Tokai Les Paul Custom Made in Korea

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oran_apex

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Hey everyone!

New to this forum but I came across it when trying to find some more info on a Tokai Les Paul I have so thought i'd sign up and hope that you all could help.

So I have a Tokai Les Paul Custom in Snow White that was made in Korea (decal on the back). Now unfortunately, the serial number has come away over the years and from the back of the neck being sanded to dull the finish. The guitar has also been heavy upgraded/modified so I'm not 100% sure how it looked when it came from the factory, I remember it (before i owned it) having gold hardware with black pickguard etc.

I can't find much info online about it without the serial but it is clearly a les paul custom copy (double bound etc) and made in korea.

If anyone could offer some help that would be amazing! I've attached a google drive link where you can view some photos.

Thanks!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IPx8xTfxUqvXbwFUyipGELs326jpLPlX?usp=sharing
 
We are in seriously murky waters here. The mods are so extensive they basically wipe out many of the normal clues. Who knows what else has could have been done here to make things even more difficult?

The "Made in Korea" looks like a gold silkscreen rather than a decal, so it seems legit. Also many early MIK's didn't have serial numbers at all, so that fits too, and would make it an ALC53 or similar. What bothers me is that headstock volute. No Tokai that I know of has ever had a volute and all the images I can find of MIK Customs don't have them either, even though the headstock face is right and the hardware configuration is a match right down to the extra screw holes for the original tuners. It's infuriating.

Unless someone else can verify that Tokai have used volutes on older MIK models, or unless OP can verify that this guitar has had a VERY good headstock repair, I don't feel confident authenticating this thing.

EDIT: you mentioned sanding down the neck... is that actually a volute, or is it just a trick of the light in those photos?
 
Thanks for the info!

So I got talking to the previous owner of the guitar who I bought it of years ago. He says as far as he knows when he bought the guitar from the dealer the guitar was early 2000’s (he thinks 03/04) and is an ALC-62?

As for the neck, there is defiantly a volute!

He also found old photos of when he owned it so I’ll add a link. He had already removed the pup surrounds and the switch ring. Don’t know if it helps at all!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-0RKKVRF5Vq8yIT33-N33fyngrD4Zpgm
 
From reading around here on the forum Korean models had serial numbers from 2003 onwards so that could fit if it was hanging around in the shop for a while.

The number after ALC refers to the list price in thousands of Yen so it changes every couple of years with inflation. Not sure when it stopped being ALC 53 and bumped up to ALC 62 but it's all the same specs.

The old hardware looks right for a genuine ALC but that volute does NOT belong there. Maybe it was a one-off mistake at the factory but it's enough to make me hesitate. I am leaning towards genuine ALC with a factory error but I can't say for sure.

It sounds like you've been able to get lots of useful info from the original owner so hopefully at least some of your questions have been answered!
 

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