Guitar Buying Advice

dabhal

I'm in the market for an Epiphone Les Paul Standard.
I keep reading on boards "buy from abroad its way cheaper" yet every site I find works out the same as my local waltons (after you add in tax and shipping.)
Am I missing something or am I just on the wrong websites?

feylya

What shops are you looking at?

dabhal

http://music.kelkoo.co.uk
www.allinlondon.co.uk/
www.guitarstrings.co.uk/

to name a few, I googled epiphone les paul and got everything from germany to usa but it's either the same or more expensive, I even tried ebay and no good deals there either.

Karl Hungus

Why an Epiphone Les Paul? Get a Tokai from Ebay, it'll be far cheaper, and a lot better. Ask some of the guys here who've gone for Tokai over Gibson, they'll tell you how much they rock.

Quattroste

Like their slogan says...

TOKAI - Beware of expensive imitations!

Kenny_D

I just got a vintage tokai. And it is probably the best guitar I've played. I'd rate it higher than my friends Gibson LP Standard which cost him more 2500 euro. Mine cost 1200 and is a much better instrument in both build quality and sound. Have a look at the love rock Les Pauls before Epiphone. Epiphone LP's arent very good and you could get so much more for your money with a Tokai. www.ishibashi.co.jp is a good place to start looking at tokai's. Also there are loads of great deals to be had on ebay. Just search for tokai and if you come across anything that takes your fancy let us know. Germany is usually a good place for bargains on ebay and you wont have to pay import duty or tax. Shipping for my guitar from germany was only 22euro too

dabhal

Ok Im interested

GS, is there an english version of that site?

Karl Hungus

Click here

dabhal

thanks karl, But these guitars are not cheaper than the epiphone??????
Ebay has them in sterling 299 = eur 440, this is what I'm talking about, im even more confused, is this a mass P%$$ take, is the world against me
I feel alone and scared now

Karl Hungus

Sorry man, no piss take at all. I've never eyed up an epiphone online, so no idea how much they'd cost on the bay, I just went by the prices I've seen locally. Anyway, the Tokai guitars are supposedly far superior altogether, and they're even a comparison to the proper Gibson Les Pauls. I'd still say get a Tokai.

Doctor J

I'd second that. Any Epiphone I've worked on has been questionable quality, espicially the electrics. Those Tokais are getting great reviews all round. Even if it costs a little extra I'd plug the Tokai too.

dabhal

What do you think of this guys? It would cost a bit more than the epi ls standard.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tokai-LS50Q-GIbson-Les-paul-Copy-Qulited-top-Cherry_W0QQitemZ7342884044QQcategoryZ112670QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Karl Hungus

Yeah, that looks great.

Personally, if I was going for one though, I'd have to get a proper Mahogany neck & body like the genuine Gibson LPs, just for the real deal sound. But as it is, that one would be an absolutely huge improvement over an Epiphone.