solution to the fake Gibson situation

[geezberry]

Here's a solution that should please everyone: Gibson returns to building them where they're instantly recognizable as a Gibson due to the quality and appearance.

Or they could start selling Standards for $1000 retail. I mean seriously Gibson must have the highest profit margin of any guitar manufacturer. The guitars are CNC'd and the rest is done by hand with quickness. A standard probably cost them $300 in parts and labor to make.

 

[Skycries57]

Seriously, what would be considered a fake?

What would qualify it being genuine?

 

[rjshare]

Or they could start selling Standards for $1000 retail. I mean seriously Gibson must have the highest profit margin of any guitar manufacturer. The guitars are CNC'd and the rest is done by hand with quickness. A standard probably cost them $300 in parts and labor to make.

1: so by this logic are all the fake rolex watches in the world actually rolex's own fault because they cost so much? high end products the world over are copied but this place is the only time i have ever heard the manufacturer getting blamed for copies of their products existing.

2: there are just as many fake epiphones on ebay, if not more. nobody ever claims that epiphones are overpriced do they?

3: if standards cost 1000$ to buy then gibson would be accused by the faithful of selling out, going cheap, abusing the name and turning an icon into a mass produced "unit". if ferraris could be bought for 5,000$ new then sure, we could all drive one, but then who would want one?

 

[rjshare]

Seriously, what would be considered a fake?

What would qualify it being genuine?

is that question as dumb as it appears to be or is it too cryptic for me to get what you are really asking?

a guitar that says gibson on the headstock and was made by gibson qualifies it as genuine.

anything else isnt.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Or they could start selling Standards for $1000 retail. I mean seriously Gibson must have the highest profit margin of any guitar manufacturer. The guitars are CNC'd and the rest is done by hand with quickness. A standard probably cost them $300 in parts and labor to make.

Nonsense. $10/hour for the labor, pay for the wood -- including its transport -- pay the electricity and rent, pay for the upper-management salaries ... no. CNC machines aren't free, and they do wear out. There's a lot more to running a business than meets the eye.

... not to mention the legal fees caused by Chinese fakes, amirite?

 

[cobotacular]

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Everything looks entirely real, Logo is straight, Nut edge is clean and the serial dates up as a USA Gibson but isnt it strange that the guitar isnt stamped with a CS? If i could get a couple replies on this that would be amazing. If this thing is real i'm gonna check it out tomorrow. I have a ton more pictures than what i posted. Speedy responses! i have 7 hours before im checking this out!

Thanks for the help.

Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting
Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting

 

[cobotacular]

Also i realized that the fretboard appears to be rosewood and not ebony.

 

[geezberry]

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Everything looks entirely real, Logo is straight, Nut edge is clean and the serial dates up as a USA Gibson but isnt it strange that the guitar isnt stamped with a CS? If i could get a couple replies on this that would be amazing. If this thing is real i'm gonna check it out tomorrow. I have a ton more pictures than what i posted. Speedy responses! i have 7 hours before im checking this out!

Thanks for the help.

Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting
Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting

Its fake. The serial number is never engraved like that. Plus the $5 Chinese tuners make it a no no.

 

[geezberry]

Also i realized that the fretboard appears to be rosewood and not ebony.

Customs have ebony boards.

It's a bad fake man, avoid like the plague.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Knob-spacing is funky, too.

 

[cobotacular]

Thought it was kind of funny with a rosewood fretboard, Such a cheap looking figured top and such a crappy serial stamp. Thanks guys!

 

[muzzbo]

is that question as dumb as it appears to be or is it too cryptic for me to get what you are really asking?

a guitar that says gibson on the headstock and was made by gibson qualifies it as genuine.

anything else isnt.

It's not THAT simple bro. Plenty of fakes will still have Gibson stamped on the headstock, and a really good fake can still have a corresponding serial number stamped on it. Fraudsters will stop at nothing to make their product look as legit as possible in order to sell it to those of us who don't know better. Unless you really know the tell tale signs, it can be difficult to spot a fake. So, we should be helping our fellow guitarists spot the difference between them, and not going all die hard on them for asking a simple question.

 

[Dino Velvet]

..If it sounds too good to be true............................

 

[cobotacular]

It's not THAT simple bro. Plenty of fakes will still have Gibson stamped on the headstock, and a really good fake can still have a corresponding serial number stamped on it. Fraudsters will stop at nothing to make their product look as legit as possible in order to sell it to those of us who don't know better. Unless you really know the tell tale signs, it can be difficult to spot a fake. So, we should be helping our fellow guitarists spot the difference between them, and not going all die hard on them for asking a simple question.

Exactly! This is definitely a fake. There are a few "tell tale signs" but fraud markets have learned them and have been trying diligently to come closer to the real product. The give aways were the cheap rosewood fretboard, Crappy tuners, Non custom serial number and sloppy controls. Muzzbo you should be careful. There are some guitars look and play so close to the real deal you would never know but that guitar has 3 truss rod cover screws instead of 2 and then it would be completely fake.
Details man.

 

[rjshare]

It's not THAT simple bro. Plenty of fakes will still have Gibson stamped on the headstock, and a really good fake can still have a corresponding serial number stamped on it. Fraudsters will stop at nothing to make their product look as legit as possible in order to sell it to those of us who don't know better. Unless you really know the tell tale signs, it can be difficult to spot a fake. So, we should be helping our fellow guitarists spot the difference between them, and not going all die hard on them for asking a simple question.

i appologise if i have been all "die hard" because i answered a simple question in a simple way and it wasnt my intention to belittle his post, however the question was (were):

what would be considered a fake? the answer to that is not about considering anything. the answer is: any guitar that says gibson on it but wasnt manufactured by gibson. end of. what is to consider? it is cut and dried. you dont "consider" guitars as fakes - they either are fakes or they arent - spotting them is a different matter altogether

What would qualify it being genuine? well, er... being made by gibson!

perhaps the question he meant to ask was "how do you identify it as genuine (or a fake)?" in which case then there are a whole lot of criteria that contibute and help in doing so and i'm sure we collectively as a community could give the op an extensive list of what-to-look-fors - although it wouldnt take him long to search out one of the several (hundred) threads about identifying snide guitars either.

 

[colchar]

Seriously, what would be considered a fake?

What would qualify it being genuine?

Are you fvcking kidding?

 

[colchar]

It's not THAT simple bro. Plenty of fakes will still have Gibson stamped on the headstock.

The previous post said Gibson on the headstock and made by Gibson. It is the second half of that that makes it a legit Gibby.

 

[colchar]

They're already tagged with (I think) RFID transponders

So henry can track the Luddites?

 

[colchar]

The final solution to the counterfeit industry?
Ban all imports from said countries.

Never ever gonna happen.

 

[rjshare]

The previous post said Gibson on the headstock and made by Gibson. It is the second half of that that makes it a legit Gibby.

phew, thanks. at least you got my point!