Identifying my guitar

[JDNOVA1953]

Need some help on identifying my guitar as to whether or not it is a Tokai. I bought it at a guitar show in Maryland because of the ease of play and the sound. The guy I bought it from said he thought it was a Tokai. The top of the neck has a GIBSON label and underneath that is a perpendicular Les Paul label that looks like a water rub off type and underneath that is screwed down "standard". The serial number on the back is imprinted in the wood and the number is 061550 . The color of the guitar is sunburst. Any help is appreciated. 8)

 

[Paladin2019]

Call me stupid, but it sounds like a Gibson Les Paul Standard :-?

Why anyone would pass one off as a tokai is a complete mystery.

 

[firebird65]

Can you get a couple of photos on to the site? 1 of the front of the head-stock, 1 of the serial number, 1 of the top, and 1 side-on of the body, if you can do this we may be able to spot what it is.
The serial number could suggest a 1973 Gibson, no guarantees on that though.
If you have beed sold a duff old Gibbo instead of a real Tokai I'll take it off your hands for ?50.

 

[Paladin2019]

1973... that might explain it. The 'norlin' years aren't remembered favourably, maybe the original owner thought he'd get more for it if he passed it off as a collectable MIJ guitar.

 

[luis]

My God,that Tokai thing is getting crazy.How is possible trying to pass a Gibson as a Tokai,especially when Tokai never built 70's Gibson replicas as oppossite as Greco did?The guy is not very clever as 70's Gibson are comandin higher prices than MIJ guitar.I am not talking about playibility or sound,just money value.Usually was a Tokai passing as a Fender or Gibson,very common n 80's.

 

[quilt top]

Hey...how about this? Does it say made in the USA under the serial #???

 

[supernout]

come on people, let's be professional. :wink:

jdnova : xplore the parts that can't be exchanged and take pics of them!

body : all the pu & elect. cavities
neck : tuner spacing - truss rod -

a frontal pic of each headstock and body-top

 

[ArthurS]

I think if it is actually a 1973 Gibson, as has been suggested, it should really have a few of the following features:

- Three-piece mahogany or maple neck (as opposed to the Tokai's one piece)
- Sandwich body (two layers of mahogany on top of each other, separated by a thin strip of maple)
- Volute (a thickening on the back of the neck at around the same height as the nut, meant to make breaking headstocks less likely)
- Made in USA stamp below serial number
- Clown burst (a very red sunburst)
- P90s or mini-humbuckers (though it could have been routed for full-size humbuckers)

Gibson specs were supposedly all over the place in the seventies (as was the serial numbering system), but it should at least have some of the features mentioned above if it is a 70s Gibson.

 

[FiremanFX]

I've heard of more than one case of a Tokai Love Rock altered with fake Gibson logos. The list of parts to check is good. I would add:

number codes on the pots- these indicate who made them and when
tuning machines and foot prints from machines that had been on before

 

[firebird65]

I most certainly did not suggest that it was a '73 gibson, only that the serial number could tie in with gibsons from that year, I did also suggest photos of the head-stock and side-on of the body for exactly your points of I.D.
Anyone that would fake a Gibson to make it a copy would need to be a wee bit barking.
However I stand by my offer to give ?50 if it does turn out to be one of those horrid Norlins.(I do actually have one, a '75 goldtop deluxe, and it's wonderful) :lol:

 

[frank thomson]

sure sounds like a Norlin.

3 pc neck, pancake body, mini-buckers.....that's a 'Deluxe', 4 sure

I have a 1970 LPDlx. I love it.
If anybody don't want theirs, email me and i'll trade you 4 a crisp $100 bill.
.....Hell, I'll even pay shipping!

What?!?