The Tokai 1978-1985 Theory, Photo, & ID thread

[jacco]

Vintage Tokais are generally good in the weight section but 1980 and 1981 are the best years.

[jman73]

Originally Posted by jacco

Vintage Tokais are generally good in the weight section but 1980 and 1981 are the best years.

I just weighed mine at UPS to get an official/exact weight and it weighed 7.84 lbs......... but......... I forgot to put on the volume / tone control cavity plate so that weight was without the plate and screws...... I wonder what that plastic plate and 4 small screws weight?? maybe 1-2 ounces?

[jacco]

Yes, about 40 gram = around 1.4 oz

[jman73]

Originally Posted by jacco

Yes, about 40 gram = around 1.4 oz

Thanks Jacco.. Here are a few pics. I got her back to all original condition, set up playing perfectly and ready for sale. I think it may be best for me to sell it through through ebay because although I have a ballpark idea of what it is worth I am not totally sure...... also a problem for me selling it here on the forum is that I don't have any feedback whatsoever and very few posts, where as I have perfect feedback on ebay.....

Its an awesome Tokai so I know whoever ends up with her is going to be very happy!!

Thanks again for the help.









and the link to the whole gallery if anybody wants to see.

Pictures by jman1973 - Photobucket

[jacco]

Beautiful guitar!! Good luck with the sale

[FIGJAM]

Mine weighs right on 4kgs.

[wulfman]

I am the first to admit that I don't know much about Tokais so can anyone tell me what year of Tokai custom would have a headstock like this?



Shouldn't there be something in the middle like an inlay or something? Not many pictures to go by but it is stated to have fret binding.

[jacco]

Around 1981 there's no inlay Harold. If there's feb it's a good one; LC100.

[Ohjay]

Since we don't seem to have a "Unofficial Official Anything Tokai" thread, I'll just post here

I accidentally bought this today:


Serial starts with 900, single ring klusons, love rock script, no febs.
At first I thought it was a 1979 model, but upon cross-checking my info it seems it's a 1990 model. Still ought to be a decent guitar.

Anyone care to venture a guess as to which model it is?
LS-50 would be my guess.

[jacco]

Heh heh, you 'accidentally' bought a guitar, sure..

That's a LS55 BB

[Ohjay]

Originally Posted by jacco

Heh heh, you 'accidentally' bought a guitar, sure..

That's a LS55 BB

I'm correct regarding the year at least jacco?

Btw, MIJ, right?
Poly or nitro?

[jacco]

Yes, that's a 1990 model.

In the early 90s Korean Tokai production started but I don't know exaclty when, my interest in Tokai stops around 1985. You could check routing to make sure it's Japanese.

The catalogs don't say poly or nitro but I would surprised if it was nitro.

[Ohjay]

Cheers. Guess I'll do an NGD when it arrives and we can look at routing etc.

[jacco]

Yep do that!!

[Udonitron]

Originally Posted by wulfman

I am the first to admit that I don't know much about Tokais so can anyone tell me what year of Tokai custom would have a headstock like this?



Shouldn't there be something in the middle like an inlay or something? Not many pictures to go by but it is stated to have fret binding.

Yeah LC100 all mahogany, I have only see them in a dark wine red and they are supposed to have ebony boards.
The ones I have seen for sale have been ebony.

[J-Dizzle]

Originally Posted by Ohjay

Since we don't seem to have a "Unofficial Official Anything Tokai" thread, I'll just post here

I accidentally bought this today:


Serial starts with 900, single ring klusons, love rock script, no febs.
At first I thought it was a 1979 model, but upon cross-checking my info it seems it's a 1990 model. Still ought to be a decent guitar.

Anyone care to venture a guess as to which model it is?
LS-50 would be my guess.

aaaaarrrgh I was watching that too

[reborn old]

Originally Posted by Ohjay

Since we don't seem to have a "Unofficial Official Anything Tokai" thread, I'll just post here

I accidentally bought this today:


Serial starts with 900, single ring klusons, love rock script, no febs.
At first I thought it was a 1979 model, but upon cross-checking my info it seems it's a 1990 model. Still ought to be a decent guitar.

Anyone care to venture a guess as to which model it is?
LS-50 would be my guess.

Nice accidental purchase
Definitely 1990 and made in Japan.
The ALS-48 BB Korean version wouldn't have a "0" 3rd digit in the serial number, (probably wouldn't have a stamped headstock serial number at all,) and would have a dimpled headstock instead of open book and probably white cavity covers even on a BB LP.

[waboe]

my 1980 ls50 "inky" has no central decal and no evidence of there ever being one. I am wondering if anyone knows wether the 3rd digit being an 0 applies to inkys as well cheers in advance Waboe

[reborn old]

I have seen a few with black oval number decals, but it appears most show no evidence of ever having had a model number decal, possibly because they weren't readily available at the Matsumotu plant where these were assembled.

Yes, the 3rd digit would always be a 0 on inkies ... except for one 1983 LS-200 inkie that some suspect is bogus..
Early1978 Reborn inkies follow the same guidelines and number sequence as embossed serial models.

1980 inkies use: 010xxxx format (the 4th digit is a 0,1 or 3)
1981 inkies use: 110xxxx format (the 4th digit is a 1 or 2)

Hope this helps.

[waboe]

What I want to know is it a love rock or a reborn old because here is no script at all and the original poly lacquer is intact(thats what I meant by central decal) the serial no is:0100753 I know it is a ls50 because it has a 3pc top Cheers Waboe

[reborn old]

All of the dozen or more 1980 and 1981 LS model inkies I have seen had a Love Rock headstock logo.
A few LC custom inkies, like Wulfman's above, had a blank (no Custom inlay) headstock.

[jacco]

Originally Posted by waboe

What I want to know is it a love rock or a reborn old because here is no script at all and the original poly lacquer is intact(thats what I meant by central decal) the serial no is:0100753 I know it is a ls50 because it has a 3pc top Cheers Waboe

Waboe, this is yours, right?:





Ink serial Tokai's were made at Matsumotu, not Hamamatsu headquarters. They also had a serialization of their own. Your's is not the lowest ink serial I have documented, that's this one:





As you can see that's a Love Rock, so yours would be a Love Rock too..
From the production numbers I gathered of the Hamamatsu plant I concluded that in 1980 Reborns were produced until around the third week of march, Reborn Olds from the thrid week of march until the first week of september & Love Rock the rest of the year. So Love Rock started from around the second week of september.
The highest Matsumotu Tokai ink serial I have found so far is 0104340. Assuming that all ink serials are from the Love Rock era (because the lowest I have found with 0100570 is a Love Rock), your 0100753 could have been produced around the last week of september 1980.

[jacco]

Originally Posted by reborn old

Nice accidental purchase
Definitely 1990 and made in Japan.
The ALS-48 BB Korean version wouldn't have a "0" 3rd digit in the serial number, (probably wouldn't have a stamped headstock serial number at all,) and would have a dimpled headstock instead of open book and probably white cavity covers even on a BB LP.

I just checked the catalogs and the first Korean Tokai's seam to appear in 1995.
The lowest model being the ALS-36, a bolt-on.

There's not much known about the early Korean models, even on Tokaiforum, except that the first ones are said to have looked exactly like the Japanese Tokai, with 2 screw TRC and black back covers. The dimple headstock is a feature on both Japanese and Korean/Chinese Tokai's for export to certain areas of the world where the open book headstock has legal protection, and started as early as 1985:



Reborn Old, that's an interesting observation about the Korean Tokai's not having a third 0, can you tell a bit more about that?

[jacco]

Heh heh, so I can correct myself almost immediately after doing the routine YJ search:

1980 Reborn inkie WITHOUT A 1 IN SECOND POSITION!, first I've ever seen:





0000521, very close to the 0100570 Love Rock!
So yours is produced even earlier in september Waboe.

[reborn old]

Originally Posted by jacco

Heh heh, so I can correct myself almost immediately after doing the routine YJ search:

1980 Reborn inkie WITHOUT A 1 IN SECOND POSITION!, first I've ever seen:



0000521, very close to the 0100570 Love Rock!
So yours is produced even earlier in september Waboe.

[waboe]

Nice One cheers for the Info!

[waboe]

I know before I said Id never sell her But Ive seen a Motorbike Ive gotta have!(sacrelidge) so Im sacrificing my guitar to help fund her Im gonna put an Ad in the mij classifieds just a heads up here if anyones interested!

[RavenMadd]

had a Tokai Love Rock 82-83? and played a few of the older ones ....my greatest regret was selling that axe to pay bills......

[heidkopplung]

My old(gone - please hit me) Love Rock 1981 LS200.
Just under 4 kg.

[heidkopplung]

1982 Love Rock LS100/120 (I'm pretty sure she once has the '120' oval sticker).
3,9kg,sold