How to spot a fake Gibson

[Pearly Gator]

www.fibsons.com

 

[Six String]

Welcome to ETSG pantera66689! :) :) :)

 

[pantera66689]

Thanks For The Welcome Six String Glad to be a part of this Forum, but I wont consider it official til I find the Epiphone SG Junior W/ P-90.

 

[Pani]

[quote author=TNT link=topic=14234.msg184585#msg184585 date=1184464660]
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/CounterfeitGibsons/
[/quote]

I saw this today!

 

[rockerbilly58]

I recently found a couple of fake Gibson Les Pauls in a pawn shop and if not for the fact that I knew before hand what to look for I would have been well and truly fooled. I told the shop guy about it and he sheepishly admitted that he didn't think they were genuine, but I have to say fake or not they felt and looked great and I was tempted for a moment but I had to consider what I'd do if I had to sell it later on and decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[Shadow]

Thanks for this post! Very informative. But I believe even the Epiphone SGs are also being copied in China. Is there an article on how to spot a fake Epiphone SG?

 

[Zman1751]

Gibson Fakes

Yea, I have quite a few Epiphone's and some of the cheaper one's might be a problem to unload if necessary. One I have is a Les Paul Black Beauty knock off. It is a Peavey SC-3 and I am not sure if it is even a genuine Peavey as the pickups seem very weak and muddy. I bought it on E-bay from a shop in Canada and it came with an odd oval shaped case and the cost was still under the cost of a Peavey SC-3. II might just change out the PU's at some point or trade it in on another guitar if I can.

 

[Moose]

Are Chinese copies getting better?

Historically it's been pretty easy to pick the difference between a Gibson and a fake. However, Im concerned it may become more difficult as Chinese copies become more accurate.

For example, I hope this link doesn't contain photos of the fake because it looks legit to me.

Wholesale Electric Guitars - Buy Custom Shop Dickey Betts SG Standard VOS Electric Guitar Vintage Red By Spring, $397.73 | DHgate

 

[Biddlin]

There is all kinds of monkey business afoot, that is tacitly sanctioned by US interests, in exchange for first shot at a skilled workforce in a most advantageous location. In a country full of skilled woodworkers and jewelers, now supplied by Gibson with a state-of-the-art factory, what do you think happens to the bodies and necks rejected at "Final Assembly" ? By the way, if you see photos of a particular corner of the Guandong facility, you might notice a large sign that reads "Guitar Center." It's enough to make you wonder.
Biddlin ;>)/

 

[Iván]

The truss rod cover in Gibsons has only 2 screws, while the fake ones have 3. I know that Epis have 3 screws too, but we all know Epis are not "copies".

 

[Biddlin]

The truss rod cover in Gibsons has only 2 screws, while the fake ones have 3. I know that Epis have 3 screws too, but we all know Epis are not "copies".

Sorry, not correct. Fake vintage is becoming more common, too. I saw a fake Trini Lopez recently. The Lifetime Guarantee label was printed wrong. Everything else was good enough that a longtime collector friend paid $6500 for it, and then decided to have it appraised.
It's a shark pool out there.
Biddlin ;>)/

 

[javamagic]

Still things wrong with that headstock to my eyes. Shape looks inaccurate, Gibson logo is incorrectly positioned and the TRC is only single ply. That said, it's clear that fakes are getting closer to the real deal and harder to identify.

 

[Iván]

Still things wrong with that headstock to my eyes. Shape looks inaccurate, Gibson logo is incorrectly positioned and the TRC is only single ply. That said, it's clear that fakes are getting closer to the real deal and harder to identify.

I agree on everything

 

[Melmord Fjordslorn]

That is only ugly fake.... in addition to everything javamagic said...that one is also lacking the nibs on the frets (with the possibility of a refret). I'd like to see the disaster underneath the trc too.

As good as they are getting, I am yet to see a LP or SG fake that has completely fooled me. Either one or two things sticks out as a red flag. I see them pop up on craigslist all the time for sale as a Gibson... and I am the jerk who sends the seller a message telling him to cease and desist the sale with a kind message on the importance of ethics in the 21st century.

 

[Hammer]

Still things wrong with that headstock to my eyes. Shape looks inaccurate, Gibson logo is incorrectly positioned and the TRC is only single ply. That said, it's clear that fakes are getting closer to the real deal and harder to identify.

I don't think Biddlin's pic was of the Trini...if it was, his friend deserved what he got and needs to re-evaluate his longtime collector status. I believe it was just to show a copy with a 2 screw TRC...although everything you mentioned was correct, along with the fact that the TRC screws are the wrong size, the tuner bushings are the wrong size, and on and on and on...

 

[javamagic]

I don't think Biddlin's pic was of the Trini....

I didn't assume it was.

 

[Tony M]

Cut and paste from an old post:

The fakes are getting better and better.
Sooner or later there will be fakes that play, look
and sound as good as the real thing.

"A difference that makes no difference is no difference."

Uhoh........

Another thing.
Our fellow ETSG member Lou and several others here are totally capable,
if they chose to do so, of building a "fake" Gibson and actually putting
Gibson's name on it. If said guitar came out of Lou's shop, for example,
it would be superior to the real thing in every way. It's still a fake. It did
not come out of the Gibson factory.

However....

If Lou takes his tools and his wood blanks and builds that exact same
Guitar inside the Gibson factory, is it still a fake or has it now become a
genuine hand made Gibson Custom Shop instrument? If he is actually
contracted by gibson to make a one of a kind is it a Gibson or is it a fake
Gibson that is in reality a Moritz with a Gibson logo on the headstock?

Now what?


(I use Lou as an example because we have all seen step by steps of his
TI 001 guitar build and know that he is capable of "outgibsoning" Gibson.
I apologize to you Lou in advance if I have overstepped by doing so.)

 

[everdying]

If Lou takes his tools and his wood blanks and builds that exact same
Guitar inside the Gibson factory, is it still a fake or has it now become a
genuine hand made Gibson Custom Shop instrument? If he is actually
contracted by gibson to make a one of a kind is it a Gibson or is it a fake
Gibson that is in reality a Moritz with a Gibson logo on the headstock?

Now what?


(I use Lou as an example because we have all seen step by steps of his
TI 001 guitar build and know that he is capable of "outgibsoning" Gibson.
I apologize to you Lou in advance if I have overstepped by doing so.)

here's my take on it.
as long as someone is contracted to make a Gibson, then it is a Gibson period.
kinda like how ppl perceive MIJ Fenders as the real deal, even though they are made by a 3rd party.

 

[GTSG]

Tony makes a good point.

I seen a couple of the knock-offs. What I noticed right away was the difference in the ABR-1, the TR cover. It made me remove the electronic plates next, and though the pots were full size they were not Gibson or any brand I'm familiar with, the toggle was a blade but an off brand also. The wiring was all thinner gauge.

This was a Gibson LP knock-off. I seen two a Custom and a Standard. The Standard was a decent piece and more recent than the Custom which I see awhile ago. So yes, I imagine they are getting better.

 

[Moose]

My post below asked if Chinese Fakes are getting better. Maybe.

But the photos aren't what you get. I think we actually knew the counterfeiters just scam photos and use 'em to pedal their fakes.

Here's the proof:

Gibson SG Standard Reissue VOS Custom Shop Guitar | eBay

SG Standard '61 Reissue VOS Custom Shop Guitar !! CG CP on TradeTang.com