It's a mystery to me

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Does it say anything on the neck joint underneath the neck pickup? I think Tokai etches the model designation numbers there. Very nice looking guitar!
 
Micky Mojo said:
I've had this guitar for a few years now and nobody I've asked knows what it is. I was told it was a Tokai when I bought it but it's got a large headstock and a volute 70's Gibson style. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to know.
http://adobe.shutterfly.com/os.jsp?i=67b0de21b34b79ed845d&open=1

Wierd... maybe someone was trying to offload a norlin-era Gibson as a Tokai? I didn't think norlins were so undesirable that they'd sell better under another name... :-?
 
tried to get a better look at the pics but when I clicked on them all I got was advertising. No way to enlarge them?
 
It's not a 70's Gibbo it's light as a feather and plays like butter. I've got a Gibson LP Custom from that era and it ways as much as my car.
 
Micky,

It could be an early 69' Les Paul that has been retopped. The big headstock would be right. The 68's had a narrow headstock like a 59' but with the shallow rake angle. They were also fitted with P90's. Later these guitars ended up with the sandwich body and the 3 piece neck and became the "Deluxe" with mini humbuckers.

BUT :), very early on in the production run, the first batch of 68/69 Les Pauls had one piece mahogany bodies and necks. I know because years ago I owned a 68' that had the gold stripped off the maple cap to reveal a nice 'Blister' top underneath. I was going to 'lash' this guitar up but it was too nice and I bottled out. Plus, like your late 60's custom it was bloody heavy and had the wrong headstock rake so I sold it.

So, your guitar does look re-topped but it could be a 69'. Take the pups out and see if you can spot trace P90 pickup routing in the mahogany. Also a couple of screw holes about an 1" apart (may be filled in) will show at the bottom of the pickup cavities where the P90's were once fitted.

Does anyone remember Dick Knight? Micky, you may have one of his conversions here. Unfortunately, there was a period when these late 60's Gibbo Lesters were being re-topped and sold off by owners as late 50's Burst's (no, I wasn't gonna do that! :roll: 8) ).

Also I noticed form your pics that there is a trace of a stamp between the top 2 tuners on the back of the headstock. Does this look like "Made in USA" to you?
 

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