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Can you ID this guitar? Is it a fake?


Mbirame

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Hi folks,

My first post here.  I've asked some friends, and I haven't had any luck figuring this out.  This is for sale where I live.  The person first had it listed as an "L-5".  I had my doubts and asked for more pics.  He measured the scale and it's a 24.75".  Here are the pics I have of it.  I see the tuning pegs aren't stamped as Gibson like my es-175.  I haven't seen it in person yet.  Any help to ID it would be really appreciated (or maybe it's a fake?)

serial.jpg

front.jpg

side.jpg

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Interesting. 

The body shape is closer to the old ES-175, but the volume and tone knob orientation is wrong. 

The serial number comes up as a Made In Nashville Gibson, born on 20 July 2006. 

But the serial number appears to have been etched-in with a C&C machine, instead of stamped into the wood and then painted over. 
And the screw securing the pick guard bracket looks cheap to me, and not the type Gibson might use.

That alone makes my spidey sense tingle that it's a fake, but then again, I have no experience with that particular model. 

I'll stand aside and let the experts try their hand at this one. 
🤔

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Certainly not an L5 or ES175, cutaway not deep enough....I do not think this is a Gibson.

End of fingerboard over neck pickup looks wrong, bridge with inlays is wrong.....gold-plated Bigsby but pickup covers chrome, strap button at back of guitar in wrong place...

I'd pass on it.=;

Edited by jdgm
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I'm no expert, but every ES I've ever seen  including my ES135, the neck heel extends to the bottom of the back of the guitars surface.  This one it's does not which is common on a Asian import.  But please don't quote me....... 🙂

 The bound head-stock is a bit odd, but who knows.

The definitive check is if you can see what kind of tool you need to adjust the truss rod,  if it's an Allen Wrench, then it is not a USA made Gibson.

Edited by kidblast
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On 4/13/2020 at 10:33 AM, kidblast said:

I'm no expert, but every ES I've ever seen  including my ES135, the neck heel extends to the bottom of the back of the guitars surface.


good catch on that. I didn’t notice that in the pic.

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