Identification of a Tokai SG please (Photos) i think is fake

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manchabalaya

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Apr 24, 2008
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Hello everyone.
First of all, i'm sorry for my english, i never learn it, so don't be cruel... :lol:
I buy this guitar "Tokai" here in Spain. I don't know what's the model of the guitar.
I am surprised by the strange neck, it seems as repaired, but the guitar is new.
The serial number, not "carved" in the wood, but written, is 064468 (yes, only 6 digit)
My questions are: Is it a REAL Tokai? What's the model, year and country of build?

some photos:
DSC00067.jpg


DSC00066.jpg


DSC00069.jpg


DSC00071.jpg


DSC00091.jpg


DSC00092.jpg


DSC00093.jpg


DSC00072.jpg


DSC00073.jpg


DSC00094.jpg


DSC00077.jpg


DSC00078.jpg


DSC00079.jpg


DSC00074.jpg


DSC00076.jpg


DSC00104.jpg


DSC00106.jpg


What do you think? Is it a Tokai? I hope i can have some information.
Thank you very much for your answers.
J.
 
Looks like a Chinese made USG35.

The neck is multi piece and your photos seem to show normal neck joins.
It's not a Japanese one (USG75) obviously, but Tokai do have a lot of price point guitars made in China so as long as you knew this before buying this shouldn't be a surprise.

The model numbering has gone quite weird out of the Chinese factory of late. It used to be FC, then 07 to designate year, we've just had a whole load of Chinese Tokai come through with no FC at the start and a range of starting numbers which don't seem to resemble a year or anything. It looks in good condition and fairly new from the photos - at a rough guess i'd say it was less than a year old.
 
stratman323 said:
Are joints in the neck like that common in the Chinese guitars?

Mike

Those are fairly common "scarf joints" but I've not seen them both at the headstock and heel - usually one or the other. Necks like that are super fragile - don't drop it.
 
marcusnieman said:
Necks like that are super fragile - don't drop it.

Are you sure about that? Technically the headstock-end scarf joint is stronger than a neck cut from one piece of wood, there's no cross grain at that "nasty point" with the scarf joint. That and the fact that a glue join is stronger than the wood in the first place.

I don't think those necks look very pretty but I wouldn't think they're any weaker than any other.

Jim
 
Jim Jones said:
marcusnieman said:
Necks like that are super fragile - don't drop it.

Are you sure about that? Technically the headstock-end scarf joint is stronger than a neck cut from one piece of wood, there's no cross grain at that "nasty point" with the scarf joint. That and the fact that a glue join is stronger than the wood in the first place.

I don't think those necks look very pretty but I wouldn't think they're any weaker than any other.

Jim

Thanks Jim. The only reason I mention it is that I had an Epiphone Dot with a scarf joint at the headstock and while playing a gig, I swung around and hit the front of the headstock against a PA speaker stand and snapped it cleanly (I mean surgically precise) along the scarf joint. Been gun shy of them ever since. However, it did help fill up our tip jar. :oops:
 
Marcus,

Holy crap! Well that incident would make me a little gunshy of scarf-jointed headstocks, too! :) I wonder if it was just a bad glue day at the factory?

Jim
 

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