The Earliest Tokai Les Paul Reborn LPs 1978 ?

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Sigmania

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When were the first Tokai Les Pauls made?

Were there any made in 1977 like the Springys or did they begin in 1978?

Current list (March 2023) :


8002749 Les Paul Reborn (Reverb)
8002163 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8002144 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (Registry)
8002131 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8002017 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8002006 Les Paull Reborn LS50 (ElectricJam)
8001990 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8001986 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8001946 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8001862 Les Paul Reborn LS60 BS
8001833 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8001749 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (Registry)
8001748 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (Reverb)
8001733 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (registry)
8001706 Les Paul Reborn LS80 (Yahoo Japan)
8001634 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (Registry)
8001628 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8001578 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8001549 Les Paul Reborn LS80 (Cliff)
8001526 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (Registry)
8001494 Les Paul Reborn (Reverb)
8001478 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8001443 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8001390 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (Superlead100)
8001383 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (frehley76)
8001251 Les Paul Reborn (YJ)
8001207 Les Paul Reborn LS80 BS (eborej)
8001188 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8001168 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8001145 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8001063 Les Paul Reborn LS60OS (eBay)
8001058 Les Paul Reborn LS60 CS (Reverb)
8001050 Les Paul Reborn (eBay)
8001016 Les Paul Reborn LS80 (flomycel)
8001000 Les Paul Reborn LS80 (Guitarzandstuff)
8000868 Les Paul Reborn LS100 (Registry)
8000830 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8000819 Les Paul Reborn LS60BS (YJ)
8000801 Les Paul Reborn (eBay)
8000764 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8000735 Les Paul Reborn LS60 OS (eBay)
8000671 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8000638 Les Paul Reborn LS100 (Cliff)
8000666 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8000656 :es Paul Reborn LS60BS (yahoo Japan)
8000588 Les Paul Reborn (reverb)
8000579 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (Registry)
8000529 Les Paul Reborn LS60OS (Reverb & Registry)
8000515 Les Paul Reborn (eBay)
8000496 ? LC100WR (Reverb)
8000482 Les Paul Reborn LS80OS (villager)
8000416 Les Paul Reborn (Registry)
8000414 Les Paul Reborn LS50CS (Cliff)
8000385 Les Paul Reborn (Reverb)
8000373 Les Paul Reborn LS60 (registry)
8000353 Les Paul Reborn LS80BS (D.K.)
8000349 Les Paul Reborn LS80 (yj-ampmaker)
8000337 Les Paul Reborn LS80OS (brobar)
8000325 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8000259 Les Paul Reborn LS60 CS (eBay)
8000253 Les Paul Reborn LS50 BS (Reverb)
8000240 Les Paul Reborn LS??GT (YJ)
8000232 Les Paul Reborn LS50GT (Reverb)
8000225 Les Paul Reborn LS50CS (Uberhen)
8000216 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8000191 Les Paul Reborn GT (Registry)
8000189 Les Paul Reborn LS50 (Registry)
8000101 (1979 catalog photo back of headstock)
 
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Here is a 1978 that is being listed on eBay in the US.

It has an early ink serial number, 8000515

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

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Interesting older post by Peter Mac:


Peter Mac said:
My take on the inke vs stamped scenario is very few guitars were inked, and certainly none were done after'78. My reasoning on this is the fingerboard model stamps used from '79. Once this happened it is fair to say that serial numbers on all Gibbo style guitars were all stamped (impressed)
Also the 1977 models were not LP Reborn. They were LP Model. the Reborn was not used til 1978 and '79, with Reborn Old during 1980. One could almost say that Love Rock was used after the 10,000 guitar was reached ( only a theory at this stage)
In terms of '76 models, I have seen nothing to support LS models earlier than '77, indeed the 1978 catalog is listed as Volume 1. This is something to be wary of…

regards
Peter Mac


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4269&p=18785&hilit=1977+reborn#p18785
 
Sigmania said:
Interesting older post by Peter Mac:


Peter Mac said:
My take on the inke vs stamped scenario is very few guitars were inked, and certainly none were done after'78. My reasoning on this is the fingerboard model stamps used from '79. Once this happened it is fair to say that serial numbers on all Gibbo style guitars were all stamped (impressed)
Also the 1977 models were not LP Reborn. They were LP Model. the Reborn was not used til 1978 and '79, with Reborn Old during 1980. One could almost say that Love Rock was used after the 10,000 guitar was reached ( only a theory at this stage)
In terms of '76 models, I have seen nothing to support LS models earlier than '77, indeed the 1978 catalog is listed as Volume 1. This is something to be wary of…

regards
Peter Mac


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4269&p=18785&hilit=1977+reborn#p18785

interesting that in October, 2005 peter mac states, "My take on the inke vs stamped scenario is very few guitars were inked, and certainly none were done after'78" but then in February, 2016 peter mac also states the below.
http://tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=23046&highlight=ls60&sid=702d0f42ecbad4c1d253d132b38dfd13

"1981 Nagano LS's started with 110xxxx, 1980 are 010xxxx.
hope this helps
PM"


as we move forward there is always the potential to learn more and the learning curve is great.
What goes up must come down too but the facts may not always be 'facts' but rather what we may want to believe.
 
Does the ink/font on these look like the ones from 1980/81? Wondering if they were discontinuous runs made in separate factories? Hamamatsu/Nagano.

And are there overlapping serial numbers in this early period with embossed and inked numbers in the same number range? In other words are they concurrent or sequential?
 
The first Springys in 1977 and into 1978 had inked serial numbers in the neck pockets before stamping it on the neck plate later in 1978.

Wondering if the LP serial number changes follow a similar timeline?
 
And I believe the sequence on the models with approximate dates is:

Les Paul Model (1977)
Les Paul Reborn (1978-1980)
Reborn Old (1980)
Love Rock (1980)
 
List of earliest Tokai LPs:

8001080 Les Paul Reborn (eBay)
8000801 Les Paul Reborn (eBay)
8000515 Les Paul Reborn (eBay)
 
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