# My Canadian "Fakai"



## Robert1950

Last June, I picked a MIK Tokai Love Rock (Les Paul Copy) in a trade for an amp. I tried it for a couple of minutes thru the amp I traded off, wishing I could keep both. It sounded better than any other guitar thru that amp. Two days later, after a number of exchanges on the the Tokai forum, I found that this guitar was not a real Tokai but one of the infamous Canadian "Fakais". I didn't say anything to the seller for a week because I like the way it played. Then I emailed him, more for his information, to let him know it was a fake, but I decided to keep it anyway. Like a number of owners of Asian guitars he had upgrades done. In this case, Grovers, a bone nut, 50s wiring with PIO caps and Rio Grande pickups. Those alone were almost worth the trade value of $500.

The story behind these Fakais is that the Canadian distributor for Tokai, who lived in and around Waterdown Ontario, couldn't get MIK Tokais with the specs he wanted so he went to the factory that made the Canadian Dillions to build them for him,... and label them Tokai Love Rock. From 2003 to 2005 these guitars were imported and distributed to unknowing, reputable music stores and online dealers in Canada. I believe a few had even changes hands on this forum in the past. The thing is, these guitars are considered, much more often than not, better than the real MIK Tokais. Models emulating Les Pauls, the ES335, SGs, PRS standards, and the Rosewood Tele were made.

A Fakai can be identified from the headstock. MIK Tokais have three screw truss rod covers. Fakais have one screw. One back its says "Manufactured under license for Tokai Gakki Co., Ltd." Tokai never put this on the back. The serial # was 03XXXXX, 04XXXXX or 05XXXXX. This wasn't how Tokai numbered their guitars. The kicker was that it said "Ma*k*e in Korea". Another difference with the Love Rocks was that the V/T pots were laid out like a PRS SC instead of a Les Paul (see my pic)

When it comes to playability, I prefer double cuts over single cuts, especially when playing above the 15th fret and the strat is number one for me overall in that area. But there is just something about this axe that draws me to to it. I'll go through short periods where I will play the strat or the semi-hollow or P90 slab and I will go back to the Fakai and it's like, whoa, this is nice. It's heavy, 10 lbs at lease, but not uncomfortable. It is solid. It's got a nice chunky '59 neck. I tolerate the photo-flame triburst top well enough - it has that touch of clownburst look in the picture, but I don't really see it when it is in my hands.

The pickups are Rio Grande, a Texas in the neck and a BBQ in the bridge. Both are Alnico 5, rated 9.0 in the neck and 12.5 in bridge. With these pups, man, this thing has balls. I usually favour the neck or neck/bridge combination. But the BBQ is the first bridge pup that I really like playing on it's own. Kick in the Tonebone Hot British and wow! But lately I've been playing clean with the neck pickup and I prefer it for those jazz or jazzy blues sounds over my other guitars including the semi-hollow with flatwounds. Not as airy, but a solid smooth clean sound. These are not distortion pickups, the clean is there. But when you drive them - oh yeah.

I would put my Fakai up against most production Gibson LPs. It may be poly and not nitro, but the way it plays and sounds boggles my mind for what it is.


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## puckhead

I'm always impressed by the top on that.
it may be a fake, but it sure looks well built!


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## Jimi D

Interesting bit of info... :thanks5qx:

I had an 80s Japanese Love Rock as my "Les Paul" for years, and I remember the guitar fondly, so I was interested in the re-introduction of Tokai Love Rocks to NA back when... I always thought it was amusing that someone would make copies of a Korean guitar, in Korea... Whether or not these are "real" Tokais or not is purely a matter for the courts, imho, because from a player's perspective, they're clearly as good as the ones that Tokai was earning a profit from, even if they're not exactly the same... with the upgrades on yours, I'm sure it's the equal of many a Gibby, and superior to the vast majority of Korean Tokais...

your's is very purdy... kksjur


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## smorgdonkey

Robert1950 said:


> Last June, I picked a MIK Tokai Love Rock (Les Paul Copy) in a trade for an amp. I tried it for a couple of minutes thru the amp I traded off, wishing I could keep both. It sounded better than any other guitar thru that amp. Two days later, after a number of exchanges on the the Tokai forum, I found that this guitar was not a real Tokai but one of the infamous Canadian "Fakais"...........
> ................
> I would put my Fakai up against most production Gibson LPs. It may be poly and not nitro, but the way it plays and sounds boggles my mind for what it is.


 Cool story. I have a Fakai as well. The person I bought mine from pretty much just laughed at me when I told him it was counterfeit and I didn't pursue it further because I figured if that was the initial reaction then nothing good would materialize from proceeding with discussing the issue further. It is well built but I wouldn't have purchased it had I known it was what it is. It was the first time I didn't 'do my homework' so it was a learning experience. Mine has no serial number and no 'made in' anywhere on it. It is a 335 copy and the Tokai Forum people told me that mine is also one of the ones that were made by a Korean manufacturer for the Canadian market.


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## Robert1950

I've seen a few of the 335 copies for sale in the past. If I ever have the extra coin, I wouldn't mind giving one of those a whirl.


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## bobb

Robert1950 said:


> A Fakai can be identified from the headstock. MIK Tokais have three screw truss rod covers. Fakais have one screw. One back its says "Manufactured under license for Tokai Gakki Co., Ltd." Tokai never put this on the back. The serial # was 03XXXXX, 04XXXXX or 05XXXXX. This wasn't how Tokai numbered their guitars. The kicker was that it said "Ma*k*e in Korea". Another difference with the Love Rocks was that the V/T pots were laid out like a PRS SC instead of a Les Paul (see my pic)


I never noticed that the controls were reversed on yours. I have also seen a few 2005s that only had a serial number on the headstock. As I have said on other forums about this subject, the rest of the world can whine, howl and scream fraud and how the Cdn dist. should be drawn and quartered, but guess what, gang...we got the better guitars.

Here is mine. This model was marketed as an NALS-48 while the rest of the world got the ALS-48. Supposedly, the "N" designation meant for North American market only. Note the controls are in the "correct" positions. Also, the top is not photoflame. Not sure if it is a thin veneer or not, but the top cap is as thick as a Les Paul.


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## Robert1950

Mine is serial numbered 03XXXXX. Maybe they changed the V/T pot layout with later models??? Like I said, great axe. I think we did get the better guitar. AFAIK, mine is an NALS-48 model. I wouldn't mind also getting a hold a a Rosy Tele,... if I had the extra cash.


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## sneakypete

the -48 in Japan means that one retails for 48,000, minus the standard 20% off list...and if I remember those I see in local shops have the MIC sticker on the back of the headstock. So what are they going for in Canada? This Japanese city is a Gibson city...and both US big two build models exclusively for Japan and get ridiculous prices for them, local shops have almost no Tokais...most are MICs and semi hollows...we never get to see higher end models around here...I have to go to Tokyo for them so add a couple of hundred bucks for transportation to the price. Fortunately I do get my hands on other great MIJ brands in used shops...ESP, Fuji-gen, History ... and they have tons of used Gibsons but I just sold my last LP standard `cause the custom made ESP I bought is so much better finished and the quality of the wood is higher. I wish we`d get some high end Tokais to look at...theres one MIC model that looks like the PRS, it`s at 41% off but they can`t sell it.


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## bobb

sneakypete said:


> the -48 in Japan means that one retails for 48,000, minus the standard 20% off list...and if I remember those I see in local shops have the MIC sticker on the back of the headstock. So what are they going for in Canada?


The new 48s are made in China. Production moved there from Korea a few years ago. All the local models in dispute were made before the move to China. West coast street price at the time was between $600-$700 depending on the dealer. Lately, I have seen used models on craigslist for $350-$450.


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## al3d

Robert..it's a pretty nice guitar..but i would'nt call it a Fake..since Tokai are actually Copies.....it's a Copy of a Copy..


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## Hired Goon

So what is the expected street price of a typical "Fakai" LP in reasonable condition? I mean you can't actually contact the manufacturer to find out what woods, pick-ups, hardware, etc. that went in to the construction.


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## Robert1950

al3d said:


> Robert..it's a pretty nice guitar..but i would'nt call it a Fake..since Tokai are actually Copies.....it's a Copy of a Copy..


It really is a fake. A fake Tokai. Hence the name 'Fakai'. It was not authorized by Tokai, therefore, a fake. The story goes that they were made in Korea at the same factory that makes Dillion for the Canadian market from 2003 to 2005 and labeled as Tokai Love Rock. There were other Tokai models (SG, 335, PRS and Tele). The general opinion is that these were better made than the MIK Tokais from that time. I definitely concur with that opinion.


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## Robert1950

I just went to Craigslist in Toronto. There is Tokai SG for sale. Serial # is 05XXXX and the truss rod cover has one screw. The is very likely a Fakai. Does not have the "Make in Korea" or "Manufactured..." label which may have been the case with the 05 models near the end of the run. It is very likely the seller doesn't know it is unauthorized. Wants $400 w/ Gibson HSC.

Edit: just found two "Love Rocks" on eBay.ca. Neither had a picture of the back of the headstock, but both had single screw truss rod covers. The first one looks like Bobb's w/ proper pot layout. The Second one has the pot layout like mine, PRS SC style. Asking prices about $425-$450

I really wonder what they would be worth if they knew (maybe they do) and were honest about it.


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## Budda

These guitars look great . I had a tokai PRS style - I have 1 shot of the headstock, and I see 1 screw, I can't remember if it had 3 or not. It was a nice guitar though, sold it for the $ and it wasn't seeing as much use. My friend's brother rocks it, and rocks it well


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## jcon

Just to make things a little more confusing, here are my Fakai's...



















The white one has Grover tuners, 3 screws in the bell shaped truss rod cover and binding on the back. Serial number is printed in silver ink "05XXXX" - nothing else.
The wine red has one screw for the truss rod cover and has the serial number "040XXXX" plus the "Make in Korea" and all the other stuff normally found on the Canadian Tokai's.

I bought the white one brand new from JSD's Guitar Shack under the impression it was a real MIK Tokai. Found out later it may have had questionable origins, but really didn't care as it sounds like an LP should. Picked up the wine red one on ebay a year or 2 later, knowing full well it was a Fakai - for the price I got it for, that wasn't an issue for me. If it sounded half as good as the white one I'd be happy - and I wasn't disappointed!

I've got 2 Gibson LP standards and both my Fakai's stack up pretty well against them - they're both keepers.

Cheers,
Joe


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## LexxM3

*Fakai Bass*



Robert1950 said:


> Models emulating Les Pauls, the ES335, SGs, PRS standards, and the Rosewood Tele were made.


There also seem to be an LP-style bass in the Fakai class. I posted a reference and photos to it here a little while back: http://almosttokai.freeforums.org/fakai-bass-20100109-cambridge-ontario-canada-t5.html


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## GammyBird

Hey there...new guy here. I have a "Fakai" Love Rock Gold top. It's a great guitar. I bought mine on the premesis that it was an actual Tokai. Was peeved when i found out the difference, but when you compare these guitars to the Korean and Chinese models they actually spec out much better. No plywood bodies or bolt on necks. I contacted some people who actually know what happened and was informed that "The Tokais that were sold were supplied by the distributor here in Canada who was the official supplier for North America and they were licensed to use the name." So read what ever you want into that but when you look at the big picture, they are as good a guitar as you will get for the price they were/are selling for. And hasn't Tokai been making copies of Fenders and Gibsons for years? So I don't know how a bunch of guys at another forum can bitch and complain about the Canadian Tokais being fakes....  It's a much nicer guitar than the new EPI's that are pouring out of China as well. You never know they just might increase in value over the years!


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## corailz

Robert1950 said:


>




This guitar's look amazing!!!Congrats!


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## Gene Machine

Robert1950 said:


> It really is a fake. A fake Tokai. Hence the name 'Fakai'. It was not authorized by Tokai, therefore, a fake. The story goes that they were made in Korea at the same factory that makes Dillion for the Canadian market from 2003 to 2005 and labeled as Tokai Love Rock. There were other Tokai models (SG, 335, PRS and Tele). The general opinion is that these were better made than the MIK Tokais from that time. I definitely concur with that opinion.


would that make Dillion the real fake tokai copy of a les paul?

just wonderin?


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## Robert1950

Gene Machine said:


> would that make Dillion the real fake tokai copy of a les paul?
> 
> just wonderin?


Now I am confused.


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## GammyBird

Robert1950 said:


> Now I am confused.


I don't think anybody will ever get to the bottom of this. There are just too many conflicting stories kicking around the net about it. I just rever to mine as a Canadian Tokai.


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## bobb

GammyBird said:


> I don't think anybody will ever get to the bottom of this. There are just too many conflicting stories kicking around the net about it. I just rever to mine as a Canadian Tokai.


After doing a little research, here is how it appears to break down:

- Possible miscommunication between distributor and Tokai Japan
- Possibility of public sour grapes coming from a third party who I can't name at this time, as well as, interference from another party
- A little misinformation released on tokairegistry
- A whole lot of misinterpretation, speculation and conjecture on the part of the tokairegistry "eckspurts"

The final outcome is that we got some really good guitars, while the denizens of the tokairegistry are screaming fraud by a fly by night distributor. For the record, the Canadian distributor has been in business for thirty years. It is highly doubtful that he would risk that by a short term run at making "counterfeit" Tokais.


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## GammyBird

Very well spoken bobb and most likely very accurate. I tried to spark a debate at the tokairegistry that would compare the Canadian Tokai vs the MIK/MIC models and got little or no responce. I was told that they are know for their "fairy tales". I have since deleted my account.


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## smorgdonkey

bobb said:


> After doing a little research, here is how it appears to break down:
> 
> - Possible miscommunication between distributor and Tokai Japan
> - Possibility of public sour grapes coming from a third party who I can't name at this time, as well as, interference from another party
> - A little misinformation released on tokairegistry
> - A whole lot of misinterpretation, speculation and conjecture on the part of the tokairegistry "eckspurts"
> 
> The final outcome is that we got some really good guitars, while the denizens of the tokairegistry are screaming fraud by a fly by night distributor. For the record, the Canadian distributor has been in business for thirty years. It is highly doubtful that he would risk that by a short term run at making "counterfeit" Tokais.


Interesting post bobb. I know one thing - I was a little miffed when I found out mine was a counterfeit but I never called into question the fit/finish quality of the build. 

I thought that it sounded pretty good too but I had never owned a hollow or semi-hollow before so I was really just trying to get used to it. After I had it for a while I thought that it was a dog sound-wise. I tweaked the pickups and so on with no luck-it had GFS Dream 180 pickups in it.

I tried to sell it while letting people know that it was supposedly a counterfeit with no luck. Then I said "ok I'll keep it and put nice pickups in it".

If only I knew what an easy fix it was!! Now it sounds like it looks/feels. I have also heard that Tokai Registry people were ticked-off by the reports that the 'fakai' guitars were better quality than the real Tokais. Probably unsubstantiated stuff brought forth to raise ire but interesting too.


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## GammyBird

I would guess that the guys at the Tokai Registry have never played one.


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## bobb

smorgdonkey said:


> Interesting post bobb. I know one thing - I was a little miffed when I found out mine was a counterfeit but I never called into question the fit/finish quality of the build.


The more I learn, the more I question the "counterfeit" claims.



smorgdonkey said:


> If only I knew what an easy fix it was!! Now it sounds like it looks/feels. I have also heard that Tokai Registry people were ticked-off by the reports that the 'fakai' guitars were better quality than the real Tokais. Probably unsubstantiated stuff brought forth to raise ire but interesting too.


I bought mine before these stories started. At the time, there were a lot of sour grapes from elsewhere because we got the better guitars and they didn't. Since then there have been claims of counterfeiting, fraud, plywood and particle board construction, peel-off labels, etc. About the only thing they haven't claimed is that the distributor eats babies.

The whole thing is a pathetic joke based on unsubstantiated rumors created by only two or three on that forum's members. Due to their opinionated ramblings, this whole mess has grown and festered over the last couple years. Unfortunately, now the Tokai eckspurts are the self proclaimed guitar police and have even disrupted ebay and CL sales with claims of counterfeit and fraud. 

I recently got in an argument on TGP with a Tokai forum member who wasn't even on there when this all happened yet he supposedly knew everything.


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## GammyBird

Hired Goon said:


> So what is the expected street price of a typical "Fakai" LP in reasonable condition? I mean you can't actually contact the manufacturer to find out what woods, pick-ups, hardware, etc. that went in to the construction.


Mine has a mahagony body, maple neck and alnico pickups...I'll post some detailed pictures of the rest of the hardware later on this evening.


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## sneakypete

the people at the other site don`t have as many answers as they think they do I believe, but hey, same thing goes for many of the MIJs from that period...record keeping wasn`t always great, there are so many variables with most of those brands that after all the time I`ve been buying and reading up on those MIJs I am convinced there are no experts out there, or let me put it this way...if there are experts out there, they ain`t posting on the sites I go to. It`s really fun reading up on the guitars I love to buy and play but the only ones I am 100% certain of are the ones I have...everything else is just stuff on the internet.
When it comes down to it, when I`m looking to buy a guitar, mine is the only opinion that counts to me....I mean I`m paying for and playing them...if it sounds good and plays good, it is good, I don`t buy to impress a bunch of people on the web that I will never meet, I don`t buy for bragging rights or to post pics fishing for compliments...I buy what I like, it`s that simple. It didn`t take long for me to lose interest in that other site thats been mentioned, I`m sure there are some fine fellows there but all the talk of lumber and growth rings and flat or quarter sawn or long/medium or short tenon or poly vs. nitro...etc etc etc...just got old real quick.


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## bobb

sneakypete said:


> the people at the other site don`t have as many answers as they think they do I believe, but hey, same thing goes for many of the MIJs from that period...record keeping wasn`t always great, there are so many variables with most of those brands that after all the time I`ve been buying and reading up on those MIJs I am convinced there are no experts out there, or let me put it this way...if there are experts out there, they ain`t posting on the sites I go to. It`s really fun reading up on the guitars I love to buy and play but the only ones I am 100% certain of are the ones I have...everything else is just stuff on the internet.
> When it comes down to it, when I`m looking to buy a guitar, mine is the only opinion that counts to me....I mean I`m paying for and playing them...if it sounds good and plays good, it is good, I don`t buy to impress a bunch of people on the web that I will never meet, I don`t buy for bragging rights or to post pics fishing for compliments...I buy what I like, it`s that simple. It didn`t take long for me to lose interest in that other site thats been mentioned, I`m sure there are some fine fellows there but all the talk of lumber and growth rings and flat or quarter sawn or long/medium or short tenon or poly vs. nitro...etc etc etc...just got old real quick.


Well said.


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## GammyBird

Some pics of my Goldtop.....


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## GammyBird

More...


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## Steadfastly

You might find the info at Fret City interesting regarding these guitars.

Fret City Music Online Guitar Store - 1984 Tokai Love Rock LS-80


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## GammyBird

Hired Goon said:


> So what is the expected street price of a typical "Fakai" LP in reasonable condition? I mean you can't actually contact the manufacturer to find out what woods, pick-ups, hardware, etc. that went in to the construction.


I would think that if you could find a LP model in good condition for under $500cnd..buy it!


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## kudogg

Hey, has anybody actually opened up one of these "Fakai"s to see what kind of wood it's made out of and stuff? I just bought this guitar and it will be arriving Wed!!!


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## Morkolo

kudogg said:


> Hey, has anybody actually opened up one of these "Fakai"s to see what kind of wood it's made out of and stuff? I just bought this guitar and it will be arriving Wed!!!


I'm loving the burst on the Tokai, the red ring makes it for me!


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## cheezyridr

did you buy that from a guy in kitchener?


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## GammyBird

kudogg said:


> Hey, has anybody actually opened up one of these "Fakai"s to see what kind of wood it's made out of and stuff? I just bought this guitar and it will be arriving Wed!!!


Mine had a nicely matched 2 piece mahogany back, maple cap, set neck but had a short tenon.


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## kudogg

cheezyridr said:


> did you buy that from a guy in kitchener?


No, I got it from guitar center Spokane, Washington USA.

Brian


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## Robert1950

Looks like mine, except no pick guard and the controls are laid out correctly (Like an LP and not a PRS SC) Post close up of front and back of headstock. That will correctly identify it. Also, check your PM. ​


kudogg said:


> Hey, has anybody actually opened up one of these "Fakai"s to see what kind of wood it's made out of and stuff? I just bought this guitar and it will be arriving Wed!!!


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## kudogg

*Pics*

Yup, definitely a canadian fakai, VERY well made, well made enough to shut up the naysayers at Tokai Registry haha... not a single post after I put up the pics! They said this guitar was made of plywood!!! foolish


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## bobb

Nice guitar. Ignore the eckspurts on the Tokai Forum. There are a couple there who are incredibly judgmental. I remember seeing a couple comments that the Canadian distributor should have been charged with fraud. All the misinformation started shortly after that including that the guitars were made of plywood and particleboard. Those allegations were made by members who have never seen one of these guitars.

The subject has been discussed here many times in a far more rational manner. A search on here should help you find the info that you're looking for including the story behind these guitars. It was all about the Cdn distributor trying to get higher spec Korean guitars than what was available at the time. It was not about trying to rip off the Canadian players, which is what some of the Tokai forum members try to tell you.


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## Robert1950

Has the one screw on the truss rod cover. My serial number is 7 digits, yours is 6, but it does start with 05. Looks like the "Ma*k*e in Korea" was corrected by 2005 ( mine is 2003 ). Your colour, like I said, is the same as mine with the same burst pattern.

Like Bobb says, there are some on the Tokai forum that can be vitriolic about these guitars.


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## kudogg

Yeah, a couple guys there were just plain jerks. It is so hypocritical to me as well, since Tokai's are Les Paul mimics. Do they not get that concept? I mean, for not a single person to talk smack after I posted the pics, probably means the guitar was higher quality than thye thought. Haha... kind of feels good after the treatment I received there! This guitar rocks! gonna throw in some new pups adn get ready to rock!!!


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## bobb

kudogg said:


> Yeah, a couple guys there were just plain jerks. It is so hypocritical to me as well, since Tokai's are Les Paul mimics. Do they not get that concept? I mean, for not a single person to talk smack after I posted the pics, probably means the guitar was higher quality than thye thought. Haha... kind of feels good after the treatment I received there! This guitar rocks! gonna throw in some new pups adn get ready to rock!!!


I think this quote from your thread on their forum says it all:



> We have had a couple of rows involving the fakes but that was nothing to do with the guitars and everything to do with their confrontational owners.


Trust me it's not confrontational Fakai owners causing trouble. It's the ridiculous comments and accusations from a few of their members, in particular, a "dealer" in Germany, another "dealer" in South Africa as well as a couple of Australians.

Like Robert1950, I was on that forum when it all hit the fan. Initially, the members were confused and couldn't figure out why the Canadians got better Korean made Love Rocks than the rest of the world. Yup, it all started over sour grapes.

You've got a great guitar, enjoy it and have fun.


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## kudogg

btw... if you want my Fakai pickups, they are zebra (cream/black) look like new, and I will ship to Canada for 30 US dollars


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## sneakypete

the best part of that other site is the access to the info and the links people post to old MIJ catalogs...other than that, it`s just another place to me, not any better or worse than any other site. Another to be wary of is the My Les Paul site...honestly, there are members there who post opinions on guitars I`m almost certain they`ve never even seen...they just regurgitate stuff they`ve read on line as fact. Makes it really hard to sift through all the crap to get to the facts.


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## kudogg

sneakypete said:


> the best part of that other site is the access to the info and the links people post to old MIJ catalogs...other than that, it`s just another place to me, not any better or worse than any other site. Another to be wary of is the My Les Paul site...honestly, there are members there who post opinions on guitars I`m almost certain they`ve never even seen...they just regurgitate stuff they`ve read on line as fact. Makes it really hard to sift through all the crap to get to the facts.


Sounds like Gibson Les Paul owners to me! It's so ironic that music, which is such a part of the creative spirit, is so dominated by artists who are so conventional!


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## smorgdonkey

sneakypete said:


> post opinions on guitars I`m almost certain they`ve never even seen...they just regurgitate stuff they`ve read on line as fact. Makes it really hard to sift through all the crap to get to the facts.


I think that I've seen people like that on every forum I've ever been on!


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## smorgdonkey

oooooooooooo double post!


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## ThePass

Can I jump in here too?

Just wanted to say that's a nice looking axe, and I'd LOVE to play a guitar with Rio pups ~ never heard a bad thing about them myself and have been dying to try a set in my Strat.


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## Blue_Tokai

Personally, I love my Tokai (real or fake... which ever it is). Build quality is beautiful. Fit and finish is great. I've changed out the pups for a set of Surf 90's and added some new wiring 
The 'registry' people are pretty bad over there, considering that we're all looking for information about our guitars... not criticism of our guitars.

AND.... I love your guitar as well


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## Twhouston

I recently purchased a Tokai Love Rock having no idea about these guitars or where they are supposed to be made. I just knew that they were known for making copies and really good ones at that! When I got it I was amazed at the quality and craftsmanship (having owned Tons of real LP's)! My MIK Tokai came w/ a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a Custom in the neck. THIS GUITAR SOUNDS AND PLAYS FANTASTIC! After doing some research I found out that mine is a fake....Hmmmmm....I guess I knew I was buying a knock off when I laid my money down (390.00 Ebay) any how so it really makes no difference! This guitar blows away any of the Epi LP's I have owned in the past and rivals my 2001 Classic LP! HOORAY for my FAKE MIK Tokai!!!!!!!!


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## Twhouston

Regarding the "fake" Tokais. I am not sure if that is really true. I found this interview on the net (Q&A's with Mr. Shohei Adachi, president of Tokai Gakki at http://freenet-homepage.de/bluezz_ba...nterview.txt):

A11: As you know [our Korean licensing partner] made some LS models for our Canadian distributor without our permission. I met his president at Music China [Fair 2005] and we asked him not to make our LS models to our Canadian distributor any more and he accepted our proposal. I think they are still making Dillion guitars for Canada and USA. So I believe no more faked Tokai guitars in Canada. Now we are talking to our new Canadian distributor. So we believe faked Tokai guitars will be disappeared in Canada soon.

So if that is true, technically thise guitars are MIK Tokais , just sold without Tokai's permission. Basically Canadian distributor tried to "cut the middle man". If that is true, those might became a collectors item down the road 

As for me, I decided to go with J&D Les Paul copy, LS500, picking it up today.
Fret City Music Online Guitar Store - J&D LS500 Electric guitar

Regards,


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## GammyBird

Congrats!!!


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## bobb

Twhouston said:


> Regarding the "fake" Tokais. I am not sure if that is really true. I found this interview on the net (Q&A's with Mr. Shohei Adachi, president of Tokai Gakki at http://freenet-homepage.de/bluezz_ba...nterview.txt):
> 
> A11: As you know [our Korean licensing partner] made some LS models for our Canadian distributor without our permission. I met his president at Music China [Fair 2005] and we asked him not to make our LS models to our Canadian distributor any more and he accepted our proposal. I think they are still making Dillion guitars for Canada and USA. So I believe no more faked Tokai guitars in Canada. Now we are talking to our new Canadian distributor. So we believe faked Tokai guitars will be disappeared in Canada soon.
> 
> So if that is true, technically thise guitars are MIK Tokais , just sold without Tokai's permission. Basically Canadian distributor tried to "cut the middle man". If that is true, those might became a collectors item down the road
> 
> As for me, I decided to go with J&D Les Paul copy, LS500, picking it up today.
> Fret City Music Online Guitar Store - J&D LS500 Electric guitar
> 
> Regards,


The way I heard the story, it wasn't really a case of "cut the middleman". It was more a matter of the Cdn distributor wanting better specs than what Tokai was offering in their MIKs at the time. Mahogany body with maple top vs. sycamore on an agathis body.


----------



## Robert1950

Got any pictures?? Close-ups of the front and back of the headstock would be nice.


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## dougwaite

Finally some sanity!!! 
I have one of the 'FAKAI' Les Paul Basses. I bought it because it was a beautiful, well made instrument. I had no idea it was a fake and when I went on the Tokai registry to research it I was almost crucified. I was called a "gullible idiot" for buying this "piece of crap" guitar, etc. What a bunch of SNOBS!!!! I'm used to musical instrument snobbery but usually from someone with a '59 Gold Top LP or a pre-CBS P-bass --- not someone with an '85 'Springy Sound'!!!!! 
When I dared suggest that Tokai was just a company that copied other peoples designs I felt like Salmon Rushdie fending off all of Islam...."You insulted our GOD the devine TOKAI"
Whoever made this guitar it is a beauty. It blows away the current MIK Tokais and is on par with the much sought-after MIJ's from the '80s.
I'm glad there is a forum for the fans of these 'FAKAI's because the Tokai registry is obviously deaf, dumb and blind.


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## Robert1950

Three years and I still have my Fakai. The only reason I would sell it is that it is a Les Paul design and I could find a double cut that could do near the same thing. I still find the single cut and LP heel a bit awkward when it comes to upper fret access.


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## sneakypete

Yeah I dared to question the collective wisdom at the TF, going against the grain as it were...some guys take this guitar thing very seriously, frankly I just don`t swallow everything I read on the web no matter how many times it`s written. Are all musicians like that? I`ve been a painter for 40 years and never been called a poser for having a sable paint brush, what is it with guitar players and the guitars other people choose to play, really...like I give a crap if somebody chooses a relic or an MIK guitar, I got real stuff to worry about eh...I buy to please myself not a group of online folks I have never nor will never meet.


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## dougwaite

Thanks sneakypete, you know where I'm coming from.
In defense of the Tokai registry there were some people who were courteous and gave me valuable information which is the whole purpose of the site - sharing info.
It seems,though , that a lot of people just use these types of forums to vent there biased opinions in arrogant and ignorant ways hiding behind there anonymity, knowing full well that they are probably halfway around the world from anyone else.
I also agree with you regarding the 'importance' some musicians put on the prestige of owning certain gear.
I was a professional musician for 25 years (recently retired from playing) and over the years I have collected many basses from top of the line Warwicks, Spectors and American Fenders to entry levels Epiphones etc (now it sounds like I'm bragging!) and my opinion is this...
A guitar is ultimitely a piece of wood, a tool. If it works for you and feels good it doesn't matter what the name on the headstock is.
Some of the most beautiful music in the world has been done on 150$ instruments.
Peace to all.


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## faracaster

Just read this thread. Very interesting.
Thanks for the story and facts Robert.
Do you still have that guitar?

cheers
pete


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## Robert1950

faracaster said:


> Just read this thread. Very interesting.
> Thanks for the story and facts Robert.
> *Do you still have that guitar?*












Yep, still have it.


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## bobb

Only reason mine doesn't get used is that I'm not a Les Paul kinda player. I keep threatening to sell it but my son keeps reminding me that I never know when I might need it.

I still stand by the fact there is nothing fake or counterfeit about it. All it breaks down to is sour grapes on the TR forum. They were upset that our MIK Tokais were better than what they got for MIK Tokais.


----------



## dougwaite

bobb said:


> Only reason mine doesn't get used is that I'm not a Les Paul kinda player. I keep threatening to sell it but my son keeps reminding me that I never know when I might need it.
> 
> I still stand by the fact there is nothing fake or counterfeit about it. All it breaks down to is sour grapes on the TR forum. They were upset that our MIK Tokais were better than what they got for MIK Tokais.
> 
> 
> 
> I agree - it certainly appears that some people on that site have sour grapes.
> And it seems that _somebody_ in the Tokai organization did grant a license for these guitars at some point so whether they are 'counterfeit' or not is certainly a grey area.
> My prediction is that in a few more years these people on the T-reg that are running these instruments down will be falling all over themselves trying to get their hands on one. Thay will be pursuing them like the MIJ Tokais from the '80s.


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## Robert1950

Hey bobb. Is yours a 2005? Mine is 2003.The pot layout on mine is like a PRS SC. Yours is typical LP. I believe that change happened somewhere between the 2003 to 2005 run for these guitars.


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## bobb

It's a 2004. It's one of the models that had the "Manufactured under licence for Tokai Gakki Co. Ltd" and "Make in Korea" lettering on the headstock.

The model name was NALS-48 to differentiate from the basic MIK ALS-48.

Even though I've said this a few times in the past, I'll say it again. I find it funny that certain individuals on the TR forum still scream fraud over these. If these were made to commit a fraud, shouldn't they be of lesser quality than the standard Korean Tokais??? Instead they are specced higher than the standard MIK version.

The real story has been told here already. It does not appear there was any attempt to defraud anyone. It was just a case of a distributor who might have overstepped the bounds of his contract with Tokai in order to give his customers a better "bang for the buck" guitar.


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## Robert1950

bobb said:


> The real story has been told here already. It does not appear there was any attempt to defraud anyone. It was just a case of a distributor who might have overstepped the bounds of his contract with Tokai in order to give his customers a better "bang for the buck" guitar.


That's how I see it. 

Mine has the 'Make in Korea' in white on the back of the headstock and the 'Under license ..... blah blah.


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## BigJoeBurke

*Tokai ES-335 - can anyone place this for me?*

No serial numbers, labels or any other markings whatsoever to identify the guitar.

Picked up second hand and it looks awesome, feels great, plays like a dream, sounds great, just want to know what I have here.


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## smorgdonkey

I think you have one of the guitars that are being discussed in this thread. I have one just like it. I think the pots are of questionable quality and I don't know what the original pickups are like, but I have a Lollar in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Jazz in the neck. The thing is like a $1000 guitar now.

How much did you get yours for? I still don't have a good case for mine.


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## BigJoeBurke

smorgdonkey said:


> I think you have one of the guitars that are being discussed in this thread. I have one just like it. I think the pots are of questionable quality and I don't know what the original pickups are like, but I have a Lollar in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Jazz in the neck. The thing is like a $1000 guitar now.
> 
> How much did you get yours for? I still don't have a good case for mine.


Right now I'm actually renting (second hand through L&M) but plan to purchase before the end of the month. I will probably try and do a few simple upgrades once I "really" own it although the pickups are pretty good as is - just a little thin sounding for leads. Overall the build quality, weight and finish are very impressive.


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## Robert1950

Big Joe. Fakais had one screw truss rod covers. Yours has three. Yours may be a legit MIK or MIC Tokai. If it doesn't have "Make In Korea" on the back of the headstock with a serial number from 03***** to 05***** and a bunch of other stuff printed in white, then it's not a Fakai.


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## BigJoeBurke

Robert1950 said:


> Big Joe. Fakais had one screw truss rod covers. Yours has three. Yours may be a legit MIK or MIC Tokai. If it doesn't have "Make In Korea" on the back of the headstock with a serial number from 03***** to 05***** and a bunch of other stuff printed in white, then it's not a Fakai.


Well now that we know what it isn't - can anyone tell me about what it is? The headstock design is what is throwing me - I haven't seen anything else online like it.


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## Robert1950

BigJoeBurke said:


> Well now that we know what it isn't - can anyone tell me about what it is? The headstock design is what is throwing me - I haven't seen anything else online like it.


You can go here - http://www.tokairegistry.com - You can try posting on the forum...

But don't mention the Canadian 'Fakai'. They are all "HoooooWEE! Let's have us a hangin" hostile towards it there.


----------



## BigJoeBurke

Robert1950 said:


> You can go here - http://www.tokairegistry.com - You can try posting on the forum...
> 
> But don't mention the Canadian 'Fakai'. They are all "HoooooWEE! Let's have us a hangin" hostile towards it there.


Tried to register but before I could even piss anyone off it said my email address had been banned. WTF? At least let me offend you first before kicking me off the island.


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## bobb

BigJoeBurke said:


> Tried to register but before I could even piss anyone off it said my email address had been banned. WTF? At least let me offend you first before kicking me off the island.


Friendly bunch ain't they?


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## sneakypete

There are two Tokais in a local used gear shop...a 2008 LS-150...with a 2 screw truss rod cover, looks just like a Gibson`s...and a 2010 LS-160 with a 1 screw cover. Don`t think either is a Fakai...just sayin`.


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## smorgdonkey

Robert1950 said:


> Big Joe. Fakais had one screw truss rod covers. Yours has three. Yours may be a legit MIK or MIC Tokai. If it doesn't have "Make In Korea" on the back of the headstock with a serial number from 03***** to 05***** and a bunch of other stuff printed in white, then it's not a Fakai.


Mine has that exact same truss rod cover and no numbers or 'made in' anywhere...and the Tokai Registry people told me that it was one of the Canadian 'Fakai' models. Fantastic guitar.








http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Tokai/IMG_0525.jpg

Sorry about the link for the photo...I couldn't imbed the picture - I HATE the new system for imbedding photos.


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## keto

4 clicks to get there


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## smorgdonkey

keto said:


> 4 clicks to get there


Thanks man!! I clicked about 10 times and still couldn't get anything!!


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## Robert1950

I just enclosed the picture site manually between the two html tags.


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## shoretyus

smorgdonkey said:


> Thanks man!! I clicked about 10 times and still couldn't get anything!!


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## smorgdonkey

Oh great...now everyone is showing that I am the only person who can't do that manually!! HAHA!!


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## Robert1950

Done Manually.... between two img tags. Try to show the tags exactly as they are, and you get a picture of nothing.


----------



## Brevik

My "Fakai" Love Rock was purchased new in 2004 for $650.00 at B-Sharp in Regina. It has the chunkier 50's style neck. This one has the single screw truss rod cover. They routed the truss rod access right up to the nut. Not a great piece of workmanship as you can't retro fit a bell shaped cover. The pots are short shaft Alpha 500K's with slightly narrower bushings. Brown "chicklet" shaped caps. Grounding at the tail stud. It also came with a short, straight 3 way switchcraft style selector instead the box units I've seen in other Korean Love Rock's. The wiring is a 50's style set up done with improper bussing but period correct 2 conductor outputs from the nickel PAF style pickups. Every piece of wire is plastic coated and not wire braid/cloth but the intentions were good. My opinion is that they were going for the 59 vibe here all the way. I have not taken the pickup covers off to check the magnets or for evidence of potting but will do so eventually as I am currently installing Gibson 59 PAF Burstbucker #2 and #3 replica's with the period correct pots and caps, braided 22g wire etc.



It's funny, when I first saw this I thought Gibson licenced this or something equally stupid.











Some other curious build notes. Notice the offset short neck tenon? Kinda cheesy. After nine years the neck is dead straight with no heel split so I won't complain but I'm sure it does affect the tone to some degree. The body is 2 piece mahogany joined at the bottom bout. They also capped it with mahogany. likely why it feels so heavy. The burst is definitely a foto flame. You can see how the cap split and the flame split do not line up. 











These knobs are actual Gibson's. But the same gold tophat style that originally came with the guitar. I had to get real Gibson's to fit the CTS pots I recently installed. I also had to drill out the holes to accomodate the pots.


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## smorgdonkey

Before:









After:









Before:









After:


----------



## 55 Jr

Great thread!
Thank you all for the info!
Looks like I just bought a Fakai!
Pictures will be posted shortly.
Its a near mint PAF gold top. Looks like an after market bridge, fine tuners on the tail piece.
299$ with case.I talked them in to eating the tax.
I bought it for my son.
I wouldn't mind keeping it.

Best regards,
Brian


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## 55 Jr




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## wjmwpg

I'm pretty late to this party, but since finding this thread is how I just found out that I'm a Fakai owner I thought I'd give it some new life. Purchased at Music Traders in Winnipeg in 2005 for $549.99 . . . the price tag is still on the back of the headstock.


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## Robert1950

Nice to see this thread brought back from the dead. WjmWpg, can you show pix of the the front and back of the headstock. Those are the defining points of a Fakai.


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## allthumbs56

The whole "Fakai" thing confuses me


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## LexxM3

allthumbs56 said:


> The whole "Fakai" thing confuses me


Yap, that's what adds spice to the story.

The key aspect is paying attention to details and not casually confusing fakes (aka falsely marked/sold counterfeits) and copies (clearly marked replicas).

The interesting thing about the Canadian Fakai story is that it is kind of both, but not quite. Tokai Love Rock is a replica design. And the Canadian Fakai were unauthorized manufactured batch by a legitimate Tokai dealer -- so not sure what to call that, it's not exactly counterfeit, but somewhat so. And, the final nail in the complication is that they are fantastic guitars.

There are also actual crappy quality counterfeits of Tokai, but those are not the Canadian Fakai.

Simple.


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## wjmwpg

Robert1950 said:


> Nice to see this thread brought back from the dead. WjmWpg, can you show pix of the the front and back of the headstock. Those are the defining points of a Fakai.


You bet. Had some more time today to take some better pics. 

If anyone cares I can dig through my old photo archive hard-drives to find some pics from before the mods were done. 

I replaced the original electronics with an R&S Guitarworks Vintage kit, wired 50's style. As I've seen others mention my pickup selector was wired in reverse, so UP was Bridge and DOWN was Neck - I've kept it that way.

The original saddles were my biggest gripe with the stock guitar - I was breaking a D or A string at the saddle everyday for awhile (despite attention to burrs and lubricating with graphite) - so they got replaced with a set of Graphtech String Savers. I've since broken one string in over a month of heavy playing with lots of vibrato-ing. 

The nut got replaced with Graphtech Tusq. My luthier, Darcy Bunio, mentioned that the stock nut was extremely difficult to remove, as though it had been epoxy'd in there or something. 

The original zebra humbuckers have been replaced first by a set of Kent Armstrong Convertible P90's, and now by a set of BG-Pups Pure 90's. I really love both of these 'bucker sized P90 sets, but I think I'm going to go back to the Kent Armstrongs. They both have great P90 tone, with the BG's being just a bit fuller, deeper and rounder, and the KA's being just a bit grittier, edgier and "bite-y-er", which works better for my current project . . . a different project and the BG's would be the choice. 

The Bigsby B7 didn't fit. When I first attempted to install it (with a Vibramate), its tail end sat up and away from the strap nut. Darcy did a great, creative job of making it work with some wood and felt shimming at the tail and grinding off some of the top off the bolts that attach the Vibramate to the body. It's a solid bit of work that doesn't standout unless you look for it and the tuning has been dead stable. 

I've seen a few Korean Love Rocks that don't have the whole "Manufactured under license to Tokai . . . Make in Korea" spiel, but instead just have a serial number starting with 05XXXXX, printed horizontally at the top of the headstock (if the guitar is upright), and they also have a truss rod cover with only one screw. I suspect that these might also be Fakai's from '05 that for whatever reason had the licensing blurb left off. Has anyone confirmed that some later ('05) Fakai's don't have the licensing blurb? 

I'm curently on the lookout for a Goldtop like the one that 55 Jr posted photos of earlier in this thread. Actually, I'd love to see a photo of the back of that one's headstock. 

I'm also hunting high and low for a VOX AD60VTX . . . but that's another story. 

Okay, down to business . . .


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## wjmwpg

My Fakai images part deux . . . 

There will also soon be a tri-ply pearloid pickguard (to match the inlays) attached as well, but I haven't received it yet.


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## Robert1950

Oh yeah, that's a Canadian Fakai. I had a 2003 which I traded off about 4 years ago. My hand just didn't get a long with the heel on a Les Paul style guitar - awkward playing notes above the 15th fret. Mine also had the 50s wiring when I traded for it. Always had a problem figuring out 50s wiring too. But it sounded great, especially with the Rio Grande pickups. Man, that thing had balls.


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## Robert1950

I edited the original post to include the picture that had expired.


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## wjmwpg

Robert1950 said:


> I edited the original post to include the picture that had expired.


Looks like hot stuff.


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## wjmwpg

I kinda buried this question in the bowels of a longer post, so I'm giving it its own post here: 

I've seen a few Korean Love Rocks that don't have the whole "Manufactured under license to Tokai . . . Make in Korea" spiel, but instead just have a serial number starting with 05XXXXX, printed horizontally at the top of the headstock (if the guitar is upright), and they also have a truss rod cover with only one screw. I suspect that these might also be Fakai's from '05 that for whatever reason had the licensing blurb left off. Has anyone confirmed that some later ('05) Fakai's don't have the licensing blurb? Also, is anyone aware of any other specific Fakai "markers" other than those on the headstock?


----------



## LexxM3

wjmwpg said:


> I've seen a few Korean Love Rocks that don't have the whole "Manufactured under license to Tokai . . . Make in Korea" spiel, but instead just have a serial number starting with 05XXXXX, printed horizontally at the top of the headstock (if the guitar is upright), and they also have a truss rod cover with only one screw. I suspect that these might also be Fakai's from '05 that for whatever reason had the licensing blurb left off. Has anyone confirmed that some later ('05) Fakai's don't have the licensing blurb??


 How do you know they are Korean Love Rocks? It's been a while and memory is fading, but I seem to recall China-made Tokai (and Tokai fakes, but not Canadian Fakai) look a lot like what you describe here.



wjmwpg said:


> Also, is anyone aware of any other specific Fakai "markers" other than those on the headstock?


 Again, it's been a number of years since I've paid attention and have started to lose some of the memory, but there were other telltales, in particular (a) mis-positioning of the control knobs relative to real Tokai (and real Gibson), and (b) general workmanship. There were definitely other markers, but just don't remember anymore and the owner of TokaiForum (ned) decimated the valuable discussions and knowledge out of irrational fear and general dickheadishness.


----------



## purpleplexi

There was so much drama with the Canadian Tokai guitars - I have one of the most "controversial" models - the MM2001 version from Mike's Music in Thorold. It's a very nice guitar and sounds killer but the poly finish on it makes it very unGibson-like.


----------



## wjmwpg

LexxM3 said:


> How do you know they are Korean Love Rocks? It's been a while and memory is fading, but I seem to recall China-made Tokai (and Tokai fakes, but not Canadian Fakai) look a lot like what you describe here.


I guess I'm just going off my assumption that the serial beginning in 05 means that it was made in '05, and to my knowledge the Chinese models didn't start appearing until after this. Is there any chance that with this kind of serial number, and a one-screw truss-rod cover, that these could be legit Korean Tokais? 

Take this one for example . . . 
FS - MIK Tokai Love Rock - Price drop!

Again, it's been a number of years since I've paid attention and have started to lose some of the memory, but there were other telltales, in particular (a) mis-positioning of the control knobs relative to real Tokai (and real Gibson), and (b) general workmanship. There were definitely other markers, but just don't remember anymore and the owner of TokaiForum (ned) decimated the valuable discussions and knowledge out of irrational fear and general dickheadishness.[/QUOTE]

Ha, ha . . . Yeah during my recent research I came across a bunch of links to discussions in the Tokai Forum, but clicking on them one-by-one found them all to be nuked. I did find one remaining thread there that got a bit into the whole Canadian Fakai affair but it quickly became unreadable due to many of the attitudes. One person trying to ask some legit questions and have a real discussion was basically being met by a bevy of dogmatic Tokai worshippers with the open-mindedness, consideration, and light touch of a Franco Begbie. Then someone dared to express the opinion that they're actually pretty nice guitars and all hell broke loose. It very quickly ended any interest I had in ever joining that forum. I'm just not into fundamentalism . . . be it Muslim, Christian, or Tokian.


----------



## allthumbs56

purpleplexi said:


> There was so much drama with the Canadian Tokai guitars - I have one of the most "controversial" models - the MM2001 version from Mike's Music in Thorold. It's a very nice guitar and sounds killer but the poly finish on it makes it very unGibson-like.
> 
> View attachment 20400
> 
> 
> View attachment 20401


For a time, Mike's was selling Fake Tokai 335's in a blue finish I tried several and found them to be quite awful


----------



## LexxM3

This is a good thread to drastically increase confusion: ANyone seen a Fake Tokai? - MyLesPaul.com. While the pictured guitar has the "Make in Korea" head marking, there is just so much wrong with it and it doesn't match anything real by Tokai or Gibson: (a) shape of headstock! (b) position of controls!! OMG. It's exasperating!

After learning of all this a few year back, I gave up and I just bought 3 MIJ Tokai (2 LR and 1 ES) and never looked back. Well, for full disclosure, I did look aside once and do own one of the "Make in Korea" models, but one that looks exactly like "normal" "Make in Korea" model, nothing like the one in my link above -- it's a great guitar, it was very inexpensive, and I don't mind beating on it a bit, so it lives at the office.


----------



## Guest

Confusing? No shit!
Even my Gession Love Power (supposedly) pre-les paul reborn by Tokai is not a Tokai.
70's mid level for japanese domestic market.


----------



## wjmwpg

laristotle said:


> Confusing? No shit!
> Even my Gession Love Power (supposedly) pre-les paul reborn by Tokai is not a Tokai.
> 70's mid level for japanese domestic market.
> 
> View attachment 20409


Would love to see a full-body photo of that baby.


----------



## Guest

wjmwpg said:


> Would love to see a full-body photo of that baby.


----------



## biggus-dickus

I was fortunate to pick up a* Canadian Fakai* - Love Rock off Kijiji several days ago ..... and I'm stoked. It's a little lighter than my '80 Aria Pro II LP, but it plays like a dream and was an absolute steal of a deal. I had done my research on this site prior to going over to check it out, so I was well aware of the tell tale indicators of it's questionable(?) origin. But once I picked it up, plugged it in; it was deal done. I didn't mention that it was a _Canadian Fakai_ to the seller as I didn't want to ruffle any egos... I just wanted to get out of his apartment with my new prized guitar and my life.
The neck is straight and true, with a nice radius to make bending a breeze. The frets are large and finished superbly, no buzz anywhere even on the low E string. It's not a shredder, but it has balls and tone for days. I'm not sure what's in it for pups and at this point I don't care as I'm not in any hurry to replace them. The build and craftsmanship on this beast is outstanding and for the low price tag its incredible.


----------



## Robert1950

Yes, they are well built. I traded mine off after a few years because I'm not an LP guy. They are an excellent platform if you want to upgrade hardware and electronics, but you probably really don't have to.


----------



## biggus-dickus

Robert1950 said:


> Yes, they are well built. I traded mine off after a few years because I'm not an LP guy. They are an excellent platform if you want to upgrade hardware and electronics, but you probably really don't have to.


Well this forum and in particular this thread on this forum is the reason I pursued this guitar. You and your fellow posters were responsible for honest and truthful review and discussion of these unique guitars. Lets not kid anyone these are not Gibby Les Paul's, but then again some American made Gibby's don't feel or sound much like true Paul's of yester years. No these are quality built guitars that share the same shape and a wish to sound like a guitar from the past. Their questionable manufacturing means they will never sought after or collectable or maybe for a select few of maybe they will. But the true test of any instrument is it's playability and sound and the Fakai's are fun to play and deliver the tones I and others love. So in closing I just want to thank all the posters from this thread for your heartfelt opinions and information on these almost forgotten guitars....especially you _Robert1950. Again thank-you._


----------



## rarebit

Greetings from south of the border. Time to poke this thread again with a Fakai story that I posted elsewhere first. Also echo biggus-dickus sediments, thanks to all for posting "honest and truthful reviews". 
------
There's this local guy here in CA whose selling a number of guitars from his collection, he's got multiple Gibson LPs, Flyg Vs, Epi Pauls, Strats, Teles, Jacksons, Charvels, EBMM, some Japanese brands, Fernandes, Arai, Tokai. I'm there for the Gibsons, Fenders cause that's all I own anyway. But one of my buddies says "be sure to check out the Tokai Love Rock". WTF is a Tokai? LOL never have paid any attention to "copy" guitars in the past.

So I play this 2003 Tokai which has a set of SD Hot Rodded PUs, the thing was a beast, compared to the 3 Pauls and the Epi LP. Hands down it had the best tone, played just as well, very little fret wear, nice setup and was in perfect shape. Go back and forth numerous times comparing all of them and kept coming back to this Tokai thing. Yea it weighs a ton, but comes with a HSC and it's tone was nothing like what I have in my current collection. So at a fraction of the Pauls asking prices, which were nice axes for sure, I put my snobby attitude aside LOL and took it.

Now after a few weeks, feeling a bit guilty cause I'm really getting attached to this thing. Just to satisfy my curiosity I start poking around to figure year, model, etc of this Tokai. Come to find out it's actually one of these infamous Canadian Fakais, "Make in Korea" deals. This thread was great and the history of the whole Fakai deal is pretty entertaining. I'm thankful all of this came to my attention after and didn't factor into my original purchase decision, which was based solely on playability and tone... it's a keeper.


----------



## SaucyJack

Give it a couple of upgrades and play the livin'-be-Jesus out of it!!!


----------



## rarebit

SaucyJack said:


> Give it a couple of upgrades and play the livin'-be-Jesus out of it!!!


----------



## rarebit

biggus-dickus said:


> I was fortunate to pick up a* Canadian Fakai* - Love Rock off Kijiji several days ago ..... and I'm stoked. It's a little lighter than my '80 Aria Pro II LP, but it plays like a dream and was an absolute steal of a deal. I had done my research on this site prior to going over to check it out, so I was well aware of the tell tale indicators of it's questionable(?) origin. But once I picked it up, plugged it in; it was deal done. I didn't mention that it was a _Canadian Fakai_ to the seller as I didn't want to ruffle any egos... I just wanted to get out of his apartment with my new prized guitar and my life.
> The neck is straight and true, with a nice radius to make bending a breeze. The frets are large and finished superbly, no buzz anywhere even on the low E string. It's not a shredder, but it has balls and tone for days. I'm not sure what's in it for pups and at this point I don't care as I'm not in any hurry to replace them. The build and craftsmanship on this beast is outstanding and for the low price tag its incredible.


hmm for some reason your pics were not displaying so I was posting this reply to ask for a repost and poof now I see them... looks nice. Did you ever upgrade the PUs?

BTW, curious does anyone recall what they used as model numbers for the Fakai? According to what I can gather it should have been something like LS-xx or ALS-xx?


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## Guest

rarebit said:


> According to what I can gather it should have been something like LS-xx or ALS-xx?


I believe that those models were the authentic MIJ Tokai's.


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## rarebit

laristotle said:


> I believe that those models were the authentic MIJ Tokai's.


Yea, from what I read the LS was MIJ and the ALS was MIK, I think SaucyJack bought his new so maybe he remembers???


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## rarebit

time to poke the thread... those who have a Fakai will surely appreciate Kelster's vid...


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