What Tokai did I just buy?

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Fitz

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Hi, I've been wanting an SG for a while, and my friend (who knows a lot more about guitars than I) told me to go for the Tokai SG. Long story short, I picked one up, this one to be precise: http://www.bsharpmusic.com/product_info.php?products_id=57&osCsid=170661ff14853e0473641631c433bddb

Upon checking around I realized I didn't know what type of SG I bought, so can you guys help me? The number on the back of the headstock says 050853, which I can't find anywhere in the registry.

Also, I checked another site and narrowed it down to two: the SG35 (http://www.tokai-guitars.co.uk/guitars/new_models/sg35.htm) and the USG60 (http://www.tokai-guitars.co.uk/guitars/loverock/usg60.htm). The description on the USG60 matches the guitar I bought (mahogany body, etc), but the price matches the SG35.

If anyone has any more information on what I bought, I'd appreciate it. I'm not a huge guitar tech-whiz, so anything helps really. Thanks.
 
Hi & welcome. Do you have any more pics of the guitar? It's hard to tell much from that one small pic.

Mike
 
The guitar is one of the dubious Canadian fakais..
Not bad from the specs. - but even nevertheless no Tokai!
 
Why do you say it's a fake Tokai? I thought Tokais were the fake (but supposedly better than) Gibsons... Anyways I took some pictures:













 
Not a Fake of a Fake but more like a Fake of a copy :wink:
 
Fitz, you need to search the old threads for stuff on Canadian fake Tokais - something to do with a distributor who ordered some "Tokais" from a Korean manufacturer that weren't actually ordered by Tokai. It's a long story, covered several times recently on here.
 
leadguitar_323 said:
Why do people wait till they've bought something before they check it out... :eek:

Mick
Click to expand...

Because they hope to get a bargain, & they don't want someone else to jump in and grab it before they do. To be fair though, the Canadians do have it tougher than most of us, with that large batch of fake Tokais on the market.
 
That's exactly it. I don't just naturally assume there's a fake for everything well-made. I saw there was a Tokai SG at a shop in town so I checked it out and bought it. On top of that, I said in my very first post that I'm not a guitar tech-whiz, so I can't spot a fake from a real one unless it's obvious.
 
Fitz said:
That's exactly it. I don't just naturally assume there's a fake for everything well-made. I saw there was a Tokai SG at a shop in town so I checked it out and bought it. On top of that, I said in my very first post that I'm not a guitar tech-whiz, so I can't spot a fake from a real one unless it's obvious.
Click to expand...
Fine Fitz, so - it is up to you.. where you like to set your own priorities
1. Accept it as it is..., or
2. go back to your phantastic seller and beat the axe on his head...

Simple!
 
Hey togps, why are you consistently so unsympathetic to the people who have, in all innocence, bought these Canadian fake Tokais? You sneer at them, use the dismissive term "Fakai" as though they were supposed to understand what you mean.

It hardly gives these new members a warm welcome to the forum, does it?

Since you are so closely linked to Tokai, why don't you tell us what Tokai have been doing to bring the attention of the Canadian public & Canadian guitar dealers to the existence of this big problem? It's not just a big problem for the buyers - it's a big problem for Tokai's reputation in Canada.

So what have Tokai done about it?
 
Hey togps, why are you consistently so unsympathetic to the people who have, in all innocence, bought these Canadian fake Tokais? You sneer at them, use the dismissive term "Fakai" as though they were supposed to understand what you mean.
Click to expand...

Please understand, my English knowledge is only 2 % of yours. so I have to write in 2 sentence that - what you need usually 100 sentence for. It is not my intention to sound harsh.

It hardly gives these new members a warm welcome to the forum, does it?
Click to expand...

this is maybe your job to welcome warmly new members - I?m the guy who delivers the facts
So what have Tokai done about it?
Click to expand...
Nothing!
Simple they don't have the man power
Note: Tokai is one of high sophisticated OEM manufacturers world-wide.
Brands are listed in some previous postings and threads. Among them - there is a small bulk reserved for Tokais, too
Tokai don't own a branch of aggressive advocates and lawyers who look world-wide for trademark infringements and fakes as Gibson/Fender.
Tokai don?t own a branch of aggressive, clever and smart marketing strategies
Tokai is just a manufacturer and they make its job bloody good!!
That is exactly what I like so much on Tokai
Basta!
 
Fitz said:
Why do you say it's a fake Tokai? I thought Tokais were the fake (but supposedly better than) Gibsons...
Click to expand...

Let's clear this one up. Tokais are copies of Gibsons; some would say they are more accurately described as replicas of Gibsons since they not only look the part but get it right under the surface too.

Fakes are things that claim to be something they aren't - Tokais would only be fakes if they said Gibson on the headstock.
 
Right, perhaps I phrased it wrong (because I was ignorant, and still am slightly).

My half-stack is at my jamspot, so I'm not going to be able to play this until sometime this coming week. If the sound turns out to be not so bad, I'll probably just keep it and play it, pretend it's an authentic Tokai.
 
Go play the guitar and enjoy it. Decide for yourself whether or not it's a good guitar, regardless of it's history.

The so-called fakais, as togps calls them, are usually better quality that the equivalent legitimate Korean made Tokai. Personally, I would take an NALS48 Fakai LP copy over the Tokai ALS48 that is sold thoughout the rest of the world.
 
I don't think anyone said that these were poorly made guitars, its just that they were not made by Tokai, i have actually read some good reviews of these guitars on Harmony central {Zakk Wylde Tokai, which is also a "Fake Tokai} I agree, keep it if it plays good but don't try and resell it as a Tokai because its not.

Mick
 
Hey Fitz!
If that SG is good, it is good! :wink: Don?t matters what?s on the headstock! I looks nice, and if it plays like it looks, so just go ahead and enjoy!
cheers, "ACY"
 
togps said:
this is maybe your job to welcome warmly new members - I?m the guy who delivers the facts
Click to expand...

Really? I wasn't aware that I had been elected as the "meeter & greeter" for new members.... :-?

I think we need someone better than me to do that job. Someone who has a warm, cuddly reputation & image.

Ozeshin?

:wink: :lol:
 

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