Tokai ES60 SB Where Is It Made?

[WhiteDingo]

Tokai ES60 SB, Where Is It Made?

Label visible via F hole mention Tokai Gakki Japan.

Model 112866

Serial CN11120629

Three screw, truss rod cover.

Due to the S/N and truss screw numbers, it's being claimed this model is China, not MIJ.

Yet bears the 'Gakki Japan' label.

Confused?

Experts, please advise!

Thanks.

 

[Sigmania]

Do you have pictures that you can share?

 

[mdvineng]

I think this was on Fb early this week.
Chinese made 2011 under licence from Tokai Gakki.

On Fb, eight people at least, confirmed it as made in China but the OP wasn't happy about that and is fixated on the label inside alluding to made in Japan. Suspect they won't be happy here either.

 

[Paladin2019]

CN serial number, low model number (60), three screw truss rod cover = made in China, 2011.

Pictures are good to have but really not necessary in this case. Everything you've told us in your post says that the guitar is made in China.

Tokai Gakki Japan is the company, not the country of manufacture.

 

[WhiteDingo]

I think this was on Fb early this week.
Chinese made 2011 under licence from Tokai Gakki.

On Fb, eight people at least, confirmed it as made in China but the OP wasn't happy about that and is fixated on the label inside alluding to made in Japan. Suspect they won't be happy here either.

Perhaps stick to facts rather than time-wasting mind reading.

Do you have any new data or actual information to add about the instrument?

2011, from the serial number?

Thanks.

 

[WhiteDingo]

Do you have pictures that you can share?

I do, not sure how to post them here as yet?

 

[WhiteDingo]

CN serial number, low model number (60), three screw truss rod cover = made in China, 2011.

Pictures are good to have but really not necessary in this case. Everything you've told us in your post says that the guitar is made in China.

Tokai Gakki Japan is the company, not the country of manufacture.

That seems to be the consensus.

Are you speaking from experience, Internet lore; or are the claims you make verifiable in some form online, or from Tokai? Just curious.

Thanks.

 

[mdvineng]

I think this was on Fb early this week.
Chinese made 2011 under licence from Tokai Gakki.

On Fb, eight people at least, confirmed it as made in China but the OP wasn't happy about that and is fixated on the label inside alluding to made in Japan. Suspect they won't be happy here either.

Perhaps stick to facts rather than time-wasting mind reading.

Do you have any new data or actual information to add about the instrument?

2011, from the serial number?

Thanks.

I am sticking to facts and there is nothing more to add apart from use the search function top right of the page.

 

[Sigmania]

Here’s how to post pictures:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=25951

 

[Sigmania]

For what it’s worth, the CN serial numbers only occur on Chinese builds. It’s the easiest way to distinguish them.

And Paladin 2019 has been on this forum for 20 years. I think you can trust that he is speaking from decades of experience with Tokais.

Just curious why you don’t believe it was made in China? Is it the paper label? Or because it’s a nice guitar?

I think the paper label lets you know it’s a licensed build rather than a back door counterfeit.

The Chinese builds can be surprisingly nice guitars. A lot of folks grab them and upgrade the electronics which tend to be one way production costs are held down.

 

[Paladin2019]

That seems to be the consensus.

Are you speaking from experience, Internet lore; or are the claims you make verifiable in some form online, or from Tokai? Just curious.

Thanks.

As Sigmania says I'm speaking from 20 years experience as a Tokai enthusiast, with a special interest in their Gibson clones. (Wow, has it really been that long? I should spend less time talking guitar and more time playing)

CN serial numbers are only seen on Chinese builds. Other prefixes exist and seem to identify which Chinese factory was used. Japanese serials have numbers with no letters; Korean models only had letters too. 3 screw truss rod covers are only seen on Chinese and Korean builds. There are some rare Korean models that had 2 screws but never a Japanese model that had 3. Japanese-made ES models made in the year 2011 (from the serial number) all had model numbers above 100, see the 2011 catalogue (UK version, it's listed as a UES-60 but it's the same guitar as your ES-60):

https://www.vintagejapanguitars.com.br/en/tokai-2011-2012-uk-shop-catalogue/

If you want to be certain, always look at the bridge. On Japanese models the bridge posts are 4mm unslotted, rounded-end studs screwed directly into the wood of the body, like a vintage Gibson. On non-japanese builds the posts are 6mm wide, have a screwdriver slot in the top, and are screwed into the body via threaded inserts. Other features can fool you but the bridge is definitive. I will eat my hat if yours has anything but 6mm slotted posts.

This forum is still the premier online resource for all things Tokai, and you came to us for that reason. Try doing a few searches and you'll see all this info has come up many times before from multiple reliable sources, often first hand as this forum has been going for years longer than I've been here. Some people have contacted Tokai directly for information about their guitar and have received replies from the factory so if you still have doubts you could go down that road but as far as I'm concerned there's no ambiguity here, you own a Chinese made ES-60.

 

[WhiteDingo]

The post's screw thread portion, is about 8mm, the top has a flat screwdriver slot and about 6mm diameter. There are preinstalled metal, threaded inserts, for the posts.

Seems I'm out of luck ... :-(

Thanks for the link, will wise-up how to post images!