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Very curious...I bought a Fake Gibson. There is my review.


Big Norm

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First, I knew I was buying a risky axe. Total price paid: $310 USD, including shipping and a brown hard case with Gibson Custom logo on it.

Received that guitar from China less than 10 days after I ordered it.

Let's start with the case. Does'nt look near a real Gibson case. The Gibson logo is Brilliant Gold paint and the word custom is in red. The handle is cheap brown hard rubber. No way Gibson would sell a case like this. It's a good case to protect a guitar, but certainly not the Canadian quality cases Gibson are providing with their Les Paul.

 

The model I ordered is an Ebony black Les Paul standard. Solid color shows less of the imitation I think.

The guitar looked very nice...but not playable as it was out of the case. Buzzing from everywhere on the fret board, very high action and out of tune. I plugged it in my Marshall. Sounds horrible...dead pickups. I checked out what were the pickups...It's written EPIPHONE on them... They must be pickups that Epiphone rejected for their guitars as they were very weak and horrible sounding. The Kluson imitation tuners...horrible too...would'nt keep a guitar in tune for more than 5 minutes. The nut was so bad, I tought they cutted it with a knife. the 5th (8-[ and 6th (E) strings got stuck in the nut making it very hard to tune. The only things working almost normally were the pots, responding quite well.

So I started to make a set up...adjusting the truss rod ( Yes it's adjustable and worked well ), lower the action, adjust the intonations and harmonics, playing a lot with the saddles and bridge. I finally decided to change the nut for a tusc nut... I bought new Kluson deluxe...Changed the pickups for GFS vintage 59, and all the pots for real Gibson's. All of those parts bought on ebay. The Kluson's arrived...did'nt fit...I had to enlarge the holes with a drill...Risky job, but did it ok. I received the pots... Holes are to small...pots won't fit...have to enlarge the holes with a drill again...less risky but still... Received the pickups and installed them...Have to take off the pickguard...won't fit no more with the pickups rings...

Ok...now it's a month I have that guitar and I finished all the mods yesterday... Now, the guitar sounds very good with those GFS, the pots are working perfectly, the action is good ( not very good ) and playable, the Kluson's are doing the job very well... The guitar looks now awesome...hanging on the wall....It will never replace My Epi Les Paul Ultra or my Standard Telecaster for playing. I won't even carry it as a back up for gigging.

It's a nice decoration on my wall. To be an average guitar, it would need a frets levelling job. As I can't do it myself, I'm not sure I will do it. I have now invested at least $500 ( including the $310 for it ) in that guitar and it still a very

low class axe...not even near an Epiphone. I know you will say I would have been better putting my money on something else, but I was really curious about those Fake Gibson. Don't worry, I will never try to sell it to anybody..it's now an art object on my wall and it will stay there till I will feel to take all the parts off and do a good show during a gig, breaking it on the floor...lolll

 

In conclusion, stay away from those guitars... They are cheap axes with a very nice looking, but not playable if you are not investing another few hundred bucks...and even that, it will still a cheap guitar. By the way, the weight is 8.8 pounds.

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A while back there was a thread on the fake Gibson and other makes selling from China and someone suggested someone actually buying one of them to find out what they are really like.

At your expense, now we conclusively know.

Your initial investment and parts and labor you put into besides being a wall decoration are also an educational lesson for all who read your review.

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IS it MDF' date=' plywood, or what?[/quote']

I can't say...might be plywood, everything beeing black inside, I can't figure what it is.

But I have to say that with the GFS pickups, it sound real good, having a reasonable sustain.

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I can't say...might be plywood' date=' everything beeing black inside, I can't figure what it is.

But I have to say that with the GFS pickups, it sound real good, having a reasonable sustain.[/quote']

 

Well, in the name of SCIENCE!!!

You should scrape off that black paint and see what's down the rabbit hole.

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A while back there was a thread on the fake Gibson and other makes selling from China and someone suggested someone actually buying one of them to find out what they are really like.

At your expense' date=' now we conclusively know.

Your initial investment and parts and labor you put into besides being a wall decoration are also an educational lesson for all who read your review.[/quote']

 

This particular tread made me curious... and I feel now that I have to tell everybody not to buy those fakes...

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I've seen other reviews that say they aren't bad' date=' stock... but if you're selling something illegal, there's not much reason to have quality control.[/quote']

 

Believe me, it's over 40 years I'm playing guitar... If you don't mod it...no way you can play that thing..and even modded...it's only decent...not good.

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Norm' date=' easy way to find out what the wood is - scrape of paint in the control cavity where nobody can see it and even if they did it's just another example of the factory quality.

[/quote']

 

I'll do this and will come back with the results...

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It's hoping against hope that what looks like a brownie will taste like a brownie...

 

Norm' date=' thanks for taking the bite and letting us all know there was poop in the brownie...

 

We should all pitch in and get you some strong mouthwash...[/quote']

 

Gawd, that's an image I didn't need! ROFL!

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First' date=' I knew I was buying a risky axe. Total price paid: $310 USD, including shipping and a brown hard case with Gibson Custom logo on it.

 

8<snip

 

In conclusion, [b']stay away from those guitars[/b]... They are cheap axes with a very nice looking, but not playable if you are not investing another few hundred bucks...and even that, it will still a cheap guitar. By the way, the weight is 8.8 pounds.

 

What if you could buy the guitar for 100 bucks?(a 100 instead of 310) Would it be worth it? Maybe make a good beginner-guitar?

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Just curious Big Norm, but why would you even admit to purchasing a fake knockoff

and then posting a review on a Gibson sponsored Epiphone forum

that it did not live up to your expectations at $300 or so?

 

Anything that is fake is just that. It may be a curiousity to some, but what do you

do with a Chinese made fake G*bs*n? Brag about it to your friends or other

musicians or hide it in a closet? I'm not trying to single out the choices of the

buying public these days, but with some many good Epiphones available at

a couple hundred more than you paid for a fake, why would one even consider

anything else?

 

The "Greatest guitar factory in the world" has many choices available for all

budgets. Epiphone for people on a budget that still want a Gibson quality

instrument or the "real McCoy", an instrument from an established company

with a long history who know what they are doing.

 

Ok..go to the chalk board and write 100 times....

" I will not do this ever again." :)

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which company did you get it from.. any model or brand name on it? It seems like it must say gibson but I thought I'd ask.

 

 

The Chinese company is named SAMIN. For the brand name on it....nothing else than GIBSON...with a "valide" serial number and a big MADE IN USA on the back of the headstock.

I'll post pictures...

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What if you could buy the guitar for 100 bucks?(a 100 instead of 310) Would it be worth it? Maybe make a good beginner-guitar?

 

OK guitar for $100 to $150...would be ok for a beginner...but after a good set up.

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Ok..go to the chalk board and write 100 times....

" I will not do this ever again." :)

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again

I will not do this ever again...... Lolll

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Thanks carverman for your reply. I just read your other thread about not posting fakes, and thanks for that also. Yes, its true everyone has the right to buy the guitar of their choice, but that doesn't mean every choice is a good one. I read everyone's opinion of these fakes and the people who sell them, and then when someone buys one you pat him on the back. How can you condemn them and support them at the same time? There is a difference between a replica and a fake. If you put Epiphone or Gibson on the guitar but it is not made a their factories, that is breaking the law. It is taking away money from those companies and in part will cause those companies to increase their prices. Way to go! If you enjoy Gibson or Epiphone guitars, then support them and not fakes!

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Thanks carverman for your reply. There is a difference between a replica and a fake. If you put Epiphone or Gibson on the guitar but it is not made a their factories' date=' that is breaking the law. It is taking away money from those companies and in part will cause those companies to increase their prices. Way to go! If you enjoy Gibson or Epiphone guitars, then support them and not fakes![/quote']

 

Gibson/Epiphone have registered trademarks. The logo and the headstock design are a couple that I'm aware of

mentioned at the Memphis factory tour that I attended last year, after 40 years. Anybody that copies registered

trademarks is in violation of said trademarks..'nuff said. yes, as I mentioned, the buying public has choices out

there and so be it. But this is a Gibson sponsored forum, that interested people read about Epiphones and Gibsons,

and ask about any suggestions to improve these fine instruments...and there is a LOT

of expertise on this forum and it's a very friendly open forum and we like to keep it that

way, not be censored to death..but people have to keep this in mind when posting

something that is not of Epiphone/Gibson related.

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Why get our panties in a knot over fakes? What is an Epiphone really? A Fake Gibson! True some fakes are better than others and some are blatant rip offs...but just let buyer beware...if it seems too good to be true....It Is! I think Big Norm was providing a service by warning others against some of the fakes out there.

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