Just before my son was born, I sold my Jag to pay for a new bicycle, and bought a Tokai with the change. I was unsure whether to plump for a white SG, or a TV Yellow LP JR DC. There ended up being a waiting list on both, so I opted for a walnut SG. Now, many guitars have come and gone since then (including another SG - I love SGs - and two LP Jrs), but I've always wondered what if...
Have been chatting to Lorez for the last few weeks on and off about his SG, and getting him to measure various bits of it. Was just a bit unsure because that would mean I had two humbucker guitars, and duplication tends to mean I favour one over the other, and end up flogging one or grumpy. I thought I'd just have a quick gander on eBay to see what Tokai SGs were changing hands for at the moment. The next thing you know...
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I've just bought this. MIJ Tokai, produced in limited numbers, same neck as my other ones with a single P90. AND IT'S FUCKING WHITE.
I'VE GOT A WHITE SG.
I can die happy. Got it for a nice price too. Cannot tell you how over the moon I am.
Looks beauts. I almost bought an SG when I bought my Baja Tele and I sometimes wonder 'what if' about that as well... although kind of irrelevant I guess since I've sold the Tele now. I do love me some SGs.
not to mention the quality of the new melody makers is shit. if they were decent guitar at all, I'd own but everyone I have laid my hands on had the fretboard hanging over the back of the neck, razor sharp frets, and of course the crappy finish.
Drove up and got it last night (ably assisted by the Progfest Satnav, which hasn't been updated since 1988, and sends me down leylines and stuff, and once got me a £60 fine sending me down a road which had long since become pedestrians only). Seller was good as gold: an art school technician called Tim from a spa town who plays improvised music. Which was slightly alarming for me, as you can imagine. First impression was: oh fuck, that's not the colour I thought it was. It's not a solid, flat white, it's slightly transparent (which I quite dislike on most guitars), and there's definitely a greenish/willowy tinge to it. It's somewhere between 'mint pickguard', 'cricket bat' and 'very pale bogey'. However, all was forgiven as soon as I picked it up - feel and action are amazing, and it really goes BRANG, as you'd expect. And the all important 'posing in front of the mirror' factor is particularly high. I'll try and get some better photos of the colour.
Weirdly, I thought the neck felt nice and massive, but in measuring it, it's only 21mm deep at the first few frets, fattening nicely as it goes up. These have long been some of my favourite necks (it's my third Tokai SG, think a few of you played my old black one at Progfest) - I'm still in touch with the bloke who bought my black one (Tim from Fuzzfaceless pedals) and I'll get him to measure the neck on that one; feels identical to me. Lovely and wide as well.
I was all ready to have to change the P90 out; the Tokais aren't renowned for the pickups being very good, but based on playing it through the Mustang very quietly at midnight while the rest of my house slumbered, it sounds pretty good. Especially liked turning the tone right down on the guitar and using the Marshall settings.
*coughWOMANTONEZcough*
Light as a feather, one piece body, long neck tenon, and Kluson Deluxe tuners, which is a bit of a coup. The seller reckoned it was nitro over a poly finish, but I wasn't aware of Tokai doing this apart from on their very high end guitars. I'll investigate...
