The pointed horns of this 1968 Tokai Humming Bird were inspired by Gibson’s SG models, but the rest of the body shape, including the “German carve” (the contoured “lip” around the top edge), was copied directly from Mosrite of California’s most famous guitar – the Ventures signature model.

It was available only to Japanese buyers, who also got such Mosrite features as the diagonally mounted neck pickup, the configuration of control knobs and selector switch, and the “zero fret”.

Tokai, based in Hamamatsu, Japan, made its first electric models in 1967 and entered the US and British markets in the 1980s. While Tokai was one of the leaders in copying classic American designs, the company was also at the forefront of a movement toward better quality from Japanese makers, and in 1982 the Houston-based Robin company contracted with Tokai to build its first guitars. With rising labor costs in Japan and increasing competition in the global market, Tokai retreated to the Japanese market in the mid-1990s.