Is this a korea made or japan made?

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kupo

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Oct 29, 2009
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Hi.

I'm buying a japanese tokai love rock.
The seller is telling me that this guitar is about 15years old japan made love rock. I am not sure because there is no serial number.

Can you guys find out the manufacturing place from these photos:

Link: http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn235/kupo_41/Tokai/
 
It's definitely not 15 years old and it's certainly not Japanese, it'll either be Korean or Chinese.

See this recent thread for explanations why:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14887

The lack of serial and 'Made In Japan' stamp are other reasons. I can see the truss rod cover has been changed and the other holes have been plugged.

I hope the seller isn't knowingly misrepresenting this guitar.
 
Definately chinese/korean, and definately not 15 years old.

The control plates and the bridge hardware are the giveaways, but someone has gone to a lot of effort to fake the Japanese truss rod cover. Someone has been, or is about to be, ripped off.
 
White control plates, 6mm bridge posts, nipple on the headstock, ....
we can even see the TRC 3 bolt holes
 
What's so difficult to understand....if it doesn't have "Made in Japan" engraved/stamped/carved/tattooed on the back of the headstock then it's not Made in Japan.

Why is it guys think they "might" have a Japanese made Tokai if the guitar in question has no serial number and no Made in Japan stamp? :)
 
leadguitar_323 said:
My 2 Tokai's have serial numbers but NO made in Japan on them..

Mick

lol, really?

Well, I guess I was wrong, but in your case the serial number is the proof.

Mick, I'm wondering why no 'Made in Japan'...do you know?
On one of my SC-2 Tokais it's almost impossible to detect the Made in Japan, it's flush and painted over and almost the identical colour to the wood, but it's there.
 
Neither of mine have it either, though the tremolo block on my Springy Sound does. Presumably it just didn't occur to them until they started to make some of their guitars in Korea and needed to distinguish between them.
 
Si Pie said:
It's definitely not 15 years old and it's certainly not Japanese, it'll either be Korean or Chinese.

See this recent thread for explanations why:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14887

The lack of serial and 'Made In Japan' stamp are other reasons. I can see the truss rod cover has been changed and the other holes have been plugged.

I hope the seller isn't knowingly misrepresenting this guitar.

Both guitars have some similarities.I am still not convinced that they are Korean Tokais.

As Mick mentioned, some of the "in between and custom made" Japanese Love Rock Tokais wil not have the Made in Japan under the finish.

2 screw TRC's, lack of Made in Korea (which has been on every MIK Tokai I have seen), hex nut on toggle switch and something about the headstock pics, Samsung pickups and the colour looks wrong.

I have had some Japanese guitars that I am led to believe were originally intended for the Finnish market, and they had the "correct" headstock. Although that could be the reason they ended up in Oz.

Neither of them look, given the pics, like MIK ALS48's.

Hey, I could be wrong :lol:
 
Thanks for your replies.
The price asked for this guitar is 450euros(Finland), witch is way too much for korean tokai, i think.

I'm not going to buy that tokai. I keep looking for some japanmade piece.

Thanks!
 
Si Pie said:
It's definitely not 15 years old and it's certainly not Japanese, it'll either be Korean or Chinese.

I don't know mate, from the pictures it kinda looks like real mop inlays :lol: :lol: :lol: .

Seriously, why would anyone drill holes for toggle switches when there are push pull pots?! :roll: My old bass player had a mid 70's Les Paul (Norlin pancake) and someone had routed a middle single coil pickup hole in it! :eek: Man that looked horrible, guess he could re route it like an Ace Frehley, but why? oh why! a single coil? :x At least it wasn't a MIJ Tokai :wink: .
 
kupo said:
Thanks for your replies.
The price asked for this guitar is 450euros(Finland), witch is way too much for korean tokai, i think.

I'm not going to buy that tokai. I keep looking for some japanmade piece.

Thanks!

Good for you, keep searching and asking here, these guys are great. :wink:
 

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