Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Looking to find out if this is a fake or not? Hoping some of you helpful folk can help me out. Look forward to your replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSAR Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 My vote is fake...the "EE" on the serial # is way too big, also, if it is real then the truss rod cover has been replaced... EDIT: I'm also pretty sure i saw a video where someone from epi said they never used or do use metal jack plates... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarFanatic3 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Looking to find out if this is a fake or not? Hoping some of you helpful folk can help me out. Look forward to your replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarFanatic3 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 The EE shouldn't be bigger than the rest of the serial number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Lunatic Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Counterfeit. The oversized "EE" in the serial number, and the position of the controls are dead giveaways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 ahh bummer...what do I do with it now then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 i have seen a batch of those exact guitars at a gibson dealer here some years back and also spent some time with one for a week at my house. same extra sparkly sparkle, same neck join at the headstock, same looking headstock and also did say the same on the truss rod cover. i do not recall the custom shop label on the back of the headstock, though. interject: why someone would copy an epiphone, it is highly unlikely they would. just supposing it was (it isn't) it would be worth the same. i think even if it was a gibson copy, either as a forgery or for looks, it would be worth the same. there is no reason to copy that guitar. likewise, even if the "epiphone custon shop" logo and seriel # were forged, it would have no effect on the value, or very very little. now, i can say what i thought about the guitar. it does not feel like anything like a gibson gold top, or sound like one. however, it is a very good guitar, i thought. plays and sounds very good, and would make a good guitar to put high quality pickups in. for the 300-400 bucks or so you could score these for (idk, maybe less) i would be hard pressed to find something better to have for putting p-90's in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Moore Tribute Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Welcome to the club I HAD a White SG with that same thing! The best thing you can do is return it to the seller ASAP as under law they have to have it back for a FULL refund. They can be well made (My SG wasn't bad) but because its a branded fake its ultimately worthless and you can't sell them yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 I bought it privately and the selling isn't taking any responsibilities either. I bought it for £300. I live in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Moore Tribute Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I bought it privately and the selling isn't taking any responsibilities either. I bought it for £300. I live in the UK. Well I would contact the police as im also a UK resident, its an offence to sell counterfit goods here and you have a right to that refund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilpanda Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 fake. thats the exact guitar Ive been looking to get in june (but I found a gibby goldtop) oversized EE, incorrect "custom shop" stamp, incorrect TRC, and that jack plate should be cream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 I was thinking that myself, I initially though that the EE was too big and I also thought that the input jack plate should be cream too. I contacted the police and they said to contact the website were the ad was placed, which I have. Grr, bad luck for I suppose. It sounds great too. I just can't have here knowing its not an authentic instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Moore Tribute Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 oversized EE, incorrect "custom shop" stamp, incorrect TRC, and that jack plate should be cream I always upgrade my jack plates to metal ones so its not to unusual BUT I just noticed another wrong part. The back covers should be an irregular diamond that clearly is a perfect one (They are the cheaper non gibson/epi type) also the switch cover would be a different size upto to top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Why on Earth would anyone build a fake Epiphone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Moore Tribute Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Why on Earth would anyone build a fake Epiphone? Well it was quite a big thing in Korea (Hence the move to China) Epiphones New costs £300-500 and these counterfits are almost always the limited editions and rare colours even Epiphone don't make any more. These things make them more desirable It happens to other makes too but a £80 guitar sold for £300 is an easier sale as faking a TRUE gibson is alot harder as all the hardware, paint job etc is of a much higher quality and a buyer of a Gibson is gonna be a hell of a lot more picky and knowledgable about what their buying. These guitars are aimed at novices and parents who know nothing about guitars... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supernova1281734074 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Which website wasit advertised on/how did you pay for it. If it was ebay and paid for via paypal, you'd be covered. Not sureabout Gumtree and others. If it was ebay - open a dispute case John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 It was gumtree and I paid by cash on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 Just checked out ebay and it says that Gumtree is owned by ebay so I might contact ebay aswell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaj Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Something else. Those tuners seem out of place. I thought they were kluson type with green keys rather than grover type tuners. Of course they may have been upgraded but it really looks like it's a fake... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 I never ever expected people to make fake epiphones simply because they are already reasonably priced, maybe this is also an advantage for fraudsters? I bought the guitar listed on gumtree (owned by ebay) and paid by cash and I honestly do not think I will be receiving any kind of refund. To say I am raging is an understatement. When I got to the sellers house, the guitar played very well, sounded great (even through his small practice amp) and is a rather heavy guitar, which is normal for a Les Paul I suppose. To be honest, I never thought about opening the back plates etc. I've read that it is illegal to sell counterfeit goods but it is also illegal to buy them. So, I'm at a loss both ways. I wouldn't/can't sell it anyway, I couldn't live with the sense of guilt knowing that it isn't a authentic guitar plus the fact that it is indeed a couterfeit product and comes into the margins of fraud. If I'm honest again, I thought I had a fair idea on how to spot fake Gibsons/Epiphones and whoever built this guitar has made a fantastic job all over. No fret buzz at all, stays in tune after a good seeing to, pick-ups sound good, volume/tone pots work as expected, toggle switch is fine. The only good thing I can see coming out of this situation is; if buying from a private or buying from a non-authorised dealer, give the instrument a thorough check and do not proceed with any purcahse unless 100% statistfied that its the real deal. I have contacted the website where the classified ad was placed but I'm not really seeing an optimistic outcome, not really sure how long they will take to get back to me either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 i remembered where i saw the batches of these guitars. they were at guitar center. still thinking it is genuine. and i should also point out that while i am not an expert in epiphones, i do know that they were made in more than one factory, and also that depending on when, they have gone through changes in headstock shape. i know with the case for fender japan, they contract different factories and export some only to certain countries, and at times have certain models from a factory they used to use to have specail editions here in the U.S. i think to truly be an expert on judging epiphones as genuine or forgeries you need a complete understanding of the different factories that were contracted and what countries they were exported to. it is much more of a complicated deal than identifying a gibson fake, although not nearly as important. again, i am certain this is the same type of epiphone goldtop i witnessed being sold new at guitar center here in portland oregon and also at the time recall it being differnt in many of the ways mentioned here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Lunatic Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I'm pretty certain that it's a counterfeit, but unfortunately, there may be few legal remedies available, especially because it was purchased from a private party. First off, it's useless and counter-productive to get overly upset; stay calm and consider possible options. If I was the buyer, I'd first attempt to return it to the seller. If the seller refuses, I would file an action in Small Claims Court (or whatever equivalent the OP has in his locality), and try to force the issue. If it comes to it, let the judge decide. Regardless of the outcome, it's a life lesson, and a valuable one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan189 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 I am calm, I mean the guitar does play really well etc. The seller is saying 'theres no chance of a refund' so thats pretty clear to me! I doubt here in the UK the small claims court will do much, they only really get involved with things over £1000 (I think) I only know this because some guy in my work bought something from a another colleague and it didnt work out or something (not really sure of what happened behind the scenes) but I know he took it to the small claims court and he never got a refund. It is still a possible option which I will look into. I've contact Gibson customer services dept. waiting for a response (not holding my breath though!) and we'll see what happens. End of the stay, whats done is done and I'll need to just be a little more careful in furture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 You could always look at it this way. A guitar is only ever worth what someone is willing to pay for it, you were happy to pay £300 for it cash when you you went to have a look and play it. So although it is not a proper Epiphone, it still looks sound and plays like a £300 Guitar. Perhaps you could keep it and use it as a project, change any electrics or hardware that you are not totally happy with. Take off the the tuners and sand off the finish on the face of the headstock and re-finish it with a design of your own choosing, or even your signature in gold and tell all your palls that it is a customised one off les paul style guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 No one is sure. It may be "different". If it was sold at Guitar Center, it may have been made as a "run". In doing so, Epiphone may have used some "non standard" parts. Who knows, Contact Gibson. I'd say it's real. Dude here replied "Guitar Center". So, I'm inclined to think it is an Epiphone specifically made for Guitar Center. Again, I may be wrong, but I don't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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