Help me identify this Les Paul?

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silverroman

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Hi everyone. Can you help me to identify this Tokai Les Paul.

I think it’s a Japanese model but it does not say Love Rock on the headstock!

Any info will help.

Thanks

Max

https://imgur.com/a/9opm4Xq
 
It varies but never where it's made. The decal looks high up and that rings alarm bells. So any info inside is crucial but not certain to give everything. The serial number looks odd to!
 
Well. I took out the pickups and there are no markings in the cavities. Looks like a nice thick slab of maple though. The control cavity shows the original pcb board for the controls which seems to tally with those early 80’s Les Pauls. All looks right and old.
 
Also, the pickups are made in USA DiMarzios 🤷🏻‍♂️

Oh well, it’s a mystery. Nice guitar though. Plays great and has a lovely tone.
 
Here are the pics from the pickup cavity etc.

Clearly it’s a solid slab of maple!

https://imgur.com/gallery/KZR97m5

The mystery continues.

Anyone seen a Tokai LP with a plain headstock? No Love Rock?
 
The Love Rock script seems to wear off easily on some head stocks. Probably different ways of applying it as the headstock construction seemed to vary as well. I had that happen on a 1985 LS80. Seemed like Love Rock was painted on top of the finish.

My 1985 LS80 also did not have fret edge binding. I didn’t see any remnants of nibs. Anything like that on yours?

Beautiful guitar by the way. Nice flame top.

DiMarzio PAFs were put in models above LS80 as I recall. Are both of your pickups DiMarzios?

If that is a 1984 guitar, Tokai was going through a transition period around then. I heard that trying to figure out my 1985. Hopefully someone else will comment that knows more about it.
 
silverroman said:
Here are the pics from the pickup cavity etc.

Clearly it’s a solid slab of maple!

https://imgur.com/gallery/KZR97m5

The mystery continues.

Anyone seen a Tokai LP with a plain headstock? No Love Rock?
Normally see colour finish info and occasionally model number but the routing is correct for Tokai.
 
I took the liberty of grabbing these images so I could post the BBB code links here so we could see them on this page without clicking on links. Hope that is ok.

I agree that these are Tokai square type routs for the pickup tabs.

I think it is a Toaki from what little I know. And a solid flame top based on your images.

The Love Rock script was likely rubbed off. Intentionally perhaps when the tuners were swapped out? Easy to do on some of these. The owner may have wanted it gone for a number of reasons. It can start to wear off then looks weird. so I can see someone just buffing it all off.

The FEB being absent can be because they were not put on this guitar. Many examples of Tokais leaving the factory with anomalies for a particular model. Or were planed off during a refret.

I am no expert on serial numbers on these. Maybe others will chime in. Is it reasonable to assume as I have been that this is a 1984 model?

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Clearly solid flame.... Beautiful.

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Btw, here is an example of a higher end 1982 Love Rock of mine with the script slowly wearing off.

Also replaced tuners. A previous owner had installed Grovers and enlarged the bore.

RMW20R6.jpg
 
Also, there is a great thread on here somewhere with solid flame top Love Rocks. I am having trouble finding it, but there are lots of pictures and info on it if you can find it.
 
Thank you so much for the replies and information! It’s been extremely helpful. And that thread about the solid maple tops is brilliant.

I really wasn’t that taken with the Tokai at first. I was working in a guitar store back in the late 90’s and it came in second hand as a part exchange. I ended up getting a family member to buy it as they wanted a Les Paul at the time. All these years later it’s come back to me and I’ve cleaned it up. Given her a full set up. Levelled the frets etc, and she plays great. Might do a regret as they’re a bit low now.

But she’s growing in me :)))
 
That’s a great story of how you got it. What country are you in?

Also, I’m still wondering about the pickups. If it’s an LS100 or above I believe it came with DiMarzio PAFs. To my eyes it looks like what you still have in the bridge position? If that is true and the solder is original, I’m thinking you may have an LS100 or higher guitar.

And that top is amazing and very regular and symmetrical. I assume that was a high end guitar.

Wondering if the fret nibs were planed off in a refret? Might look closely at the binding outside the frets. Especially near the body where they may not have gone as deep in planing the board. Just a thought.
 
It would be great if you posted a pic to that other thread using the BBB code from Imgur so it’s visible. I’m sure everyone would want to see it preserved and documented there. Looks to me like a 1984 solid flame top.
 
Yeah good idea!

How do I post images directly into the post instead of linked to another site like Imugr?

Also I’ll take some more pics of the electronics etc. Pots are Noble brand and on a pcb board.

Mystery continues though. Bridge pickup is not a Dimarzio! 🤷🏻‍♂️ But the pots don’t look like they’ve been resoldered. Weird. And also no sign of fret end nibs.

I guess if it’s a 1984 serial number it was probably not actually sold until 1985? Seems like a good possibility.

Thanks for all the help.

https://imgur.com/user/silverroman

Max
 
Interesting info re the pickups, etc.

To post an image here from Imgur, click the image on the Imgur web site (not sure about the app), and in the right margin you will see a series of links. Copy the link that says BBB code. Past it to your post on this forum and the image should appear where the BBB link was pasted.
 
I am also trying to figure out what the pattern is on head stock material, when and on what models they used a holly or wood veneer and when they used a plastic veneer.

Your head stock looks like there might be a wood grain under the black? Can you confirm?

Here is the thread where I am trying to figure it out.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=25704

I believe I am seeing a wood grain in your close up. I just want to be sure.

Thanks!
 
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