How to identify a fake Gibson

Al(ex)

Came across this interesting article on gibson.com site about how to identify counterfeit gibsons.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/F ... itGibsons/

some very good info in it.

Blandest

HA, hope I find a fake in a shop somewhere, maybe i can get it for cheap! 😆

Purplehaze19x

I own one, its a really excellent copy of a Les Paul Custom Black Beauty.

I bought this becuase of how it played and sounded! you just wouldnt believe it.

ive played many les pauls and its about dead on, even the weight.

ModNuB

I wonder if they'll go after web sites like rondo music???

tragictravisty

those dont say 'gibson', right? and part of me thinks this is overblowing the issue to scare people into buying new gibsons over new ones

Purplehaze19x

I believe they still say Gibson, not sure. I know mine does, even says 'made in usa' on the back of the headstock and has a serial number.

ModNuB

No they don't say gibson. I just know gibson has gone after other companies for making guitars that "look" like lps if they get to well know/liked...they even tried to go after prs for their single cutaway style!!!

I agree about the scarying people into buying new gibsons...I'm sure w/ the economy the way it is that they are needing to sell more guitars. I do have to say that its pretty cool of them to offer to check a used guitar for you, who knows how long it takes to get a reply & any good tech/guitar player can spot a bad fake but still cool to hear.

Fran

Good thread Al.

After some time you can feel a fake, but upon appearance some of the chinese copies could fool a lot of people.

BanditGuitarist1

Gibson is going after companies because they are selling copies on Ebay for thousands saying they are real Gibsons. I am on a Gibson forum also and I have heard many horror stories of great guys spending 1-15k on a guitar they thought was a Gibson only to receive a cheap plywood asian copy with a Gibson logo.

I think nobody deserves to get duped if they really want a Gibson, everyone I spoke to filled criminal charges and informed Gibson, I heard many times Gibson Europe has gone after people and companies. I think Gibson and any guitar company has a right to protect there integrity from people making phony instruments, wether its a 2k Gibson or a 400 Epiphone or a Fender you should get the real thing. I know i'd be pissed if I paid 600 bucks for a Fender Mustang and got a Mustang made out of plywood with a Fender logo smacked on it. Gibson is just making sure people know they make quality products just as any other company would do if people where making knock offs and tarnishing there rep.

However the folks at Gibson are also money hungry SOBS and I do not support there business ideas or practices in any way shape or form! Especially after I heard they refused to send a dealer new Gibsons because he couldn't sell 100k worth a month...

phaeton

my tech told me recently that someone local here bought a gibson for 500 quid when brought it in for a fret dressing, he checked it out and found it was a fake, worth only 250 and said the janitor at the gibson factory wouldnt have done that wiring job.

very possibly it came from the same shop i got my 12 string

Purplehaze19x

I dug out my fake LP Custom to show some pics. I bought this knowing it was a fake from a pawn shop, i paid $200.

This thing plays and sounds great. It has Genuine Gibson pickups and Grover tuners.

The only visual sign that this is a fake is the headstock. All LP Customs have the 'Diamond' pearl inlay on the heastocks! and the 'Gibson' decal on the fake is not positioned right.

tragictravisty

dont genuines have 2 screws on the truss rod cover?

Purplehaze19x

yep. basicly everything about the fakes headstock is wrong.