Topic: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

It is impossible today, to purchase a Fender. What do you think of a RELIC fender, a reissue, and many more like squier, mexican fenders. Do you here the difference playing an exact copy of a genuine USA Fender.

Same with Gibson. I went to visit the plant in Memphis, where hollow bodies are made: LUCILLE's, 335, 175 and so much more. I was surprised the way they make a guitar, people tell it is automatic, but I prefer "automatic people" with their proper skills, starting from peaces of wood, and ending in the store. I was a little bit shocked when they told us that 20%-30% of guitars, they still stay there a couple of months before going to stores, are DESTROYED JUST BECAUSE THERE IS AN ESTHETIC PROBLEM, like paint , 1 drop to much: destroy the guitar. Why don't they bring those out: another name, and on the headstock, where they write custom and other things, they can write Gibson. Did you know that almost every person working there receive each year a Gibson, influenced a little bit by that part of their job, if they were sick a while, their motivation, but it still stays a nice bonus.

Fender is going 100% crazy. Is the Fender Highway, a lot cheaper, a good sounding guitar. Do you REALLY HEAR THE DIFFERENCE between a Mexican strat and US strat. Also a lot of these guitars are made in Japan, China (very good workers and very motivated), Korea. SEE PRS the SE series, they really approach the US PRS, I do agree that it is not so smooth to play it, an SE. And than all those fender models, you need a year to test them to find a good sounding guitar (you have to test it without using an amp, and when you use an amp, don't change the configuration of this amp, and don't touch volume on the guitar. I am really curious to hear what the "chordies"people think. 1 more thing, is there a lot of difference in sound between a "standard" fender and the newer G&L guitars, also co-founded with Leo Fender. What should a player who likes fender, and has 5000$ in his hands, custom reissues, relics. Same thing with Gibson, they have Epiphone, will it sound different?

Those things are fascinating, and I wrote this topic to share, the more, the better, information, before the guitarist buys a "better instrument", because almost every guitar player in the world like to buy sooner or later, a " BRAND NAME". I have a lot of guitars, but I don't know if you can hear real good the difference between an Epi and a real gibson, I have one Epiphone: Sheraton, increasing in value. What guitar, not TALKING ABOUT THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU PLAY, meaning, ballads, blues to heavy metal. What is so SPECIAL about the PAF humbuckers. 1958-1959-1960 Gibson Les Paul Standards cost more than 200.000$ This is not funny anymore, the reissues like Les Paul, made today but build like Gibson Standard 59, a jimmy page? Even Tokai "Gibsons" become collector's items. Are the 58--> 60 standards THAT better???, more, the Gibson Les Paul Custom, the more expensive Gibson Les Paul Custom, the same period, is about 4 times "cheaper", also with PAF's AND BEING A CUSTOM. I really would love your opinion, as I wrote already, I am disabled due to a car crash in 2000, >I can sit, walk, but it is more and more difficult to go to the store. I also will write an identic topic, concerning acoustics. I THANK you already for participating this topic, or to react. The more reactions, the better. I have a lot of time, I looked everywhere, from harmony central to the fender, gibsonwebsites, but I think that writing this can give me, and especiall new guitarplayers, a decent answer. Don't forget, we may be playing quit good, but a (long) time ago, we were starters too.

[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]

Re: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

Hi Phil, I disagree with "you have to test it without using an amp" I hear this quite a bit on the net but in my experience it's a crude guide (OK so if you hear string buzzes that's not good). I had my heart set on a Gibson MelodyMaker partly because it felt good in the hands and had a nice sound just from the strings. Then I plugged it in and did not like the single single-coil (P-90 I think) at all. Pickups and internal electronics quality make alot of difference. A guitar can be light and so not ring alot when struck but still have a good amplified tone, which is of course what we want.


You are A1 on the money as regards cosmetics and I weep for the third of Gibsons that are destroyed. Finish makes very little difference, a sunburst is beautiful but won't affect sound. Contrariwise don't believe some of the claims that natural uncoated is vital (the maverick luthier Zachary claims nitro-cellulose is like putting a guitar in a condom, but if there is any effect it's infinitesimal).


Part of it all is the sound you want. An old-style telecaster (not on of the hot-rodded SSH ones) can only deliver a thin twang tone. Likewise you'd need a coil-tap on a Gretsch to break out of the big fat country-billy sound. OK so both could be ammended with effects and amp tweaks but part of selecting an electric guitar is getting the sounds you want easily. A modern electric guitar with good pickups should be able to deliver a range of tones. Unless you've settled on one style and sound you'll want a thin tone for some barre practise and then a immediately want a fatter one for some country finger-pick practise, or at least I do.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'

Re: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

You asked about brand names Phil, I personally don't ever expect to own a Gibson or Fender, to me alot of what you are paying for is the name. Guitar collecting is skewing the market. Alot of Fenders/Gibson are going to people who want a bit of rock'n'roll history in their home. They may play them a little bit but mostly the guitar is too valuable for anything other than looking gorgeous on the wall.


I'm sure top-flight Gibsons/Fenders are really well made but once you start looking down the scale other makes represent better value. Even ones with a growing cult like PRS are great guitars for the money and give you more than the equivalent Strat or LP.


If I were to win big on the horses tomorrow I'd be off to buy a thousand dollar Gretsch but as it is all my picks lead the field from behind so I'll keep on with value-for-money guitar recommendations <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_wink.gif" border=0 alt="Wink">

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'

Re: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

I do agree 100%, but still I like the sound of these guitars. But I am 100% sure that somewhere out there, there are brands who sound super.

[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]

Re: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

If the guitar makes you happy.  isn't that what it's all about.

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

i bought a new guitar today and when i was trying some of them out i tried a GIBSON les paul studio also a few epiphone les pauls and a tokai love rock (les paul copy) i didnt like the epiphones at all just didnt click and so did this go for the GIBSON but i liked the tokai guitar enough to buy it hope this makes sense as not the most expensive guitars are the best. i payed £600 for it and am very pleased with it.

http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/ads … ag0901.jpg

Roy

7 (edited by patrickjacques 2007-05-22 23:15:44)

Re: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

I have always found the gibson les paul really really heavy. how is the tokai in that reguard

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: The Fender Forest, Gibson and copies (like Tokai). How to find your way

i found the weight pretty much the same as the gibson i just prefered the sound i got out of it i guess its just personal preferance at the end of the day a few of my friends own gibsons and i have mucked about on them but the tokai just seened to be a bit more me.

anyone else play a tokai here?

Roy