Need Education on Korina Flying Vs

This place is great. I didnt know these even existed. Ive searched through some old threads and seen Korina Flying Vs mentioned a few times.

Can someone educate me on the details of the Tokai '58 Korina V guitars? I know from a few old threds that they are actually bleached mahogany and not Korina, but in the few pics Ive seen, the guitars look just like white limba.

I love Korina as a tonewood, for its lightness and resonance, and for the fact that its kind of eccentric and rarely seen. Im done spending money on the Gibson reissue stuff unless I find a screaming deal on one. Ive owned a '76 Rocket Roll in the past and I currently own a '97 Hamer Korina Vector (#27). While the Ibanez was garbage, the Hamer is one of the nicer guitars Ive ever owned. Id really like to find one of these Tokai Vs as Im sure the quality and the spec of these guitars is as good as it is on the Love Rocks.

So, how rare are they? Which ones should I stay away from? MIJ vs MIK? Which are closest/nicest copies of the original Gibsons? When were they made? What are the identifying characteristics of the various models? Serial number ranges? What do they sell for?

TIA

shuie said:

When were they made? What are the identifying characteristics of the various models?

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The first available Japanese catalog in the Registry with the FV models is from 1984, but they already appeared in late 1982, see this thread:

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3366

The first catalog in English (1985-86) lists both the FV50 and the FV70 with mahogany body and neck, not korina. Another catalog in German called "Oldies..." from the same period says they're made of korina though which might be wrong.

There were quite a lot of different FV models in the beginning concerning the pickguards, knobs, tailpiece and finishes (see the 1984 catalog). Since the mid '90s Tokai seems to have dropped the more expensive rare models (not only Flying Vs) from Japanese production and moved them to their Korean partner with the usual specs, i.e. alder body and maple neck, sometimes bolt-on. The FV48 and FV40 with these specs are still included in the 2003-2004 catalog.

In the mid '80s they also produced look-a-likes in the original series called FVD 50 and 70, but with a different headstock, maple neck and tremolo.

Thanks Hans!

Ahhh, so the serial number range is going to be the same as the Love Rock. That makes sense

So the FV50 and FV70 are the '58 Gibson replicas in the bleached mahogany? Anybody have pics or scans?

shuie said:

So the FV50 and FV70 are the '58 Gibson replicas in the bleached mahogany? Anybody have pics or scans?

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http://www.tokairegistry.com/tokai-info/tokai-catalogs.html

1984, 1985-86 and "Early 1980s..." from 1986 are the first ones, but all following catalogs have them, too. The finish on the Korina looking version with strings through body is called Yellow Natural, by the way.

I couldnt let this one go.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7348705182

So, how did I do? 8) :lol: or

hi guys

Actually only the FV-70 is the '58 replica - the FV-50 is the '76 style with a stud tailpiece.
These Tokai V's were made between 83 and 86and have stamped 7 digit serial#'s - they are not inked on.
Considering that white Limba is a cousin of the mahogany family it is understandable that they would look alike but even Gibson did not start using Limba Korina again until the late '90s so it's pretty safe to say neither did anyone else.
remember 'Korina' was a finish name in1958, not the wood used(W.Limba) so Tokai called theirs Yellow Natural (YN)

regards
Peter Mac