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Think I bought a fake Les Paul - please look!


catlin

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Hi Guys.

 

Here are some more photos I took. Yesterday I posted one of them in an existing thread...sorry about that, new to this.

 

Anyway I bought mine secondhand and I think it's fake. Wish I'd known about this forum before buying.

Appreciate your comments and confirm my fear!

 

The headstock looks ok.. but do Epiphone LP's have the word "Gibson" on the trust rod cover?

Shouldn't "Epiphone" be slightly slanted?

Click: Photo_1

DSC03008.JPG

 

I unscrewed the cover and it looks like this.

Click: Photo_2

DSC02954.JPG

 

Should "Epiphone" be printed under the bridge? Unlike the photo below?

Click: Photo_3

DSC03009.JPG

 

I also took out the pick-up. Should there not be something printed?

Click: Photo_4

DSC03023.JPG

 

 

Thanks!

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I reckon you're being too worried about this Catlin, it looks OK to me. It has the three screw truss rod cover and yes, I've seen them before with "Gibson" written on it...the green key tuners make me suspect that it's at least a few years old. Why don't you run the serial number through the guitar dater project: http://www.guitardaterproject.org/ Tell us the date and place of manufacture, and that will probably help people make informed judgments.

 

Why I'm not too worried...most of the fakes people post here have the Epiphone name at completely the wrong angle...

 

Compare your Les Paul headstock:

 

DSC03008.JPG

 

With this definitely genuine Epi Les Paul from Sweetwater:

 

EE080708023-headstock-l.jpg

 

See how the slant of the p points towards 2 o'clock on the 4th string's tuner?

 

I reckon you're OK here...but take a photograph of the control cavity, that might help. But to be honest, if it is a few years old its going to look a little different to the new EE serial-numbered guitars anyway...

 

I can't say for certain (although I'm sure other people here can) - but it looks OK to me.

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Thanks leicester35. Ran the serial number and gave the following result (what does this mean?):

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Guitar Info

Serial number unrecognized

 

Bohemia Musico-Delica Plant

Not much is known about this factory, guitars made here are only sold in Europe. However, the production quality at this factory is said to be superior to its Chinese and Korean counterparts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Bought it from a person who advertised it locally. $230!

 

Did you buy new or used? What's the serialnumber?

 

The headstock with the straight logo could be correct for a '90s Epiphone. But current Epiphones all have slanted logos. The rest of the pics simply don't look right.

Again' date=' I don't know how old your guitar is, but current Epiphones take an allen-key to adjust the neck.

Bridge should say Epiphone.

Pickups look complety wrong. Unless he changed those?

 

Here is a pic of 90s and current Epiphone pickups...

[img']http://epi.p3net.net/bbs/download/file.php?id=80&t=1[/img]

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To me its real. The older epi LP standards dont have epiphone slanted. They also have gibson on the truss rod cover. The reason it dosent say epiphone on the bridge and has no writing on the pickups is because the old owner probably changed the parts especially if its an older guitar.

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Thanks leicester35. Ran the serial number and gave the following result (what does this mean?):

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Guitar Info

Serial number unrecognized

 

Bohemia Musico-Delica Plant

Not much is known about this factory' date=' guitars made here are only sold in Europe. However, the production quality at this factory is said to be superior to its Chinese and Korean counterparts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------[/quote']

 

It means you have a rare beast on your hands, given that you presumably bought it in America... It was made for Epiphone by a Czech factory.

 

This company made guitars for Epiphone in the mid to late '90s, for sale in Europe only. I've never actually seen one, because for whatever reason Epiphones sold in the UK at that time always seemed to be the normal Asian ones which were also sold in the U.S. A lot of my buddies and people I shared dormrooms with at that time had Epis, and they were always Korean! (even the crappy Firebird I bought.)

 

If you are really interested in the factory which made your guitar, here's a news story from the archive of the International Herald tribune from 1996:

 

http://www.iht.com/articles/1996/12/02/smallbiz.t.php

 

You have convinced me that it's real, however. Fakers copy real serial numbers, but I can't imagine for one second that a conman making counterfeits in China is going to steal a "B" serial number from the most obscure of Epiphone's manufacturers. He'd just use a "DW" , "EE" or "U" serial number for sure...

 

Perhaps some exchange student from Germany brought the guitar to America with him, went broke and pawned it!? Who knows what its story is? Just enjoy it - looks like a nice guitar...

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Hi Catlin

 

not fake-

 

got one just like it... purchased 1994 from a store , mine made in Samick factory in Korea

Your headstock looks exactly like mine... mine is honeyburst

 

U can also call 1800 Gibson and give them numbers and they should be able

to even tell u the color, let alone year and make...

 

to ease your mind, google "fake Epiphone les pauls" and you'll be able to

check out sites that can give u differences...

 

 

Jay

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I reckon you're being too worried about this Catlin' date=' it looks OK to me. It has the three screw truss rod cover and yes, I've seen them before with "Gibson" written on it...the green key tuners make me suspect that it's at least a few years old. Why don't you run the serial number through the guitar dater project: http://www.guitardaterproject.org/ Tell us the date and place of manufacture, and that will probably help people make informed judgments.

 

Why I'm not too worried...most of the fakes people post here have the Epiphone name at completely the wrong angle...

 

Compare your Les Paul headstock:

 

[img']http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iCOoTXQ5u2Y/STXfQry8OSI/AAAAAAAAADw/EwYHeUIzmi8/s400/DSC03008.JPG[/img]

 

With this definitely genuine Epi Les Paul from Sweetwater:

 

EE080708023-headstock-l.jpg

 

See how the slant of the p points towards 2 o'clock on the 4th string's tuner?

 

I reckon you're OK here...but take a photograph of the control cavity, that might help. But to be honest, if it is a few years old its going to look a little different to the new EE serial-numbered guitars anyway...

 

I can't say for certain (although I'm sure other people here can) - but it looks OK to me.

The Headstock on the first one looks odd too me mainly because the tuners have no hex nuts and looks wrong in comparison too the other below it.

Odd.

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Thanks for the comments. Will take some more photos once I'm back home. Intend to take the guitar to a shop this weekend to have it checked and if fake, confront the guy before posting.

 

What do you do if it's fake? I'm sure the cops won't bother.

 

I've tried to contact epiphone i.e. via service@gibson.com and included details but they're not quick in replying are they?

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That doesn't look fake to me at all.. older epi's had those kind of tuning knobs and yes

Gibson was written before .. i think that's the les paul standard isn't it ?? one of my guitar teachers had that epi with him which he used as his main axe and it was genuine..this completely looks authentic to me...

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Just did a search on ebay. 1991 epiphone....1992 epiphone....etc. Checked all years for 90's. Don't know about truss rod or pickups but all the headstocks look just like yours. Someone even has a 1995 Epiphone poster and a 1998 poster for sale which shows the same headstock. No slant on Epiphone name....keystone tuners with no hex nuts...same shape TRC with Gibson name on it. If it is a fake someone went through a lot of trouble to recreate a 90's L.P. with a B serial number.............

I'm only guessing, but my vote goes to real.

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Perhaps you'll never know. If it is Czech made, then you have to ask yourself how many of those has a guitar shop in Chicago actually seen?

 

I saw on your blog that you had a few comments, such as: "Doesn't look like a typical Epi LP input." Perhaps that's the point - it's a non-standard Epi! I guess a Czech factory is going to outsource parts in Europe or fabricate some things themselves, rather than shipping parts in from Asia.

 

So maybe the only way you could find out for sure would be to get your hands on a Musico-Delica Les Paul you know to be genuine, and take it apart!

 

Either way, it looks like a nice guitar, and I hope you enjoy playing it.

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I must admit, at quick glance the guitar looks ok. Nice amberburst actually. Didn't know they made any in the 90s...

The serial doesn't check out. B0911... November 2009? Also the guitar is clearly not made of any mahogany I'm familiar with... 2 side-screws for the pickguard-mounting-bracket is very wrong even by fake-standards.

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i am quite experianced with epi's and have worked on many of them. the truss rod cover is correct for sure and im pretty sure the truss rod itself is legit. the headstock angle also looks correct and so does the logo. the wood looks very nice but does not look like mahogany although i know some epiphones are made of alder and maple not mahogany and maple (it almost looks like it could be korina, maybe a special edition?). the pickgaurd bracket does look wrong but it could have easily been replace the guitar might not have came with one in the first place. the same could be said for the bridge not saying epiphone, it could have been replaced because it was losing it's shine. the pickups do not need to say epiphone either, my epi from 1998 came with no labels on the pickup bottoms.

definately do not return it! even if it is a fake it looks to be very very nicely made and is just a great looking guitar. if it is a fake i would say 230 dollars would be a very fair price, and if it isn't you got your self a great deal there.

so once again i would say definately keep it you got your self a nice guitar there :]

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