Tokai FV 60 (M Schenker)

This is a review you HAVE to read: the review is abou the Tokai Schenker paint job Flying V (they also do a white version), but I also have a genuine '78 Gibson V to compare it with. Copies are all well and good, but how do they stack up to the real deal....now you'll know!
The guitar is new, so guess 2007/ 2008 manufacture and originated in China. Why did I but it?.....huge Michael Schenker fan, but primarily worry about giving my 30 year old V a right good seeing to, when I'm in the mood. I've had an '85 Custom Shop Gibson and didn't get on with it, so I know I'm only happy with the 'blunt head' (mainly 70's) Vs. I saw the Tokai, saw the blunt head, knew Tokai were excellent copies (had a pre-litigation Strat once) and took a flyer on buying without playing.
Hardware is as per 70's V; stop tailpiece and Gibbo style tunomatic, two exposed coil humbuckers, three position switch, passive elecs. Set neck and body material unknown. Finish very high gloss black and white, although the black/ white joint goes a bit out of kilter around the V behind the bridge. Tuners are M6 Schaller (non-locking) copies. The neck is a very good 'feel' copy of the Gibson, but notably wider. Depth and profile about right. Frets are fatties set into a rosewood neck, which itself is inlaid with Mother of toilet seat, or similar, dot markers. Only included accessories were a fetching cardboard box and a (shortish) jack lead. To be fair 'feature richness' is not the forte of any V, so rated accordingly.

Okay...sound out of the (cardboard) box was pretty powerful and enough to get a good overdriven sound out of a Marshall 3005 Micro Stack (I have bigger stuff, but it offends the neighbours). For reference, a USA Standard Strat doesn't really have enough poke to get a decent overdrive out of the mini Marshall. On this basis, I'd day the Tokai has plenty of mV to kick out. It's pretty much a humbucking electrified plank, so relies heavily in the pickups. I replaced the bridge pickup with a DiMarzio Super II pretty much straight away and it now sounds brighter, with more glassiness and I think it's superb. Neck pickup is still as supplied, but I think a '59 PAF type Seymour would be worth fitting. I summary, the OE pickups are powerful but somewhat thick....some might say muddy, but generally OK. The OE Gibsons are less powerful, but clearer, on the whole.

This is the less successful part of the Tokai: string action was measured in millimetres and bridge set way too high. Strings in nut too high too. In fact the nut is the worst bit on the whole guitar; slots would take 40's even on the top E side and the whole thing was as ergonomic as...well....a brick! Headstock lead up to nut was not flat and finish around nut not great. For those bothered the truss rod cover isn't quite the shape of the Gibson and the screw holes by the nut aren't parallel. I also set the action down using the bridge and, by the time it was approaching reasonable, string bending around 15th fret was choking. Further investigation showed neck needed a tweak on the truss rod and there was a low 15th fret. Concluded a fret file was required; I can do this, but most people would be advised to get it done professionally. Nut filed to sort out string height and remove the excess material so you don't injure your hand. Now it's action is great. Pickguard (non-laminated) is in two halves, so can be a bit annoying when mucking around changing pickups. Three of the pickguard screws were stripped as supplied. Some of the machine heads felt rough, so will replace soon with Klusons, Schallers or genuine Gotohs. This all sounds abysmal, but remember what the genuine article will cost - ??2k? (a Genuine Michael Schenker V went for ??16k a couple of years ago!) I paid ??279 for the Tokai, so a few quid here and there to pull it up to scratch is nothing really! Paint finish high gloss and generally good, apart from minor wonkiness and damage around nut.

Now it's sorted, it feels solid enough - no worse than the Gibson (which is pretty lightweight), indeed the body is thicker than the Gibson (fortunately, so my pull-pot will fit). The Tokai is just as neck heavy as the Gibbo, so you wouldn't notice the difference when swapping between the two. The Tokai finish seems harder than the Gibson, so I don't have any fears on that score. Strap buttons big and securely fixed (but I'd fit straplocks for a gig, to be safe). In fact, I'd use the Tokai as my first guitar, with the Gibson as backup...close encounters with mic stands and drum kits dictate that! I'd never gig without a backup - even playing with hybrid 10s.

Only just got it and wouldn't bother unless it fell in two!

I've been playing for 25 years or so (but still no real lead player) and use Marshalls - nothing else does it for me I'm afraid, although I did use a Scholtz 100w Rockman for a while...........through Marshall cabs!! Currently using Marshall 9004 preamp through a Marshall 20/20 power amp (or a self built 240 watt MOSFET power amp, if the 20/20 isn't big enough for the job!!!) and two Marshall 4x10 cabs. No footpedals.
Not sure there's anything I'd have asked before buying; I have to have blunt head V's so reissue Gibbos and faded, although cheap, don't feel the same. The Tokai, when fettled, feels every bit as good as the Gibson, although the extra neck width detracts slightly, but isn't a huge issue. I don't actually know of another 70s V copy on the market, although I did see an ESP Schenker replica, but that retailed for over a grand.
Overall, it's a good approximation of the blunt head V and the detail finish isn't great in places (but the audience won't know!) I highly recommend updating the Tokai harware - decent tuners and pickups, but you don't have to do it all at once as I have done.