Tokai LC80S vs Gibson Les Paul Custom

DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored video. The guitar was given to me by its owner for a review. This is an honest review and represents my personal opinion.

My quest with the Japanese Les Paul copies continues. A week after I tried the Burny Les Paul I got this 2005 Tokai LC80S to compare with my 2008 Gibson Les Paul Custom Alpine White. The Tokai is the most affordable model so it's not exactly a fair fight against the Gibson but it did better than I expect it.

0:00 Intro
1:32 Tokai Lineup
3:46 The Tokai Story
5:44 Tokai vs Gibson Differences
8:37 The Specs
9:40 The Pickups
11:03 Bridge & Tailpiece
11:42 Body & Neck
16:05 Back & Electronics
17:48 The Case
19:17 The Weight
19:31 Gibson vs Tokai Tone Demo
24:06 My Thoughts

Gear used to record this video:
Amp: Diezel VH-4 120W Head
Cab: Diezel 2x12 Vintage 30 Rear Loaded
Mic: Shure SM57, Audio-Technica AT2035
Interface: M-Audio 192/4
Camera: Sony A6400 with Sigma 30mm F1.4 and Iphone 13 Pro Max
Stands: Athletic stand for cab microphone

#tokai #lespaul #gibson

[ajhwb]

Nice comparison!
Eliminating the price point, I still prefer Gibson's crunch and high gain, something "more" with the Gibson, maybe the word "full" you described? and I'm wondering how Tokai would sound when using the Gibson's pickup, BTW the 23:54 lifting style is kick ass!

[yeti]

Both guitars sound great 👍
What amp and speakers did you use for the demo ?

[hkguitar]

Great Video, thank you for the comparison.
Last year I was able to purchase a Tokai 1954 Reissue Goldtop. The guitar was made in Japan at the Tokai Custom Shop.
I highly recommend the Japan Made Tokai guitars. My Tokai R4 utilizes a 1-Piece mahogany neck and body with a nitro lacquer finish.
I'd like to add that the top-carve and belly profile of my Tokai are pretty extreme and very sexy looking, much, much nicer than any Gibson USA I've seen (usually the historically correct top carves are reserved for Gibson Custom Shop instruments and not the regular production Gibson USA instruments).

[atamiCtto]

Great video, definitely helped me understand the differences between the two a bit better. I wish someone would do a similar in depth comparison between the more expensive models, like the LC230S, since it's the one I've got my eyes on right now. I can't decide whether I should go with a Gibson Standard model, and get the custom in the future, or if I should go with the Tokai, since they'd both be at the same price point after customs. If anyone has any experience with Tokai guitars, which one of the two would be a safer bet quality and qc wise?

[cechichan]

Well the tokai is "paf" based sound, lower output, brither. Depends on what u wanna play and what u like ;D both great. I tried some murphy labs and a few more gibsons last spring in london and i end up with the tokai ls136f, was the first one that i loved from the start. Im 100% NOT saying it was better than all the gibsons, but felt better for me, also 1/4 of the price. If i am to get over 5k for a guitar i want it to be perfect for me. Neck, finnish, pickups, all that. Tokai is a very very good safe bet that u will get a good guitar. Also depends how high end u go on the tokais. Most of the 2k + tokais are custom shop level gibsons imho. Just gotta find what works for u, i gladly pay gibson price if i find what i want from them :D

[the_hippykiller]

I own the same Tokai, same year but in lefty with SD JB 59 pickups. I also own a Trad LP which is for sale. The Tokai is a much, much better guitar. Perfect QC, perfect fretwork, perfect tuning stability, great sound. I really don't see what the Gibson has for itself performance wise save for maybe the Rosewood fretboard which is a matter of taste. I prefer frets without nibs as they tend to catch the strings sometimes, the nitro is more expensive and fancy but not necessarily better than the poly. This is the best les Paul shaped object I've tried in my whole life IMO. Better than other tokais I tried so I probably got a good one, and I would say on par with the righty LP customs I tried but YMMV

[alexanderkot]

Vot about History guitars from Japan? GH or SH series

[philby]

would have been nice to tune the Tokai

[the_hippykiller]

Also could you compare the Burny, Tokai and Greco ? Would be very interesting as I'd like to get a Burny or Greco to hang with my Tokai

[willdenham]

Tokai are not allowed to advertise their Gibson types directly to overseas markets. You have to go through a distributor. I even emailed their Hyunsai factory direct and they told me they cannot sell me an SG or LP type. I got a nice Premium Series SG through a shop in Indonesia.

[yeti]

The tokai sounded different on the cleans, overdriven and distorted sounds. The Gibson sounded better, just my two cents .

[yeti]

I like this tokai, it can hang with other high end single cut guitars. If your not happy with the pickups, change it up .

[wind]

I purchased a new Tokai LC290S recently and I brought it to some guitar stores to compare with Gibson USA Standards and Gibson Custom Shops. I was left severely disappointed. I expected the $7k Custom Shops to at least match the $2k Tokai, but they don't. All the Gibsons disappoint in playability and quality. The Standard has no low end. The Custom Shop was comparable in sound (no better or worse), but it should really be higher build quality at $7k. The silver lining was that I love my Tokai even more now and I have no drive to "upgrade" to a Gibson.

[Coolbeans]

To be fair to the tokai it’s an entry level guitar vs the best guitars gibson make in the custom shop. Entry level or not, i think this would be hard not to pick over standard gibson. As you said it was better than the traditional. More importantly it occupies a market share gibson isn’t operating in currently with its own Japanese made product and offers something that can compare with an American gibson (if not better than) for less cost. You can spend custom shop prices on tokai guitars and at that point you’re getting something more comparable to these. i wouldn’t do that personally because if I’m spending custom shop money on a gibson I’m searching for the best guitar before i buy which means I’m committed. But at the same price as custom shop you’re getting Honduran mahogany and Brazilian rosewood. These are specs gibson charge 10s of thousands for. If you spent closer to standard gibson prices on something like this you’d get the right materials and something that more closely compares to the custom shop. Either way the tokai is a winner especially at this price because this is something that plays well, is a good quality build, sounds good (especially with a pickup upgrade as higher end models come loaded with Duncan’s) and you can gig stress free because it’s poly so it can take abuse isn’t too precious like a custom and plays the part well. If it’s good enough for Billy gibbons it’s good enough for you too

[TheMrMRsmoke]

will there ever be an Orville by gibson review

[John_Doe]

Imo the Tokai didn’t handle high distortion as well as the Gibson. The Tokai sounded to bright.

[jester-oz]

There is a good reason you cannot get a Tokai in USA. In the 80s Tokai was making better guitars than Gibson. Gibson was making shit in the late 70s early 80s.

[gustavomacedo]

No "copy" of a Les Paul can stand against the original Gibson.

Японската, като я гледам, се сещам за случая с Ибанеца от Лес Пол-ски тип, заради когото Гибсън ги бяха съдили, та направо не мога да повярвам тия как са се разминали без съд. :D

[qua]

Vintage type pickups and high gain? Nah.