Tokai bag

 This is what you get when you purchase a Japanese Tokai guitar. This bag looks well-designed. 

Ample padding all round (strap included) to make it a very comfortable bag to handle. If you have handled a Kohlman bag before, this is an iteration of that bag with additional trimmings to make it feel / look exquisite.

Neck cradle & ample side cushioning. Notice the black layered areas - these are the spots where the instrument's hardware comes into contact with the fabric. This layer prevents lining adhesive from bleeding onto the hardware over time & causing some nasty reactions, namely that sticky feel.

I'm giving this bag plus points for this design - can you see the zipper material here? Of course not. It's been covered by fabric.

If you undo the zipper & flip it over like this, then you could see the actual zipper material. Why is this important? It means that on rainy days, that fabric 'blanket' protects the zipper from water & prevents rust.

In brief: Tokai LS-101

There are many Japanese Les Paul copies out there that would make Gibson tremble when it comes to craftsmanship & tone. Tokai makes such guitars. These Japanese manufacturers are not tied down by historical / period correct details. They prefer to manifest details that propel their goodwill above all else.

LIKES

• craftsmanship
• tone
• playability

DISLIKE

• weight

This is definitely not my first time handling a Japanese Les Paul copy. I've been through Burny, Orville & Edwards among others. The LS-101 on appraisal here is a cut above the rest to say the least. The quality control is mesmerising. Just by handling this guitar, we could see that dedicated time & effort were invested into this instrument to make it feel upscaled. 

The neck carve on offer is a round '50s profile, enough meat to propel a good grip & facilitate bends. Some appraisals out there mentioned an overkill of finish done here to make it too processed. This audition model did not show any signs of excessive finishing, especially the final lacquer overcoat. I'm not a fan of finished necks but this one is downright playable & addictive. Frets were also well polished & seated so no issues here to fault the attention to details. 

We certainly do not expect a guitar of this pedigree to propel high gain / extreme distortion. These were manufactured to replicate (at best) a certain vibe often associated with the charm & lure of yesteryear. The default pickups here are GOTOHs, the PAF-Vintage MK2 to be precise (both positions). What do they sound like? To summarize my experience after hearing both the clean & driven settings, they are as good as Gibson's 57 models. 

Would anyone go all out to invest in a Tokai copy of a much celebrated singlecut model? It depends on what you embrace. At this price, many of us would check out what Epiphone has to offer before forking out extras to go Japanese.

Rating: 88%

Tokai LS101 ($1,850)

• bag included
• available at Davis GMC

Tokai @ Davis GMC

A trio of awesome Tokai guitars are currently available at Davis GMC: LS-101 ($1,850), LS-101F ($1,950) & SG-101 ($1,850). Please note, the images used here are not representing the actual finish in store. First impression - above expectations.

Pics: Tokai