WTB: MIJ Les Paul Custom, preferably Tokai

Hydra19

I'm back looking for Les Pauls and to keep the flavor different, I'd like to try to only combination I never had. All mahogany and ebony fretboard. My budget takes me out of any USA made customs, and this needs to be MIJ, I know Tokai have several of these, but the newer models are expensive so preferably, I'm looking for an early 80's custom. Mahogany body and ebony fretboard. Budget is around £1200

brooom

For a much more affordable price, it's hard to beat the 82-90 Greco Mint collection EGC57-60.

I bought one recently, and it's got everything you ask for with the exception of the ebony board (it's rosewood). They tend to be under 9 lbs (mine is 8.9). Full mahogany body (no maple cap), long neck tenon. And 3 pickup configuration, which personally I like on a custom.

Could be an option.

smogmonster

There is this 1976 Greco advertised here:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/2277563/#Comment_2277563

lento

Have a look here for some good info:

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/tokai-facts-theory-photos-id-thread.167940/

Sometime ago I looked for something similar and saw this Black Beauty 54 model.
Wish I had bought it .....

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=21496&sid=c359c71c5fdc12fb5cd5e5f5a5fc4871

Hydra19

Thanks, I've actually had a few MIJ Customs go through my hands:
90's Burny, all mahogany and rosewood
79' Greco EG600 PR, maple top, maple neck, rosewood
80's Burny, 3 pickup, all mahogany and rosewood
Navigator CTM320 - Honduran mahogany, hard maple top, ebony fretboard.

The Burny's were great for certain types of music, both made me play Danzig riffs for some reason but overall I found them not bright enough to cut through. The greco had a maple neck and was just ok. The Navigator was pretty beat up, but overall I did not bond with this guitar. It was great for hard rock, but pretty bright which sometimes can be thin. It was around 5kg and the neck on it was huge, it was bigger than the Navigator 56' Goldtop and actually I think the neck is too fat for me, so I'm not looking for Navigator Customs, although it was the best guitar of them all, and the MOP inlays on that black board really popped. The Burny's had a lot of mojo though, attitude in the sound

So the only one I haven't played is the true les paul custom, all mahogany and ebony fretboard. Thinking about it now, I don't think my budget can afford an 80's tokai like that, but worth asking. I will be keeping an eye out

brooom

I'm familiar with all those models, I've owned (and still own) navigators, grecos, crews, tokai, etc... The Mint collection EGC57-60 is different, from the ones you've listed. Potentially the 80s burny would be the most similar and even then the all mahogany burny's I've tried, didn't hold a candle to the old mahogany Greco mint collection custom.

Also the neck is a 60s profile. So like I said, if you can find one, try it.

There's mine at the right side, along with a couple of other Grecos:

beed84

neonblack

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/159216/momose-mlc1-and-bacchus-bls-std-both-japanese-hand-made#latest

Hydra19

thank you, momose out of my budget 

bad_alice

@Hydra19 I have a good friend (who I’ll happily back for a long distance deal - he’s very active on FB buy/sell groups so you can check his rep there) looking to sell a delightful 2004 MIJ (Gibbo headstock) Epiphone LP Custom in black with the usual gold hardware.
He’s not active much on here so I’m sharing some pics in his behalf:
https://imgur.com/gallery/YbemALv

If you’re interested please go message @StuRad16 ;

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

bad_alice said:

@Hydra19 I have a good friend (who I’ll happily back for a long distance deal - he’s very active on FB buy/sell groups so you can check his rep there) looking to sell a delightful 2004 MIJ (Gibbo headstock) Epiphone LP Custom in black with the usual gold hardware.
He’s not active much on here so I’m sharing some pics in his behalf:
https://imgur.com/gallery/YbemALv

If you’re interested please go message @StuRad16 ;;

Think I saw that on FB earlier, looks like a beaut! Any idea what pickups are in these MiJ Epis? Do they still have the stock Epi pickups or are they a higher spec?

StuRad16

Hi there. They are the stock pickups as as far as I am aware? Cheers....