I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately the cat is out of the bag with these guitars now so they are getting more difficult to find at a reasonable price.

@@addictedtogear Gems to find, Tony. It's all good when you do. 🙂

Strangely, my LS128F has a solid flame top without the veneer. My slightly older LS95F (same model allowing for Japanese inflation) has the veneer. Both are outstanding guitars.

The prices are relative to the price in Japanese currency. So a 95 would cost ¥95,000, and as years go on those model numbers changes, I have a 2004 LS80Q and those were ¥80,000 at the time, the year before I got mine the model number for the same guitar was LS75Q. I'm not sure if this has always applied to the old Tokai's, but it definitely is the case now, you can see it when you look at their current catalogues. My 80Q has a solid maple 2 piece cap with a thin quilted maple veneer.

Right on!

Shhhh don’t tell anyone…LOL

I noticed that even the the Japanese Tokai LPs have very subtly different headstocks to the Gibsons. More subtle than the Epiphones (or even Chinese Tokais), that for sure.

@@stuartmiller7419 I'm sure there are variations. The only Tokais I've handled have been a 1978 and 1980 Love Rock Les Paul and then my 2022 Tokai Custom Shop, in each of those cases the headstock size and angle are 1950s Gibson spec. (17° Headstock Angle). I believe the Epiphones utilize a 14° Headstock angle. I'm still so very happy with my Japanese Tokai. Looking my Tokai over and examining its build I found that the pickup wiring channel that runs from the output jack to the selector switch is drilled using a single long drill bit, the same way that Gibson built them when in Kalamazoo. I just thought that was kind of a cool touch.

The ones that get imported into the UK for sale by retailers they have a slightly altered headstock shape, it has a small dimple in the open book area, it still looks very similar to a Gibson's headstock though.

You can directly order from their custom shop?

​@@diequietschbeus8181 Not that I know of. I had a running search on Reverb that notified me when the guitar was listed in Japan. The music store I purchased from had Tokai custom build three (3) 1952/R4 Goldtops, to the store's specifications. "G-CLUB Produced by Kurosawa Music" was the store I purchased from. It was the very first guitar I purchased and had imported from Japan. It was a great experience.

Couldn't agree more!

@@amaurythewarrior that’s interesting I didn’t know that. Thanks

Much closer to a 59 LP than current Made in USA Gibsons

That is true. ❤ a lot of no hopers out there.

I had to put the mk 2s back in. Upside was I got 150 quid for the Seymour though.

Yes

Not sure but it seems to work.

He was playing it last Sunday.

Bought one in London, £350, a leftie as well . Still got it.

I am not an expert just a fan!

Yes, you should watch my last live show with Kris from Pegcity Pickups. Lots of good information there.

@@addictedtogear You are absolute wrong if you think resistance is a measure of output. I'm a retired electrical engineer, and I still have a lab bench set up. A video you produced vs is not going to trump my decades of experience in the field. The only time DC resistance correlates to more output is when you have the exact pickup design with more windings. That's where folks like you get confused and start spreading misinformation. Measuring inductance will give you a more accurate approximation of output. True output would be measured in current flow. Resistance is just that. The resistance to the flow of current.

I was not arguing with you my friend, I was just suggesting you watch my last video. Cheers!@@qua7771

@@addictedtogear I did watch that video prior to this one, and not to take away from your exclent contribution to the guitar community. The thing is, this was the third video I saw where a fairly reputable person in the industry thought resistance was output. It sends the wrong message. Fender used to provide inductance specs for their pickups which would give the buyer a more reasonable approximation of output than DC resistance. Some manufacturers would provide impedance at various frequencies, which again, is not a measure of output, but frequency response. 44AWG wire will have higher DC resistance than 42AWG with the same number of turns, but will likely have the same or LESS output. A different magnet will change the output without chaining DC resistance. Same with the size and shape of the bobbin, and pole pieces. The only time DC resistance can be used top compare output is with the exact same pickup, and a different number of turns. Even then, output is NOT measured in DC resistance! I'm not arguing. I'm stating basic electrical, and electronic theory for those who have not had formal training in the field. A guitar pickup works on the same principal as a generator.

Good to know!

Some places are charging quite a bit these days but used deals still pop up from time to time…you just have to be lucky.

That depends on where you are buying from. Now or used? They can vary wildly. Check reverb for a rough idea.

And it's not short, it's a tight transitional tenon as per mid 1970s, before Gibson went to the short Made in USA rocker tenon with more glue than wood

Yeah, I got one of those too.

No one ever came up to me at a gig and said the veneer was spoiling their experience

@@JoeWalsh-pm4zf Did I say that I have Guitars with veneers but the fact is he was wrong that's all no harm just thought people liked the fact's damn didn't mean to trigger anyone.....

@@addictedtogear Hi I would like to say sorry and apologize to you sir you are right in your video when you said it was a full two piece flame maple top it does have one and I will admit I was wrong and acted like a fool hope you get this and can forgive a man that made an ass of himself thank you....

@@johnsmith-oh2xo it’s all good my friend!

Interesting.. must have been a lemon. I guess I got lucky

Probably not MIJ, MIJ are consistently outstanding in all departments.

Epiphones aren't real Les Pauls either. Have you seen those ugly headstocks?

True they arent. Theyre Les Paul style single cut. And the tokais are better quality according to 1000's of owners reviews.

and slash afd tone is not a les paul tone.

I could not care less about what is written on the headstock. If a guitar plays and sounds great…then it’s great. End of story!

A forgery would say Gibson on the headstock

Tokai guitars are in no way forgeries. They are Tokai guitars thst resemble Gibson guitars. Forgeries would pretend to be Gibsons, with Gibson labelling.