What's with the different headstocks ?

[BaggyPants]

Just bought a new 2005 made Japanese LC70/LC80 here in the UK and it has the correct Gibbo "Open Book" headstock, but I see others with a similar headstock, but it has an extra bit in the middle, and another, which looks like a PRS one. Are these to cater for different countries to get around the lawsuit mentallity that certain companies have at the minute ?

Cheers

Bryn

 

[Schnabelrock]

Yes, headstocks differ for that reason.

The original open book is produced for certain markets where G. has lost lawsuits and can no longer prevent Tokai using that, especially Japan.

The extra bit in the middle is the one for the UK because there otherwise Problems with G. could arise.

There others, especially the NLS headstocks for the northamerican market, that differ very much. Tokai dares not to bring open-books to USA/Canada.

Headstocks mix up everywhere in the world because a lot of them are sent from continent to continent ...

 

[BaggyPants]

Right So I presume that my LC80 is a "made for the japanese market" model, which has been imported ?

 

[Schnabelrock]

Right So I presume that my LC80 is a "made for the japanese market" model, which has been imported ?

Well, let?s say it like this:

The original open book hs is made for every market, where the importer and/or Tokai decides that:

- either there can no problems arise or
- problems can be handled and risks can be taken.

Where the importer or T. decide, problems with G. may be too big or can not be settled, they make slight changes of the hs (or clear ones for Northamerica.)

And even in these countries exist some original open-books because worldwide trade sometimes does not behave as G. thinks it should.

The authorized UK importer usually takes the one with the extrabit. So yours must have come a less official way :wink:

 

[BaggyPants]

Thanks for that