Tokai Love Rock Gold Top

1981 LS 80 Gold top japan-Solid matched maple -dark looks to be brazillian rosewood- correct 18 degree headstock slant(more sustain)Jumbo frets with covered binding-Kluson style tuners-Very comfortable 50's neck-perfect size not to big or small aluminumn stop-tail piece-abr style tunamatic bridge-the gold paint is nitro-lacquor-close to the Gibson color but not exact.darkback...the guys at Tokai actually applied the gold paint over a real flame maple top!! not veneer...you can see the flame when you angle the guitar in the sunlight...I may refinish it sometime but It looks fine the way it is... I owned a real 1953 Gibson that was converted to a 58..(real Paf Pickups) unfortunately the bottom of the neck started bowing and I had to get a luthier to shave off some of the rosewood ..but I sold the guitar and got rid of the problem(now they are going for around 25,000 grand...my mistake)I got a PRS McCarty and liked it ...but it got stolen out my van...I was in the market for a Les Paul type guitar...a good friend of mine who was the local expert on Les Paul guitars saw the tokai on ebay and I purchased it

The guitar came with WCR Fillmore pickups -this is not original -the original pups that came in this model were the Gotoh paf clones-I heard they were good-The only difference between the LS-80 and the higher models are the paint and pups...LS-100 got dimarzios-LS-120 got seymours-LS-150 which was the top-of the-line in 81 got whatever the customer wanted-Tokai now has higher model# but the LS-80 had all the wood features I wanted plus it was upgraded to Fillmore pickups which are fantastic sounding..none of that 70's icepick tone..warm glassy and a unique violin type of sustain not even found on the real pafs..these pups are handwound and I have played some pafs that had the "magic" these definately have a mojo to them-the guitar sounds much better than my 53 conversion-Gibson Les Paul--I owned two other 70's G.Les Pauls that are not even in the ballpark..in fairness their pups were pedestrian-The PRS McCarty did not sound near as good ..the pups on the PRS were pretty tame

Had the action set up proffessional so the strings were even making it easy to play slide and fret..the action is very low and the guitar is probably the easiest to play since the prs-I believe Tokai even routed the PUP wire like they did in 59. some say routing affects the tone- I can't say enough about the Tokai neck -one piece mahoghany round and comfortable..as nice as the 53' (that was a great neck ) I prefer this neck to the 1968 Gibson Les Paul my friend owned and all the 70's Pauls I owned..tokai puts a circuit board in the control cavity on these guitars..The fellow who sold me the guitar put in good pots and caps , though they probably could use some spray

When I got the guitar ..I thought it was just a low priced replacement for my Les Paul and Mccarty..It is much more..This has become my favorite guitar and I love it more everytime I pick it up-This is my main axe -People who hear it are floored -I was a doubter of Japanese quality for years..I probably cracked the most jokes about Japanese guitars..Take it from me, until you've owned a good quality Japanese Les Paul then you don't know what you're talking about

I've been playing for 38 years and own strats-danelectros-archtops-acoustics-I play Blues-Jazz-Funk-Fingerpick-and Rock styles for a living...If the guitar was stolen I would not be a happy camper-because this guitar with the features it has would probably cost over 1600 bucks -I like this Tokai the best ..don't need any other guitar to do the Job

This is a new (2006) Tokai Les Paul Gold Top. I looked at the [sycamore flame top] but the 'flashy' looks wouldn't match my 'un-flashy' playing!
It has the mapel laminate top with a nice sparkle gold top.
Normal control layout and pickups - as this is a copy of the 57 style Gibson.
I'm not sure the Kluson style tuners will last the test of time - and I'll probably fit the [fairly new design] locking mini Grovers.
Some people change the truss rod cover for the Gibson bell shape - but this one looks fine to me - and it will stay as it is.
Tokai supply a brilliant quality gig bag - better than Fender did with my last Strat!

Best thing about this guitar, is that it sounds good acoustically - unlike the 2 genuine Gibson Les Pauls I have previously owned.
This is probably down to the 'brighter' wood used by Tokai - it won't be as dense as Gibson mahogany.
My Gibson Les Paul Standard Heritage 80 was a beautiful flame top [from the first batch - less than 100 on the serial #] but only sounded good played loud through a Marshall - the classic reason for owning I suppose. However, the Tokai is more tolerant of lower 'bedroom' volume - and sounds great through my old 57 tweed Fender Harvard - or my 65 Fender Delux Reverb. I don't have any 'modern' amps at the moment, but the Deluxe is a 'tone monster' and suits my Fender guitars - and this Tokai.
Front pickup sounds jazzy when clean - real bluesy when cranked. Both pickups together sound good too - but the bridge is a litle thin for me.
I have some Seymour's knocking around somewhere - so may do a transplant in the future.
I have also thought about changing the chrome plate brisge and tail for nickel parts - but what's the point? I may however use the CTS pots I've had stored awhile - and a Switchraft toggle - instead of the stuff in there now.
I had a Tokai Firebird for a short while - the neck pickup in that gave a better 'woman tone' than anything I've ever heard....so Tokai's pickups are good for the price.....but I may still use the SD Jazz in the neck - and a Custom Custom in the bridge at some stage.

Set up out of the box was good - but the strings are a litytle light for me, so stainless stell 10-48's are going on. There isn't much relief in the neck either - so I'll slacken the truss rod a tad - and the heavier strings should do the rest. I prefer a bit of air betwenn the board and the strings to let the sound resonate.
General finish is good for a #299 guitar - and far exceeds the genuine Gibson's that are coming out of the factory lately - have you seen those 'pale pink' fingerboards?
I looked at the more expensive Japanese version of this guitar as well - there isn't much in it - and I actually prefer this Korean guiatr (first time I've ever owned anything made in Korea). Normally, I would go for USA and Japan manufacture.

No reason why this guitar shouldn't last a lifetime with proper care.
Mis-treat any instrument - no matter where it was made - or how much it cost - and it will need attention at some time.

Dealer was brilliant (Richtone Music, Sheffield UK)thanks James.
There is good UK back-up for Tokai from the importers.

Been playing for over 40 years - and have owned most guitars and amps that everyone dreams of from Vox to Marshall - Boogie to Fender.
Mainly play old Strats - but have just bought a Mexican Esquire - and it's brilliant!
Regret selling some stuff - but not the Boogie.
We only pass through this world anyway - so no one keeps anything forever - although I may want to be buried with my 64 Fiesta Red Strat!

This is a 1981 Tokai love rock that is a scary close copy of a 56 Gibson goldtop with p-90s featuring a factory copy of a Bigsby vibrato. It actually has "Tigsby" cast into it! The story on this is neat: I talked a friend into buying this guitar back in 1984 at this sleazy music store that was in a bad part of South Nashville. The guy that owned the store was a fly-by-night kinda character(years later he burned the store down trying to scam the insurance company). Any way, this guitar was actually one of the guitars used in Gibson's landmark lawsuit against the Japanese copy makers.This guy bought them all from Gibson on the cheap after some time had passed.He had a ton of them. My pal and I went down and picked this one because of the gold top, tremolo and p90's
I lost contact with my buddy, and 10 years later (1994), I saw him out at a concert. We caught up and exchanged numbers. We met for lunch the next week, during which he asked if I still played and told me he had quit. He said he had something in the car he wanted me to have. Low and behold it was the tokai and an early 70's silverface Fender pro reverb amp. I tried to offer him cash, but he wouldn't accept it. What a kind gift!
The guitar was barely used and featured the exact costruction of a Gibson, even down to the lacquer finish! I own a few real pauls, and this one is just as sweet as any I ever have played. The case is a pretty good copy of a late 50's california girl case. An awesome guitar that I give high marks for it's incredible attention to detail!

Sounds rude and bluesy with that killer 50's goldtop p90 grind! I use it with my Marshall or Fender amps, as well as a Vox wha, echoplex, and Klon Centaur. It has a bit of 60 cycle hum like any single coil guitar,but not as bad as some.It gets alot of nice tones from blues to pop to rock. Like most p90 guitars, it sounds a little raw and noisy for super high gain metal sounds. Not a ton of variety, just slammin 50's vibe and tone! I like everything about this guitar, and I'd never sell it! I've turned down 1500 bucks for it and would turn down quite a bit more!

Set up was lower and lighter than I preferred, but after a slight truss rod tweak, a set of 10-52 guage strings,and lowering the pickups a tad, it smokes ass! One thing I love is that unlike an original mid 50's Paul it sports factory jumbo frets.This guitar contains no flaws and all material and construction is TOP NOTCH! This axe even features the taller 50's style gold speed knobs( a nice touch!)I can't fault it at all.No wonder Gibson sued these folks!

It is a stout guitar, and I've gigged with it numerous times and also recorded with it a lot. The hardware is Nickel plated and very durable with an attractive patina from use.
Nitro finish has shrunk and checked a bit, and is starting to get a bit of greening where my arm touches. The back of the neck is getting a bit thin finish wise , but feels great.Has some belt buckle wear on its back.
Has schaller straplocs that I put on it.
Super dependable, but I'd never play a paying gig without backup. However it has been played at quite a few parties by lots of people without a hitch. I'd say it is as reliable as any new custom shop or vintage Gibson.
The Bigsby is cool, but if you "Neil Young" it, it will go sharp. I'll take off a point for that.

I doubt a guitar bought from a slimeball that got it from a lawsuit auction would have any support from tokai. Cant say I blame 'em. This guitar has never needed any work other than normal routine maintainance.

Been playing over 25 years, quite a bit of it professionally. I have quite a bit of gear,mostly all player grade as opposed to pristene collectors pieces(I'm a player first), all bought when it was affordable.Besides this Tokai,I have a 1969 Les Paul Custom,1977 Les Paul Artisan,1978 Les Paul Pro,1991 Les Paul Classic Premium Plus,1981 Heritage V reissue, 1972 Firebird V medallion,1986 Gibson SG 62 reissue,1966 ES125TDC,1964 Gretsch Nashville,1974 Les Paul Special 55 reissue, 1961 Strat, 1965 Jazzmaster, 1958 Tele,1984 Rick 330-12,1971 Fender P-bass,1969 Guild Starfire 2 semi-hollow bass, 1967 Gibson Hummingbird, 1955 Martin 00018, and 2 guitars that were recent gifts from the wife, a 1954 Historic Les Paul, and a 1959 Custom authentic Flametop Les Paul. For amps I have the Fender Pro, a tweed Fender Harvard,a 50 watt marshall JMP halfstack,and a recent Matchless DC30. Effects are listed above, and I also have a Digitech GNX4 workstation.
I have been very watchful over the guitars I take out,but if one were stolen, I'd probably do without as I have tons of gear. I love everything about this Tokai, it looks and performs just great! I love the p90's and Tremolo best on this guitar. If you need a great Les Paul for less than a run of the mill production Gibson, seek out a fine early 80's Tokai Love Rock!

It is a 2005 Korean model - owned for 3 months from new
You know the score with features...............

Style is blues, rock plus a bit of jazz in there somewhere
Other guitars are a couple of customised strats (1 USA & 1 MIJ) plus a Schecter Blackjack - the Tokai fills the gap left by my Epi Les Paul (prone to ridiculous feedback - cheaper to sell & buy Tokai than getting pots waxed!).
Great sound - miles better than the Epi and (seriously) on a par with a real Gibson LP (I owned one a while ago so an informed judgement)
I use with Line 6 Spider II 210 (with FBV Floorboard for multi-effects) and Marshall 8040 Valvestate (straight to amp for clean/overdrive with no messing) via AB-Y splitter. The neck is alive, great pinched harmonics and it really rocks like a good 'un. Think Gary Moore meets ZZ Top and you're there - wish my playing was!

Action, fit and finish all perfect for me straight out of the box!
Just plug it in and rock!

It already is up to live playing - has been gigged twice & it's fast becoming my weapon of choice (behind my 85 Strat) - it is just so easy to play, and it sounds great.
It seems very well put together and has a lot of years in it I suspect.
As mentioned - always have other guitars on stand by, but I would say "yes" very dependable.

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Been playing for over 20 years, and gigging off & on for most of that time. Also own: 90s USA Strat, modded 1985 MIJ Strat (my no. 1 guitar owned from new) + Schecter Blackjack plus Line 6 and Marshall amps.
If needs must I would certainly look to get another Tokai Goldtop (especially at the price I paid!). Wasn't sure about the Korean model vs Japan, but I have to say I am blown away by the quality of this thing - not only is it on a par with the Japan model, but it is streets ahead of the Epiphone I owned, and is damn near as good as the real Gibson at a fraction of the cost.
I strongly urge everyone thinking of buying an LP to try one of these - they are amazing! It's not about the name on the headstock - it's about the sounds you make.
I've owned a variety of Fenders, a Gibson LP and Epi LP, Gordon Smiths, Ibanez, BC Rich, Yamahas and an 80s Tokai strat (that was very nice as well) amongst many others and the Tokai Goldtop is right there at the top of pile.

Mine is a 1981 Tokai Love Rock Gold Top, made in Japan. It is mahagony/maple top. Typical Les Paul setup. There was a beat up old case with it, non-original, but the store threw in a brand new LP case. They say these early Japanese model Tokai's rival the original 58-60 Gibsons. This one is extremely well constructed. Much better in build quality than the new Gibsons I've played recently.

I play classic and progressive rock, some blues. This guitar is perfect for classic rock, Jimmy Page style blues, still exploring on the progressive rock front. Also have a Strat.
I play through a Vox ad60vt. Not noisy. Full sound. The neck pickup at mid volume sounds like Jimmy Page's Rock and Roll. On 10 it sounds like 80's hard rock/early metal. Bridge is just deep and dark. Haven't spent much time on it yet. Sustains forever. I love it. Exactly what I was looking for in a 2HB setneck guitar. Sounds SO much better than LP studios and classics I was looking at. Also, SGs. And Heritage H170.

Don't know how it was when new. Bought it in 2005, made in 1981. Action was perfect. Pups perfect. Goldtop so don't know about the bookmatching. The mahagony is beautiful. Everything looks flawlessly built and it plays like it. Pickup selector tip was missing. Other than that, perfect.

yes this guitar will of course withstand live playing. Hardware is 25 years old and going strong, no issues. Finish is strong. There are a couple of dings and paint chips gone, but that's what I'd expect with a 25 year old guitar. Strap buttons solid. Debating getting strap locks, don't want to lose originality of the guitar. So far I've been able to depend on it. If it makes it 25 years, and seems to be able to go for another 25, that's all I need to know about dependability.

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First picked up guitar as a child. SEriously for 22 years. Own 2000 Am. Std. Strat, 1982 Yamaha L25A handcrafted acoustic, Vox AD60VT, various pedals. I would buy this again. Number one, it's way ahead of similarly priced Gibsons. Two, it's not depreciating in value the way a new Gibson would. E.g., buy a Studio for 1200, walk out the door, it's worth 850. Buy this at 1K, walk out the door, wow, still worth 1K, and rising over time. Nice. Awesome Japanese craftmanship. Awesome neck, body, and incredible neck pickup. Played various LP studios, SGs, Heritage H170, Gretsch, Yamaha, considered Epi Elite, Dbl Fat Strat. Probably some I'm forgetting.

This is a 2002 Japanese model.

The body is 3 piece solid mahogany with a carved solid maple top.

The neck is solid mahogany with a rosewood fretboard.

The setup is straight out of the book Les Paul with Tokais Classic vintage humbuckers.

Features are exactly as per a Vintage Les Paul so thats it really.

If you have played a Gibson LP then you know the range of sounds this guitar has.

The pickups are very close in sound and drive to the originals if very very slightly quieter.

The bridge pup breaks very nicely into the clasic Gibson feedback squeal at high volumes while the neck pup is impecably behaved with sustain and warmth to die for.

At a guess I would think the bridge pup is un waxed (same as the origanals) and if you want to damp the feedback then simply wax potting this pickup may achieve this.

Certainly in my opinion, having owned both the Gibson and this Tokai I don't think changing pickups will get you any closer to the original Gibson tone.

If you don't like these sounds then you probably don't want a LP Gibson or otherwise.

Frets are like silk straight trom the box, no buzzing and the action fine I have marked this down very slightly because I like a very low action so I made the adjustment and the neck pup was a little low so I raised it.

5 mins work and it is now exactly how I like it.

The finish is imaculate and the colour very close to the originals maybe a little less green that a 40 year old naturally aged original but ohhh so close.

The nut is well cut and the bridge well made (no buzzing from here)

I have looked this guitar over from top to bottom and inside out it is as reliable and better put together than my original Gibson Gold Top.

Not needed them yet but I am sure Gamlins will handle any issues

BEFORE YOU READ THIS I JUST WANT TO SAY I HAVE PLAYED GUITARS FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND I HAVE OWNED A GIBSON LES PAUL GOLD TOP AMONGST MANY OTHER GUITARS.

THIS IS NOT A CHEAP COPY THIS PLAYS AND SOUNDS LIKE THE GIBSON ORIGINAL (AWSOME).

I ALSO TRIED THE EPIPHONE VERSION AND THERE IS NO COMPARISON!!

THIS GUITAR ROCKS EASILY ON A PAR WITH PRS's ETC... FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE.

Don't believe me then go and try one what have you got to lose?

Well as I sit hear a shiny new Goldtop Tokai LP is sitting next to me having had my first thrash (the amps still humming as I write).

What can I say this is truly an awsome piece of kit for the price (or any price).

The bridge setting has a plenty of attack while the neck pickup provides all the depth and warmth that you could ever want, and the sustain well just awsome simply awsome.

Want to know why Jimmy Page, Slash, etc.. use Les Paul's just try this guitar and you will be left in no doubt.

The action only required the slightest of tweaks to make the whole thing silky smooth.

As you can probably see I''m like a dog with 2 tails.

Having played guitar for over 25 years (the same 3 cords phew!!) and owed many different guitars I can honestly say this is the best I have ever had and this is straight from the box with no pro tuning!

I nearly didn't buy one I was looking for a Les Paul and it is only because the guys in Gamlins (Cardiff) sugested I try one that I even picked it up.

They still have a beautiful flame oak one in stock if anyones interested.

Thanks to them and Claire (the better half) who when she heard the price imediately volunteered to pay for it (b'day present....Now that means I get the axe for free she would never have offered to pay #1200 + for a Les Paul) and a special thanks to Tokai for application to quality and attention to detail that I thought had long gone in anything but hugely expensive custom models.

Just my initial thoughts but i'm off ro wag my other tail now

i found a very old tokai lpgt in a junk shop in japan for 8000 yen (40 quid), i got it to add to my collection and have to say it ain't too bad.. i got a gibbo and a greco lp and although this one comes in third it is all very close and i am impressed with it for a cheapo guitar .. good old tokai.. i have a tokai electro/accoustic too and its the nuts

sounds like a les paul. i think the older ones sound better than the new korean jobbies, this is ALL jap and sounds it too .. nice guitar

action, like all my guitars is set low and i dont hear no fret shit, the finnish is a gold top with a mahogany back, fixed neck..

i plugged it in and it worked... it has done that since i had it and also for about 15-20 years before i had it ... so... not bad huh?

tokai?.... tell me where to find it?

i collect guitars and i get to play them all to at times but most of the time they are used by people that use my studio and i dont get any complaints about this guitar.. it is not the most used guitar i have but it does get requests

Standard Les Paul Gold Top guitar, differing only very slightly from the Gibson version. The hardware is nickel as apose to chrome on the Gibos and the gold finish is less orangey in colour and more champane like. Apprently the the orignal GTs were made to this spec.

Standard LP features.

Tokai don't make cases so the shop chucked one in at cost price.

I tested it in the shop compared to a Gibson through different amps and pedals and there was very little difference. Just a slightly colder sound but more transparent. I prefered it.

Only gripe is the neck PU is a bit too muddy for my liking but at these prices you can put Seymore Duncans in it and still not even come to half the price of a Gibo. The bridge PU suits me perfectly though.

Factory set-up was very low action and since I played tuned down a semitone it needed adjusting but then when you get your favorite strings on and a fair amount on bedding in etc. all new guitars should be setup again.

Finish is superb. Absolutley kills my friend's Epi LP for quality and playability. Basically, quality is on a par with the Gibos.

Obviously I stuck strap-locks on it as soon as I got it home. Apart from that it's a solid as a rock.

Not needed this yet but the shop staff were friendly though.

I set out to buy a Gold Top Les Paul and spent months visiting shops all over the UK. Thing is it was all a dream coz any decent second hand LPGT is at least a 1000 quid in the UK and new ones are now in the region of 1699 at the very cheapest - it's a joke really.

However when I tried out the Tokai I couldn't believe my luck. Sound is very close to the real thing, quality is absolutley excellent and the price is a third of the Gibos.

Don't even think about an Epi until you've tried one of these.

There are already loads of reviews of this guitar, but suffice to say that Tokai are starting to distribute in the UK again, and the quality and feel is still there. Everything you would expect from a GLP, but the binding on the neck doesn't cover the fret ends (actually faster than a GLP I've found), and the body binding at the cut away is slightly different. Finally, the truss rod cover and toggle switch is the same as usual - slightly different but perfectly acceptable.

My style is blues/rock (in the style of Gary Moore mostly) and this guitar sounds indistinguishable from a stock GLP. It's only when you wind your amp up fully that you appreciate the effort Gibson put into their PU's, but Tokai's are fine for most volumes that the people using them will go to. I currently play through a Marshall VS65R with a Digitech RP100, or through a JTM54 with a Guv'nor pedal, and I have no complaints. Don't expect a multitude of sounds; this is a LP copy you know! As for the electrics, I can't fault them - many more expensive guitars are consistently worse than this!!

I bought the guitar from Bandland in Stockton-on-Tees and apart from some 'twang' on the high E (probably due to string movement at the nut or bridge saddle which I still need to fix) and some buzzing, the set up was fine. A lot of work had been done on the guitar prior to display. The buzzing doesn't come through on amplification and as the guitar is new, it'll need some playing in first anyway. I'll reservejudgement on the rest of the issues until it's played in, but Iwould advise anyone thinking about this type of guitar to ensure that an experienced person sets it up - I always see GLP on display with much worse set ups than this.

Not much to say yet - I don't gig that much (not at all these days!), but I can't see where there would be any performance difference from a GLP - finish appears better than GLP, and I am going to enjoy finding out if it lasts as long!

Although Tokai don't seem to even have a web set that I can find, Bandland were excellent!!!

I think this guitar is great, and that everyone who is thinking about this type of instrument should seriously consider Tokai Love Rock's. Mine is a Jpa madeone and if you were thinking about an Epi or such like, save up a bit more and go for a Tokai - there as good as the real thing!!! Actually, I hope this really hurts Gibson (and every other manufacturer) - good guitars don't need to cost the earth, but people are willing to pay sensible money. #1400 for a new GLP - I remember when they were #800, and I still wouldn't have bought one! Go out and buy now and start sending a message that a couple of bits of wood, some copper, steel, plastic and other bits and pieces can be put together beautifully with having to sell a kidney.

PS: if Paul Reed Smith reads this, I'm sorry, guitars are more than the sum of their parts I know, but a GLP is not put together with as much love and attention to details as your guitars (or many other Luthiers)