Is this a real 1981 LS60?

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Whittlez

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In reading the serial number info at Tokai Registry I'm confused in that it should have a zero in the second slot ?
But then it's an inkie and it seems the rules are a bit different?

Or I am confused

It seems a good price for a 1981 LS60 and I love the top!

Can somebody confirm if the serial is correct?

Tokai Love Rock Les Paul 1981 Sunburst
https://reverb.com/item/1572703-tokai-love-rock-les-paul-1981-sunburst?device=ios-app
 
It's what is known as an inkie. Serial number is inked not impressed. Not made in the main factory like most of the day, has the tenon dowels etc... It is an older model for the eighties, not 2001.

They are less desirable, for whatever reasons, and that reflects in the cheaper prices they usually go for.
 
Thanks. Yea, I'm not convinced I want an inkie vs a conventional Tokai. Thanks
 
I have a LS50 inky that I've played for years and it's a real good guitar for the money.
The chip out of the neck on that one would put me off at that price though.
And I'd sure wonder why the action is set so high.

I notice the set of 'GOTO's on that one has 2 rows of slotted screws. Mine has the 2 rows of hex. Copying Dimarzio P.A.F's with slot and Super Distortion with hex?(although the P.A.F. had a row of slugs)

Just my 2 cents.
 
To me, if my spidey sense (tm) says CAUTION I listen and this one is setting mine off a bit

Fwiw, IMO anybody selling a guitar should be able to answer a question about the action - does it play low action with no buzzing or dead spots?

And have the tools to
Measure

I set my guitars (usually) at .040" at 12th fret for high E and that's a BASIC requirement for any guitar I buy

A guitar with uneven frets , or even s bit of a warped neck may Play fine at .070" for example but it's gotta play smoothly at LEAST as low as that for it to be solid to me

I've bought 4 used Edwards and a used HLS240 Tokai that have all met that standard

I'm seeing better deals from retailers than individual sellers on Reverb and Ebay

many if not most of the guys selling on both , once you do a little research (Japan based sellers) are selling guitars held by retailers and marking them up a few hundred

You order, they buy from The store and ship it to you, pocketing a few hundred for their troubles

I was looking for Tokai LP Customs and I saw a really familiar one on EBay

For about $1200

Sure enough I found it at guitar planet - exact same pictures and chips , dents etc for four hundred less (when you factor in shipping)

I am grateful to forums like this that pointed me towards GP, Ishibashi, etc

I have found GREAT deals from some individuals but it seems at least 50% are just selling retail guitars and charging you a few hundred more

What a joke








 
Whittlez said:
many if not most of the guys selling on both , once you do a little research (Japan based sellers) are selling guitars held by retailers and marking them up a few hundred

You order, they buy from The store and ship it to you, pocketing a few hundred for their troubles

Good to know! Thanks for the heads up there.
 
Hi guys,

This is in fact a 1980 LS-60 made in the Nagano factory - not Hamamatsu.
They are very similar however the dowel in the tenon and the inked serial numbers are the tell.
1981 Nagano LS's started with 110xxxx, 1980 are 010xxxx.
hope this helps
PM

PS: The pickups are original. Gotoh PAFs of this era have 12 screws instead of the later 6 screw/6 bung like Gibson pups do. They should also have the letter 'S' beside the Goto stamp
 
I have referenced this thread the past few years because I have acquired several inkies.
I actually sold an inkie LS-50 to a guy in the DFW area a few years ago; he liked his inkie LS-50 so much that he sold one of his Gibsons. :lol:

So, the reason I revived this long dead thread is because I recently came across an inkie LS that has a 000**** serial number. :-?
Yes, that's correct; this example has a 000**** ink stamped serial number; not the 110****, and not the 010**** serial numbers.
The other interesting thing about this example is the original (store) warranty card is dated with the (Showa era) emperor date 56, as the start of the 1 year warranty period; 56 designates 1981. 8) This example has all of the typical era correct attributes for a Tokai inkie example. The month for the warranty period is also very early in the year so, this example has to be either a 1980, or a 1981 manufacture. It also has the oval sticker designating the model number on the back of the head stock, which matches the model number on the warranty card.
What a cool & interesting find. :D
 
wouldn't 000 be early 1980?

interesting find. wouldn't the warranty date be from the sold date and not made date.
 
mdvineng said:
wouldn't 000 be early 1980?

interesting find. wouldn't the warranty date be from the sold date and not made date.

Peter Mac's opinion of the 'inkie' serial number scheme is likely to be the most well regarded opinion; I would think.
I have yet to read other opinions & his opinions seem to be typically well received.
It is interesting that Peter addresses the 010**** & the 110**** serial schemes earlier in the thread but not the 000**** sequence.

000**** would certainly seem to suggest an early 1980 time frame for the typical, impressed serial numbers; I would agree on that.

I also agree that the dates on the original store warranty card are based on a purchase date, not a manufacture date.
Having said that, I still see (some) room for debate on on the 'inkie' serial number scheme that includes 000****, 010****, and 110****, as far as I know at this point.
Since the warranty date listed on the store warranty card is early into 1981, since the 000**** is a new curve ball in my 'inkie' serial number experience, and considering the room for debate as far as inkie date schemes are concerned, I was allowing the possibility that the example I have could be either a 1980, or a 1981. To my thinking 1980 seems more logical but we all know how these MIJs end up throwing us the curve balls. :lol:

I will have to add just one more thing: With as many Tokai examples I have had in my hands over the course of many years, this is the only time I have ever seen what is obviously a store warranty card. It is not uncommon to see Tokai warranty cards.
To see this 000**** inkie serial LS example show up with a store warranty card that is dated ~40 years ago, and to see it dated with the Showa era year designation of 56, is something I actually never even thought of seeing. I'm really glad it was in the case. :)
 
I have to agree.

My many years of restoration on a wide variety of things has lead me to believe that factory output wasn't always to catalogue or year specific. Especially around year end or spec changes. Many things I found, could have more than that years spec parts fitted when there was surplus of the previous version or a shortage of the current spec and the new version stock has just arrived! I got fed up of the "it's not correct to catalogue" brigade, when I was restoring an original one owner vehicle, that had never been apart. The 000 inkie could easily be either a mistake with the stamp setting or they used a stamp for a different product, or it is absolutely correct!
 
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