How to identify year, model etc...

Hey,
I am a new poster here.
I have a cherry burst Tokai Love Rock. I bought it used about 8-9 years ago. I love it! I upgraded the tuners (grovers) and put a new DiMarzio in the bridge.
But I don't know anything about the guitar! I bought the guitar used around 2003ish??? I think they said it was an LS100 (but don't remember for sure). The headstock was done up like a Gibson when I bought it.
I have been looking through the site trying to figure out how to identify the model, year and origin's (Japan or Korea), but my guitar doesn't have a serial number anywhere. Nothing in the pickup cavities, and it is only stamped with "1959" on the back of the headstock.
I would post some pic's, but i don't know how!
Any thoughts?

Regards,

MIK more than likely from the cream body cavity covers. The 1959 serial number doesn't sound right though.... probably eludes to a 59 Les Paul which would make me dubious of it's authenticity.

The control knobs are oriented the wrong way round.
Suspect I'd say.

Hi Stephen, sorry I can't help you out with the guitar but I also used to visit Songbird music and I still miss that place. Do you still live in Toronto? BTW on a Tokai related note, I came very close to buying a Tokai Love Rock from Songbird back around 2007. It played well and sounded good but the body wasn't in very good shape. I ended up instead buying a Love Rock from sneakypete here on the forum. It plays and sounds even better than the previous Love Rock I owned back in the late 90's. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

Thanks for the info \ guesses.
Not sure what you mean by the control knobs being oriented the wrong way?
I guess it is possible it is a "fake" Tokai. I have heard there are some of them floating around Canada. Apparently the old Canadian Distributor couldn't get some stock at some point in the early 2000's, so he had his own guitars made in China or something, and sold them under the Tokai name (he is no longer the distributor obviously). It could be one of those, although I thought this guitar was made before all that happened.
Either way, it is a great guitar. Sounds great, plays great, stays in tune for months... and looks cool!
I find it pretty funny that there are "Fake" Tokai's! I know they are great guitars... but I always kind of considered them to be "Fake" Gibsons etc...
So to be a fake, of a fake... its just funny!

Kenmac said:

Hi Stephen, sorry I can't help you out with the guitar but I also used to visit Songbird music and I still miss that place. Do you still live in Toronto? BTW on a Tokai related note, I came very close to buying a Tokai Love Rock from Songbird back around 2007. It played well and sounded good but the body wasn't in very good shape. I ended up instead buying a Love Rock from sneakypete here on the forum. It plays and sounds even better than the previous Love Rock I owned back in the late 90's. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

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Thanks for the welcome!
Yeah, I am still in the GTA... and I too miss SongBird. It was a great shop! Not too many good vintage \ used shops around anymore, other than Capsule and Paul's Boutique (in Kennsington). They just don't have the selection, and I find them a little over priced.

Tokais can't be fake Gibson's because they have Tokai written on the headstock, if they had Gibson written on the headstock they'd be the best Gibsons money can buy.

Diamond said:

Tokais can't be fake Gibson's because they have Tokai written on the headstock, if they had Gibson written on the headstock they'd be the best Gibsons money can buy.

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True!

ssydor said:

I guess it is possible it is a "fake" Tokai. I have heard there are some of them floating around Canada. Apparently the old Canadian Distributor couldn't get some stock at some point in the early 2000's, so he had his own guitars made in China or something, and sold them under the Tokai name (he is no longer the distributor obviously). It could be one of those, although I thought this guitar was made before all that happened.
Either way, it is a great guitar. Sounds great, plays great, stays in tune for months... and looks cool!
I find it pretty funny that there are "Fake" Tokai's! I know they are great guitars... but I always kind of considered them to be "Fake" Gibsons etc...
So to be a fake, of a fake... its just funny!

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Those are known as Fakai's around here.... do a search on the word and have a look at some of them.

ssydor said:

Not sure what you mean by the control knobs being oriented the wrong way?
!

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Check out this thread:

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/other-les-pauls/71766-anyone-else-have-canadian-fakai.html

post number 15 onwards.

barks

I miss songbird music also ..... it's where i picked i bought my very first electric guitar, & amp. Great guitar shop that is unequaled today in these parts.

Sorry i can't help out with your guitar in question, however that dimpled headstock and funny serial number points to questionable origins.

ssydor said:

Not sure what you mean by the control knobs being oriented the wrong way?

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The volume controls are placed higher up than their corresponding tone controls. On a legitimate Tokai or original Gibson it's the other way around.

Paladin2019 said:

ssydor said:

Not sure what you mean by the control knobs being oriented the wrong way?

Click to expand...

The volume controls are placed higher up than their corresponding tone controls. On a legitimate Tokai or original Gibson it's the other way around.

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Ah, yes. I see what you mean now!
So it looks like I have a genuine "Fake" Tokai!