Tokai Love Rock Korean

2004 Tokai Love Rock model (Gibson Les Paul Studio like) made in Korea
22 Frets

SOLID MAHOGANY BODY WITH FLAME MAPLE TOP
HARD MAPLE SET NECK, ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD AND REAL BONE NUT
2 VINTAGE PAF STYLE OPEN COIL HUMBUCKERS (make and model of pickups unknown)
CHROME SEALED MACHINE HEADS (Klusen like) AND VINTAGE STYLE ELECTRONICS
PEARLOID BLOCK INLAYS in Frets
1.68" NUT WIDTH
2 VOLUME, 2 TONE, 3 WAY PICKUP SELECTOR (the four knobs are gold coloured)
Stop tailpiece
Fat 50s style "rounded" neck (as opposed to "fast" 60s thinner neck)
Stock pickguard came included.
Appears to be binding along the front of the guitar body. This is typically found on Gibson Standards - not Studio models. However, it's hard to tell whether it is real binding, or if it's a white paint job around the edge. Whatever it is, the varnish coat is applied such that you could not tell if there was any seam there. Overall, cosmetically, even if it's not a genuine "binding", it still looks nice.


No hardcase or other accessories included with the purchase.

I purchased this on ebay for Cdn$600 all in. Everyone will tell you to try out a guitar before you buy, and I can't disagree. It's the right thing to do. However, my cheapness prevailed and I took a slight gamble (albeit educated gamble after reading other reviews on Harmony Central). In the end though, I'm thrilled with the guitar. I can only benchmark this thing subjectively - but I'd say it's 90% what I would have expected vs. a Gibson Studio (which was what I was comparing this to) but at less than half the cost. It's ridiculously well priced and made.

Other comments I notice reviews about Japanese Tokais being better than Korean made. This may be the case, not sure as I haven't tried a Jap version. But if you're someone looking for a Gibson Les Paul style guitar (and personally I've been a strat owner-only before this), this is an excellent way to test out the Gibson style guitar before you leap to the real thing (or even a Jap Tokai) and shell out loads of your hard-earned dough.





Gibson will always have that charm. Maybe I will trade up to

Very beefy, and fulsome sound with lots of mids. (keeping in mind that I have always played a strat).
You can get some great bright twang on treble setting.
Currently playing it through a Fender Princeton Chorus
Sounds pretty good to me through this (solid state) amp. I can imagine it will sound even better through a Peavey Classic (tube).
Sweet sustain on this guitar, and really nice feel. Good chunky frets. Some of the frets feel mildly rough (when bending strings) like they could use a little more polishing - but it's minor, and you hardly notice once you hear the sound, overall feel is still very good. Not a huge complaint, as other Gibsons I have tried have felt like this as well. It's metal on metal I guess - what can you expect.

Any dislikes? Hard to say really - the guitar sounds like a beefy double humbucker guitar with great sustain. Tone is good to me.

Vs. the Gibson Studio, the Tokai comes with a cosmetic "faux" binding as described earlier. Looks attractive though - makes it look like a Standard model.

The guitar was likely factory setup. I have had the guitar now for 3 weeks and it has played like a charm. I might take it in for a professional tune up in a few months - after it's had some time to settle in. Anyway, setup was fine when it arrived in the mail. Action is set to medium height - could go lower or certainly go higher if you like as well. I'm not sure what gauge string set it is - certainly not "extra lights" but probably equiv to a "medium" pack of strings. They play fine - no issue.

Very well worth it. No disappointment here. The finish on the body is awesome. The front flame top looks amazing, and the dark backside is excellent. The solid mahogany is achieved by gluing together a few slabs of wood (typical construction for today's gibson's alike) - but the grain matching looks excellent. You can hardly tell, unless you look very closely, where the seams of joining wood are. The finish coat looks very glossy, very sexy indeed. There are very minor painting issues underneath the varnish coat but you only really notice if you have your eye right up to it looking for it. very minor issues, but overall construction appears pretty solid. The bone nut has a few little snags on the finish, but not a big deal.

Fretboard inlays are nice. The mother of pearl is very shiny and smooth with the fretboard surface. There was one minor flaw where there was a tiny glob of additional finish that wasn't wiped away I suspect, and hardened on the 20th fret of the low E-string. Minor quality control issue - but does not at all affect playability.

Guitar is built very solid. No question about it's reliability. Doubt you'd run into structural trouble with this guitar.

I can't comment on electronics - don't know how well the pots and switch will wear, but they absolutely fine at the moment. Doubt it's any worse or better than any other stock components. They could be cheaper components but who knows. In any event, if you're truly concerned you can swap out those parts. Unless you're overusing your pots / switches to do modulation tricks and what-not, it'll last you just as good as any other new guitar I imagine.

Finish seems like a nice thick coat that will last. Very nice and smooth - it's a beatiful thing. Haven't chipped it yet, so I can't say about chippability. But it looks like a nice protective coat.

Strap buttons are oversized vs typical tiny gibson les paul strap buttons. Tokai obviously picked up on that piece of player feedback. However, as everyone else recommends, you will want to put strap locks on it if you plan to bounce around stage with it or in your room. Unless you're playing your guitar at a 90 degree angle (headstock sticking out perpendicular to your body), the strap button is going to be angled upwards, and I think is more susceptible to the strap popping off the button. I haven't put straplocks on but suppose I should eventually.

I don't gig too much, but I suppose I could trust it. Mind you it's never really safe to gig a full set without a backup.

Website for Tokai is pretty crap. It looks like it was developed in the early 1990s. This is the Japanese site I visited. Maybe there's another site I'm missing here -but it certainly didn't come up when I Googled it.

There isn't much in the way of direct manufacturer support. Tough to get any specs on the guitar itself. Probably the distributors have that type of info, but because I bought it on ebay, i only have the description above to rely on. ebay guy just sold me the goods - nothing more. But that being said, he was lightning fast in shipping, double packed, perfect transaction. He did offer support - although I doubt I will be contacting him, unless the guitar blows up unexpectedly (which I highly doubt - everything looks solid)

If Tokai makes any kind of profit, they should invest a little money to develop at VERY LEAST a basic website with general corporate info, guitar specs, and distributor contact info. Their corporate info is scarce, and their actual website


There is a Tokai Registry website which is not a manufacturer site, but is more like a Tokai fan website. Has some interesting info - but almost has no information (not even specs) on the Korean Tokai models.

Have been playing about 10 yrs (wanking around on/off) since high school band stuff. Super happy with the guitar. Value for money is excellent.

I had tried out a number of Gibson Studios new at the store. Those were sounding really nice. But frankly, I can't say I can tell a heck of a lot of difference between the sounds of a Tokai vs. Gibson. The Gibson costs way more ($1700 Cdn with tax) vs. $600 Cdn all in cost (on ebay) for the Tokai.

If you're open minded and willing to forgo the Gibson brand name, you'll find a excellent quality axe that won't disappoint (particularly if you never owned a gibson before - or maybe you have!). It's super well priced for the amount of guitar you get. Save your money and get a nice amp to boot.

This is the korean tokai love rock les paul replica....
you know what the basic les paul layout is

The sound is really good....however the pickups do sound a bit 'muffled' but they are good, the amp i use is a marshall mg30dfx and it sounds excellent on it!

the finish is a heritage cherry sunburst lightly flamed.... its beautiful although the action was a bit too low and there is fret buzz but it doesnt realy bother me... the nut is also awfully cut... flakes of plastic is and it's really dirty! one of the tuning pegs was a bit loose but it was okay... all i had to do was tighten it with a screwdriver

Everything looks very secure....although i had to tighten a few screws.....it looks like it will last very long!

havent had to deal with em and hopefully never will! the warranty is 1 year

I have been playing for about 6 months now.... and this is the first electric guitar i have purchased. I also got a really good deal on this....345 quid for this baby, a hard shell case, ernie ball power slinky strings and a lead! the case cost 50 but he made a deal for less! and the guitar cost #299.........pretty good deal eh!

2004 Korean made Tokai Love Rock
22 frets
2 tone 2 volume
lightly flamed top in cherry sunburst
I gave it a ten here because theres nothing else you could really need on a guitar

I play guns n Roses ,The Darkness ,Velvet Revolver ,AC/DC etc and this guitar sound perfect with a tweak of my peavey rage 158 amp and a few adjustments with the guitars tones and volumes you can have any sound you want !!

Factory set-up was good but the guy in the shop where i bought it from had highered the action to stop any buzzing absolutely no flaws on the finish its absolutelt stunning!

Seems very solid but i havent gigged with it yet i would use a back-up because a sring could still break or i could drop it not that dropping it would damadge it.

Never dealt with um but i suppose they'd be great aswell so ill give them a 10 to push the guitars average up.

Ive beeen playing for around 2 years now and this guitar is great it beats the crap outta the Epiphone so dont make the mistake i don't get the epiphone (which is an alright guitar) get the Tokai because in my opinion it just as good as a gibson and pound for pound its better

Korean Les Paul copy...only difference is the headstock and alder instead of maple top..it's flamed and only by scaping down the finsh could you tell...no accessories or case, but for $400...I got a Les Paul case from Musicians friend for $39.99

I got this guitar as a back-up for my 59 re-issue Les Paul...I have since sold the Gibson and made money...this guitar is better made than the Gibson 59 re-issue...Honestly, I am thinking about getting a couple more. I play Blues and rock through a variety of amps,(Fenders & Marshalls) and it sounds just as good as the Gibson if not better.

this guitar was actually set-up better than the 3.5 grand gibson I bought..I changed strings I like 'em heavy, truss rod just needed a tweak...no big deal, fit and finish are flawless...electronics are fine, better bridge set-up than a Gibson...It really is a better guitar for 1/10th the cost. action was easily adjusted for my touch, I have a strobo-tuner and intonation was close out of the box, but now it is perfect...frets are well finished and seem to be stainless steel, they are still nice and bright..I like it beter than whatever Gibson uses..I think it'll last longer between fret jobs.

I have gigged and recorded with the guitar...Sold my Gibson, people have offered me 2 grand for it (I'll explain below)..but it's not for sale...I don't know if they are all as good as this one, but I believe Tokais are made on CNC machines, so they all are probably pretty much the same, nothing is hand-made, big deal, I like consistancy, more mistakes are made by hand...finish is fine, I did re-polish,(auto hand glaze buffing compound) but I do that anyway to all my guitars when I get first get them...I changed the strap buttons because I use strap locks...the stock ones are big, but work fine...I am going to buy at least 1 more of these...can't beat the quality at this price

It has a warranty, but I haven't had a problem, and don't forsee one, I am a luthier anyway so it's unnecesary for me w/ a solid body electric. the neck was set correctly, so it'll be fine

I sold a REAL 1959 re-issue Les Paul that I paid $3500 for...This is a better guitar...in ALL respects...price, sound, feel, finish...I am buying more, now one thing I will say, the guitar was excellent the way it was, but, Everyone knows I have and play Les pauls...so, I will admit, I refinished the headstock and put on a Gibson decal and truss rod cover, I didn't tell anyone about the guitar, just brought it to rehearsal...EVERYONE thought it was a BETTER LES PAUL THAN MY 59 RE-ISSUE...I said I was selling my old one and no one wanted it, but my buddy offered me 2 grand for the Tokai!...I told him it wasn't for sale, but I'll never admit it's not really a Les Paul..It's a copy(like Slash's)...but it's better than the real thing at 1/10 the cost..I'm buying a couple...I can buy 10 after selling the Gibson...It's a great guitar...

2003
Korea
22 frets
2 volume, 2 tone
Violin Burst (flame top)
nickel hardware
pearl inlay

Les Paul features...

i play all kinds of music. Funk, Punk, Rock, Heavy Metal......but i think this guitar doesn't really fit metal (by the look)
i'm using Marshall JCM 900 head with Marshall 4 x 12 cabinet
sounds really good....but the original pickup doesn't sound as bright as my ibanez...i might change to seymour duncans.

it set-up goood when i bought it
I love the wood, inlay, paint job of this guitar..
it's amazing

Love Rock really rocks
i haven't take my tokai to the stage yet..
but i will take it in May.

1 year warranty..
and I can also trade in for 50% off ~

This korea made guitar really rocks...don't think about it's "korea" made ...i think this "korea" Tokai is better than those crap epiphone and really close to those $3000 Gibson...If you really love Les Paul kind Guitar you should go for Tokai..

i'm just saying truth. buying a Lespaul Gibson is waste of money...people even change the original pick-up...

A 22 fret 2003 loverock cherryburst flametop, alder\rosewood body\neck with vintage tuners.Included quality hard case.

I play classic rock\Indie and this guitar has a great sound for this style of music. I have replaced the pickups with Gibson PAF 57 and 57 plus that give a punchier and fuller tone, however the Alnico pu's that come standard sound pretty good.

Action was a bit high from the shop and is easily adjusted with a slotted screwdriver. The finish is excellent and in some respects better than a gibson les paul std I was comparing it to. Im a lefty and the only grizzle is the lack of available lefty models but this applies to all brands. No price point difference for the lefty which is great.
This guitar was brought new at the Rockshop in Wellington, NZ

Is very well made, solid and looks to go the distance. I am pretty careful with my guitars. The strap buttons are ok and I use a standard strap with schaller straplocks that i use with my different guitars.

The Rock shop guys were great and I was dealing with a fellow lefty tech in the shop. This was a nice change.

Ive been playing 30 years. I have several othe electric and acoustic guitars and this is my les paul style guitar. I have a strat warmouth and an Ibanez RG470 lefty and an Ibanez blackbeauty custom les paul. This loverock is ideal for those classic les paul guitar tracks.
For the price its excellent value however it remains to be seen how it retains its resale value over time.
It appears to be a pretty accurate replica for a 59 les paul including the weight!!
For those keen on "label"guitars, I'd suggest you choose with your eyes and ears and you might be very suprised with this guitar.
Lastly, it looks great.

This is a 2003 Les paul Custom copy with great black finish and Gold plated Stop tail, pickups, machine heads etc... I bought this guitar without playing it first from a guy on ebay. It's an extremly heavy guitar.

Contacted Tokai to find out what it was made of the guy there told me it was a maple set neck, solid Alder body with Sicamore top. This guitar from about three feet away looks exactly like the Gibson it's pretending to be so much so that i'm not really bothered about getting a Gibson anymore!

Standard Les Paul control configuration; medium neck (compared to my Ibanez RG and medium frets that are quite low profile.

All in all the most solid feeling guitar i've every played and a friend of mine has a Gibson Les Paul Studio which isn't as weighty and feels less solid. Oh yeah and I got a les paul shaped hard case too!!!

The tokai PAF Mk 4 pickups don't squeal and good feedback can be coaxed from them. The bridge unit has quite a bit of midrange and is loud and powerfull, when switching to the mid position there is a big chunky low end which is great especially on a clean channel for picking rythem chords. The neck pickup is a little muddy at times, but if you roll back the tone control it seems to lose a little bass end which cleans it up so no big deal there.

No noise from this guitar at all really quiet impressive!! I'm using it at home through a Fender Princeton 65 which i thought was too bright but with this guitar the sound is really full.

When picking this guitar up (with your strong arm) I have the urge to play classic rock like AC/DC or get out the Zak Wylde riffs it's just such a mans rock guitar. Good for Blues, Rock or Metal just what you expect I suppose. Overall the tone is a little generic like many Korean guitars but i do think the tokais pickups hold there own well.

The action was a little low when it arrive, so a quick tweed with a flat head screw drive and perfect. Pickup hight was fine.

The workmanship is relativle good a few flaws: a few file marks on the binding on the neck around the 19th and 20th frets, some of the binding is a bit sloppy but 98% good. No sharp fret ends and finish is really well done, no runs or drips and doesn't fingerprint as much a some black finishes I've had. I would have gave this a 9 if the workmanship was slightly better - Shame

This guitar is solid, absolutly no worries about gigging this guitar at all. I knwo the gold plated hardware is going to corrode or just come off with wear, but that just adds to the character of the guitar. As i said before the finish is perfect and will last.

I wouldn't gig without a backup, but even if the was an original Gibson Les Paul Custom I would still have a backup. If your looking for a les paul and dont want a cheap copy e.g. Epiphone and all the other even worse copies out there this is the one i'm telling you for the money it's amazing. I think i'm going to get one of the japanese made ones next.

Email to ask what wood it was made of and got a reply same day excellent. Thanks Bob @ tokai-guitars.co.uk

I've been playing 10 years and have had many guitars and a few amps.
If this guitar was lost or stolen i would definitly replace it, if i had more money i would get a japanese one because if the Korean ones are this good the Japanese one's must be amazing.
I love the correct styling and attention to detail, this look exactley like the "real" thing!!!

- This guitar is a 2003 model finished in Black, See-through Quilt. I bought it on Ebay in November,2003 for $373. I bought it to travel with 'cause i didnt want the airlines beating up my expensive (but not better) Gibson.

- All appointments are similar to a Gibson Les Paul Standard except that EVERY feature about this guitar is BETTER than my comparable '92 Gibson LP Std (Heritage Cherry Sunburst)that i bought brand-new in '93.

- I'm not sure if the top is laminated. I dont really care. The back is 2-pc Alder and the neck is 1-pc maple. This guitar has a brilliant, snappy, lively, detailed tone that is very inspiring to play. I much prefer it over the mahogany/maple Gibson that i THOUGHT sounded good until I A/B'd these guitars.

- The finish is almost flawless. There is one small flaw at the base of the neck- hardly noticeable. It's much better that my orange-peeled '92 Gibson LP Std that I was $1300.

- One cool thing about this guitar over the Gibson is that the bridge adjustments can be made with a slotted screwdriver instead of a pair of pliers. Simple- but one more thing that makes it a better guitar than the Gibson.

- It stays in tune PERFECTLY. The neck is nice and stable (unlike the Gibson) and the tuners are solid and smooth (similar to the vintage klusons used on Gibson).

- Tokai uses a thin binding on the body and neck (which is flawless)-that looks a lot sharper and neater than the Gibson- which uses a wide, thick binding on the neck and body to cover up more flaws.

- The Tokai crown inlays on the fretboard are cut MUCH neater and sharper than the Gibson and they are MUCH prettier than the Gibson's. They really catch the light!!

- I am VERY pleased with this guitar and I was skeptical when i received it. It has turned into my 'number one'.

- The fret work is absolutely flawless on this guitar- and man- is it
smooooooth to play.

- This guitar is dead quiet. The wiring is super-clean and neat. My Gibson makes all kinds of noises due to it's el-cheapo, sloppy wiring job.

- The one funny thing about this guitar is how many people ask me about it and flip when they play it. "What kind of guitar is that?" It gets a lot more attention than my 'me too' Gibson.

I play a lot of rock and some pop and pop-country. This is a great- sounding instrument. It plays GREAT! It has a great tone on either pickup and it doesnt squeal AT ALL- even when playing my high-gain Mesa/Boogie amp. NO SQUEALS.

The guitar was set-up perfectly and had a GREAT set of strings on it (i wonder what they were???)

The only flaw i found was the one finish flaw on the heel of the neck. The rest of the guitar is beautiful.

Every detail about this $373 guitar is MUCH better than the $1300 Gibson that i also own. For the price- The Gibson SHOULD have the quality of workmanship and materials that this guitar displays. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

N/A.

- Ive been playing the guitar for 31 years. I own several other guitars including Guilds, Fenders and Gibsons. This is easily the best-made guitar i have ever owned. When I think of the money difference i paid for the Gibson over this guitar i feel like an idiot. I live in Nashville,TN and i know guys that WORK at Gibson and I know they dont pay those guys SQUAT. So, why should their mediocre guitars be SO EXPENSIVE???

- I want to punish Gibson by buying a foreign exact copy of a Les Paul which is made with the exact same CNC machines that Gibson uses. So tell me why their guitars are so damned expensive? they ARENT BETTER. The Gibson workers arent paid big bucks- so they cant claim that. I want Gibson to know that I'm unhappy with their pricing and that there is no value in owning their overpriced, mediocre guitars.

This is the first time I have ever bought a guitar without playing it first; a big step, but the guy I spoke to at Junior's Music is a musician himself and he had the guitar in his hands; he played a few notes accoustically and even weighed it for me unasked (about 8.5 lbs). That made my decision easier as the other dealers just had pictures of a guitar they could order but did not have in their hands. I just didn't want to get a warehouse guitar that nobody had ever played...it might have been the brick of the bunch. That's my advice for those of you not comfortable with purchasing a guitar unplayed (still can't believe I did it). Talk to someone who has the guitar you will buy in his/her hands.

This is a Korean model with an "F" serial number to denote Korean manufacture. Honey burst with a nice tiger flame. Standard Les Paul configuration; thin neck and medium frets a bit lower than my previous Les Paul Classic by Gibson. This guitar is a lot like the Classic: light-weight, workmanship every bit as good and I have been playing Les Pauls as my main guitar for 19 years. No case, but I don't like collecting cases anyway as I have a good, solid reinforced gig-bag. Humbuckers are very good sounding and better than the Gibson Classic for my tastes. Features just and "8" based only on the standard configuration...look at the Tokai catalog and you will find some killer new models in the Gibson vein...look out! Wow.

The sound is Les Paul all the way. The mechanical set-up and wood make all the difference in the sound of a guitar; I recently had a Warmouth "Double Fat Strat" made (that I love) but the bolt-on neck lends a zing to it that is not present in the Tokai. Just what I wanted. Pickups, as mentioned, are very, very good. I do not know why I would want to replace them as so many seem to need to do; perhaps because the guitar is an import and that carries with it a legacy of cheapo pickups...don't kid yourself on this one. I have Duncans in my Fat Strat and these pickups sound just as good; differences in sound more to do with configuration and woods.

I use it with a silverface Deluxe Reverb with a Jensen RI P12N and a 1960 5-watt blonde Gibson Skylark. I play blues/rock and jazz and this guitar does everything I wanted it to do. Nothing gets a 10 from me, lol.

Factory setup, well, I think the guys at Juniors tweaked it or the factor setup is darn good. Juniors even sent me a fresh set of strings to put on it as the old ones are a bit cruddy; neck needs to be wiped down with some 000 steel wool to clean up the little grime from in-store playing. The finish is really amazingly good; no bubbles, drips, overspray or anything, just a damn good job. Same with binding and all other aspects. For example, the knobs are solid and don't wiggle around, and the other hardware seems pretty darn high quality. The nut is even cut well. S. Korean guitar are the best made in the world for the dollar at this time. I've watched the quality improve over the last 6 years and I could no longer justify spending twice as much on a good used Les Paul. Liken S. Korea to Japan 20 years ago when Ibanez, Tokai, etc. were producing the best bang for buck guitars in the world. Perhaps China will catch up but that is a few years away...This guitar is every bit worth the money. My rating is based on comparison to Gibson, Epiphone, Schecter, Ibanez, and all the other competition. It's that good.

Everything is solid as I have said. I don't see any problems but who knows? As I've said, I have never, ever bought an instrument on-line except my Warmouth parts guitar. I am very pleased with the Tokai. No opinion only because it takes years to see if it holds up; all I can say is that I expect it to hold up based on the quality of the parts and finish.

No idea whatsoever. I believe the guys at Junior's would do most anything to help me but as far as contact with the company, I doubt there is any option whatsoever for the player. These guitars are simply dealt out even finding the Japanese Tokai website is difficult and there is no customer support even for these higher priced models. Looks like we are on our own with the dealer on this one for now.

Wishes? Maybe a fatter neck and some bigger frets but that is difficult to find on any Les Paul; I also wish it had a more dense Mahogany which I know some people hate but I believe it adds to a less bright sound. I really got a great guitar period. The price was irresitible; otherwise, I would have just used my Warmouth guitar and gone without a Les Paul. These S. Korean Tokai guitars are just too well-priced and offer too much value to resist adding my favortie style guitar back into my lineup (only three guitars, Warmouth, this one, and a Gibson Working Man's series accoustic). The price and value are astounding. The workmanship, playability, and most importantly, the sound are all there. Great deal and great dealer. I highly recommend this guitar and Junior's Music. Again, you get to speak with a working musician who can hold the guitar in his/her hands and tell you about it. You can even hear it over the phone. I would not purchase a guitar directly from a warehouse or from a magazine.

The features have been described in previous reviews well enough. My guitar's exact model is ALS-48, so it's made in Korea and has alder body. Standard Les Paul setup, but I've replaced the stock pickups with Seymour Duncan Customs. I also removed one of the tone pot caps and used the pot for coil splitting. Thus, the tone pot for bridge pickup works as a smooth switch so that if you turn it to 0, the bridge pickup is single coil, and if it is at 10, it works as a regular humbucker.

This was peace of cake to solder, and I like the result. YMMV.

How should I rate the features? There's not a lot, on the other hand this is exactly what you expect of a Les Paul. OK, I'll give it an eight.

Most people who submit a review love their guitars. Some do hate their guitars, but that's more uncommon. I'm in the former category: I like the sound. The stock pickups were not bad, but replacing them with SD was a significant improvement. It's exactly what I expect of a Les Paul.

The woods are not the highest quality -- this is still an inexpensive guitar. When unplugged, it's not quite as resonant as some of the better Tokais I've tried, although I think standard Gibson Les Pauls arent any better than mine is. Again, I'll give it an 8.

I bought mine second-hand and adjusted the neck and bridge myself. It's perfect IMO.

The finish of the guitar is flawless, it looks very nice.

The top is not one piece, and you can see that. The workmanship is great, but it's not one big solid block of wood, but two pieces put together. So I'll give a 9 here. But the workmanship is absolutely great.

Yes, I trust this perfectly. The most suspectible thing is my own soldering work, and I'm pretty confident even with that.

No need to deal with them. I'm in Finland, there's a local importer who presumably covers the warranty, but I don't really how you would benefit from the warranty, because the only risk I see is big mechanical shock (dropping the guitar) and warranties don't cover that.

I have been playing over 20 years, though not even semi-professionally; I've owned various not-very-expensive guitars but have had plenty of accees to original Gibson Les Pauls to know what I'm talking about.

If this were lost or stolen, I'd get another Tokai, perhaps one of the mahogany body models.