Need Help to Identify my Tokai

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arya44

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Hi there,
I bought a used Tokai from Music Centre Canada in Calgary South and it doesn't have any Made In ...
There is a model or serial number on the back of the headstock:
F0601012
I like to see if someone is willing and can shed light to find out more about this guitar, e.g. if it is Korean or Japanese, model, etc.
Please see below links for the photos of the headstock.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77831715@N02/sets/72157654648018669

Thanks a lot,
AB
 
Hi AB,

2006 was a transitional period for these Tokai models
with a move of export model production from Korea to China.
Earlier Korean models did not have serial #'s,
so chances are very good that this 2006 AST Goldstar example was
made in China at one of possibly three factories used in 2006.

Japan models didn't use letter prefixes for their serial #'s

For some reason, Goldstars were left out of catalogs until 2009,
but it otherwise looks completely legit, based on headstock shape,
decals, tuners and serial # format and number range.

Congrats + welcome to the forum !
 
Reborn Old said:
Hi AB,

2006 was a transitional period for these Tokai models
with a move of export model production from Korea to China.
Earlier Korean models did not have serial #'s,
so chances are very good that this 2006 AST Goldstar example was
made in China at one of possibly three factories used in 2006.

Japan models didn't use letter prefixes for their serial #'s

For some reason, Goldstars were left out of catalogs until 2009,
but it otherwise looks completely legit, based on headstock shape,
decals, tuners and serial # format and number range.

Congrats + welcome to the forum !
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Sorry I forgot to mention that I bought this guitar sometime in 2002 or 2003. I can't remember exactly but in that sort of time frame, and it was a used guitar back then.

Thanks again,
AB
 
An F06 prefix should reliably indicate a 2006 serial #, or late 2005 production at the very earliest.

I would love to hear back from you, if you can definitely tie it to an earlier date from events that happened shortly afterwards
with a fair degree of certainty, or better yet the original sales receipt, if you kept it.

1995-2003 would definitely mean Korean manufacture and any serial # from that year would be extremely unusual
(outside of unauthorized "Canadian Fakais" from Mike's Music with removeable clear cello tape serial #'s that look nothing like yours).
Sorry, that's the the best info I can offer with headstock pics and that serial #.

If you ever remove your pickguard and have a chance to post pics of the entire routed pickup + control cavity portions,
we may be able to determine which country it was made in, and whether fake or genuine.
I can't imagine counterfeiters using an export headstock shape, which would only frustrate their need to move them fast ... or music stores selling them.
 
Old thread, but trying to close a loop.

It is looking like the digit after the letter may be the year for Korean serial numbers between 1996 and 2004.

So for this one it is 2000 which fits with arya44's story.

Sometime in 2000 they switched form the foil Made In Korea sticker to an ink stamp. This guitar likely had a foil sticker that was removed.

Made In Korea Sticker

Made In Korea Stamp

See these threads for letter prefix serial numbers:

Korean Stamped Etched Impressed Neck Plate Serial Number Guitars

Letter Prefix Serial Number Korean
 

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