A Tokai 'Newbie' seeking knowledge

allthumbs · Jul 29, 2003

Greetings all. I am the proud new owner of (what I believe to be) an 82 Love Rock Custom. I am new to Tokais and although I've been playing many years, I'm not very knowledgeable on Les Pauls in general either. After spending some time on this site I find myself just a little confused about what it is I've actually got so I thought I'd turn to the experts for a little help (that's you guys!). I'm not quite sure how to post a picture so I'll describe her for you: Wine finish, gold hardware, 7-ply binding, PAF-style pickups, mahogany cap, bound headstock with an interesting rosette-style inlay, no text other than 'Tokai', s/n 2013247 on back of headstock. Sounds like an 82' Custom? Here's where I get confused. It came with the 'original' hang tag with the appropriate corresponding serial number, but on the tag it identifies the model as 'LS-120 VVFN'. Doesn't that suggest that it's a Standard?

Any info is much appreciated. Also if you can tell me how to get a pic off my hard drive into a message I'll post that - she's quite pretty.

Thanks guys,
allthumbs
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Paladin2019 · Jul 30, 2003

You need to upload the image onto some webspace. Your ISP may have provided some or you could use Yahoo's service or something.

Or just ask someone with webspace to host it for you.

Are there any guitars in the registry, catalogues or here: http://members.lycos.co.uk/tokaiguitars/ that resemble yours (look at the truss rod cover and headstock emblem)? That could help with identification.

sneakyjapan · Jul 30, 2003

well we know it oriinally sold for 120000yen..

C-4 · Jul 30, 2003

Any hang tag can be written up any way the person wants it written up, unless it is stamped on there, and appropriately dated with that stamp, which can also be altered. I would not put too much faith in a hang tag myself, unless it looked really credible to begin with.

As for the price, is it possible that the LP Custom Tokais cost as much as the Standards did? I thought they were a tad less in price.
I just went to the catalog page on the Registry and looked up a 1982 LC100 as it was stated. This means the guitar cost 100,000 yen, not 120,000. If this is true, the hang tag means nothing. Sorry!

luis · Jul 30, 2003

Only Tokai models at the time priced at 120.000 yen were LS-120(LP flametop),am I right?It seems that's where the tag could be coming from.

Paladin2019 · Jul 30, 2003

I'm confused about the rosette inlay - I thought the early ones had the gibson diamonds?

luis · Jul 30, 2003

Paladin,if you take a look at ES-200 models from 1982 you will see that headstock,so it could be a ES-200 neck placing on an LC-100, at the factory oror someone took apart an ES-200 neck and and glues it to an LC-100 body(very odd)).

allthumbs · Jul 30, 2003

Thanks for the input guys. I think that the guitar is legit. I wonder if the hang tag was done incorrectly though. It's definitely a proper tag with the date 'June 82' and the correct serial number that's on the headstock stamped in two locations on the tag. Perhaps they used the wrong tag in the factory (?). The guitar is definitely a replica of the Custom though.

The inlay on the headstock is actually more like two separate inlays - a floral-kind of a thing with a harp-like image underneath (not good descriptions - but the best I can do.

I e-mailed some photos to the registry. Perhaps they'll be published and that'll clarify that.

Is it true that the model info is under the neck pickup? Perhaps I'll remove it and have a look. Can I clear the strings or must they be removed first?

Thanks for the great responses, and regardless of what this beauty is, I sure like her!

Paladin2019 · Jul 31, 2003

allthumbs said:
Is it true that the model info is under the neck pickup? Perhaps I'll remove it and have a look. Can I clear the strings or must they be removed first?

Slack 'em off and just be careful of the finish when you pop the mounting ring out.

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