Newby Questions about my Love Rock

[Ampedusa]

Hello all - I found a Love Rock on Craigslist the other day and bought it. How can you go wrong for $75? My questions are 1.) Does anyone know what the finish is called - Its Dark Blue to Black around the edges. - here is a link to the pics.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ampedusa/sets/72157615861550438/ \

2.) Is the top a photoflame or a laminate - It has a quilted figure, not really sure. May want to try refinishing it - don't know yet. Any info would be great. And I apologize in advance if I goofed up my first post. Thanks - Ampedusa

 

[Ozeshin]

Man..I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but your $75 investment is not a Tokai.
It's a Korean built fake.
The lesson to be learned from this is to ask the question BEFORE you buy and not after.
We have whole threads devoted to Tokai fakes and a quick search of the forums would have turned up threads like these:
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=12587&highlight=fakai
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=12573&highlight=fakai
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=12034&highlight=fakai
Read those threads for more info.
Once again...if you had your heart set on owning a Tokai then I'm sorry you didn't get one....look on the bright side thought...it's most likely the best guitar that $75 will get you

 

[Ampedusa]

Didn't really have my heart set on Tokai - Just more than happy to pay $75 for a nice guitar. Compared to a Epi Les Paul it has better quality workmanship (fretwork, Inlays, ect). The parts overall aren't too bad - i.e. Alpha Pots. Pickups sound good - no microphonics. No Need to ask questions, I would buy 10 more at that price if they are this nice. I'm glad to know that its a copy of a copy, but had I had that knowledge before hand I would have still bought it. Having owned 2 Gibson Les Pauls over the years, I have a pretty good idea of how they should play and sound and for a cheap copy, I'm pretty impressed.

 

[Ozeshin]

yeah...$75 is a decent price I reckon.
We tend to get a bit pissed about people who had their hearts set on owning a Tokai gettting ripped of by getting one of those guitars that you've bought.
But hell...if you're happy with your $75 investment and wasn't too concerned if it was a Tokai or not then it's all good.
Can't give you any info as to who built that guitar though...we do know that the shady Cannuck distributor commissioned a few different factories to do the building...Dillion being the most notorious...yours is almost certainly not a Dillion though...different headstock for Dillion.
It actually looks like MiK Epi build quality...but miles away from an actual Tokai.
Well...enjoy it...and if you are ever in the market for a REAL Tokai make sure you come and talk to us here first.
All the best,
Oze

 

[skalie]

The finish looks like the PRS copy / Tokai I have. I describe the finish as "oily".

I'd buy that guitar for 75 bucks in a heartbeat, btw.

 

[Ampedusa]

No problem. I would have been pissed if I had paid $200 and he had said it was a geniune Tokai. But it was listed as Good starter guitar, Tokai wasn't mentioned in the ad - Just a pic. And the kid that sold it didn't know anything about the guitar. He had gotten it in a pawnshop a few years ago and never played it too much. It has a PCM sticker on the back of the headstock, which is a Pacific Coast Music sticker. They at one time imported Electra guitars according to the web. Maybe the Canada guy was connected to them somehow. Thanks again for the info.

 

[brokentoes]

The guitar was not represented and $75 ????? I figure you got yourself a deal bud. Personally, if i enjoyed playing that guitar for a month it would be worth the $75 bucks to me but everybody's different (Thank God !!!!) :lol: