Damon Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Maybe a good way to slow these crooks down is to make an ebay post with the title, 'Gibson Les Paul' and in the post a list of tips for spotting counterfeits including picture examples. Another idea is to create a free site like a blogspot with warnings and tips. Since it's owned by google, it will show up when people are searching for Gibsons for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 I thought #1 had been pulled at first, but see it's still there. I give up - both are definite fakes. I don't think Ebay really gives a sh!t. That's taking revenue from themselves. The higher the prices go, the better commission they rake in. I think if they knew they could continually get away with it, they wouldn't pull a single auction. The longer the snakes importing these things into the US get away with it, more and more people are going to start doing the same. Hell look at the profit. Bring in a fake for $300 including shipping and turn around and sell it for $1,300 - $1,500, sh!t you could make that your full time job. Now if they were thrown in jail and nailed with a hefty fine of double or triple what they sold the guitar for and made a public example of what happens when you pull this crap, I think things would start to change. Here's where the real problem starts : Someone not knowing better buys the guitar, six months or a year later they grow tired of it and try to sell it thinking its the real deal. Paypal only has a 45 day dispute period I believe. Now the guy is going to do whatever he can to unload that guitar and the whole process starts again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 the first one has two different pics of the headstock. in the first, the finish is laquer and the 'made in usa' looks odd - too fresh. in the second one, its dark but, the finish looks satin. there would be no satin finish on a standard - correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruznolfart Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I've said it before...all this counterfeiting really makes a guy who wants a genuine Gibby think seriously about buying from a reputable dealer. Doesn't it? Huh? C'mon now...doesn't it? What could be safer? A new Epiphone? Wouldn't it be hilarious, if you sent a letter to "Gibson, counterfeit division" and it went to a shop where phony guitars were being built instead of investigated? How is Gibson hurt by counterfeiters? Did the victims buy from a Gibson dealer? Is the problem so large that it's pretty much universally understood and acknowledged? If you were going to buy a Gibson guitar would you first start looking on ebay or CL, and believe everything you saw? Come on. You go to a store and see Gibson LPs for a couple thousand bucks. You're a kid or a young parent and don't have a couple thou. You go to CL or ebay or some web search engine and find LPs for hundreds of dollars. They even claim to be genuine Gibson. If you REALLY believe those are "deals"... caveat emptor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Ok I'll post some examples as I have time. Here's an example of Chinese firewood #2 obvious fake. Here's the real deal with some things you want to look for when examining a "real" Custom. Binding: Height of split diamond: Always look for the tabs on the split diamond inlay: Top screw on trc should never be above the tuner posts: Always check the shape & bevel of the trc. Also check the script, most time it is wrong on a fake. On all the recent Gibsons the dot on the "i" is inline with the top of the G & b: ALL Les Pauls from day one had the wings glued to the headstock. Kind of hard to see on mine with the white finish: These are just some of the easy things to spot on a Custom. Other things to look for are the font size & spacing of the serial number & "Made in the USA" stamp on Standards. As you can see there are quite a bit of differences between the first photo (Counterfeit) and the real deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Laaz. That was an incredible lesson. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunBlues Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I can say for sure the custom is fake... 2 words... Rosewood fingerboard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Laaz. That was an incredible lesson. Thanks for sharing your knowledge ditto. great info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Hey if it helps one person it's worth it. As you see the first two have been reported to Ebay by multiple people & they are still active... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 I can say for sure the custom is fake... 2 words... Rosewood fingerboard... You are correct. Add to that' date=' that all Les Pauls with neck binding have the edge of the frets covered as well. [img']http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3266/frets.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Great thread guys. I've learned a great deal. I've not bought a guitar from ebay but have come close. But I have sold 3 very successfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 I can say for sure the custom is fake... 2 words... Rosewood fingerboard... Should be ebony, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar232007 Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 It's kind of funny. I posted a thread EXACTLY like this last year, and got my A$$ flamed all to hell, because I was "giving the counterfeiters lessons on how to improve their fakes"! I then had to delete it, because it got jacked into a flamefest, and I was apearently the guest of honor. Hopefully, this one won't end up the same way. Great job Laaz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 I can say for sure the custom is fake... 2 words... Rosewood fingerboard... That's exactly what I pointed out to eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted January 23, 2010 Author Share Posted January 23, 2010 Should be ebony' date=' right?[/quote'] Yes Customs have an Ebony board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted January 23, 2010 Author Share Posted January 23, 2010 Ok here a quick one with Chinese firewood #1 (Obvious fake) Notice the font size & spacing of the serial number, and also the fact the "wings" are missing. And now a real standard... One other thing that is a dead giveaway on many of the counterfeit guitars is the where the tuners are positioned on the headstock. A real Gibson will have the tuners centered in a top to bottom location. Quite a few fakes I have seen are positioned to high or to low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunBlues Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 It looks like somone bought the Custom with the Rosewood fingerboard... For $2075 ??? Way to go Ebay for not cancelling the auction... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted January 25, 2010 Author Share Posted January 25, 2010 Go figure... Like I said Ebay wants their commission legal or not. I know multiple people reported it, but no action was taken. Looks like the first will sell as well for over $1,500. Damn I should get in the counterfeit business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted February 5, 2010 Author Share Posted February 5, 2010 Looks like someone is quite pissed off. Firewood #1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 based on the info previous mentioned about the G i and B all being in-line, is this a fake or did the alignment take place after this era? also the serial # is not visible although buddy says it was the photo. http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-Les-Paul-Special-DC-Red-USA-Guitar-NR_W0QQitemZ260551693674QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item3caa17556a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I've never seen inlays like that on a Gibson neck before, they're butt ugly. That makes me wonder about it's authenticity. There does appear to be a serial number on the back of the headstock, but the shape of the back of the headstock looks wrong. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will tell us more . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 Need better photos of the back of the headstock. Inlays are not original that's for sure. The DC special should have dot inlays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Photo taken right from a Chinese site. Nice fake COA as well. Counterfeit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laaz Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Sweet... Check out the serial on this one... :) Counterfeit Custom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Sweet... Check out the serial on this one... Counterfeit Custom so..its a '52? lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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