Tokai SG Copy

havent dated it yet, i just got it from a junk shop (as all of my guitars) i estimate it to be around 1979 all japanese gibson SG replica. solid mahogony guitar same spec as gibson SG.
i got a softcase with it that went in the bin, hard case coming tomorrow. a good guitar like this needs a good case.

This baby screems. i used to have a gibson SG and it was great but when hard times hit me it had to go. I miss that guitar but this Tokai has certainly given me a new guitar to love. I love the neck pick-up on an SG and this has the goods, its old, like me, and it sounds it too.

too old to judge factory settings but when i got it the action was a bit low. i have many guitars mostly purchased from junk shops in japan and i have noticed that in the mid to late 70's a lot of people bought guitars and then kept them in the cupboard till now and sold them. this guitar is in great condition. I am very fond of old japanese guitars like Greco-Tokai-Squier-Yamaha and can honestly say, if you ever find one, buy it.

solid as iron. still use a back up guitar, anything can happen

good info about tokai guitars can be found http://www.tokairegistry.com/about.html?PHPSESSID=ef6ece58acf767ff7534c6885d31cb14

bit long but worth it

Tokai are great. dont know about the new korean made version but the older japanese versions are worth their wieght in gold. i got 3 Tokai guitars the SG a Golptop LP and an accoustic and they are all excellent guitars in sound and playability. dare i say it but i think these old Tokai gibson replica's (les paul reborn) are even better than the new american gibsons, without a doubt.

A nigh on perfect copy of what I consider to be Gibson's finest creation. Solid mahogany with a glued in mahogany neck. The body of mine is one piece !

Fairly typical vintage Gibson style tone. The pick-ups surpass most Jap units but lack the "3D" sound of the finest US replacement models. The neck unit in particular lacks definition. Mind at this price you can't complain and the chasis are worth the expense of an upgrade.

Tokai still know how to put a guitar together. The build quality is superior in many respects to my old Gibson Les Paul. Mine had benefitted from a full set-up by the dealer, he informs me that Tokai's require minimal adjustment straight from the box.

The only blackspot is the tuners. The factory fitted units are awful, loads of backlash, loose action and poor stability. I upgraded to Schallers and it was well worth it.

No reliability problems, the finish is not the toughest, mine is starting to show some playing wear after a year but it all adds to the vibe. I dropped the guitar some time ago and the headstock took the full force of the impact. Surprisingly, apart from a couple of dings, there was no major damage.

Never used it, never needed it.

I love Tokai guitars, they consistantly show how a good guitar can be made at a realistic price. The SG is a fine instrument &, with a pick-up / tuner upgrade, is as good a guitar as you could ever want.

My dealer openly admits that 75% of his customers who come to buy a Gibson leave with a Tokai.

My black Tokai SG60 is a bang on Japanese copy of a '61 Gibson SG. It is solid mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. The pickups are supposed to be modelled after a "classic" humbucker and they do sound warm and full, as good as any of the many replacement pickups I've purchased for cheap guitars in the past. I've peeked at the volume and tone controls and as I suspected from the feel and sound of them they are bottom of the barrel and could be replaced.

This guitar sounds great, just as full and bright as the new Gibson's I've tried. The neck does have its dead spots but for the style of music I play - rock and roll - this guitar is the ultimate bargain. Compared to my Mexican made Telecaster this guitar more than surpasses its "copy" status.

The instrument looks and feels as nice as the real thing. Everything about it suggests that it was built with care and with respect for the original design: the jumbo frets are gorgeous; the neck is straight; the hardware is good quality; the inlay is flawless. The finish might not have the deep hard glow of high priced guitars but it suits me just fine.

This guitar has been played very little so it's hard to say how it will hold up to serious gigging. But it feels as solid as a rock.

I've been playing guitar for about twenty years now and I've owned Fenders, a PRS, as well as many budget guitars. This guitar is the perfect instrument for a working musician who longs for the look and playability of a classic axe but doesn't have the green to make it happen. Grab a Tokai now before they become as hard to find as the rare birds they mimic.

Made in Japan in 2001, a more than perfect Gibson clone for less than half the price (in Europe we have the Gibson-alike heads, certainly not for long). Rounded "big hands" neck, easy to play. Probably no nytrocellulose finish, but who cares ? No case, the shop gives you a 20$ gig bag. I sold my Standard and my Special Gibson LP, bought two Tokai (a Love Rock too) + an Epiphone LP junior doublecut (P90) + a used 498 pickup for the Love Rock bridge (stock too bassy) and saved money for a Pandora PX4 (fine amp simulations) and a Zoom PS02 (fun)... Goodbye Gibson, thank you for the money !

I have a lot of guitars, one for each style of music I play, the SG is good for rock (surprise ?), on the vintage side. Tokai Humbuckers are more jazz-blues-rock than metal, good definition etc. No need to upgrade, I tried a SD JB but did not liked the sound (never liked the sound of this pickup). As I said before I have an old Gibson pickup but I put it on the LR. A DiMarzio would make my guitar sound like a DiMarzio (a DiMarzio would make anything sound like a DiMarzio, including your cellular phone).

Not too badly set-up, but I like to do it myself.

If I had to play live with this guitar, I certainly would upgrade the switch and pots with german or US harware (you never know...)
The finish may be on the weak side, time will tell. But I allways have the same feeling with SG guitars, too thin, too light, fragile (go in a shop, play a Gibson SG classic).

Looks like a brand, not a real company. Not even a "Made in Japan" on it, just a serial number (and you know Japanese people are proud about what they make, and this guitar deserves proudness). The garanty is the shops's one.

Been playing blues stuffs for ten years, also own the must-own Strat (1983 Squier Japan), the must-have semi (Ibanez AM50), an Ibanez Talman 630 and so on. My amps are a Line 6 Flextone, a Peavey Backstage Plus (with a H&K Metal Shredder preamp) and a little Vox Pathfinder (good amps, no problem). Allways wanted to play a SG (my generation guitar, Doors, Who, Cream...), never found a good one until now (or for astronomic prices). I compared in the shop with three Gibsons, sticky necks, harsh sounds, crazy prices. I would hate to spend 3000 to 6000 $ for a vintage Gibson, I play for my pleasure, not for show business picture magazines!

This guitar kicks ass. I really mean it great stuff! god of a bridge 22 good frets,good quality selectors,good tuners the lot

Great for any kind of music,grunge,rock,blues,classical. ANY!

Great rich and full sound. I dont dislike anything about it.

A BIT TO LOW. But great for super fast soloing.
No flaws in the finish perfect,you should give it a good polish when you get it and you will see why tokai got put to court.

only had it a year. Not one perfect. I say a Life Time

Dont need it at the moment,i have there site and telephobe number just in case.!

i have been playing 2 years and i think this is my first love ( means i will never get rid of it )
I wish it had a tremelo but thats stupid its an sg!

This guitar has basically the same features as the Gibson SG 1961 reissue, and I mean THE SAME! They really nailed it! Only the logo is different, and the pickups sound a tad more vintage than the gibson one. If you don't know about tokai, they got sued by gibson because their instruments are the same if not better than Gibson`s. So, it`s all made of mahogany, cherry trans red, small pickgard and has the slim-tapper neck. If you like the good old Gibson pickups, you`ll love that guitar like I do.

Good old Blues/Rock vintage sound, reminding me of good old Clapton. I can get a nice Derek Trucks tone too. I'm also a big Frank Marino fan, so I'm very happy about its tone; no complaints!! I use it with a Fender Deville 212, and I use chorus with either a tube screamer 9 or a RAT. I play in a blues/rock-fusion band, and this guitar is perfect. Combined with my Fender Strat, I can get any tone I want when I'm on stage. I'm VERY picky about a good guitar tone, I've tried a lot of Gibson SG`s, and the Tokai is just as better. I give it a 9, because I'll probably have to change the bridge pickup because I`d like to have a tad more output at the bridge than a vintage tone. I have a Duncan JB that would probably make a good job. The neck pickup sounds perfect though! Nice bluesy sound when tone on 7 and a fat jazzy tone with tone on 3-4.

I bought it brand new, no scratch! The action was a little bit low, but the intonation was dead on! This instrument is perfectly in tune. The slim-tapper neck is very fast, it lets me play any licks I want. No noise, gorgeous trans cherry red like I have in my dreams since I started to play guitar!!

Brand new, only played couple of gigs and to this day in age, it has been the perfection!

I've been playing for seven years with a strat, and I also owned a yamaha, a B.C. Rich and a Godin LG, and that SG is by far my favorite, eventhough my strat`s still my first love. They`re both very different. For the price I paid, I still don't understand how come Gibson keeps on rippin` off musicians.