Ricochet Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Or maybe not. But this fake has me completely fooled. These fakers are obviously getting better at this. They even copied the case. Don't Gibson cases come with white lining? The only suspicious detail was the neckstock angle which wasn't as steep as a real Gibson, as far as I could tell from the video. http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=oIIRwwejU-s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Somehow it looks like something made in China - but don't they all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 The case looks suspect simply because there is no combo lock on it, that and I have Canadian made case and it does not say it on the outside just on the leather tag inside. It is a 2006. so it may have changed since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 Somehow it looks like something made in China - but don't they all? :) Maybe you have a better eye for fakes. My first reaction was, the guy's putting me on and it's real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 The bridge width is a dead give away.....china fake! It's better than most fakes...but the headstock binding is too thick as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 That is pretty nice-looking. I didn't get to the video of how it sounds, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daneman Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 There are 2 sound clips,very impressive. The darn thing looks real to me!! I suppose if you saw it in person you might be able to tell,or maybe not.Hmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarxBros Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 The fact of the matter is how it looks don't mean a thing. What is it made out of? I remember the girl who smashed her "Epi" Les Paul Custom a few years back and posted the pics on the old Epi board, the top of the guitar's "carved top"wood was actually pressed masonite, and body was actually plywood. It may have looked like an Epi LPCustom minus the correct details, but the real bottom line was the body wood was more like a $125 copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Or maybe not. But this fake has me completely fooled. These fakers are obviously getting better at this. They even copied the case. Don't Gibson cases come with white lining? The only suspicious detail was the neckstock angle which wasn't as steep as a real Gibson' date=' as far as I could tell from the video. http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=oIIRwwejU-s[/quote'] It's not a GIbson. 1. Real laquer isn't that shiney. It has a somewhat duller patina. Also, the finish is rather wavy. 2. Truss rod cover is another dead give-away. Even though it's got two screws, it's not a true bell shape. 3. The pickguard is not correct. 4. What's up with that bridge? 5. When something is COVERED with stickers (like on the plate in the back) to tell you it's a geniune Gibson, it's not. Same for the maple leaf on the case. 6. Did you see the way the nut rests in the headstock? Some of it was sticking out where the neck breaks. Neck break angle is too shallow, as was pointed out. 7. Unless the body is painted with a solid color, Gibsons don't usually have painted necks. Gibson likes to show off the wood, and that the neck is one piece. 8. Gibson uses black screws when the pick up rings are black. 9. Stencilling on a Gibson case is not that bright! YOW. Headstock shape, inlays, frets. It's FROM CHINA! You could go on and on. I stopped watching once he camera rose to the headstock. However, it's understandable that someone who hasn't had or played a Gibson would be fooled. Play it safe--stick with an Epi! And--there's a reason when something is too good to be true. Usually, the reason is that it isn't true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayGLongBeach Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I'll take it for 99 bucks; with a side order of Chow Mein and Orange Chicken, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 It's not a GIbson. However' date=' it's understandable that someone who hasn't had or played a Gibson would be fooled. Play it safe--stick with an Epi! [/quote'] Make that someone(a fool) who plays his Epi LP more than his Gibson LP... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 I'll take it for 99 bucks; with a side order of Chow Mein and Orange Chicken' date=' please![/quote'] There's another vid of a guy playing a similar LP bought for 100 bucks. Just like the other fake, it sounds very convincing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 The guitar was impressive in its own right. The danger, as has been pointed out, is that many people would buy this guitar, knowing or not knowing that it isn't real, depending on the price. There are folks who would spend the Gibson price and never know that they were scammed. The finish looked like an Epi...too shiny, but very nice. A nitro finish is more satin gloss. To me, it looked like an Epi with a Gibson logo. It's one thing to market a copy and another to market a copy as the real thing. This is another reason to buy from reputable dealers who can't afford to have their reputation involved in gray market items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 My black beauty was bought on e-bay for £299 (about $150). It has a Gibson shaped headstock, Gibson MOP inlay logo, 2 hole TRC. Also has a 2005 Gibson serial no. and Made In USA stamped on headstock. The guy selling it said he "thought" it was a modified lawsuit Greco. However, I'm damn sure it's a recent Chinese Epi....all the metal hardware is as per Epi, although someone has put a cheap Bigsby copy on it. He said it had Maxon pickups (they make for Ibanez); they don't look like Epis and have an M stamped underneath. Neck and middle are about 8.5k and bridge is 11.5k. It's perfect brand new condition, totally unmarked. It looks very very like a Gibson; I showed it to someone who owns a Gibson LP Custom and he was fooled. The differences I found when I got it were: 1. Headstock angle 2. Toggle switch had black plastic tip 3. Jack socket was mounted on plastic plate 4. Gold pup ring mounting screws instead of black 5. Poly instead of nitro I knew I was taking a risk when I bought it unseen. I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't a Greco, but am keeping it anyway; it's a good guitar at a good price. What I don't understand, is why someone would spend so much time and money modding a perfectly good Epi, then selling it so cheaply? It was a "Buy It Now" so he was obviously happy with the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 My black beauty was bought on e-bay for £299 (about $150). What I don't understand' date=' is why someone would spend so much time and money modding a perfectly good Epi, then selling it so cheaply? It was a "Buy It Now" so he was obviously happy with the price. [/quote'] £150 (about $299 USD)? :-) Well seeing how some of these clones sell for a 100-200 bucks, the seller would still be making a nice profit. So what is the sound like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 That's kinda creepy really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Duhh.....I meant $600! In UK, a new Epi BB sells around £325 / $650. If you wanted a luthier to put a false Gibby headstock on it you'd pay another £150 / $300. Sound-wise, the bridge pickup has quite a lot of bite, which I like, but the neck lacks warmth. It think they may be ceramic pups. I'll probably put an SD in the neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ant7629 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I don't think it is a Gibson......I can't explain, but there is something just not right about it. Does anyone know what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfalkens Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 It's not a GIbson. 1. Real laquer isn't that shiney. It has a somewhat duller patina. Also' date=' the finish is rather wavy. [/quote'] Well, I don't know about that. When I got my brand new 2001 Gibson SG Classic it was pretty shiny. Not as shiny as a Epiphone (which looks like it was dunked in plastic). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 4. What's up with that bridge? 7. Unless the body is painted with a solid color' date=' Gibsons don't usually have painted necks. Gibson likes to show off the wood, and that the neck is one piece.[/quote'] (4) That's a Nashville bridge. Looks OK to me, but the tailpiece is too flat. (7) Usually the Customs are quite solid; you can't really see any grain. The fret ends are another dead giveaway. They should have the ends covered by the binding in little 'nubs'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evol04gt Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 well i wanna know what the real cost is on one of these... honestly. if they are less than an epi standard, but the same quiality--- ill buy them. i mean seriously!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 (4) That's a Nashville bridge. Looks OK to me' date=' but the tailpiece is too flat. (7) Usually the Customs are quite solid; you can't really see any grain. The fret ends are another dead giveaway. They should have the ends covered by the binding in little 'nubs'.[/quote'] Thanks for clarifying my post, RotcanX. I recognize it's a Nashville bridge, it just doesn't belong. I wonder if you can see whether it has little nuts on it to retain the screws, like the Gotoh? That's what came to mind when I first saw it. The Gibson version wouldn't have these, would they? I'll have to go back and look at that stop bar; I didn't notice it's shape the first time. Am I right to assume that the custom necks are laquered with a tinted laquer, not painted opaque beforehand? Maybe it was the video quality (or that I didn't look carefully enough), but that neck seemed painted or opaque to me. I know you are a wood maven, so maybe you espied some grain that escaped me. I mentioned the frets looked wrong in my last papragraph, but didn't want to go into it, there was so much stuff. I got a question for you about this, though. Do ALL Gibson LP's have bound frets, Rot? I know the fancy LP's have 'em (and I think I've seen Studios that have bound frets), but I don'tt know whether bound frets are charactertic of all LPs, or whether it varies by model (like the ES 335 has 'em, satin ES 335 does not). I would imagine all LPs have bound frets, but I can't say I ever gave it much thought, and worse, can't even remember whether my Studio has them. What say you? If Gibson LP's had bound fret ends as a rule, that would be an easy way for folks to recognize when they're being decieved. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Fake or not, looks pretty sweet to me, I'll take it if'n y'all don't want it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpplayer Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 It's not a GIbson. 5. When something is COVERED with stickers (like on the plate in the back) to tell you it's a geniune Gibson' date=' it's not. Same for the maple leaf on the case.[/quote'] Hey now....my Gibson LP Standard came with that maple leaf on the case..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Hey now....my Gibson LP Standard came with that maple leaf on the case..... Please, I mean no direspect to the leaf or our good neighbors to the North. I'm just surpised that it (like that sticker on the back plate) would be so BIG (Look at me, I'm a real Gibson in a real made in Canada case!), and also so close to the Gibson logo. Is yours like the one pictured? If so, thanks for learnin' me something new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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