How to tell a fake tokai

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chris945

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Okay,

So, Me thinks i have a Fake tokai love rock, Things about it, just don't seem right...

The serial number is very short, the headstock is different to ANY other tokai i've ever seen, the build quality is crap, the bridge height adjustment things have a flat head screw hole thing in the top, which apparently means they are fake. and the "Tokai" on the headstock looks too... well not inlayed? would pictures help?

Thanks
 
thought so... Pictures of what specifically? Like the bridge, headstock...? anything else?
 
I'm not an expert by any means, but the guys generally like to see serial, bridge, headstock, TRC and under the pickups. Shot of the whole guitar is useful as well.
 
Okay Well I am changing the strings tomorrow, so I Will take pictures of all of those.

But one question... what does TRC mean? :D
 
lol...truss rod cover=TRC.
A shot of the rear of the headstock as well please :D
 
Oh yeah, that actually makes sense what else on a guitar would be "TRC" :)

Yeah i will have them uploaded tomorrow (for me, cos im UK)

Thanks :D
 
Does it have 'MAKE IN KOREA" written on the back of the headstock?
 
Nope, All it has is a serial number, which seems too short and not right as well, its 200353... and i cannot work out a date from this... and all the other tokai serials i know of are longer than this.
 
Okay, So i took some pictures of the guitar. Here they are, lots of things about this seem to be "un-tokai".

Pickup Cavities:
2e3zl3p.jpg

The Bridge (notice Screw heads not the normal) :
fm5co2.jpg

The back of the pickup (Not really relevant but they aren't tokai's so this is weird) :
wv8j6q.jpg

Front of the headstock, To me the "Tokai" doesn't look right:
swqp7c.jpg

Back of the headstock, Serial number doesn't make any sense and notice the crack on the A string tuner:
rc7s0n.jpg


I would like to hear back soonish. If Possible :-?

Thanks.
 
Im no expert but it looks like a MIC Tokai, all I am basing this on that its just like the MIC's Tokais in my local music shop, build quality and finish total crap, messy joins at neck etc.

Im sure somone more knowledgeable will be able to help and prob put me right too.
 
I know its supposedly a chinese... but things about it just seem too badly done, Like not saying ANYWHERE where it is made, the serial number is rubbish, rubbish hardware.

My mates chinese tokai has the right kind of gibson bridge attachments which is also weird.

I kind of want it to be fake so it gives me and excuse to buy a proper japanese one :D

So tell me its fake people. :p

Thanks
 
This looks exactly like the guitars I saw during my latest trip in London. Not near the quality I have seen in MIC Tokai guitars here in Finland. Also the serial numbers are shorter. What is going on here ?

Matti
 
I don't know, but something is wrong with it I'm sure. There is no way to work out the date from this, like at all.

Chris
 
It looks OK to me for an MIC Tokai (as in genuine), there have been quite a few comments on here over the last few months about the poor finish on the latest batches in the UK. It seems that Tokai's famous quality control isn't being applied to the Chinese stuff, which is something that Tokai may eventually regret.

The Korean Love Rock I had before I got my Japanese one was really a nicely made guitar, & my mate who bought it loves it.
 
I said say its fake :( lol. otherwise i wont get a japanese one :D.

will someone please tell me why the serial number isnt like real?
 
OK Chris, it's fake! :wink:

Serial numbers on the MIC stuff seem to vary - maybe they were made in different factories? Lots of the Korean LRs didn't have serial numbers at all!
 
I KNEW IT.

Hmm... I'm already disappointed with this guitar whether its fake or not.

I bought a tokai cos they are supposed to be good, but... i cant afford a japanese one, well not brand new anyway.

Don't know of any other good makes that are known to be good.
 
Why not hold out till an entry level MIJ Love Rock comes up on either eBay or on the Classified section here? I got a 2003 Goldtop LS 60 or maybe LS70 for under ?350 a few months back. And they sometimes go for closer to ?300, if you're lucky. A Japanese one (even the basic models) should be a noticeable step up from a Chinese one.

But you have to be patient to get the bargains. :wink:

Tokai's reputation for quality is based on the Japanese guitars, not the Chinese ones.
 

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