Copy & paste from another thread...
post away my fellow crazy obsessed electric guitar buddies!

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Cross wrote...

Does this make me the first to ask which one should I get? Because....

1984 Tokai Les Paul Custom. Tokai is a Japanese guitar company that, to put it bluntly, creates Gibson clones. The only thing about these guys though, is that they tend to do a better job at making these guitars than Gibson does with their own - so I've heard. There have been many heated debates on this, but I am sold that these guitars are just as good (if not better) than regular production Gibsons. A lot of Gibson players have commented that Tokai's quality control is the equivalent of Gibson's Custom Shop line of guitars. Hence I've had my eye on this one.

*note* The only reason why Gibson hasn't shut these guys down is...well because they have no legal power in Japan. The only thing that Gibson can really do is compete against Tokai by offering their own selection of guitars. I wouldn't mind an Japanese Epiphone with the Gibson headstock - that'd be sweet. Or an Orville, but those are extremely hard to find, like this one that just popped up.



Second...

1998 Gibson SG-X. Produced around 97 or 98, these were shortly discontinued at the end of the year. They didn't sell very well, but I've taken a liking to this particular SG mode (and this specific colour) because the guitar player of one of my favorite bands (All Time Low) plays one of these bad boys. The pink is calling out to me....and I'm not afraid to play a pink guitar.



The price between these two guitars is dramatically different, but if money were no object just pick one =P.

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JKDragoon wrote...

For me... Hands down... 1984 Tokai Les Paul Custom

The other one just doesn't appeal to me... XD
I've never been a fan of SGs, though my 2nd guitarist in my old band used a Gibson SG Supreme in a very stunning Blue colour... We used to feel that our two guitars were brothers-in-arms!! :P

My opinion is slightly twisted due to my liking for Les Pauls. Though I don't really like the idea of getting a possible 'replica' (even though it may be better), the Tokai Les Paul looks GOOD... I wouldn't be suprised if it were the more expensive guitar (considering the other Gibson will be discontinued!).

Have you tried either of them for sound quality?
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JK

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yukio wrote...
YEA I LOVE THAT TOKAI. it looks so nice...

im planning on getting myself a tokai since it duz sound nearly or same as gibsons. and they look nice too. and cheap. fits my budgeting haha but iuno where its availaible in canada.

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Cross wrote...

Nowhere in Canada - unless you're buying it used from someone else. There are no authorized dealers of any sort in North America - I don't think Gibson would allow that to happen. They're even trying to completely cut off Japanese dealers from sending them to individuals overseas.

As for cheap, it depends on what model you're looking at. Firstly since you can only get them from Japan (or used here), with shipping and customs, you're looking to spend at LEAST $200 alone. If you're getting one of the lower series guitars, you're better off spending your money on a PRS SE or Epipohne. The low-end Tokais have maple veneers, they're made in China and feature relatively cheap parts and electronics. Ebay is probably your best source for Tokais, although beware of scammers, ESPECIALLY when it comes to these kinds of guitars (i.e. Tokai, Edwards, Burny, etc). They know that the North American market isn't as knowledgeable on these brands and will thus try to exploit you. Look for Japanese dealers as they for sure will provide you with quality service, as well as ensuring that your guitar arrives safely. But as mentioned before, it'll be expensive. Depending on the model, you might be looking to spend the same amount as a real Gibson, but it's all based on preference. The only Gibbo I'd spend on would be their Silverburst LP Custom.

As for those 2 guitars, I passed on both of them lmao. I was THIS close to getting the pink SG, but common sense kicked in and made me realize that I have no available funds to make a big purchase at the moment. It was a tough decision, but saving that money allowed for me to get...other things....like a book from Japan :sry

LOL. where to start wehre to start?? PRS ALL THE WAY. PRS Hollowbody II

this again, i love this thing!! haha so sick the red goes so well with the silver.

OR THIS:


heheheh. hollowbodies!!

and then i love les pauls too for some reason im really into white les pauls now, without a pickguard. look for the white alpine les paul supreme with the gold humbuckers sooo nicee. of course tigerstripe beauty is awesome too

i also ibanezs for tehir playability, the necks sleek and smooth and so thin, perfect for fast stuff... i love shredding hahahah

Ibanezs are going thru a sudden drop in quality seriously, and the products they are offering...crazy...an RG which is 2k (in Malaysian ringgit), but it's made in Indonesia, an MIM Fender Start is only about 1.9k, and an Epihone LP Custom goes for like 2.3k (MIK stuff)

Oh yes, Jackson DK2M anyone?

Jackson < Ibanez LOL (Hi Stephen)

PS: Burny Les Pauls = Fernandes Les Pauls?

Yep, just like ESP is to Edwards and Gibson is to Epiphone and Orville.

Gibson does a killer job with white guitars - I'm more a fan of the LP Studio in Alpine White than the Supreme - the headstock inlay and split block inlays don't do it for me.

I had a white guitar for a couple of months - I'll get 'er back some day.

I really like the PRS amber hollowbody electric you posted, yukio.

I miss your white SG, Cross. I remember playing it for 10 seconds at your place before. *Sniff*

Hollobody Spruce in McCarty Burst

It's Hollowbody Spruce in McCarty Burst!
You forgot the 'w'. *tsktsk*

My bad. I forgot to mention in our relationship that when I was a kid, I was in a Spelling Bee Championship but lost. I guess now you know what the word was =O

Me love the Ibanez RGT320Q RG Prestige Series
Ibanez RGT320Q RG Prestige Series Electric Guitar AAA with Quilted Maple Top Features:

Neck: 5pc Wizard Prestige thru neck
Body: Mahogany body, quilted maple top
Frets: Jumbo frets
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Inlay: Abalone small dot
Bridge: Edge Pro bridge
Neck Pickup: DiMarzio IBZ humbucker
Middle Pickup: DiMarzio IBZ humbucker
Hardware color: Cosmo Black (CK)


And intoducing the Tokai TALBO~!!!

The Talbo is an original model made by Tokai. The name stands for [T]-[Al]loy-[BO]dy, which describes its unusual cast aluminum alloy body. This limited edition is created by Talbo Secret Factory. The model is based on the A-140 Talbo, but includes such modifications as Fernandes Sustainer and Roland Synthesizer. Finishes for the limited addition includes platinum blue/black/red, mid night black, and alumi clear, with matching headstock. These guitars are order made, so it usually takes couple of weeks to assemble, and they are only assembled in Japan.

^ wow...that tablo guitar...
i love the design...na...it'll be nice to own it and be one of the few person in your country to actually own it XD

haha for me quite on the contrary i hate that look hahaha. the shape is soo... ugly lol XD but thats just me

GO HOLLOWBODYs.


haha i like the supreme more because theres no pickguard, and the gold knobs heheh. gold hardware etc. i like the pure white plus gold look XD. studio doesnt do it for me, with the black pickguard, black knobs, quite the opposite lol

The body may be a bit wierd, but I dig the features. Never seen a gujitar up until now that has both a sustainer and synth.

yea the features is pretty sick, but i can settle with a simpler guitar anyway, so mayb thats why it duznt really appealthat much to me

just walked thru a yamaha music store while doing some shopping to have a look at their guitars - and realised how cheap some of their duplicates are!

a fernandez strat was going for 450SGD! :shock
the yamaha versions were slightly more expensive at 500SGD

saw a burny les paul classic costing around 1k, quality was rather good!

just an observation after reading cross's post about tokai guitars... guess the japanese make really good budget guitars

that ibanez looks really good! though i've never liked the ibanez brand :sry

Yamaha version? as in Pacificas???

couldn't make out the brand since it was written in some cursive way :what

i thought it looked like duplicas or something haha...



yeah i think it was this one... pacificas! seems like its a budget model, which explains the price

there are high end pacificas like the PAC612 and the PAC812 which can cost alot and they are really valur for money

Wow.. I didn't know there were high-end Pacificas. I thought it was just an entry electric guitar model. I used to have those low-end Pacifica guitar.

you should check oout the new pacifica 112V, classy.. and cheap!

i'm not a really big fan of HALO, but look at this:



wow. i suppose hardcore halo fans will be drooling over this

I know why tsunvun86 wants that Talbo guitar. Part of the reason maybe because of...

Hisashi??

Just saw their latest PV.

I'm a simple person, either telecaster or stratocaster will be fine XD

That's part of the reason :P
Yay he's using his abandoned Talbo again hahaha.
He has been using his Zemaitis a lot recently and have been putting his talbo away :(

Good to see him pulling the Talbo out of the shelf again :clap
But I feel so angry everytime when I listen to the solo of that song.. The greatness is gone.....

Every guitarist has their time... XD =P

Remeber the times when he USED to be AMAZING then... =P
(Even though Ken from L'arc~en~Ciel seems to STILL maintain his pro-ness... *runs*)

Asuna...
That "Halo" guitar looks crazy good!!... Pity it's made by that annoying IBANEZ company... GRRARRR!!! XD (I didn't really mean that... :P)
Perhaps one day, I will understand the Floyd Rose system which has caused me more pain than good.
...
No, literally... It has literally caused me more pain than good. 3 strings snapped, 2 of which inflicted damage to my hand and arm. The only good it's done me is in my school performance of "On Fire" by Switchfoot... I used tremolo during the bridge to create a ghostly sound... XD

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JK

Right now I'm dying to get my hands on a Gibson Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry Sunburst with a pick guard! Looks naked without it ^_^

On Sweetwater the American online music store it costs $2759 AUD but in stores here it costs around $4099 AUD! ><! I'd save $1340 which is a third of the price!

I need to go to America someday and buy back 4-5 guitars then I'd be making a saving on the airfare XD!

How does this look like to you guys? =)

Just got it around 3-4 weeks back. :clap

Wow very nice =O!

Didn't know Ibanez made archtops! Is it a hollowbody or a semihollowbody?

What kinda music do you play on it =D?

... uhhmmm... good good
Didn't know Ibanez made archtops neither... but i prefer Epiphone archtops, just like John Lennon Casino.



here's a wikipedia citation:
"The Epiphone Casino is a thinline hollow body electric guitar manufactured by Epiphone, a branch of Gibson. It is the base of the Gibson ES-330 and is traditionally regarded as a budget version of this guitar, even though it is the original version. However, the guitar's association with guitarists such as John Lennon and Noel Gallagher has caused the popularity of the Casino to rise and it is now considered a classic in its own right"

That Ibanez looks like Casino... maybe it's a thinline hollow body too.

and About other guitars.. I love Epiphone Les Paul Standard!!! great guitar... classic

Pickups: Alnico Classic Humbuckers
Hardware: Chrome
Scale: 24.75"
Nut Width: 1.68"
FB-Inlay: Rosewood-Trapezoid
Tailpiece: Stopbar

It's just perfect for me!!!! It's a legend!!!!



But i like Stratocasters too, American standard it's a classical guitar, and it's the very first electric guitar i owned... so it's familiar for me.

Speedphantom:

Hehe! I didn't know they made such great hollowbodies too. =)

it's a semi-hollow. It's a thinner one than the usual full hollows which are so thick! :sry

I play blues, rock, and all kinda stuff on this baby. :clap

The thing is, when i put it through my pedal in the Acoustic modeler, it sounds totally great. Rather than when i use my SG, which usually ends up giving me something of a more artificial sounding acoustic sound. But with this hollowbody, it totally gives the warmness and fullness of tone to match a true acoustic. Thus, I can play YUI with it! :good

arnoldonicolas:

Casinos are LOVELY. :please And ES-335s And Sheratons.

Actually, when i went out to get a new guitar, which I aimed for an archtop, I never really considered the Ibanez Artcore Custom. But I tried it out just for fun. It sounded really sweet and played really well for me.

But I was eyeing this Epiphone Sheraton II in another store, which I really adore. I played it, but the neck was too thick, the tone wasn't really there, and it had a bigger pricetag.I was sooooo GAS-ing for that one. But one thing really killed my interest, which was the pricetag and the shopkeeper. He was so RUDE! And he denied me from using a pick to test the guitar. Furthermore, the unit they had there was aging. The fretboard was dry, the frets were rusting, and etc. Yet they tell me it's a new unit. :angry

So, I got back to the previous store which I got Ibanez. They had excellent service, great pricing, honesty, and a nice discount to boot. And I actually felt more comfortable with this guitar. To my surprise, it came with a hardcase too! :clap Hehe. So me and my new guitar lived happily till now. Can't wait to get it on stage. :good

Though I'd love to own one of those signature hollowbodies. Especially Noel Gallagher's Union Jack! :suki

Nice nice =D! How does the distortion sound on a hollowbody? I heard they're more prone to feedback?

I'd love to get an ES-335 someday! They're so cool haha ^_^. I'd get an archtop after all my other favourite guitars.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Fender American Stratocaster in hmm Candy Cola/Olympic White or 3-colour sunburst for the traditional look =P
PRS Custom 24

Then lots of other ones! I want everything ahhhhhhhhhhh!