muzzy1281734053 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Hi all Im worried my guitar is fake and was hoping someone could look at some pictures and the serial and see if you think it is or not. The serial is EE08026845 and the pics are here I hoping i just being stupid but have a really bad feeling. Thanks Muzzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsi777 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Call Gibson and find out. To me it looks ok, check the finish and craftmanship for flaws check neck flaws (frets, bonding straightness etc), Epis will have more flaws than Gibson...You probably bought this from someone not a dealer if you feel this way...hope all works out over your fears...Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy1281734053 Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 The person i got it from (www.bestepiphone.com) says they buy from a gibson supplier and i check out the code with one of those decoder things but i know neither means the genuine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheik Yerbouti Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I guess if you could find a local guitar shop you could trust, they may be able to help you out. It looked legitimate to me, but I am no authority on that. I guess if you could find the same guitar at a shop, pick it up and play it. Maybe that would help sway your fears one way or another. I had that same fear when I got a Casino off of ebay, but it is genuine, and it is lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsi777 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I would worry more about it being a 2nd, they sell them here in the States on eBay alot...look for a stamp on back of headstock "2nd" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy1281734053 Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 thanks guys. unfortunately the silverbursts are hard to find but i might give Sheik Yerbouti's suggestion a go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy1281734053 Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 I would worry more about it being a 2nd' date=' they sell them here in the States on eBay alot...look for a stamp on back of headstock[/quote'] Sorry Jim i dont want to sound stupid but could you explain please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 The person i got it from (www.bestepiphone.com) says they buy from a gibson supplier and i check out the code with one of those decoder things but i know neither means the genuine. Hard to say, the site looks very unprofessional and just the kind I would personally avoid like plague (although that's curable with antibiotics). If the deal was good, good for you - hopefully the guitar is not some POS straight from China. Maybe you should call that local supplier and ask them if this shady Gary Stott person from NEWTON AYCLIFFE, Durham DL5 6GP (registrant of the web site) does any business with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsi777 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Epiphone's quality control inspects each guitar and if doesnt meet epi's standards, it will be stampted with a 2nd on the back of headstock...I own a 2nd Dot Studio... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Epiphone's quality control inspects each guitar and if doesnt meet epi's standards' date=' it will be stampted with a 2nd on the back of headstock...I own a 2nd Dot Studio...[/quote'] The factories inspect and deliver only guitars they consider 1st quality (that's what Epiphone reps said on the old forum) and the 2nds are stamped by the US inspection team if I remember correctly. I don't have any knowledge of the same happening in Europe, haven't ever seen one stamped 2nd here - means that all the blems and 2nds are sold for the full price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy1281734053 Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Biff do you mean like this?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsi777 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 thats a #1 inspector's tag... you bought this from the USA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy1281734053 Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 no from the uk but it was delivered from china.... i assumed from the factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsi777 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I was told the guitars were made in China and setup/inspected in the US or country they would be sold in...this was re-routed from the USA, unless epi has offshore inspectors working in behalf on the USA....or inspected here and shippped to the selling country, if it was direct from China or was said to be from there directly, then I would worry a bit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pafhead Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Does Epiphone have a data base where you can check to see if the S.N. is legit? If they dont why not?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkwire Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 It doesn't sound kosher, muzzy. What is the logic of a guitar being built in China, shipped to the U.S. to be inspected and set-up, then sent back to China to be shipped to a UK dealer, to be sold to a UK customer? It just doesn't add up. That bestepiphone.com site screams "scam" to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 February (02) of this year (08), number 6845 guitar for that run is what the serial numbers sayin' , whether or not it's fake I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 If it came directly from China, it's not an Epiphone. Epiphone, as far as I know, does not ship directly from the factory. Pafhead, the question you ask has been asked and answered many, many, times on this forum. If person can copy an Epiphone guitar, they can quite easily copy a serial #. So I'm not sure how you or anyone is going to be able to tell the difference between a "ligit" number and a bogus one. Buy your Epiphone from a reliable Epiphone dealer- that's the only way to guarantee it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I'm no expert, but after looking at the pics it looks a little fishy to me. I have two Epis with the Limited Edition stamp on them, both are Gold colored. I've got two Epis with the EE serial number, and both of them use a different font. Also, the dot for the "i" in Epiphone on the headstock is not directly over the i. My gut feeling is that it is a fake. General rule of thumb, don't buy from anyone shipping directly from China. Epiphone doesn't work that way. They ship to dealers who in turn ship to you. I guess Brad beat me to the last point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pafhead Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 If it came directly from China, it's not an Epiphone. Epiphone, as far as I know, does not ship directly from the factory. Pafhead, the question you ask has been asked and answered many, many, times on this forum. If person can copy an Epiphone guitar, they can quite easily copy a serial #. So I'm not sure how you or anyone is going to be able to tell the difference between a "ligit" number and a bogus one. Buy your Epiphone from a reliable Epiphone dealer- that's the only way to guarantee it. Its really that simple, just buy from an Epiphone dealer What a revelation!:D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy1281734053 Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Thank you everyone. im now gonna go back to the person i got it from and try and get a refund. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkinnison90 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Definitely try and get a refund. The guitar seems fake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5er driver Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Let us know how things turn out, and what kind of explanations and/or excuses the seller gives you. ........found out that my Epi LP Custom is a fake. Three independent guitar techs concluded that it is actually a Gibson Custom Shop LP product. Fer Chrissakes, how disgusting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy1281734053 Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 Hi all I have had a response fromt he seller and they have told me they have been told it an epiphone i.e. not fake but im still questioning why it has a sticker saying it was inspected and setup in the US when it was sent from China. So i have email Gibson again and asked if this is common, if its not then i will be getting a refund. Will let you all know how it goes when gibson reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Hi allI have had a response fromt he seller and they have told me they have been told it an epiphone i.e. not fake but im still questioning why it has a sticker saying it was inspected and setup in the US when it was sent from China. So i have email Gibson again and asked if this is common' date=' if its not then i will be getting a refund. Will let you all know how it goes when gibson reply.[/quote'] If they can make a fake Epi with a fake serial number, they can make a fake inspection sticker to try to make it look legit. Below is a pic from my G-400. Serial number is from Unsung Korea, but the font used on this one is the same font on all of my Epis - I have 6. Also notice the Limited Edition stamp, I have 2 guitars with this stamp on them and they both look the same, different than on your guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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