Ticktockrock Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Hi everyone, I've just purchased what was being touted as a '1970s Gibson Acoustic' via Ebay for £610. I actually didn't think my bid would get it as I saw it 5 minutes before it was ending and figured it would go a lot higher, but as with a lot of guitar purchases on Ebay i am starting to get a bit jittery regarding its authenticity. The guy seems fairly genuine but when I asked for a serial no before the auction ended he couldnt provide one, he just stated it was made in Japan. When the auction ended I prompted him again and he then said that all documentation would be forwarded with the guitar. My head is saying one thing and my heart is beating another so I was hoping that one of you Gibbo dudes on here might recognise it and put me out of my misery either way. Thanks in advance. Ian PS:I only have the one photo atm which isnt great but if I can get someones advice I can either pull the plug or embrace it and enjoy it :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Guy Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Hmmmm, I'm no expert but this one rings a lot of alarm bells to be honest. Truss road cover, pick guard & fretboard inlays all look very wrong to me. Best await our US-based Gibson experts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I'm with lefty here. no expert , but doesn't look like any gibson I ever saw. await the experts as lefty says Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Run away ... Looks "funny" then it's coupled with a seller who can not provide basic info of serial number claiming it's made in Japan!.......that says one thing to me....IMHO it's a fake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Never heard of any Gibson made in Japan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cunningham26 Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Nah, that's no gibson. Don't buy it, tell him you won't be following through as it was listed with false information. It's plain to see that it's unlike any gibson guitar and the seller knows it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 My reading of the post is that the OP has purchased the guitar and is now asking if he got taken. The time to get jittery is before you hit the bid button. You could always dispute the purchase as item not as described. While the seller did state it was made in Japan he also stated it was a Gibson which, I guess as you gather by now, it ain't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 It depends on how much it cost. If it's a cheap guitar and it sounds alright ...... very ... um..... interesting pickup :-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Hopefully you haven't paid for it and can resolve the issue before it goes any further Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ticktockrock Posted July 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Interesting comments and all articulate what I should in theory have worried about before I hit bid. I've put in a dispute and tbf the chap said he would refund money if I didn't like it but I've pre-empted that by stating I bid on a Gibson guitar when in fact it's a fake. I'm just prised that Gibson didn't pick up on it? Hopefully the cash will come back to me and I can get on with buying another acoustic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 . First off, pictures with bad angles and bad lighting are suspicious. And second, Lefty gave you a pretty good rundown of red flags - "Truss road cover, pick guard & fretboard inlays ..." Third, it was made in Japan - Gibsons are made in the USA. Lastly, Gibson needs help with counterfeits - report them here - http://www2.gibson.com/Support/Report-Counterfeits.aspx Hopefully you didn't throw too much money at this specimen. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ticktockrock Posted July 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I've just had confirmation of money refunded but the guy is still maintaining it's a Gibson! He said" its a J50 - the sticker inside confirms it and it has Japanese accessories" My loss apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Artist Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I've just had confirmation of money refunded but the guy is still maintaining it's a Gibson! He said" its a J50 - the sticker inside confirms it and it has Japanese accessories" My loss apparently. Glad you got your money back, that thing looks fake as heck. The frets and truss rod cover are awful to say the least. Imo, its not only fake, but not even a good fake. There are some nice gibby acoustics you can get in the 1k range from the 60s-70s. Maybe even cheaper..look around, Craigslist has a lot of bargains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I've just had confirmation of money refunded but the guy is still maintaining it's a Gibson! He said" its a J50 - the sticker inside confirms it and it has Japanese accessories" My loss apparently. Not your loss because it's not a Gibson. Here's another fleaBay item - a genuine Gibson J-50 from the 70s - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gibson-j50-Deluxe-Guitar-1970s-/171091307603?pt=Guitar&hash=item27d5d62c53 . (Some Norlin's had 3 screw TRCs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Very lucky ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayyj Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 There is absolutely nothing about that guitar that says it's a Gibson except, ironically, the bit that literally says it's a Gibson. Never mind the truss rod cover, the only thing it has in common with a 70s J50 is that it's made of wood, shaped like a guitar and has strings on it! The seller has received notice that it may not be what he thought it was and five minutes of reseach would confirm this - so if he says 'your loss' and relists it as far as I'm concerned he's no better than anyone else peddling forgeries on Ebay. If it does get relisted let's make sure Ebay know this is a forgery. To the OP, well done on a lucky escape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretplay Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Thus is certainly not a Gibson made guitar. Along with details from members here Gibson make in USA not Japan. The good thing about E Bay is that they do offer a dispute service and as this is clearly misrepresentation you should get get your money back, let us know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 600 pounds is a lot for a guitar probably worth 50. I would be sure to score the seller as low as possible, or flag him. May seem harsh - but he should not sell a guitar as being a Gibson anymore than selling a knock off as a Rolex. It is his responsibility in the Ebay marketplace to fairly represent what he has in his hands. Buyers cannot inspect, don't have the time to verify. But the seller does. He either got ripped off himself and is trying to minimize his losses - or he found it in a pawn shop and paid 50lbs for it and is trying to make a buck. His declaration that it was made in Japan was probably an attempt to later come back and claim he was honest. He'll probably go the Craiglist route next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Considering we are talking about a 1970s Gibson the cheap knock off might have been the better sounding guitar. You were riding with the angels on this one. This could have turned into an expensive lesson learned kinda thing. If you do not know what you are doing go to a reputable dealer or somebody you know you can trust. You will probably pay more but you will also be able to go to sleep at night knowing you got what you paid for. Anyway, glad it worked out for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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