• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: GIBSON & FAMILY

Are there chordians who have knowledge about the "famous" copies made in Japan, like Tokai, before the lawsuit, and the same about the brand Orville (founder of Gibson).
I just know that those copies were really good, and that prices for "older" tokais are extremely high.
But I don't know a thing about the kind of electronics they used. Are these humbuckers PAF's.
I just know that people are clever enough to analyse the complete humbucker structure and than they make exactly the same humbucker.
Was Tokai busy with these "experiments"?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

Check out Http://www.rondomusic.net for the best LP copies available.

I have the Agile - Silverburst LP

Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

I think I was on that site, but I probably skipped it.
Do you know more about the electronics used.
It is weird, a pre-lawsuit Tokai is going big $$$, IS THIS MEANING THAT THE COPY IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

'THE COPY IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL?'

From what I can gather, in some cases, yes. Fender were having major quality issues in the seventies due to the move to Mexico, particularly with the mid and low end of the range. Tokai guitars were sneered at in the seventies but it turns out they were pretty decent. So, yes a cheap Tokai may well have had the edge to an equivalent price point Fender.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

The quality of the first Tokai's and The Ibanez flying "V" and Explorers were as good if not better than the original Gibsons. With that said at the time Gibson stuff was coming out sub par and they were losing money. They sued the to companies above because they copies were to much like the originals at a fraction of the cost.

Bootlegger.

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

Hey Boot, as a pro, if I take my Gibson to India, or China, and I let them look really professional, meaning the right people, they are able to analyse 100% the coils, or hardware and they can "theoretical" make an EXACT copy, using the same wood... is this correct.
In fact I ask this question, because in India silk is a fraction of the price we pay, if we pay 100$ for 1 meter, they sell it for 10$. This means, and I was witness, because when I was there, a couple was going to get married 3 months later, they had AND the pattern of the wedding robe and pictures (price here: 2500$), and 3 days later she had a "top quality wedding dress" A DRESS YOU WEAR 1 DAY, for about 200$. I saw her later and she told me that the dress was so beautiful and strong, and more: they travelled for free, because of buying that dress there.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

Hey Phil,

I'm not a pro just a guitaraholic who loves guitars, and music.  I would no take anything to India because I can't afford to go. If I wanted a Les Paul style copy guitar I would buy a Michael Kelly Patriot series guitar (MIK- made in Korea) they ary well made and play extreamly well for the money $399.00 to $499.00 american. Whti that said if you want a Les Paul replica, buy a les paul or have David Myka (www.myka guitars) or David Thomas McNaught (www.McNaughtguitars.com) you will get a guitar much better than a les paul in a les paul type configuration.

Bootlegger.

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

Sorry boot, I am always thinking that other people have the same possibilities as I have (financial).
I worked up to 75-80 hours a week, and professional: top, but private: mess.
Do you know the fantastic PRS, 3 different models, and besides one, only made from 1990-1992.
One of the has domino coils Lindy Fralin, to try to have a piece of the Fender cake. I have a 1964 Fender, sounds real good, but the single coil PRS is better: sound, easy to play.
I had the luck to buy them on eBay, but at this moment you don't see them on the internet.
Probably I did a good business, play and invest.
If you tell me about myka guitars, and McNaught guitars: they have to be real good. I trust your advise, always did, for 100%
Did you know that I ordered 1 of the "famous Chinese gibsons?"I have to say, they sounded pretty good. I sold this one, because a guitar player, always playing on STAGG (they are absolutely more worth than their price, very good sound) wanted to buy that Gibson, even after I insisted that is was not the real thing and giving him this guitar for 2 weeks before buying. He told me very proud, that he had friends who played on that guitar too, couldn't believe that this was a Chinese copy. The world is strange, he paid me 350$ for it, I paid 7 months earlier 250$.
It is getting more and more difficult to see a guitar in a forest, how many brands are there?
I wish I could try them all.
When you'll read this: GOOD MORNING

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: GIBSON & FAMILY

Phil,

Please go to the Myka and Mc Naught  websites and take a look you will be awe strick in their craftmenship you really have to see it for your onw eyes.

Bootlegger.