Are there trends to fake guitars?

[theflyingturtle]

I have been looking at buying a Les Paul style guitar lately. In doing so I have found that there is some counterfeiting in the guitar world. There seems to be some $$$ to be made building fakes. I have been looking at Tokai guitars. These were suppose to be great LP copies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Now there are fake copies of the Tokais! That means there are even fake copies of fake Les Pauls! So, what trends do you see in the acoustic side of things that someone should look out for?

[Red 333]

I have been looking at buying a Les Paul style guitar lately. In doing so I have found that there is some counterfeiting in the guitar world. There seems to be some $$$ to be made building fakes. I have been looking at Tokai guitars. These were suppose to be great LP copies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Now there are fake copies of the Tokais! That means there are even fake copies of fake Les Pauls! So, what trends do you see in the acoustic side of things that someone should look out for?

 

And Tokai, like many builders, made low, mid, and high-end versions of their instruments, so not even all real Tokais are of the same quality.

 

If you're seeking a good Les Paul style guitar, check out the Epiphone Elite/Elitist version from the 2000's. Many Custom Shop features (long tenon, one-piece backs, etc.), Gibson pickups, excellent tonewoods, and superb Japanese craftmanship, and they legitimately and justifiably bear the Les Paul name.

 

Red 333

[kidblast]

I had a Tokia 57 strat that I picked up some time in the mid 80s.. it was amazing. I really wish I kept it.

 

I also had another copy, 92 Japanese Strat (Fender MIJ) that I bought new for I think 275.. (Candy apple red with a rosewood neck.) to this day, I've never found a strat that sounded quite like it. another STUPID "lets sell it for something else" moment..

 

How many times...