Tokai in the UK?

[maxrossell]

It's just out of curiosity more than anything, but I'm wondering if there's a good place to find info on Tokai models available in the UK and potentially a purchase source?

I've come across one or two, but firstly there appears to be a quite clear distinction between the cheaper Tokais and the more expensive ones (some of the LPs are £300, some are more like £900 and there's no indication what the difference in quality are supposed to be) and secondly I'm wondering if Tokai is even a good buy at those kinds of prices when the higher-end ones are retailing for almost the cost of a second-hand Gibson (the other day I saw a Tokai LP Special retailing for the same as a brand-new Gibson model).

Any help?

[Kitarist]

There is a store called RichToneMusic

Their site is RichToneMusic.Co.UK and the prices are ok too!!!

Well people say that Tokai guitars are somehow better than these days Gibsons but i cant say that on new Tokai guitars because i dont own any new Tokai guitar. But i can say that vintage Tokai guitars are really amazing!!!

I actually have a Tokai Stratocaster Springy Sound ST 80 from 1979 and the guitar is amazing and has that 3d mojo sound that everyone is talking about. It sounds like it has a reverb already built in And it really can compare with custom shop strats.

Anyway i think that you cant go wrong with Tokai!!!

Enjoy!!!

[johnh]

I'm not usre where you are in the UK, but the Belfast Guitar EMporium usually haas a great stock of Tokais, and a while ago was running an amazing half price sale. MIJ guitars were being sold so cheap I was really tempted. They had both Japan and Korean Tokais in stock. I hven't been in there in a while, and I think their website is under construction, but I can tell you they're very decent guys to do business with, and there would be no problem calling them and asking.

[Kitarist]

MIJ all the way!!!

[longjaw]

The cheaper Tokai's (under £300) were made in Korea and are now made in China, the expensive ones are all made in Japan.

The difference in price is obviously due to the MIJ ones being made made out of better materials (wood and electrics).

I've got a MIJ Tokai LS95F that is better than my Gibson LP Studio and was £250 cheaper!

[Kitarist]

Does anyone know any other websites that sell MIJ guitars for reasonable prices

Thanks!!!

[benecol]

It's worth a look over at tokaiforum.com - there are some dealers on there too, but in the UK, you'll be hard pressed to beat Richtone, as mentioned above, plus he's a very knowledgeable chap too. Another option is to import one direct from Japan, using eBay is the easiest option. As has also been stated above, you don't need to worry about playing a few to find a good one: they're all great - both of my SG70s have been amazing. Also, a handy way of spotting Korean vs. Japanese Tokais (and all my purple prose only applies to the Japanese Tokais) is that MIK guitars have three screws in the trussrod cover, MIJ guitars have two.

[simonm]

Originally Posted by benecol

... in the UK, you'll be hard pressed to beat Richtone...

oh - Richtone seem to have lost their RichToneMusic.Co.UK domain name, but they still have their ebay operation:
http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Rich-T..._ipgZQQ_sasiZ1

[pennylink]

Originally Posted by benecol

It's worth a look over at tokaiforum.com - there are some dealers on there too, but in the UK, you'll be hard pressed to beat Richtone, as mentioned above, plus he's a very knowledgeable chap too. Another option is to import one direct from Japan, using eBay is the easiest option. As has also been stated above, you don't need to worry about playing a few to find a good one: they're all great - both of my SG70s have been amazing. Also, a handy way of spotting Korean vs. Japanese Tokais (and all my purple prose only applies to the Japanese Tokais) is that MIK guitars have three screws in the trussrod cover, MIJ guitars have two.

Just a friendly FIY... if you go the import route, be sure to figure in approx. 22% import duty and VAT for the UK. This is levied on the shipping cost too, not just on the cost of the instrument. Good luck!

[dmaji1]

Originally Posted by GuitarTone

The LS90 (Plaintop) and 95F (Flametop) are IMO the best value for money Les Pauls on earth...half the price of a Gibson and they have a better/deeper neck joint than the 'rocker joint' LP Standard.
The MK2 PAF Vintage Tokai pickups are excellent, and the build quality is perfection.

Moving up a model or two, the LS150...basically a Gibson R8, same specs.
Deep neck joint, one piece body, brass saddles, Switchcraft and CTS pots, Sprague orange Drop, and Nitro finish...half the price of an R8.

And no worries about ordering online, you dont have to play 5 to find one good one, they're all the same, perfectly finished and setup.

Just my biased opinion.

i can vouch for the LS95F as i am a proud owner of one!
FANTASTIC guitar
i picked it up on special here in Australia for $1000, best guitar purchase of my life. the guitar sounds, looks and plays incredibly well for the price. and is 1/5th of the price of a Gibson here in Australia. so i could buy 5 Tokai's for the price of one Gibson Les Paul. when i took it in to the shop to get a setup, even the Gibson dealer commented on how fantastic this guitar was.

i recently emailed a store down in sydney about buying another Tokai, but this time an ES-335 version, they said they had 5 Tokai ES135's and 3 Gibson ES-335 and they sold all the Tokai's before they sold any Gibson's cause people kept comparing them and just were astonished at the price difference and how much better quality the ES-135 Tokai was.

Simply astonishing guitar for the price, i will be purchasing many more.

Just my VERY bias opinion lol

[Kitarist]

Originally Posted by pennylink

Just a friendly FIY... if you go the import route, be sure to figure in approx. 22% import duty and VAT for the UK. This is levied on the shipping cost too, not just on the cost of the instrument. Good luck!

Yea!!! When i started buying stuff from japan and other countries i always wondered why i has to pay so much import duty and VAT... Then i saw that shipping is also included in it.

Anyway you can also outsmart them and tell to the shop you are buying from that they can make a fake invoice that guitar is worth 100 bucks or so

It works!!!

[simonm]

Originally Posted by Kitarist

...you can also outsmart them and tell to the shop you are buying from that they can make a fake invoice that guitar is worth 100 bucks or so

It works!!!

Yeah - and then if it's damaged in transit you get $100 back....