About the Builder (from Wikipedia):
Tokai Gakki Co., Ltd. (東海楽器製造株式会社 Tōkai Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha?), often referred as Tokai Guitars Company Ltd., is a Japanese guitar manufacturer founded in 1947 and situated in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka prefecture. Tokai have produced acoustic guitars, electric guitars, electric basses, autoharps, and melodicas. Tokai first started making classical guitars in 1965 and started making Hummingbird electric guitars in 1968 and Hummingbird Acoustic guitars in 1970.
Tokai have also made an original introductory line of acoustic Conn Guitars, and acoustic replicas of Gibson and Martin. In late 1970, the Tokai company under contract to Conn, headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, launched a new unique line of guitars carrying the Conn brand name. This venture is known to have continued until at least early 1973 (History of Conn Guitars). In 1972 Tokai went into a joint venture with Martin to supply acoustic guitar parts and also to build Martin's solid body Sigma guitars. In 1973 Tokai started making the "Cat's Eyes" Martin acoustic replicas. In the late 70's early Fender copies began and were sold mainly in japan and europe such as the ".38 Special" guitar and "Hard Puncher" bass. In 1983 Tokai started making a metal body guitar called the Talbo which the band Devo played at one time. Tokai have built various Gibson and Fender replica models over the years such as the "Love Rock Model", the "Les Paul Reborn", the "Springy Sound", and the "BreezySound".
The Tokai "Les Paul Reborn" model started in 1978 and by 1980 Tokai had changed the name from "Les Paul Reborn" first to "Reborn Old" and then to the "Love Rock Model". This was in response to threats from the American companies to go to court to protect their copyrights. Thus these models are generically known as "Lawsuit Guitars". Tokai also made Fender replicas starting in 1977 and Stevie Ray Vaughan played a "Tokai Silver Star" Stratocaster replica at one time. Tokai have their own instrument making factory and have built guitars for well known brands (OEM). Tokai and Dyna Gakki currently build the Fender Japan solid body models and have done so since 1997.
About the Guitar:
Tokai guitars have been made in Japan, Korea and China. Korean production started around the mid-1990s. Tokai guitars made in Korea (MIK) are lower priced guitars, similar to the Korean Epiphone guitars. The MIK (Made in Korea) guitars can be differentiated by the truss rod cover.
Some MIK Love Rock models have no serial number and simply have "Made In Korea" inked on the back of the headstock. Sometimes the model number may be located under the bridge pickup. MIK Love Rock models identified in this manner include ALS48 and ALS50Q.
This one was signed by Status Quo Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt.
