If togps is correct (& I would be surprised if he's wrong), it does suggest that Tokai are failing to give detailed specifications to the sub-contractors they are commissioning to produce their guitars in China. This worries me, & sounds like poor business practice. If an outside company is making a guitar to carry the Tokai name, Tokai should be taking great care to ensure that they are all up to the required standard - and that surely includes a standard type of serial number & the knobs etc. in the same place!
The Korean Tokais didn't have this sort of variation, as far as I know. I was under the impression that the reason the MIK Tokais were so good is that Japanese quality control staff kept a close eye on what was going out of the factory. Have Tokai stopped doing this now that production has moved to several different locations in China?
