True … there are no official dealers in the States, but we are able to purchase them from individuals and from Japan. They also are on Reverb and EBay. I purchased my first Tokai after watching your channel about a year ago. I’m totally hooked! Now I have several Tokai, Greco and Aria Pro ii Les Pauls to go along with my Gibsons… and it’s all your fault! And I gig with them weekly… Thank you, Colin!!!

My first guitar was a Tokai Love Rock, bought it second hand from McCormacks Music in 1988 for £225 but was too new to guitars to appreciate how good it was. Remember James Dean Bradfield playing one on Top of the Pops about the same time.

You are now at my top tier list of KZfaqrs!!! That means that I give your videos of thumbs-up before I even watch them because I know they're going to be good!!! Thanks for all the killer videos....

I must admit, I enjoy the hell out of your channel. I admire your love for the guitar and I am also at a stage where I have played for many years and am now getting into guitars in general… as far as how they’re made, modifications, tone woods, brands. Watching you review them, modify them, is like seeing myself if I had a KZfaq Channel. Many of the projects you take on you figure out as you go and film it to share the experience with everyone else. I really enjoy your humor and just wanted to say, great job!! Keep up the good work.

You can guarantee that the fit and finish on an MIJ Tokai is going to be close to perfect. I've often seen tool marks on the fretboards and binding of Custom Shop Gibsons, but never on Tokais. To the best of my knowledge though, Tokai copies of American guitars have never sold new in the US. They've sold some other guitars, or modified guitars. But the American companies have always pressured Tokai out of selling direct competition (and for a while in the late '90s through early 2000s, Tokai was building Fenders for Fender Japan). Unfortunately your guy at the shop wasn't super up to speed with the details. CTS pots are one of the perks with their premium MIJ guitars. There are some other subtle differences not much talked about - slightly different inlay materials - including the logo. And no, the Tokai Mk II pickup is not a PAF type. I believe it was designed as a compromise so that they have only one humbucker in their lineup. Hot enough for people who want high gain stuff but capable of a decent bluesy sound. It's a pro quality pickup, just that it's probably not going to satisfy either the high gain or the PAF camp. I think my bridge measured 12-point-something K. I put Bareknuckle PG Blues in it and it sounds absolutely stunning. Tokai's naming system - like lots of Japanese companies - is a bit insane and was designed for an era of virtually zero inflation. Those names you've been given are no longer the official names of these models. British distributers seem to have settled on the names from around 2010. My LS150 is from 2010 and is the Premium plain-top, the same as the current British LS150. But that guitar is actually currently called and LS214. It's suggested retail was 150,000 Yen in 2010, but it's 214,000 Yen now. Your guitar is actually an LS140 (Tokai might have stamped them with the British preferred names along with the modified British headstock, but that's what the model is generally called now elsewhere). It's all a bit painful. That neck shape though, is just perfect. All the MIJ Tokai LPs have the same neck. I far prefer it over my Gibsons. In fact the whole guitar is just better in every way than my Gibsons. I should probably baby it a bit more given that it now retails for over 2,000 pounds (!) but I do feel very comfortable gigging it compared to Gibsons too. It's a hair away spec-wise from a Custom Shop Gibson but you can feel comfortable taking it to pub gigs.

Great video. My mom purchased a new Memphis Les Paul copy in the early 70's for me for my birthday and I loved it. I still have a 1982 MIJ strat and would never get rid of it. In fact I unloaded my American strats a long time ago. The Japanese simply put make a heck of a guitar!

Here in Japan, the price of 129 has been revised to 140, and the actual selling price is about 120,000 yen, and the price of 148 with veneer frame top is the same. Les Paul Tribute is 150,000 yen, Studio is 200,000 yen, Standard is 350,000 yen, now. Tokai is worth trying.I tried a lighter Les Paul with weight relief and lost to the Tokai.

Looks great both with and without pickguard/scratchplate. The fact that you feel more comfortable playing it without answers the question for me. Sounds great too.

It's so awesome to watch as Colin works thru why he needs the next guitar which then leads to the one after that!

I live in Japan so they’re easier to get, and I have 2 Love Rocks from 2022. I found the pickups to be too hot so I replaced them with Monty’s low wind PAF’s. I also rewired all the electronics and replaced the bridges and tailpieces with Faber parts. I also have a ‘79 LS80 and a Tokai ES130. Obviously I’m a Tokai fan.

I’m in the ‘scratchplate off’ camp, I think it just looks prettier. Aesthetically, each to their own and all that, the Tokai violin burst is obviously your sweet spot. For me, the Stoner Les Paul you got last week looks gorgeous. There’s something about a lemon burst/lemondrop Les Paul that just does it for me!

I owned a black tokai TST-56 back in the 90s. Traded it to my friend long ago. He still has it. Still one of the best strats i have ever played.

I could listen to you talk about guitars forever. Awesome content. Love the guitar choice (as a proud Tokai LS95 owner myself). Loved to see the deep dive into it. Would be great to see more.

That's a lovely finish on that Love Rock. The polyester looks fine and doesn't appear plasticky in the video. I'm not mad on overly figured woods either. I think that they start looking like a piece of furniture when the top is too striped, quilted or book-matched. A bit of unusual or distinctive grain can be more interesting.

Ive had a Tokai SG with the 3 pickups for years, I heard about the legend that the Japanese were giving Gibson a run for their money and I wanted to learn more so really enjoyed this video.They're a beautiful guitar and it was good to find out more about something that Ive had for years.

Terrific video, this one. Looks a belting guitar. On a technical note, your lighting on your videos is superb. Very professional. I can’t imagine how much effort goes into that, but I for one really appreciate your production values. Bravo, mate.

I remember the Rev Billy Gibbons playing a Tokai, one of the first models. Great looking Les Paul and sounds sweet too, great video as always Colin. I too love the plain tops, they have a way of looking like an old guitar. ✌️

I love this channel and as a fellow Englishman I appreciate a good winge! That Tokai is a thing of wonder, amazing quality and such a looker. Its very much like a classic car, hard not to look at! Thanks for your hard work on these vids!

“I suppose I’ve got to have one really haven’t I ?” Spoken like a true addict.. cheers Colin 🖤

One of the best guitars I ever had (and yet another 'I sold it' tale of woe) was an early 90's Japanese built Ibanez Artist with the builders signature on the back plate. I chose it only just above a Yamaha SG2000, and both guitars were better than the Les Pauls I tried at the time. It was an utter joy to play and those Flying Fingers pickups were awesome, but they just know how to finish a product properly - and to the highest degree. The bigger companies just slap things together and meeting targets seems to be more important than taking pride in their product. Same thing applies to their cars too. I loved that guitar but wasn't playing in a band for a while and it got sold. Deep regret.

I had a Tokai LS138, absolutely stunning guitar and build quality. The Japanese Tokais are works of art. I sold it because I wanted a 60s neck and replaced it with a Gibson 60s LP, lovely guitar but quality shocking compared to the Tokai. If Tokai did a 60s neck I'd have that over the Gibson

Would you ever consider reviewing a Kiesel? I think watching you customize and buy + review a Kiesel would make for a great couple videos!

Hi here I am again plugging the Epiphone Les Paul Muse: 7.27 pounds. You should try a Les Paul Muse. Greatest neck profile ever and super weight relieved! And the price is also very affordable ❤ About pickguard yes or no: yes when combined with pokerchip. If you take it off, the poker chip gots to go too 😅

I really liked the video, mate. I have a thought to share with you: I believe guitars should be judged on their own merits, and when we can, set our feelings about the corporate world aside. I have mates who work for Gibson. They love music and guitars. They are the ones building the instruments and not the suits in ivory towers. Regular working folks pour their hearts into the guitars. I politely disagree with you about always making a compromise when owning a Gibson. I have owned a half dozen Les Pauls over the years. I've had nothing but good experiences. I understand that this may be different for another person. For me, however, a Les Paul is a thing of joy and the source of a joyful noise. When it comes to Tokai, in the States they are hard to come by because of copyright infringement. Thank you for showing off that lovely specimen and sharing all the tidbits about the build. I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Thank you.

It would be good to see a comparison between this and the Japanese Revstar.

This is your guitar Colin! Love Warren. 😎

My hot tip for people who are thinking about Japanese versions of classic guitars: the Yamaha SA2200 is basically a 345 competitor. I've had three 335's and when I decided the third ALSO wasn't right for me and started looking, I put an SA2200 and a 355 on my list of local guitars to check out. I tried the SA2200 and had to buy it. And it was so cheap, I kept going down my to-do list and checked out the 355 (a 2021 plaintop natural) and I had to buy that too. It was 3-4x the price of the Yamaha but I think the quality is equal, Yamaha POSSIBLY just slightly better assembly/manufacture. The feel is also very comperable with Yamaha again POSSIBLY more to my taste. The Yamaha has a slightly lower-power pickup, just a touch more jazz less blues/rock, a little clearer, tiny bit less midrange and more bell-like clarity. I love them both and play them about equally. If you're looking at ES-335/345/355, you HAVE to try the SA2200 just once. You may not like it but give it a shot.

Proud owner of two MIJ tokai love rock here. LS126 and LS186 great guitars!

It looks much better without the scratch plate. I like the poly finish. It doesn't crack up over the long run. CTS makes more than one grade pot. For example, Epiphone metric CTS pots are lower grade than the Gibson Imperial pots. Also, Sprague orange drop caps are the originals and the gold standard. Unbranded or obscure orange drops can be anything. If you like a little microphonics, try the flat ceramic caps. Great vid, hope you're making money soon!

Put the pickguard screws back in the empty holes. It covers up the open hole, and you will be able to find them easily when you put it back on.

Love the shows! Can’t wait for the Gibson V Tokai shootout! Don’t worry about the playing. I like the fact that you do a loop and play over it. The fact that you play some of the same riffs/ideas I can get an actual tone comparison. Playing a different guitar with different music is of course going to sound different….. but is it?

Have just put cts pots with orange drop capacitors in my uls 136f tokia Les Paul and wired it 50s style did not have to reem the pot holes, I had exact same Korean pots and capacitors and no reaming needed

Loved the "Guitar Safari" episode! Love this Tokai review too! Great work Colin! 👍to growing this channel!!

For what it's worth, Colin, your channel offers so much more than how you play guitar...I don't watch your channel for the playing, I watch because I enjoy your content and I like your style of presentation; you entertain me!

Don’t sell yourself short Colin. Your playing is fantastic. That Tokai fit you well

International man of mystery. Goes where very few dare to go. You are killing it, Colin!

My 1979 Deluxe weighs 10 and a half pounds. I’ve played it for 44 years, and still notice the weight every time I pick it up. Lol However it’s mine and has never had any issues. And I suppose it’s vintage now, as I am🧐🎸lol

I think they look better with the pick guard. And, I wouldn't like the screw holes that would be left behind. I also would rather the pick guard be scratched than the finish. It's beautiful, of course..

Hey mate, don't be too hard on yourself regarding your playing. You're a living legend and many of us enjoy your videos. True you're no Julian Lage, but none of us are and that's not the point of your channel. Now I'm more of a Tele guy and your channel is mostly LPs and 335 style guitars, but I just love watching your videos because of your love for the craft, and the sense of humor. I play an Eastman T59/v, a head to head with a 335 would be so awesome!

To me, the pickguard, is how I always remember a Les Paul looking , growing up…without one, it looks more modern! Cheers!

I have an '85 Love Rock. One piece back, plain top, 18° headstock, nitro, export headstock. It's got a Bill Lawrence original in the bridge.

Colin, you are really too critical on yourself. You are doing just great! Tokai are awesome guitars. I own a 1980 Tokai Les Paul and I made the same modifications as you did on yours plus a bome nut. And I took the scratchplate off, because I thinkl it looks so much better without it. If you don't like the holes, just put the screws back in to close them.

I just bought a brand new uls136 vf from treblerock in Bristol and I couldn't be happier. I was after a les paul for my collection as ive never had one, I'm more of an sg guy. So I spent the day over in Bristol playing lots of lp standards and to be honest It was a pretty underwhelming affair. When I picked up the tokai I was blown away, immaculate finishing, stunning flame top, violin burst, perfect setup and incredible sound. IMHO I couldn't care less what it says on the headstock, the quality of the instrument speaks for itself. I would say it's the quality of a 5k plus custom shop gibson for less money than a new les paul standard. No Brainer in my book 👌

MIJ guitars are typically really nice. From my experience with a few their weakness is frets. Not that the fretwork is bad, but they seem softer and wear much quicker. Love my Epi LQJ, looks very similar to this one.

A shame they are not more widely available in the UK i'd buy one in a second

I still have an LS60 (MIJ) from 1985, ebony with zebra humbuckers, a lovely player.

Hey Colleen, I just thought to touch base and thank you for my newest illness. Yes, you my friend passed your Gibson Bug across the Pond to Ohio. I’m 50 miles east of Cleveland’s R-N-R Hall of Fame. So anyway I bit the Bullet and purchased a Black Gibson SG Special. It comes in Two Days . And listed here in the US for $1,599.00 plus with all the usual add ups it grew to $1,750,00. So this is it for a while. I have 20 + cheap knockoffs begging for my attention. Plus I already bought all the parts to swap. But I do love this guitar virus many seem to have. God Bless and Happy Scales to You, until we meet again….Bum Ba Dedumm, Bum Ba Dedumm…… Keep up the good work. And the Fun Stuff Too.

Edwards (ESP) and Burny (Fernandes) have each offered some incredible Gibson clones over the years, and still offer a few very worthy copies to this very day.

I don't think I've ever played a badly built Japanese guitar whether it was Fender, Tokai, Westbury etc. And that one sounds magic, great buy.

Differences between standard and premium Tokai Japanese LP copies are (i believe): premium are lacquer with one piece bodies, long neck tenon, bridge has brass saddles, and aluminium tail bar. Possibly better caps/pots.. Premium also sometimes have uprated pickups. I've had 2 standard LP's - a gold top with p90's (loved it) and a wine-red custom. Also 2 Breezysounds. All great. I currently own an ES224 premium, which has become my favourite guitar (i have 8, all top spec Japanese). Can't speak too highly of Tokai. If you want a quality instrument rather than a statement they're unbeatable.

Just gotta say, I love how you play mate! Great phrasing and feel. Keep the riffs and licks coming 👌

id love to see more strats on here. ive been binging your videos the last 3 days and i havent seen one or even heard why you maybe arent such a fan ? love to hear some opinions on such an iconic line

Those yellow capacitors are Hosco made in Japan, just recently bought a tokia USL 136f brilliant guitar well made

I remember reading about these 20 years ago and guitarists swearing they were fantastic. I used to own two Gibson Les Paul guitars I wish I never sold. I might pick up one of these Love Rocks after seeing new Gibson prices 😮

Considering the price and from what I can see it has better quality than many Gibsons. This guitar is on par. The tone is what I like personally! Also, I meant to mention that if you change the stop bar configuration you get brighter tones and more sustain.

A "cuppa tea and some nibbles" sound really good right now! Small US town, and we had a music shop for a minute. One of the owners had an "Ibanez Les Paul" and it was a fantastic guitar! I wouldn't call it a knock-off because it had a different shape and all. It just knocked the signature... odd ANYWHO! That sounded fantastic!

Played one last month, the neck is awesome to play. I also have a 2022 50’s Standard LP, weighing in at exactly 4 kg and perfectly made. I have been lucky finding a Gibson, well made, plays great, and good weight, took me a long time finding it. Have owned several Japanese Tokais and they were all perfectly made great playing guitars, worth every penny.

Welcome to the Japanese Tokai owners club:-) A suggestion.. buy the nitro Tokai (You can never have too many) and borrow a Gibson for the videos.. Tokai also have custom shop quality guitars.. I have one ls 420. Half the price and better quality than the you know who. Cheers

What a gorgeous guitar. I have a 1980 MIJ Tokai Love Rock Gold Top. My favorite over any Gibson Les Paul

Greetings Colin, I'm with you about prefering a plain top over flamed top. My Les Paul I picked out because the Flame is minimal. Well and as for Tokai, we all know the Japanese have an extremely high quaiity standard. They would rather jump into the river before letting something out of the factory that were'nt 100%. Have a nice weekend and thank you and crew for another fun Video. Greetings from Germany Michael

Please never use the phrase "I've got to have one in the arsenal" ever again. I spat my tea all over my keyboard.

I enjoyed this one but heck I enjoy all your reviews. Cheers Sir, I had a cup tea earl grey to be exact while watching. I got “Stuck In” again!

Another great video mate. Love the channel. You’re right with the comparison between this and The Eastman. I’ve owned a couple of Tokai’s in the past - one of which was a Lawsuit era with ‘Les Paul’ on the headstock. The Eastman is just too expensive for a Chinese made guitar - The Tokai is Japanese and have that reputation and lineage to go with it. There’s no comparison. Btw, you are right it does look like Nitro. I wouldn’t have thought it was Poly. I’d love to see you review an Edwards now 😉

Hi mates, and thanks for another great video. I just wanted to say, don‘t push yourself too much. Most of the time your playing is great and i like that you don‘t make it look easy but show and tell how much effort it is to become the best guitar player one can be. By sounding similar it is easier to hear the differences between all these guitars. A lot of times i‘m looking up to you, thinking i want to sound like that someday. Greetings Jens.

Great show Colin, appreciate the effort every week for us guitar addict’s , you are a decent bloke mate a decent player and all round good egg , you do not need to be hard on yourself mate , we are all players of an average/good ability otherwise we would be all rock stars , it’s the love and passion of guitars and your honesty and humour we are here for mate 👍🏻👍🏻 and I’m a Strat lover 😆 Cheers 70s John

We can get them here but you have to be careful....there are counterfeit Tokai's too. We have Tokai dealers here but not for these models. The price point you paid would make a killing over here. Appreciate the content and as always.....rock on!

Title reminded me of "Banned in the USA" by 2 Live Crew. Awesome song.

Just ordered myself an LS156S Gold Top P90s single wraparound bridge. Very excited!

That guitar looks and sounds great. It very much reminds me of my 2009 Gibson Traditional, in both color and sound. I wonder if a Gibson truss rod cover would match up with the holes drilled for the Tokai truss rod cover? I still think Gibson have the best looking truss rod covers. I would love to own one of those Tokai.

I had one Tokai LP long time ago , loved it ! Guitars are tools for me , so the sound rules over finish . Shure there are differeses . Been to Denmark street in London , were there were a hole floor with Tokais . If you just don't care to pay a lot more for a Gibson , why not a Tokai , Burny Ibanez or Greco ? Had a Fender Stratocaster Japan for many years to , loved that one to...

Hey Colin, We definitely have similar tastes. I love Eastman and Tokai. I have a couple Tokai Love Rocks. A 2004 LS80. It's nice and lite. MIJ of course. However, my Love Rock LS196 is custom shop style, so to speak. Here are the specs of the LS196. I put in some photos. The 196 is supposedly comparable to a 1957. It weighs in at 9.47lbs, plain topchuncky C neck. Here are the specs, they're with listing. Body: 1 piece African mahogany Top: 2 piece Canadian maple Neck: 1 piece African mahogany Fingerboard: Indian rosewood 🎉 Frets: Sanko SBB-213 (med jumbo)+Nut: cow bone Pick ups: PAF -Vintage MK2 2x Pots: CTS 2Vol, 2Tone Switch: 3 way, Switchcraft Bridge: Tone-pro with nylon saddles (the only modified part) , I have the HLS-VT brass saddle bridge. Tailpiece: HLS-VB lightweight aluminum Capacitor: Sprague orange droop Tuning keys: Gotcha SD-90SL Jack: Switchcraft Finish: Nitrocellulose Color: tobacco burst MIJ Weight : 9,47lbs I'm having troubles sending photos, sorry

sounded brilliant clean with no pedals, reminded me of the old les Paul sounds, Stan Webb etc.

Great stuff Col. Pick guard off gets my vote. That bridge pickup is a Van Halen kind of output.

I don't mind the title or thumbnail one bit, Colin! I'm watching all of your videos either way, and it's only a good thing if it helps your channel grow. You're doing something really awesome here, and I enjoyed this episode just like all the others. 🤘

Have you looked at Crews Maniac Sound and Navigator Les Pauls? You could get a Crews LED '59 and compare it to a Gibson R9. It would be the ultimate😀

I just saw a Bengal burst Gibson Les Paul Axcess for the first time yesterday and I know theyve been out for a bit, but wow, it may be the best finish ever. The Tokai is lovely. Its cool that you got one.

I have an ‘82 Tokai Silver Star (their ‘Strat’) and I love it. It’s become my favorite guitar.

I tell you, I only own one Gibson. It's a Wildwood Select Les Paul Standard 50's. It's beautiful and when I first got it, my other guitars collected dust for several months.

Rumbleseat in Nashville has one on the floor. $3900.00(+ tax) price tag

Colin! If you’re prepared to blow over two grand on another Tokai, then it’s time for a Rickenbacker review! And while your perusing, why not review a decent 12 string - Ibanez Artcore would be great. No rush , but next week would be good 😊👍🏻

That is one gorgeous Tokai! Congrats! I keep going back and forth with the pickguard thing. Sometimes I like it better with it on, sometimes I like it better with it off.

That is an excellent sounding guitar. Absolutely love the hotter pickups, especially when you made that neck pickup growl. Frikin awesome.

When that loose tail piece slid off the shiny, new guitar body, I think I gasped in horror for a second! Hope it didn't scratch.

Received my Love Rock this week and checked it over - there's things I like and things I don't - some may matter to others and some may not but I'll give a run down. It has an awesome quilt top in dark red - book matched and the photos I saw of it don't do it justice, it's really nice. Neck/body joint is really good. The slots in the bone nut are not proportionally spaced - they are closer to being equally spaced which has the effect of the wound strings feeling closer together than the plain strings. The top of the nut needs to be filed down a little as the top of the wound strings are level with the top of the nut, and the plain strings are sitting deeper in the nut than I think they should - I would have done it so that only half the diameter of the wound strings is in the nut slot, and half is above the top of the nut, and made the plain slots be the same depth as the string so that the top of the plain strings is level with the top of the nut. The fret ends are not the best - every fret has a burr on it on both bass and treble side and when looked at closely you can see a file mark all the way along the binding edge where it appears as though someone just ran a file along both edges to maybe try and smooth the burrs but it didn't succeed. Two of the four knobs have a crack in them and you can feel this with your fingernail - I know this isn't unique but it's there. It sounds good with a decent amount of bottom end and has enough mid and high end but not too much and has good sustain, weighs 4.2kg and has a slightly fatter neck than my Gibson Standard and Custom - but I don't mind it - it doesn't feel too thick, it's just a little meatier than I'm used to but I do like it. Overall I'm happy with it - I'll smooth out the fret ends and carefully file down and polish the nut although I wasn't expecting to have to do this. As I said, some of these things may matter to you and some wont but it is a really nice guitar.

The only LP style guitar I own is a Canadian made 2014 Prestige Classic I have about 1200. C$ into it which includes a Gibson wiring set to split the standard Seymour Duncan pup set. Its all the les paul anyone needs imho. I think it sounds every bit as good as the R9s Gibson was flogging for around 7k. That Tokai certainly has a killer voice that could tackle any blues rock or country you could play on it. The moral of the story is that while its nice to look at the big G headstock, you can get the same thing for substantially les coin if you take your time and you know where to look. I always enjoy your humour Colin thanks for posting, its a nice respite from the madness of this sometimes noisy world. Cheers!

Excellent and honest channel! Man, you must be a very old breed of UK gentlemen, are you? Have you noticed the new trend in YT editing whereby they cut out all the dead space between the period of the last sentence and the capital letter of the next sentence? It’s infuriating. I tune out the second I realise the method is being used. Thank you for your thoroughness, attention to detail, and respect for listeners. Cheers!

I remember seeing one in a window around 1983 and desperately wanting it. Was about £400ish which was way out my school boy reach of course. I bought one about ten years ago because I never forgot that longing. I liked the breezy sound tele also, just the feel of it. Big wide easy neck. I'm still a Gibson Fender guy mind you.

Thank you for another superb review, Colin. I think the DC resistance of the bridge pickup puts it roughly in the ballpark of 498t, which is a solid hard rock pickup, in my opinion. Don't be hard on yourself, in terms of your playing Colin. You've got your own playing style we all appreciate and enjoy.

That’s a stunning looking guitar Col. Can’t see it toppling the Eastman in a shoot-out, but will be very interesting to see how Tokai compare to the big G. Have a Tokai Explorer - it’s a superb gtr.

Hi, another great video. I love your work. Thank you. About 15 years ago I had a Japanese Tokai from the early 80’s. Les Paul custom, black, it was light and brilliant. I bought a Gibson 57 custom shop for far more money and it was a dog. I sold the Gibson. Eventually so sold the Tokai and I wish I hadn’t. They’re silly money now

They can be had here in the states used. Not new. Reverb has a lot of them and ebay. Some are being sold from Japan and some are being sold by owners and dealers in the USA. Used of course.

Relent in depth review as ever . But this time you covered the Japanese made one , I've owned mine for the last 14 years and it really is a special guitar , fantastic build and finish . The only thing I changed at one stage was upgraded pickups ,and to be honest I couldn't really hear any real difference ! Mine is the made in Japan LS 75Q and will definitely never let this one go 🎸👍

Fantastic channel, and insight into the world of Les Pauls. Inspired by this, and by chance, I just managed to make a trade for a nearly new Japanese Tokai LS140 in Violin Finish. Wow, it plays like butter. Love the plain top, and the neck is just right. I'd previously owned a Gibson Standard, Traditional and an Eastman SB59 but this is the first Les Paul that has felt truly comfortable to play and that I could actually bond with and play regularly. That's huge from a strat guy like myself. I'd sold on the others a long time ago and pretty much gave up on owning another Les Paul, despite loving their tones. The only singlecut I've ever kept in the collection has been a PRS Tremonti, which is its own thing. Now I'm thinking why stop at just one Tokai, if I make it to Japan next year I think another might just have to come home with me. If I can persuade the wife to break the one guitar in, one out policy.

I've just watched this again for the third time. Man do I love this guitar, and your playing of it.

I have a 2012 ls160 paid £900 for it 6 years ago (second hand in mint condition) awesome guitar it's an R9 killer

I am a happy owner of a 1980 Tokai Love Rock LS-60. It is an absolutely amazing instrument. If you don't have a problem with used guitars, I think an "original" Tokai from the lawsuit-era is a great deal. For a fraction of the price of a new MIJ Tokai you can get a vintage instrument that smash Gibson from the same period. Compared to my 1995 Gibson Les Paul it is just a little lower, but definitely on the same level.

Morning Colin, yes, in my humble opinion you need a pickguard with a plain top.

Hello again. I like this video. I have what was sold to me on reverb as a I think TC65. I think that is right. Not as nice as your 129 but it stays in tune maybe a bit better than my Gibby. A '99 LP STD in tobacco burst. Heavy and out weighs my Tokai by several lbs. Thanks, Your 129 is a beauty. I put a set of Mules in it.

Thumbs up brother, may the crowd continue to grow,you speak guitars very well, and it's a blast watching the guitars come and go,us guitar affectionados eat this content up, you always present such fine specimens,thanks for sharing.

My local store in Birmingham sell the premium Tokai models. They have ebony boards on these love rocks.