Six Digit Serial Number Gibson Copies

stratmoto said:

That is a Korean guitar, of some description.

Tell tale points are the Tone & Vol knobs, shape of the nut, cream plastic cavity plates, colour of the green on the tuners, the usual Korean buffing compound in the fretboard grain, it also lacks the usual squeezed out glue around the neck tenon that the Chinese models have.

Oddities are the quilt top, the bridge saddles look more like Chinese hardware, the serial number being stamped, (any serial number for that matter) and lack of "Made in Korea" in gold under the clear finish.

Probably an Alder body with maple neck scarf jointed behind the 2nd~3rd fret.

$300 USD sounds like a fair price, should be a good thing.

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Peekhof said:

The tuners have Korea engraved on the back.

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stratmoto said:

You wil find FC as a prefix on some, not all, of the "Traditional" series guitars.

Some batches have been made with the FC prefix and some guitars, made around the same time and delivered to us in Oz, with the FC, do not have the FC prefix.

Interestingly, there are no hard and fast rules as far as some of the Tokai serial numbers are concerned, only guidelines, with exceptions.

The latest batch have 6 digit serial numbers....."oh no, that can't be right" some may claim. They are geniuine Tokai made by the officially contracted manufacturer and are not "Fakai".

Tokai serials and markings are not always easily understood.

Buy your mate a pint and don't let on you may owe him a keg

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