NGD - now we are (nearly) 50

[benecol]

We all knew this day would come lads. I hope this may be one of the five signs (of ageing) that will trigger Fran's return to the board.

I got deliberately knocked off my bike last summer, and had to sell a chunk of kit while the court case chugged along. Eleven months later, it's over and they found in my favour. To celebrate, I bought a twelve string, which I hated literally everything I played on (it's lovely, but I cannot even begin to transcend the worst twelve string stereotypes). Had watched some auctions for some Edwardses, and got some lowball "I see you're watching my auction..." offers just to increase my buyer's remorse. In all my daft horse-trading, I've never had a Les Paul (had some Juniors, which I've loved), and have been intrigued for a while - was thinking I'd get something around my 50th (that is a few years away yet, mind). They all went before I could get the Burns listed.

However, this MIJ Tokai popped up in South Wales, buyer collects, so I thought I'd chance my hand. It's a 2002 (same as my Jazzmaster) plaintop. A couple of dings, but that just makes me less worried about doing it. Quite heavy, but no more than my Jazzmaster. Hilariously, the bloke had fitted it with the same Seymour Duncan Jazz/JB combo that I thoroughly hated in my old 335, but I'm tweaking around and so far, so good. Fella who sold it me was the nicest, and I got it for a price that had me checking the name badge on my hospital whites for "SPANGLE".

I am now obsessing on getting the action stupidly low, obv. I love it.

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[Bacchus]

Very nice!

What amp are you going through these days?

[Gavin]

Nice. I may be ageing into this because I've been contemplating an SG lately. I was basically thinking I want something like an LP but that's not an LP.

[NickS]

Nice. I may be ageing into this because I've been contemplating an SG lately. I was basically thinking I want something like an LP but that's not an LP.

Strangely, I bought my Flying V because Andy Powell I wanted something like a LP but lighter than a LP that wasn't an SG. I guess I could have got a Junior. An SG seems more practical but I don't know what, maybe the pointiness of the horns, puts me off.

Nice looking machine, Tim. I noticed this Tokai LP on local FBM this morning.

[benecol]

Thanks all.

What amp are you going through these days?

Through my OTT Vibrochamp/Princeton stereo setup.

Gav: SGs are lovely. I think I've had more SGs than anything else.

Nick - that's nice, but it's a MIK one. MIJ Tokais are where it's at baby.

[NickD]

As probably the biggest Les Paul fan on this board I heartily approve. I’ve only owned one Tokai (the LPJ I bought from you) but the quality and VFM is great.

My R9 and JM are around the same weight - around 8.5-8.75lbs.

Looks like a really good purchase, great photo taking too.

SGs are great, but I’ve struggled with finding any that have a big enough neck. Not a slim taper fan in the slightest.

[benecol]

I’ve only owned one Tokai (the LPJ I bought from you) but the quality and VFM is great.

Was that the doublecut? I've never had a proper Slasher LP.

[NickS]

Nick - that's nice, but it's a MIK one. MIJ Tokais are where it's at baby.

I'm such a noob.

[benecol]

On Tokais, MIK ones have three-screw trussrod covers, MIJ have two-screw.

[Thom]

Very nice indeed! Glad the court case is all done and dusted and came out in your favour.

[sunshiner]

That's a lovely looking LP. I don't play LPs but sure can appreciate a nice looking one

SGs are great, but I’ve struggled with finding any that have a big enough neck. Not a slim taper fan in the slightest.

Gibson just like Rickenbacker think their guitars that wound up in the hands of certain people in the 60s had a special secret magic sauce recipe to them when in reality those people would've played a stringed whale dong with pickups if it came for free or as a part of a recording deal.

I've watched an interview where Robbie Krieger was talking about his original SG which had at one point been stolen and which he had been lucky to replace with the same year model some time later. His SG had a big neck but when in the 2000s Gibson approached him to make a signature model, they copied the body off of his guitar but for some reason slapped a thin ass slim taper neck on it.

[plopswagon]

Hammer of the Gods (my second reference of that in a Shortscale context this week)

[Nick]

It’s a beauty Tim, it looks, as they say in the business, “the business”

[NickD]

I’ve only owned one Tokai (the LPJ I bought from you) but the quality and VFM is great.

Was that the doublecut? I've never had a proper Slasher LP.

It was. TV yellow as I recall.

Hammer of the Gods (my second reference of that in a Shortscale context this week)

The other reference was more in reference to a longscale than a shortscale though

[benecol]

Missed this bit...

SGs are great, but I’ve struggled with finding any that have a big enough neck. Not a slim taper fan in the slightest.

It's why I always disliked SGs (see my "Oh, it's good enough for Kelly Jones but not for you?" farrago), but it was a MIJ Tokai SG that made me first discover big necks, funnily enough. All the MIJ Tokai SGs have nice big necks, as do loads of the Gibson Standards. SG Classics used to be the best sleeper Gibsons: effectively an SG Standard, but with P90s, they used to be about the cheapest "proper" Gibsons. And huge necks.

[NickD]

Missed this bit...

SGs are great, but I’ve struggled with finding any that have a big enough neck. Not a slim taper fan in the slightest.

It's why I always disliked SGs (see my "Oh, it's good enough for Kelly Jones but not for you?" farrago), but it was a MIJ Tokai SG that made me first discover big necks, funnily enough. All the MIJ Tokai SGs have nice big necks, as do loads of the Gibson Standards. SG Classics used to be the best sleeper Gibsons: effectively an SG Standard, but with P90s, they used to be about the cheapest "proper" Gibsons. And huge necks.

Are all P90 Classics blessed with a big neck, or just certain years?

[benecol]

All the SG Classics are. They're the ones with "Classic" written on the trussrod cover. They've recently done some variations on "SG Standard P90", and I can't vouch for those.

[Doog]

It’s a beauty Tim, it looks, as they say in the business, “the business”

Niiiiice; do an pitchy unison bend into a solidstate Peavey combo

[dezb1]

O

[rahbro]

Love it