bigdog75043 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Would like to know if this is real or fake? I appreciate any and all input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Would like to know if this is real or fake? I appreciate any and all input. Seems legit to me, I've never seen a fake with the USA inspection sticker before, the serial number also checks out. Guitar Info Your guitar was made at the Saein Plant, Korea July 2000 Production Number: 2253 Saein Musical Instrument Co. Ltd The Saein Musical Instrument Co. Ltd. is located in the Namdong Industrial Complex in Incheon, Korea. Saein was established in July 1st 1991 and has a monthly capacity of 4,500pcs. In Oct 1st 1992, Saien Began manufacturing guitars for Epiphone, who they now consider to be their main business. They also started producing their own line of guitars called Shine in 1997. In February, 2001, a new factory was opened in Gaomi City, China. This factory boasts a monthly capacity of 10,000pcs. Saein was presented the ‘The Best Quality Award of the Year’ by Gibson Epiphone USA in 1998 and 1999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Compared to this one it looks fake.... http://www.epiphone....ss/P_ACE-HS.jpg What are the differences you spotted Pete ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I'm curious too Pete. The only thing that looks different to me are the tuners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog75043 Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Just got an email back from Gibson customer service. According to them the pics and serial number are consistent with the 2000 models made in Korea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Just got an email back from Gibson customer service. According to them the pics and serial number are consistent with the 2000 models made in Korea Well that's what I thought, but Pete R has some reservations, he's more experienced than me, I'm interested to hear what he suspects is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 From looking at the headstocks I see inconsistencies, but I dont know if they are indicitive of a fake. For instance, the truss cover engavings are lined up differently, as is the Ace Frehley head decal. Its most noticable near the tuners. Also, the binding is a bit rougher around the corners of the headstock. I dont know if these are just quality variations though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 From looking at the headstocks I see inconsistencies, but I dont know if they are indicitive of a fake. For instance, the truss cover engavings are lined up differently, as is the Ace Frehley head decal. Its most noticable near the tuners. Also, the binding is a bit rougher around the corners of the headstock. I dont know if these are just quality variations though. One has tulip tuning keys the other has kidneys, the controls are placed a little differently too, one neck vol is level with the bridge, the other just below the bridge, but as you say, they could simply be quality issues, or they were made at different times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 One has tulip tuning keys the other has kidneys, the controls are placed a little differently too, one neck vol is level with the bridge, the other just below the bridge, but as you say, they could simply be quality issues, or they were made at different times. Upon double checking my "sources", it appears the Ace Frehley did not come with tulip tuners. Could be aftermarket though, I suppose. I remember reading a thread not too long ago, and I believe it was Peter that said the Korean guitars varied greatly when it came to the knob layout. I think they standardized it with the move to China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I looked around the web a bit after I saw this thread. I've seen these guitars with both kidney and tulip style tuners. There's one on eBay with kidney tuners right now actually. What do you guys think about this one? http://cgi.ebay.com/Epiphone-Ace-Frehley-Les-Paul-Classic-Electric-Guitar-/190517955869?pt=Guitar&hash=item2c5bc14d1d#ht_500wt_1156 One interesting thing I did find is that the Gibson ones were ONLY released in cherry sunburst, so if anyone sees a Gibby one in another color, it's a fake. Epi made them in other finishes though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Er, my last post should have said "tulip" tuners. Fixed. Supersonic, that guitar looks to match up to the Epiphone stock photos...at least by looking at the headstock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Er, my last post should have said "tulip" tuners. Fixed. Supersonic, that guitar looks to match up to the Epiphone stock photos...at least by looking at the headstock. The main thing that make me think it's legit is the USA inspection sticker, I've never seen one of those on a fake before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Yeah, I dont know. I'm good at spotting inconsistencies, but that doesnt mean its fake. I just have an eye for detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrw1960 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 My question: Was the guitar purchased NEW from a reputable dealer, or second hand? (Ebay, CraigsList,etc.). Possible the tuners may have been replaced if from a individual seller, or do all the Frehley LP's supposed to have the Kidney shape tuners? EDIT: Here's pics of Ace with two LPs with different tuners. I guess they varied from different factories. And also with the finishes. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Might be an idea to get BD to unscrew one of the pickups and flip it over, take a pic and post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Maybe this will help some. Here is the pic from Musician's Friend when they were selling this model(Obviously it's discontinued now). Tulip tuners on this for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 That guitar in that bottom pic with Ace looks very similar to this one, tulips and not much of a burst in the paintwork. Mmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markerdown Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 FWIW, mine is a 2004 and has the kidney shaped tuner buttons. I was lucky enough to find a NIB NOS Epi ACE thanks to Shawn. I searched for quite a while and was always leary of fakes and there are many out there. Ya gotta be real careful and do your homework!!!!! In fact I played a fake trans black gibby ACE this weekend. It was made in china the guy bought it on line and paid around $320 for it with hsc. When I picked it up, it just didn't feel right. The neck was a slim profile, the weight felt a bit light, and the electronics were definetly not real. It sure looked nice though, it didn't have that driving power that the dimarzio super D pups have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Interesting site. http://www.acefrehleylespaul.com/Intro.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog75043 Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 When I get the guitar I will try to take one of the pick-ups out and post a picture of it. Should be sometime next week. Here is a picture that also shows the tulip turn keys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Has anyone noticed that the ones with the tulip keys dont have the "Ace Frehley" signature at the 12th fret? You dont see that on the pic of Ace holding the guitar because he's holding it at the 12th fret. Pretty clever. I'm thinking there were some changes during the course of the guitar's production. How many years did they make this guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markerdown Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 This Ace seems pretty much on the level. Just as Rastus said, by the ser #, the axe you show in post 1 is a 2000 model made at th Sain plant in the ROK. Looks like it was made in july of that year. The early prouction models (I think it was only the first year) had the 2 lightning bolts at the 12th fret and I'm pretty sure the tulip shaped tuners. They are suposed to be the "rare" ones that people tend to hoard. Then the ACE signature block was added to the 12th fret and the tuners were changed to the std. FAKE made in china epi Aces have the reverse signature on the 12th fret, the tuner pegs and control knobs are aligned wrong and the pups are not dimarzios! Actually, the gibby has the pearloid tuner buttons which are correct for an ACE signature model. The allparts pearloid banjo tuner buttons will fit the Ace epi. The std pearloid buttons need to be honed a bit to fit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Has anyone noticed that the ones with the tulip keys dont have the "Ace Frehley" signature at the 12th fret? You dont see that on the pic of Ace holding the guitar because he's holding it at the 12th fret. Pretty clever. I'm thinking there were some changes during the course of the guitar's production. How many years did they make this guitar? According to the site on the link that I already posted, they were made form 1997-2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 According to the site on the link that I already posted, they were made form 1997-2007. What...I'm supposed to follow links now? WTF? lol. Jusk Kidding. I totally forgot that link was up there. Thanks for the info! Ten years seems like a pretty good run for a sig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_edward Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Here's a self-admitted counterfeit Gibby (probably from the same place as fake Epi's) from Toronto's Kijiji for comparison - http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-musical-instruments-guitars-2005-Gibson-Les-Paul-Ace-Frehley-W0QQAdIdZ273058178# "For sale is a 2005 Gibson Les Paul Ace Frehley Chinese copy with hardshell case. This is a cool guitar plays and sounds awesome. I have swapped out the bridge pickup with a 70s Dimarzio Super Distortion just like Ace uses and it sounds and plays awesome. I have also upgraded the wiring and pots on guitar to gibson. $600" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.