GlauberJoe Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Hi there, I've come across an Epihone Les Paul Custom Alpine White in a local store but I wanted to make sure it is a legit Epiphone, not a Fake one that you find everywhere these days. A help would be appreciated by identifying it as a legit Epiphone. It's serial is i13012743 and it a match but so is almost every fake ones I've encountered so far. Any light on the matter? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensh999 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I would vote for real. The thing that screams "real" to me are the original Epiphone stickers on the pups. I've never seen that on a fake. BTW, fake Epi LPs are much rarer than fake Gibson LPs for the obvious value-related reasons. I've only seen fake Epis in pictures and they usually have at least one overt design defect (e.g. truss rod cover). Unlike the guitar in your pictures. A Gibson fake, on occasion, will fool the best of observers (via photos) so the only way validate is to track the serial number down (off topic, sorry). That looks like a lovely, basically brand new 2013 Indonesian LP to me (would play). Edit: oops, after looking at guitardaterproject.org it reads as "Your guitar was made at the Saein Plant, Korea/China January 2013 Production Number: 2743". So not Indonesia after all. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Epiphone did not use the letter factory id in 2013. also, by then the Customs were outfitted with the new Probuckers. the serial number is the red flag to me (if it is in fact a 2013). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Hi there, I've come across an Epihone Les Paul Custom Alpine White in a local store but I wanted to make sure it is a legit Epiphone, not a Fake one that you find everywhere these days. A help would be appreciated by identifying it as a legit Epiphone. It's serial is i13012743 and it a match but so is almost every fake ones I've encountered so far. Any light on the matter? Thanks Cool shop that lets you take photos out in a garden. The code suggests January 2013 made in Korea (sorry - EDIT - China). Might be good place to start with the company seeing whether that makes sense (I don't know where they make these). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 [b]In 2008 models begin to appear without a factory i.d. letter prefix[/b]. YY = Year of manufacture MM = Month of manufature FF = Factory I.D. RRRRR = Ranking number Example: 08121520333 = 2008 / December / factory 15 / unit 20333 -EPI WIKI also, you can get those pickups with the covers all day long on E-Bay. 2013 models are outfitted with the newer Epiphone ProBuckers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlauberJoe Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 [b]In 2008 models begin to appear without a factory i.d. letter prefix[/b]. YY = Year of manufacture MM = Month of manufature FF = Factory I.D. RRRRR = Ranking number Example: 08121520333 = 2008 / December / factory 15 / unit 20333 -EPI WIKI also, you can get those pickups with the covers all day long on E-Bay. 2013 models are outfitted with the newer Epiphone ProBuckers Absolutely, these days they fake everything, from toothpaste to cars that's why I'm always on high alert before I even think about getting another guitar. Unfortunately Wiki is not 100% save proof, but I'm pretty much over this guitar since not even Epiphone itself could spare a few minutes just to respond my e-mail... Thanks for the help anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Absolutely, these days they fake everything, from toothpaste to cars that's why I'm always on high alert before I even think about getting another guitar. Unfortunately Wiki is not 100% save proof, but I'm pretty much over this guitar since not even Epiphone itself could spare a few minutes just to respond my e-mail... Thanks for the help anyway! hey there Joe. I respect your trying to avoid fakes, especially if you encounter a lot of them in your market. At the same time I could probably anticipate Epiphone sending you a response like this... "Dear Joe, Whilst the guitar in the photo looks like an Epiphone, we cannot be sure that it is not a fake from the photos, nor that the photos are actually of the guitar your store has for sale (as counterfeiters use fake photos at times) without a detailed inspection which would at the very least involve you couriering the guitar to us at your expense. Our suggestion is to buy from an authorised Epiphone dealer as you will be guaranteed to be buying a genuine Epihone product." what else can they say - they can't just fly someone down to check out a guitar sold by any old shop, they can't take responsibility for your purchase based on photos (that may not even be the actual guitar) and opinions either. what if everyone who buys a used guitar starts asking the supposed manufacturer to verify it? There's good advice here about asking the question as to whether that serial number could even exist for that guitar - that would be a direct question you could ask Epiphone - over the phone if they have that function. good luck with your quest. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Scales, where are you getting this information "lift out the pick-ups and see if they have an F (for fail) stampoed in the back along with Epiphone - if so, they are probably fakes "? I have owned several Epiphones (purchased from authorized dealers) and have changed pickups out in most of them and there is an F stamped on the back of the NECK pickups and an R on the Bridge (sometimes an H) when deciphering a real from a fake the pickups should be at the bottom of the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Scales, where are you getting this information "lift out the pick-ups and see if they have an F (for fail) stampoed in the back along with Epiphone - if so, they are probably fakes "? I have owned several Epiphones (purchased from authorized dealers) and have changed pickups out in most of them and there is an F stamped on the back of the NECK pickups and an R on the Bridge (sometimes an H) when deciphering a real from a fake the pickups should be at the bottom of the list. I saw that on a video about fakes but cannot verify personally so have deleted - thanks for the advice that that may be wrong. 's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlauberJoe Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 hey there Joe. I respect your trying to avoid fakes, especially if you encounter a lot of them in your market. At the same time I could probably anticipate Epiphone sending you a response like this... "Dear Joe, Whilst the guitar in the photo looks like an Epiphone, we cannot be sure that it is not a fake from the photos, nor that the photos are actually of the guitar your store has for sale (as counterfeiters use fake photos at times) without a detailed inspection which would at the very least involve you couriering the guitar to us at your expense. Our suggestion is to buy from an authorised Epiphone dealer as you will be guaranteed to be buying a genuine Epihone product." what else can they say - they can't just fly someone down to check out a guitar sold by any old shop, they can't take responsibility for your purchase based on photos (that may not even be the actual guitar) and opinions either. what if everyone who buys a used guitar starts asking the supposed manufacturer to verify it? There's good advice here about asking the question as to whether that serial number could even exist for that guitar - that would be a direct question you could ask Epiphone - over the phone if they have that function. good luck with your quest. :) That's unfortunate really. But anyway, I'm looking for another one, maybe another brand or model. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vomer Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 It's a fake. Sorry I'm late in to this thread, been a bit busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcham Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Yeah, it's definitely fake. They stopped using letter prefixes in the serial number way back in mid 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlauberJoe Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Thanks to all of you guys for replying to my post! I'm over that guitar cause most of you said it is a Fake and also Gibson is still researching just to make sure, but like I said, I'm over this one! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlauberJoe Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Confirmed, it IS a FAKE! Just got an e-mail from Gibson confirming that this guitar is a counterfeit. So there you go, consider this post closed and solved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.