are addictive. I started off with an SG, then got a 1985 Love Rock then recently acquired a LPJ. Of course, there will be more! The burning question here is, if you could keep only one... which would it be?
I prefer the Tokai or the Epi, both closer to the Gibson style, not liking the L7 headstock nor the weight. This helps for my selection of my next LP purchase. Play guitar and have fun!
Definitely my pick ♠️ FGN Neo Classic Gold Top with P90, maybe better than a Gibson, at least for my emotions...especially in that price range! And of course - made in Japan 😊
Colin I think personally that the Tokai is the pick of the bunch. I think it is known as a nipple In the middle of the Tokai headstock and it is only included on their export guitars made in China and previously Korea where as for the Japanese home market higher end LP copies they do, the headstock is exactly the same as the Gibson open book.
Another great Friday demo Colin! Its a shame you couldn’t take a bit of each guitar and make another one! Love the sound of the sire, neck of the tokai and looks and pick ups of the Epiphone! Keep up the epiphone demos! They are like you said great guitars for the money and what most of us can afford! Would love to see an epiphone demo of the KAT series of guitars and the century who I think James bay plays. 👍❤️🎸
always enjoy your video's and I am trying to decide which goldtop to get if not the gibson. I would have liked a segment putting them side by side and getting your opinion on the colors. thanks again.
I like Epi's, the Sire guitars don't seem to be readily avaiable in Canada, the basses are everywhere but no guitars. They are getting good press though. My heaviest guitar is an Alex Lifeson Axcess at 8 lbs12 oz. Lightest is a SG-400 Pro at 6 lbs 15. I'd like to find one of those faux tailpieces like Derek Trucks has on his SG for balance.
Not sure if the newer epiphone standards are same but the older epiphones are also quite abit slimmer then a gibson too. The 59 wasnt but thats a different league epi haha. Whereas with tokai you got the full thickness
I have an Epi and a Tokai - both great guitars and the Tokai is my preference, but - factor in the cost of gluing in the frets and having them dressed. Once done by a good luthier you'll have a killer guitar.
my mate Martin (who's richer than Rishi Sunak's missus) has a mid 50s gold top, cost him a fortune, looks the absolute dog's bllcks, neck like telegraph pole, high action , wraparound bridge in the wrong place so won't intonate past the 5th fret and sounds like any other guitar with P90 p/ups - it's horrible. Any of these would dump on it and I do hope Martin isn't reading this
7:43 - No it's not it's the binding on the Gibson that makes it look thinner and the Tokai is actually thinner than the Gibson you are looking at the Gibson not taking into account the Binding.
The one thing that stands out to me negatively is the lack of a pickup ring on the Sire. I know some Gibsons lacks them as well but it feels like something is missing when I look at it
Colin Aloha and Mahalo again. I only seen a few Tokai guitar although I knew about them for many years. Epiphones I have seen many. I have six of them although I'm still waiting for a Les Paul jr or special or even the Billy Joe. Working with a small local store. Anyway Epiphones are good guitars but I would like to try a Tokai now. Great video! Must get back to work.
Cheers Victor, Tokai's are quite hard to find here too... I am searching for Tokai SG Junior and LP Junior to add to my collection! Enjoy the weekend man! 😎👍
So I bought a Tokai in violin burst having watching this and several other videos. I’ve had it a couple of months now and I have to say it is an amazingly good guitar for the money. The pickups are quite hot but failing them back still gets vintage tones so I won’t be changing them. It has a bit more grain through the flame than I like and the knobs have a short shaft but it really is flawless. Fretwork was perfect. Finish was perfect. Action was high so I dropped the bridge and raised the stop bar to make the strings bendier.
I have a Gibson Les Paul I bought new in 98. The Tokai feels 100% Gibson. The neck, the weight distribution etc. If I had bought a Gibson for 2.5k I wouldn’t have expected anything better than it.
I have one of the Sire LPs with P-90s. Newer model, and it's an absolute killer guitar.
La conosco bene perché l'ho suonata tutta una sera in una Jam tra amici sembrava un Les Paul Gibson P90 ottima chitarra che hai complimenti 🤟🎸💪😘
@@ThePier1965 The guitar is a Les Paul, it's just not made by Gibson!
In my opinion, Sire just walked in and *took over* the "working man's guitar" market. You get locking tuners and rolled fretboards on all of their models, Ebony/Roasted Maple fretboards on their Gibson/Fender style models, and they use high quality wood and hardware. I think once people start playing their instruments, they are going to give Fender/Gibson a run for the money.
People are comparing Sire to Epiphone/Squier, when they actually compete against Gibsons and Fenders at twice the price, if not more! I am planning on getting their entire line over the next 2-3 years.
They play well but God are they heavy.
Their butterscotch blonde T7 and T7 FM are absolutely gorgeous!
Tokai has a broad variety of guitars. Chinese made tokai's that compete against the Epiphone stuff, mid level industrial japanese made instruments, that can stand in front of Gibson's standard lineup, and custom shop master grade instruments, that Gibson can't make at this level.
I don't know if Sire has a custom shop section, my bassist has one, and they are decent, could not imagine a Sire topping a Tokai though.
@@boboutelama5748 Tokai are not widely available here in Canada, and personally, I don't order guitars without playing them first. I actually have had a weird rollercoaster ride with my Sire L7. I got it home, plugged it in, and loved it. The neck is just *magnificent*, and I can't imagine a SC guitar with a better neck and fretboard at double the price. But similar to what Colin said, it didn't *excite* me. But it turned out, it was *me*. I had gotten too caught up in buying gear. I got the Sire out after putting it away for a month or so, and boy have I bonded with it now. The neck is just *magnificent*, and what I like the most about it is that all three pickup positions are *very* useable. I find most HH guitars sound kindof blah in the middle.
The *only* negatives I have with the Sire is that it's not *perfect* for ultra high gain. I almost compare the pickups in it as being somewhere between those in a Gretsch Jet and your typical PAF. They have a lot more clarity that a lot of PAF-style pickups, but they don't handle high gain as well as a tradition PAF PU.
Also, the pots are a *tad* lackluster. A cheap upgrade, but I wish that Sire had started using CTS pots as standard. It's a super cheap upgrade, and levels a lot of the playing field between them and Gibson/Epiphone. Epiphone switching to CTS as standard on basically their entire line was just *genius*.
I'll say it again, the Sire neck is a *dream* to play on. I can't even explain it to someone who hasn't played one. The satin finish plus the rolled fretboard edges and the impeccable fret work just makes it a dream to play. I described it to the guy who sold it to me at the shop that it was like the neck "disappears" once I start playing it, that I feel like i'm playing on air!
I just don't see Chinese/Indonesian guitars competing with American guitars. You get what you pay for. Sire might be the best of the Chinese/Indonesian guitars, though!
“The ones that’s better is the one you prefer” that’s some wisdom right there. Thank you Colin
Great video as always... I went to Anderton's this morning and purchased the Sire L7... I tried the Epiphone 50s but for me the L7 felt more comfortable to play.
Nice one James!… great guitar for sure and it’s all about personal preferences as I said… you got a proper great sounding bargain! 😎👍
I have an old Tokai love rock (japanese) - not sure how old but I bought it used well over 20 years ago. I have quite a few gibsons, but when I want 'the real thing', I go for the tokai lol. Honestly it plays and sounds more like a very old les paul than any gibson reissue, and I've played a few. Nothing wrong with the epiphone - some of the more recent stuff, ie last 10 years or maybe a bit more, has been absolutely excellent.
Ah - it´s a "golden Friday"!
Reminds me that I always wanted a Goldtop - but with P90s!
Thanks for another interesting video!
Greetimgs from Germany!
Cheers brother have a great weekend! 😎👍
Same here but I want a blue one.
I have a 20+ guitars (65 years old) that I’ve bought since the 70’s. There really IS something about a P90. I gravitate back to them. Suhr hadn’t offered them on models I purchased,so I went back to Gibson, which has improved their neck quality so much since PLECking became standard. Everyone has their favorites, but you could put a P90 on a lawnmower and it would sound “just right” ✌️
Sire is doing one now, the l7v
Love your channel and presentation! Got a Tokai Reborn Old (LP) from 1980 here, it's a locomotive - its sound is HUGE! Absolutely kills my Epiphone LP (South Korea), despite the Epi being a good guitar with SD Antiquities.
Cheers Deric, thanks for the kind word man! Now that sounds nice.... 1980 is a proper old one! 😍👍
Japanese Tokais are phenomenal guitars I own a Springy Sound from about 1982 as good as any strat I’ve ever played including vintage and customs
I was looking for an affordable guitar to carry around when I teach guitar lessons and I found an used L7 in black. I find it very comfortable, it has a fast neck, the frets are good and it doesn’t weight too much, it’s 8,4 pounds.
Bonjour, pourquoi il dit le contraire dans la video ? Il dit que la Sire Larry est plus lourde que les autres (9,6 pounds), qui a raison?
@@clivegeorge9740 both of us, being made out of wood the weight of guitars can vary quote a bit.
I do enjoy your reviews, straight forward and down to earth - spades a spade!! I bought my first Les Paul in 14 years two weeks ago - an Epiphone "1959 - Lemonburst" with the genuine Gibson pickups and wiring - one of the Andertons' specials. Love it, great feel, great sound and really great value and really enjoying playing again after a few years away from playing electrics.
Thanks very much for your comparison today. Have to say I love your playing!
Thanks for the kind words that's appreciated! 🙏😊
It’s an icy, cold Friday here in the states- I just got home from working outside all day on some fiber optic stuff. This was just what I needed !!
Cheers man, sounds like you're doing important work bringing high speed internet to the people and we thank you for that!! 🙌 so warm up and chill out the weekend is here! 😎👍
Great video as always!!!
I just wanted to say that anyone who's on the fence about fat necks should try one before they totally write them off.
I have small hands AND arthritis so I naturally gravitated towards slim necks. But I've found that since I got my Epi '59 Les Paul with the fat '50s neck carve I don't suffer nearly as much from wrist fatigue.
I think the added support the fatter neck offers to my hand is taking up some of the duties my thumb used to do.
With only a minor change to my playing style I can play for an hour or two again with minimal pain or fatigue. Now that I've gotten used to fat necks the slim-taper carve feels like total dookie.
Just one man's opinion of course, but it's an educated one!!! 😉
Cheers Joe, I'm with you on this... I don't have big hands either but find that some of the fatter ones are the most surprisingly easy to play.
I'm with you on this! Fat Necks rule! I own a Ibanez JEM 70V in Seafoam Green which has a real real flat and slim Neck - many thrieve for this -, i keep playing my "lower" Guitar Range way more as long as they have a kinda chunky Neck!!
I agree Joe I have small hands love a nice fat neck, Just something about it feels good
You are not alone. A fat 'C' being my favourite, for very similar reasons to you.
i have noticed something similar.
In some "shapes” of neck, all the weight of it would be right at one point, while it gets distributed more evenly on ”chunkier”necks if there is more area of contact with our thumb.
First time I've seen your "set" with the lighting and 4 cameras. Now I see why your films are so well done and enjoyable. Thanks Colin.
Cheers man, I do make it hard for myself! 😆👍
For me it went the other way. The D shaped neck was life changing after playing only the fender c shape. Good thing there’s so much variety these days!
I like the "Slimtaper D" Epiphone uses sometimes. I have a 339 Pro with it, and it's super comfortable to play! The darn thing just screams to be played!
Wish there had been something like this 25 years ago when I got my first electric, couldn't afford an epiphone so went with a Yamaha Pacifica 112, good guitars. Bought a Les Paul Standard in Wine Red in 2005, cost me £1,500, she is a beuty. Great channel.
Cheers Paul, I’d like really like a wine red Les Paul! 😆👍
good morning! I have discovered the secret of the flannel shirt. It's great for practicing. it's stylish and functional without being too flashy. Flannel says "hey. listen to this!" I still haven't worked out my timing while arse-looping....my buns are slow and unresponsive. I'm getting older....maybe arse-looping is a young mans game.....great review! I think I'm turning into an SG kinda guy
😂👍👍
@@theguitaristas TUBE pre amp video is up....in flannel
@@touchthesun2448 😆👍
Fully addicted to the channel. I'm a poor dude. Every penny I spend is heavily planned. I really really appreciate your channel and Love your sound too.
I Almost always agree with you. I love the bands you drop when reviewing. You're a good good influence on the young and I believe that you are bringing a measurement of Ponk soul to this TH-cam thing.
Much love to you and yours from Salem Massachusetts. I asked the trustees to let me join join. Only time will tell.
-FLEA
Up the Ponks son up the Ponks. I'm going to go find you more viewers.
Cheers man! 😎✌️🧷
To my ear the Tokai sound the most like vintage Les Paul. I have never played a Sire that didn't feel like it had bricks in it britches. The ES 335 style guitar was the heaviest semi's I have every played
Yes it doesn't do them any favours! 😎👍
There's a video of Joe Walsh setting up a Les Paul on TH-cam. He said that newer ones use a neck angle that forces the bridge pickup and bridge to be way off the body of the guitar.
Look at how high the bridge, strings and pickup are on the Gibson and compare it to older ones and various copies.
I'm keeping my PRS 245 that has a bridge that's slammed down as far as it'll go.
Joe Walsh knows a thing or two about what makes a good Les Paul
Delighted to see the Tokai come out tops sounds great and well balanced, Epiphone yep it’s an Epiphone…the Sire is sure the new kid but don’t thing would take much to tidy up the loose ends … would be great to know the back story on Japanese/Gibson/Tokai ! … another cool review… cheers
What I love about your channel and the way you demonstrate and talk through your reviews just never disappoints , not be holding to the manufacturer and being truthful 🎸🎸👍
Thanks John 😎👍👍
I’m new to your channel but man your content is fantastic. Thank you. I will be subscribing now. I’ve watched about 4 videos, all Epiphone, and I’ve really been helped out by your info.
Hey Mike, glad you found us man thanks for the sub and support it's appreciated! 😎👍
Tokai is def my favorite of the three, just love the shade of gold they got. And I feel the same about the epiphone necks. I’ve picked up a few in stores and the necks just feel too thick and full to me. I usually don’t mind thick necks, but the epiphones didn’t feel as comfortable.
I absolutely love this channel, that’s it, I’ve got nothing more to say.
Cheers Mark, that's all I needed to hear anyway... thank you!! 🙏😆
Thanks for a great review. I will go for the Sire all day long for a great build quality in their own factory. Nowadays when everyone is shopping online i trust the Sire better. I own one myself, tobacco sunburst and its great. Also like the satin neck its so smooth. After that i would go for the Tokai. Its hard to trust Epiphone and even Gibsons in their quality control. I rather go for smaller builder than masproduced guitar. Unless you cant try them in a store. I dont bother about the name or resale value. For me its all about the best build guitar at the best pricepoint. Thats why i bought the Sire L7.
@@jhkuno88 No, the Sire is made in their own factory. Everything Sire puts out is made in-house.
Hi! Great video!
One of the strengths of the L7 is its versatility, but if you don't like the sound of the Sire just replace the pots with the 500 ohm ones from the gibson or cts and I can assure you it will become better than the tokai;)
Still way too heavy for me though and that's a deal breaker... Les Pauls should be iro 8.5lb for my old back and weakling arms! 😆
Soprattutto devono essere grandi di solito i potenziometri di queste chitarre sono tutti piccoli che poi non capisco perché risparmiare su una spesa così piccola da parte della casa costruttrice...
Yes, yet another cool show. Gold Tops are a beautiful guitar. After watching the play through a couple of times, to my ear the Epiphone just sings, which in turn makes me think I should get some Burstbuckers for my Les Paul and then go for some 50’s wiring with the 500k pots. That’s probably worth more than the guitar itself.
😎👍👍
So Agree... D shape for the neck is not as comfortable as C shape. I tried, epi 50's and classic at the store, didn't want to go back to 50's.
Good to know that Tokai has thinner and not D shape neck, because I haven't tried Tokai guitar before, can't find it in my local music store.
I thought I want heavier les Paul too, but as you said we're not getting younger, I am not playing guitar standing for 2 hours like 20 years ago, but lighter guitar is better for me.
Tokai is perfect to me, and in Indonesia, Tokai is cheaper than Epi and sire more than 15%, I think that's a bargain.
Nice video as always. Thanks
Another great video!! Not really relevant but I have an Epiphone Elitist 57 Goldtop LP that I love to death. I want a gold top with P-90's next
Do as many Epiphone vids as you like Colin. I now have 5 Epiphones, all excellent, great value. Nice to see them put up against other makes & have to agree that for my limited playing ability the price point is where I look at Epiphones & other models. I might be coloured by my foray into slightly more expensive guitars. Bought a bit of a retirement present for my self a couple of years ago in a USA Fender Tele. I have tried to like it, but it spends it's time hanging on the wall. I only get it down when I feel guilty & sorry for it for about 5 minutes...... then pick up one of the Epiphones again or, dare I say one of our Faith accoustic guitars.
The Tokai Love Rocks is 1200 EUR used here in Germany - if you can get your hands on the P90 version at all. So twice the money of the L7V or L7 respectively.
Solid gold video mate!!! Seriously, another great one. What a great time to love guitars!
Loved them all really. I really wish Epiphone made a gold top with P 90s or even mini humbuckers. I'd buy one. However I do love the pro-buckers. I also have adapted to the D shape neck as well. It took a while, but I found my comfort zone. Thanks again Colin. Cheers.
Cheers man… so many of us would buy this P90 epiphone! 😎👍
Hi Colin, great review! After you compared the Epi LP 59 to the Gibson LP 08, I went to the guitar shop and wanted to buy the Epi LP 59. But I ended up liking it less than the epiphone prophecy les paul, which really does feel like a real Gibson.
Cheers Alexandr, I have not played prophecy yet but will soon I hope! 😎👍
This channel feels like family - so relaxing to kick back with a coffee and join it ❤️👍
Cheers man, I’m glad that’s coming across… for sure we are building a brilliant community of like minded guitar nerds! Thanks for your support man it’s really appreciated! 😎👍👍
just found a 2020 Sire L7 Gold top for $500 with a case...great guitar! No interest in the Tokai, and I've owned Epiphone ( also worked there as an Inspector - handled thousands of them, less than zero interest at this point)...I must disagree about the Epiphone...
For the money, the Sire is the guitar of the 3...
Colin seems uninpressed with Sire in general! I have a Sire as well Backlineguy, and it's *wonderful*. I think those expecting it to be a full on "PAF" sound might find them jarring, but I find the guitar *super* versatile. And the thing sounds great clean OR dirty, which I find rare in a HH guitar.
The Larry Carlton Sire range is outstanding... Larry uses them in his live performances...what more do you need to know x
Tokai is having a huge comeback at the moment. The high end Tokai can compete with the R8,9 and 0
By high end, what exactly do u mean? Because you can get a cheap tokai ($500+ cad) or a mid range ($1000+ cad) or the rlly expensive ones ($2000-$3000)
Turns out a local store sells both the Sire and the Tokai. Have to go and try one of these Tokai guitars. Happy to have discovered your channel recently.
Highlight of my week! Another stonker of a vid mate. Might have to get myself the Epi 50s Gold Top to go with my Cheery Burst one! :) have a great weekend!
Cheers Jeff, have a good one yourself... am I right in thinking some of it may be spent online browsing goldtops? 🤔😆👍
@@theguitaristas Maybe.... 😆
I'm an intermediate player and do not do gigs. I exclusively play in either my front room or a friends that I'm jamming and I will be seated with a strap so the weight of the L7 isn't an issue. What attracts me to this guitar, besides it's build quality, is the satin neck. I have to admit that I have clammy hands and have come to hate gloss necks even on my 30 year old Taylor 512.
Cheers man, the L7 has got a great feeling neck for sure! 👍
I've always wanted a p-90 copper top. Those Tokais are cool!
Troy try a jhs vintage they make a gold top p90 .Got one myself and it's a great guitar as well as a tokai l75 quilt top
Good Day Colin! Thank you for another great video and all your time. Headed to Knoxville in a few weeks to see Mr Bonamassa, ahead of this I have scoped out a few guitar shops to hit along the way. One happens to have the Tokai gold top. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 it’s still there. See you next week!
Ah nice one Brent!... that's fate that is and I'd tell myself that if it was still there it's just meant to be and I'd buy it 😆 please report back!
Anything over 9lb I'm not interested, and closer to 8 than 9 is much preferred. I love Goldtops but I don't like them too glittery or sparkly so I'm afraid the Sire fails on both counts (personal opinion only before anybody has a go!)
Yes... I'm with you! 😎👍
I ended up getting 3 LP ish guitars, 2 Agiles, a gold top P90's surpassing Gibson quality...amazing! 1 white Agile with humbuckers. 1 Blitz I ordered from Japan made by Aria Pro ll which is about 2 lbs lighter than the others but lacks in quality. "10 lbs get out of here!" LOL. Still loving your channel Colin!
What I like most in the Epiphone is that chubby neck that l even prefer to that of my Gibson 1991 LP so my choice is the Epiphone even if the Tohai looks great... Like always it's a personal choice.. All the three are very good guitars I suppose but the Epiphone gives me a very good feeling playing it and... This is it 👌👌👌👍👍👍😎😎😎... Very good job... This is my favorite TH-cam channel 👍👍👍🎸🎸🎶🎸🎶
Thanks Marco! 😎👍
Yes, Sire has been available here in the states, and seem to be doing well.😎👍
Looking forward to the forum😎👍
That is...as soon as I can figure out how to get on🤣
Apparently my (only) device can't sync in its current configuration...
Well...where there's a will...
There IS a way😎👍
😎👍❤🖖
Love Brother
Always happy to chat with you here anyway Richard! 😆👍
Hi Colin I'll keep posting comments to keep this side going but it's particularly nice and smooth on your other format. To me supporting this channel is what it's all about. Great subjects discussed by Colin my mate down the pub. Nowt better.
Cheers mate! It’s getting harder to keep on top of all the comments here on TH-cam so if this keeps growing I can see a time when the subscription channel is the place for questions and answers. Thanks for being an early adopter to that brave new world! 😆🙏👍
Really good playing in this one! I love gold tops. I keep thinking that I need an Epi 50's gold top, but in reality, I don't need any more guitars. The beveled edge on the pick guard looks weird, but I'd probably change it. I really should sell something before getting any more.
Nice and thorough comparison! Whenever you're looking at "cheap" guitars, you have to accept the fact that there are going to be certain shortcomings of some kind compared to higher priced guitars. Usually these shortcomings have to do with the quality of the wood that is used. Not the type of wood, but the grade quality of that wood that takes into account weight, appearance and sonic aspects. The Tokai looks the closest to an actual LP, while the Sire looks that least similar as the body finish, pointier horn and the binding throw me. I don't like satin neck finishes either, nor the shaved neck joint. The Epiphone fell right in between for looks. The Tokai sounded the best in my opinion and the Sire sounded harsh and cheezy by comparison. The Epiphone was in between again. I've played both the Epiphone and Sire models. I don't like the Sire's neck as it just feels wrong to me. The Epiphone's neck is thicker, but with more shoulder (D-shape) which is ironic since it's claimed to have a 50's style neck and it's more of a fat 60's style. You'd think Epiphone should get that right. I've never played a Tokai guitar, but I've heard good things. My friend just bought an Epiphone Slash Model LP and it's really nice for the price. This brings me back to my initial point of having to take the price point into consideration when looking at guitars in this segment..
Hi Colin, great comparison, still prefer epiphones but the others look great too, take care.
Thank you for the great content in the video, I enjoyed the head to head comparisons of the 3 LPs There’s nothing you can’t do with any of them that you could do with a Gibson,
Cheers Mark! 😎👍
In regards to Epiphone horn, checked both my 59 Gibson inspired Epiphone's & their the same as you Les Paul ..
No such thing as too many Epiphones!! Another fun video, brother!! Wish i could get my hands on a Tokai, but they are hard to find around my area.
Cheers man, they are pretty hard to find anywhere as far as I can tell... where you based?
@@theguitaristas The US. New Orleans, where there is a guitarist on every corner. Lol.
@@vadwanuu7825 😎👍👍
I would take the Tokai....build better overall I would think based on the lineage.
Nice video! I enjoy gold tops with p90s. I have a Harley Benton! I am never selling it.😃 It does need a bit of an upgrade perhaps but it's so cool. Comes with p90s. Not so gold in color. Be safe be well. I like the talk I.
Cheers David, I need to get me a HB with P90s soon! 😆👍
I can’t wait[ for the release of the Platinum Tops!
The Kalamazoo headstock is cool, no question, but would it kill Gibson to give Epiphone an honest-to-goodness Gibson headstock just once?
Gripes aside, would love to see more Tokai on the channel, specifically, SGs, Juniors and Firebirds. Many thanks.
Cheers man… I think this is likely! 😆👍
Nice one Colin, they all sound great so it's all down to how each one feels in the hand I reckon....
Just found your channel yesterday. I like your reviews and have subscribed with notifications. Cheers!
Cheers Gary glad you found us! 😎👍
I like what Sire is doing right now. I have a Larry Carlton H7V 335 with dog ear P90 pickups that is killer. I just ordered an Epi 50's Gold Top and can't wait for it to arrive. I had a Gibson 57 Historic Gold Top many years ago but traded it for a Martin HD 35 acoustic. Dumb move.
This is nectar for me as I’m starting to hang my nose over an affordable LP style to add to the stable, mostly to leave in Eb and satisfy my Slash fantasies!! I have been gravitating towards the Harley Benton’s mostly due to the positive reviews and almost worryingly low price, but I get the feeling I’d want to swap out the pickups after too long so I might be better off just spending more and getting something akin to these 3.
Hey Antony, I know people rave about Harley B's but I can't help thinking the Epiphone or Tokai in would be more satisfying... and when you are ready to upgrade a couple of double black bobbin humbuckers and there's Victoria right there! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas I think you are right, although I’ll be looking for a burst of some sort as I’m a traditionalist at heart and like to see the grain of the wood (even if it is only a veneer!). I did have a Vintage V100 AFD once, I regretted selling it from the moment I handed the parcel to the post office!
Everyone does rave about the Harley Bentons, I'm sure one would be a great guitar. My advice would be to try a few epis and find one that you like, because rest assured if it's a 50s standard it's a great base to upgrade. The long neck tenon and decent electrics mean you only really need to upgrade the bridge and drop some uncovered pups in and you have a decent Victoria clone. I have the epi 50s standard exactly like Colin's and it blew away my Japanese tokai that cost around £1300. I think I just got a dud as it was superbly well built but just had something missing and seemed dead soundwise. I'm not sure if HB have full size pots but they definitely won't be CTS pots and they likely don't have long neck tenon on the cheaper models.
The slash alnico 2 Seymour Duncan's do sound fantastic but pricey, and really made my old vintage lemon drop into a decent appetite replica.
@@donge9589 thanks for the advice Paul, and I think you are right, I’d be better spending the extra up front. I’d love to get the chance to try guitars but Lincoln is not very well served with music emporiums!
I’ve seen Colin check out bridge and tailpiece sizes for the purposes of upgrading them but I don’t know what that would give you? I can understand changing out a trem bridge but not so much a stop tailpiece.
@antony edwardson It was one of Colin's videos that highlighted that you can often get a bigger difference in sound by upgrading stop piece and bridge of a guitar before looking into pickup changes . It's all down to the cheapness of the metal many stock bridges are made from. If you have an upgraded bridge that transfers the vibration from the string more effectively into the body it can make a massive difference in how lively and resonant the guitar is. Then if your still not happy you can always spend more on pickups to get a sound closer to what your ideal. I haven't yet changed anything on my epi 50s goldtop, but probs will change the bridge and tail piece for a Faber set or similar. It's testament to how great the epi is stock that I haven't changed the pups yet, the first thing I do with most guitars is slap some Seymour antiquities into it.
Great angle for a video. Fun to watch. Good playing and song choices too.
Cheers Addy! 😎👍
I looked at the Tokaj catalogue:there are some beautiful guitars,specially the ones made in Japan and finished in nitro laquer...but they have the same price as a Gibson and at this point..🤔🤔🤔🎸🎸🎸
I have the Vintage Joe Bonamassa gold top, its a heavy beast, and very loud, I bought the Sire S7 in the Maple blue top, excellent build quality and playability.
some southern rockers and bluesers played tokais like 50 years ago ...some of the strat copies were deadly ..
If you don't like epiphone D shape necks, try a les paul Muse, it has a 'custom c' neck which is totally awesome!
Legends say anyone plays better on a goldtop Les Paul 😅
Thanks for this mate. I will try the Tokai and the Sire. But at this point Sire has my preference (sparky gold + satin neck).
Cheers from France.
I really like the newer style headstock Epiphone are using, the Gibson Style headstock looks much better and makes the guitar more serious looking. It's a strange way of looking at it but small things like that matter to me. By the way, I always enjoy your reviews and your manner of presentation, much better than many of the shouty American reviews. Thanks for another good video, looking forward to more of them.
Cheers Mark, thanks for the support man it’s appreciated! When I first started this channel I put in the description… ‘like all the other TH-cam channels but with less shouting’ … it’s true! 😂👍👍
@@theguitaristas I get fed up of those in your face Americans who seem obligated to shout "Hey what's up" and speak to you in rather loud tones. There is a canadian guy out there who is easier on the ears but I'm a similar age to you and I just want to relax. By the way, I've got three guitars out of my five you might like to review, two MIJ Tokai's , a love rock and a telecaster and a Heritage H555
@@markfahey3921 Cheers Mark, MIJ Tokai is on my wish list for sure 😎👍
I gotta try me an SG i was 15 last time I had a go on one at a store in DC as a kid
I have a Japanese Tokai (Goldtop + P90s) and an Epiphone Les Paul Special (TVY+P90s) and the Tokai is like 10 times the quality of the Epiphone. But it is heavy at 10.8 Ibs so i play the Epiphone more lately. Try to get your hands on a Japanese Tokai, Colin. You'll be impressed by the craftmanship and quality.
I am on the lookout! 😎👍
Just thought it might be worth mentioning you can fix the sticky neck issue on your Gibson's pretty easily. There are probably thousands of pages of forum posts discussing and arguing over this very thing. I also have this issue on two of my guitars but never on others (which is strange). I use the microfiber 'rubbing' technique, I am sure there can be arguments made about premature wear. Just take a clean microfiber and rub it up and down the neck with some speed and elbow grease. Generate a bit of friction to the point it starts to warm the neck. This makes the neck slick and slippery for a while but the problem does eventually come back. For how easy it is to fix I have never sought a different solution but others have tried just about anything that comes to mind
The Gibson is a nuisance if you play it for too long it gets sticky… only real fix is wire wool and sandpaper! 😎👍
Well, it’s not really a Larry Carlton version unless there are “session food-truck” stains around the knobs. You can customize with Tabasco session sauce formally available at Sunset Sound 🤭 or GIT.
😆👍👍
Great film! Tokai's are addictive. I started off with an SG, then got a 1985 Love Rock then recently acquired a LPJ. Of course, there will be more! The burning question here is, if you could keep only one... which would it be?
I can narrow it down and tell you which one I wouldn't keep 😆 and I can also guarantee there will be more Tokai's here too! 😎👍
I had a lpj tokai copy and it sounded and played better than a friend's early 60s Melody maker
I prefer the Tokai or the Epi, both closer to the Gibson style, not liking the L7 headstock nor the weight. This helps for my selection of my next LP purchase. Play guitar and have fun!
Some other LP copies that I would like to see compared are Harley Benton, Firefly, and Agile.
I'm new to your channel love your playing and you are a mighty heck of of a leafs mate! My big respects from 🇨🇦 Quebec Montreal!😍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for kind words and support it’s appreciated! 😎👍
Always enjoy these Videos !
Cheers Dan! 😎👍
I didn’t have a favorite… until that final note. The Tokai, with that kinda sustain, yes!
Cheers Colin!
Got the thumbs up from me! 😂👍
Check out the British ( vintage ) guitar company vintage is the name , Wilkinson are the pic ups they use !
Definitely my pick ♠️ FGN Neo Classic Gold Top with P90, maybe better than a Gibson, at least for my emotions...especially in that price range! And of course - made in Japan 😊
It’s Friday it’s fabulous gold top Friday
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yeah, i always knew the epi shape was out with the lower horn. if i had to have one it would be the tokai, its such just a whole level over the epi.
Yes something feels really nice about the Tokai... it's got a certain vibe!
Colin I think personally that the Tokai is the pick of the bunch. I think it is known as a nipple In the middle of the Tokai headstock and it is only included on their export guitars made in China and previously Korea where as for the Japanese home market higher end LP copies they do, the headstock is exactly the same as the Gibson open book.
Cheers Tony, that’s good to know… my Tokai education has only just begun and I am already looking for another! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas Yes I purchased a Tokai goldtop secondhand myself recently with P90's and Ive also been impressed with the build quality.
Another great Friday demo Colin! Its a shame you couldn’t take a bit of each guitar and make another one! Love the sound of the sire, neck of the tokai and looks and pick ups of the Epiphone! Keep up the epiphone demos! They are like you said great guitars for the money and what most of us can afford! Would love to see an epiphone demo of the KAT series of guitars and the century who I think James bay plays. 👍❤️🎸
Cheers James! 😎👍
Darrel Braun tops the Sire as best for the money.
Playability, hardware & finishingwise.
Beat me... I would pick the Sire
always enjoy your video's and I am trying to decide which goldtop to get if not the gibson. I would have liked a segment putting them side by side and getting your opinion on the colors. thanks again.
It looks like the Sire/Larry Carlton is the exact same guitar as the Harley Benton style guitar sold by Thomann.
I like Epi's, the Sire guitars don't seem to be readily avaiable in Canada, the basses are everywhere but no guitars. They are getting good press though. My heaviest guitar is an Alex Lifeson Axcess at 8 lbs12 oz. Lightest is a SG-400 Pro at 6 lbs 15. I'd like to find one of those faux tailpieces like Derek Trucks has on his SG for balance.
Not sure if the newer epiphone standards are same but the older epiphones are also quite abit slimmer then a gibson too. The 59 wasnt but thats a different league epi haha. Whereas with tokai you got the full thickness
Hey Paul, the inspired by Gibson range are full thickness... just a bit of a stumpy horn! 😆
I have an Epi and a Tokai - both great guitars and the Tokai is my preference, but - factor in the cost of gluing in the frets and having them dressed. Once done by a good luthier you'll have a killer guitar.
my mate Martin (who's richer than Rishi Sunak's missus) has a mid 50s gold top, cost him a fortune, looks the absolute dog's bllcks, neck like telegraph pole, high action , wraparound bridge in the wrong place so won't intonate past the 5th fret and sounds like any other guitar with P90 p/ups - it's horrible. Any of these would dump on it and I do hope Martin isn't reading this
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7:43 - No it's not it's the binding on the Gibson that makes it look thinner and the Tokai is actually thinner than the Gibson you are looking at the Gibson not taking into account the Binding.
I’m not so sure... I did consider that 🤔
The one thing that stands out to me negatively is the lack of a pickup ring on the Sire. I know some Gibsons lacks them as well but it feels like something is missing when I look at it
Not sure what you mean.. they do have pickup rings do you mean they are smaller?
@@theguitaristas You're right, it has pickup rings, just smaller as you say. Wasn't looking close enough
😆👍 dazzled by the sparkley gold I expect!
Enjoyed that Colin, keep em coming ✌️
Cheers John! 😎👍
It’s interesting that the L7 is the heaviest even with the comfort cuts. Obviously, a very dense piece of wood.
they are available in the US
Colin Aloha and Mahalo again. I only seen a few Tokai guitar although I knew about them for many years. Epiphones I have seen many. I have six of them although I'm still waiting for a Les Paul jr or special or even the Billy Joe. Working with a small local store. Anyway Epiphones are good guitars but I would like to try a Tokai now. Great video! Must get back to work.
Cheers Victor, Tokai's are quite hard to find here too... I am searching for Tokai SG Junior and LP Junior to add to my collection! Enjoy the weekend man! 😎👍
@@theguitaristas enjoy your weekend. It's Tuesday to me. LOL
Great comparison. they all sound great but i think the tokai looks the best and it's probably the one i would have.
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