kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Hi All, I'm new to the forum and could do with some help on a recent guitar purchase. The story is that I have been after a nice SG custom for ages and I saw one for sale locally on a popular auction site. I contacted the chap and went to view the guitar. The guy said he had owned the guitar for about 5 years but had hardly played it due to a hand injury. The guitar is immaculate but some things are not stacking up?? 1, TRC is not straight 2, 'Les Paul Custom' cover below neck is not centered 3, Serial number does not look centered 4, Tone/Volume knobs have poor printing on them 5, Black cover plate is weird shape (in comparison to recent SG's) I have checked the serial number which states: Guitar Info Your guitar was made at the Unsung Plant, Korea November 2000 Production Number: 0793 I have also checked that the 'Epiphone' logo is engraved into the neck pickup, which it is. ( I haven't checked the other 2) There is also 'Epiphone' stamped into the 3 way selector. I'm just a bit concerned as this is supposed to be a 10 year old guitar and it still has the pickup stickers on it?? Can anyone advise me how to upload photos So I can show you all what I mean?? Cheers Kiddakidda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouth581281734240 Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 This might help you posting your photos: http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=8886 With the pictures I'm sure we'll be able to help you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 OK, I have uploaded onto Picasa/Google and they should be here: SG Custom photos I'm not sure if I have done this right, let me know people? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SyreCorp Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Pictures work fine A couple of years ago I bought an '97 Orville from Japan - it had ended up in a music store which shortly after dropped instruments and focused on sheet music. So I got myself an 11 year old, NIB guitar (and it is excellent btw) with all protective plastic still intact. It happens. I cannot, however, understand why the seller wouldn't have removed it on this - he did play it a little, as I understand it. And the other issues you point out, aye, that does definitely look off. It could be really poor QC, but my uninformed oppinion is "Fake". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 From fakes iv seen in the past, there is somthing not right about that guitar. whats the price on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 I paid £165 gbp. The guys stated that he had owned it for over 5 years but had not played it due to tearing tendons in his hand. He has left the guitar on display in his home for all the time after. It was a bit dusty when I collected it and it doesn't give the impression that it was fresh out of a factory. As I said the pickups are engraved Epiphone but there are some real quality issues that don't seem right. Seemed a decent middle age chap and I collected it from his house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 how does it play? how does it feel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 I'm not the most experienced or talented player but in my humble opinion it plays great. The guy spun me a yarn about it being properly setup at a local music store and although the action was a little high when I collected it, I have now lowered the bridge and adjusted the truss rod slightly and It plays and sounds great. I know I should be happy if all is well, but when I buy something I want to know that it is a genuine product. It doesn't sit right with me if it is fake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 it really does seem to look like a fake, maybe this guy was also un-aware of it not being authentic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 What in the pictures gives you the most 'feeling' that it is a fake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 the truss rod cover is quite a bit off, after that many years, weither his hand is injured or not you'd take off the stickers, those tone and volume buttons dont look right, and the humbuckers dont seem straight? that one could just be me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 the truss rod cover is quite a bit off' date=' after that many years, weither his hand is injured or not you'd take off the stickers, those tone and volume buttons dont look right, and the humbuckers dont seem straight? that one could just be me.[/quote'] Yeah, the sticker situation bugs the life out of me. Especially after around 20 minutes of playing the centre one had to be pulled of due to my aggresive strumming!! The pickups are centered and look OK. It's the TRC that I feel just wouldn't get past QC even if it was 10 years ago?? More questions than answers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 Anyone else wish to run thier eyes over the photos and give an opinion?? I am just hoping it is poor QC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Exactly guitars 10 years ago were still good qaulity, that truss rod cover wouldnt make it past. youd be lucky if it made it past QC on a Epi SG special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AS90 Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Its real dont worry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Its real dont worry! and you know this how? im sure the owner of theguitar in question would like more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddakidda Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 and you know this how? im sure the owner of theguitar in question would like more information. Your right Dude, I want to believe that it's genuine but I have always played Fenders before and only recently started playing and buying Epiphone's I bought a Riviera P93 Custom recently but that was brand new from a UK Epiphone dealer so I have no worries with that. It's just these niggles regarding this SG Custom that are concerning me a little. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 hmmmk now, to me the 'Les paul custom' font looks slightly diffrent, and ur epi has GIBSON USA stickers, where as this one has epi stickers on it, a little hard to make out but you can see it. http://gigsoundslondon.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/epiphone-sg-custom.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I wouldn't consider myself a forgery expert either - I only know what I've seen being a member here and buying about a dozen new and used Epis over the last two years, but it certainly looks real to me. The fakes generally don't include Epi-stamped parts for starters. Some people don't take the plastic film off things either out of ignorance or preference. If the guy was having tendonitis problems, he may have figured that he was going to sell it sooner or later, so why not leave it on. I've seen the plastic film on electronics that were regulalry used and over a decade old. As for the QC issues, they appear to me to be within the norm of sub $500 asian guitars from many manufacturers these days. Just enjoy the guitar and don't worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 brianh, why would it have gibson usa stickers on the pickups? when all i can find are pics of guitars with epi stickers like this one: http://www.cranesmusicstore.com/images/sgc_0010_small_medium_3.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalfarm Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Well, 165GBP = 240.57USD. It does have Epi-branded tulips. (New ones have Grover D-tips). It DOES have 3 VOLUME and 1 TONE knob. It does have BLACK 3-way tip (new ones are reddish/orange). The pups stickers say GIBSON, all mine have said "EPI". Hmmmm.... Have you pulled a pup or 2 away from body to see stickers and/or engraving on back? Don't know the manufacturing specs of G-400 custom back then. IF it plays decently, for 165Gbp/240.57USD, you may have a steal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpurgatoryt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I still say its a fake D: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzybutt Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I too havent owned Epi's for very long BUT i have been playing since i was 6 (41 now) andthere are several things that bother me there. one that jumped out at me was the fact that there seem to be scratches under the plastic covering the pickups, pickups really do look like theyre off center (i got my g400 out of the case to check for straightness with a vernier micrometer) and the truss rod cover is WAY the hell off center. what did they sell for when new? that said.....thats only 238 USD, G400 SG's are selling for more than that used in my area (south carolina) EDIT : where it says Les Paul custom, when comparing it to the second set of photos not only is the font different but if you look closely, the lettering is off center to the left. if it plays nice and sounds good though, i wouldnt worry about it. that is super cheap for that guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I've seen a lot of controversy over stuff like this, but the reality is that low-cost asian guitars have all sorts of manufacturing inconsistencies. They're made in different countries, factories, and by different workers at different times and the parts sourcing and availability changes on a daily basis. Epiphone has been a Gibson subsidiary since the 1950s, so it shouldn't be surprising that pickup film, truss rod covers, and other parts have the Gibson stamp on them. It's also possible the owner kept the film and put it back on before selling to make it look newer. Or even took it of another guitar and reapplied it on this one. The only sure-fire way to get a brand spankin' new guitar is to buy from a reputable, authorized dealer. Just play it and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AS90 Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I still say its a fake D: Well tell us why you think it is fake? If you dont know what you are talking about dont say anything at all. The logo is fine, the truss rod cover is the same as mine, the tuner holes are in the correct position, the knobs are in the correct position and all the stickers are correct. Everything points to real, I can spot the fakes a mile off. My '91 Gibson Les Paul Classic still had all the plastic on when I bought it 3 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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