Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

les paul zakk, is it fake?


ledzep1281734126

Recommended Posts

Posted

Wouldn't like to say ....

 

The Machine heads look a little "all to cock" if you ask me, but it may be the photo that's causing its...

 

What's your reason for thinking that its a fake??

Posted

Yeah, what you've got there is a COPY of Zakk's Gibson made by a company called Epiphone.

Not worth nearly as much as an original Gibson, but still a fine instrument.

Posted

The best way to check if a Zakk wylde series is a fake or not is to look back at it's head stock.. if there's a limited edition stamp then it's genuine if not it's fake.. the logo at the back of the headstock is somewhat golden in colour..in this one i can't see the logo at the back.. so i presume it's a fake..these zakk series are one of the closest looking fakes they've made..yet with some stupid mistakes.. =D> it's a fake unless i can see the logo .. some good photographs might help..but from what i see.. A fake..

Posted

Yup these are the closest fakes i have actually ever seen..I know a guy who had this fake with him and unless you are very very careful you cannot tell a freaking thing about it's authenticity..the fake zakk series look just like the the real one with some minor flaws which is tricky but easy to find..If this doesn't have the Epi logo at the back it's a fake.. i cannot see that logo the pic is too small for my eyes and most of all that logo is somewat golden/creamy in colour and blends into the headstock's colour.. i think we have one more fake here..but the epiphone logo looks accurate to me..hard to tell man..

 

post some more pics of the front of the head stock (straight), back a bit larger.. and the body too..

 

hey ledzep where did you buy it from..mzonline.. lol..

Posted

I can understand the logic in faking a Gibson Zakk, but an Epi? It's sort of like churning out counterfeit 1 dollar bills. For the same amount of work you could have 100 dollar bills....and 100 times the value.

Posted
I can understand the logic in faking a Gibson Zakk' date=' but an Epi? It's sort of like churning out counterfeit 1 dollar bills. For the same amount of work you could have 100 dollar bills....and 100 times the value.[/quote']

 

It makes perfect sense. Since people are generally less scrutinizing on the cheaper stuff, fakers stand a far better chance to get away with it.

 

A 30 buck fake selling of like a real Epiphone budget LP still amounts to a substantial profit. Shipped in any kind of volume and I'll bet it's a staggering profit.

Posted

 

A 30 buck fake selling of like a real Epiphone budget LP still amounts to a substantial profit. Shipped in any kind of volume and I'll bet it's a staggering profit.

 

yup why would they fake epiphone unless they are on the better side ...they are probably earning some huge profits..

Posted
It makes perfect sense. Since people are generally less scrutinizing on the cheaper stuff' date=' fakers stand a far better chance to get away with it.[/quote']

 

Mmm, I dunno. If they're making Epi fakes good enough that the people around here have a hard time telling the difference, I can't imagine it would be that much harder to make Gibson knock-offs and triple their profits. Maybe Gibson is more vigilante about going after fakers, when they're faking Gibsons?

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Hi guys,

 

I have a question about the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Bullseye.

 

Does the real ones have all the E logo of Epiphones on the back of the headstock ?

 

Because I have seen a lot of them without it, are they all fakes ?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Exemples (all from different sellers, all over the world) :

 

150667_2___0___musikhaus_korn___500___65___.jpg

3eb0_1.JPG

b63b_1.JPG

5472_1.JPG

b0fd_1.JPG

7f33_1.JPG

8470_1.JPG

bullseye4a.jpg

2e6e_3.JPG

96d3_1.JPG

Posted

If it's a fake, it will have a big, gaudy bullseye pattern painted on the front of it. That's not a dead giveaway though, as most of the real ones have a strikingly similar flaw. Aside from that, they're great guitars! 8-[

Posted
Real

 

Real Epi Zakk Wylde Headstock Backshot:

Fake

FAKE Epi Zakk Wylde Headstock Backshot:

 

Yes I have seen those photos.

 

But my question is : does the real Zakk wylde have ALL the golden E logo on the back of the headstock ?

 

I have seen so many without it, hence my question.

Posted

 

Yes I have seen those photos.

 

But my question is : does the real Zakk wylde have ALL the golden E logo on the back of the headstock ?

 

I have seen so many without it' date=' hence my question.[/quote']

 

if it doesn't have the custom logo in the back..it's definitely fake...

Posted

 

if it doesn't have the custom logo in the back..it's definitely fake...

 

Then it's kinda crazy, I have posted 10 different guitars from different sellers, even some dealers, and they are all fake.

Posted

 

Mmm' date=' I dunno. If they're making Epi fakes good enough that the people around here have a hard time telling the difference, I can't imagine it would be that much harder to make Gibson knock-offs and triple their profits. Maybe Gibson is more vigilante about going after fakers, when they're faking Gibsons?[/quote']

 

There's too many things that go into a Gibson that would make it cost prohibitive to fake. A few that would be obvious to see that I can think of are...

 

1) If the wood is visible on the neck, the common scarf joint would be a dead giveaway that it's not a real Gibson. And to make the necks of a fake from a solid piece of wood would be a big margin cutter.

 

2) The difference between a nitro finish and a poly finish is easily recognizable. That kind of finish would again cut their margin way down, if they even had folks that could do those finishes to any degree of quality when completed.

 

3) Fretwire...they'd have to use a higher grade fretwire that is distinct between the Gibsons and the Epi's.

 

4) Pickups and electronics...one listen to the pickups, and a peek into a pot cavity would give it away.

 

I just don't see counterfeiters being able to make a copy of a Gibson to the quality of a Gibson that will dupe the guitar buyer and keep their profit margins worthwhile.

Posted

I think that you have a fake. Noticed the Epi logo is a little to parrallel with the headstock. Epiphone is a little more crooked. And the Zakk drawing on the back is a little to scrawny. Zakk is pretty heavy set and Epi made notice of that. The zakk on a real one is heavy set like him. Plua I noticed that there wasn't a "custom" logo right below him. But i could have easily missed it because its a small picture. To be more sure, could you pleade post bigger pics with maybe better lighting?

Posted

Hi all,

 

First time posting here since I find this topic interesting.

 

I have a Epi Zakk Wylde Custom that I bought used from a local shop, and they confirmed its authenticity.

And this guitar came with the original Epi hang tag (Warranty Card) with the "Pre-pack Ckeck List" and printed serial # w/bar codes on a sticker fixed on the tag.

And the inspector number on the sticker on the back of the headstock ("100% Inspected & set up in the USA by #___) matches the hand written number on the hang tag.

And this is an '06 Korean made one with "I" serial.

And the truss rod cover plate is a real heavy & thick piece of metal with high quality gold plating. All markings are done in even depth and centered.

And the headstock logo and Zakk's silhouette on the back all are real and look real.

(Bulky Zakk, correct number of fret markers and proper left-arm position w/proper amount of white space shown on the silhouette, correct LP shape---)

And the electronics are all authentic with full-sized alpha pots and connecting clip between the toggle switch and pots.

And the serial numbers are stamped very smartly with the correct font.

(Unlike that dull, heavy numbers you can see on a fake on that picture from aceguitarshop example)

 

HOWEVER, it does NOT have the Limited Edition "E" logo on the back of the headstock.

Thus, I do believe that a lack of this logo does NOT automatically make one a fake.

 

I have another experience with this logo inconsistency...

I had bought a BRAND NEW Epi G-400 special edition with a large pickguard (like '66 SG or those Gibson SG standard) a couple of years ago from a local Guitar Center, and it was a '06 "EE" Chinese made.

However, this particular one did NOT have that "E" logo stamped on the back of its headstock.

 

Then about 6-month or so later, I was back in that same GC again and noticed that the same model Epi G400 special edition (with that large pickguard) they had there on that day (all were '07 model, "EE" serial) all had that "E" logo Limited Edition stamp.

When I asked the manager of the store (NOT a sales person, but the manager) about the logo issue, he told me that Epi was not known for their consistent use of such stamp. Some year, they use it and some year they don't even in the same factory... Not to mention the inconsistency between different factories...

 

So to determine if a ZW LP is a fake or not, I guess one needs to look at other indicators such as truss rod cover plate, headstock logo, Zakk's silhouette on the back, size & quality of the custom diamond, etc...

Because---, a lack of that"E" logo itself is not a good indicator...

 

Just my $.01~

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...