Fake Guitars

Thanks Greybeard, I can't see myself ever buying something like that, but I know people out there would.

It's too bad really that eBay doesn't take stronger actions.

throw his butt in jail :evil:

If you contact Gibson, they might shut it down.....Maybe

If you contact Gibson, they might shut it down.....Maybe

I did, and they said they would be "taking measures" to have the fakes removed. 8)

If you contact Gibson, they might shut it down.....Maybe

I did, and they said they would be "taking measures" to have the fakes removed. 8)
I reported seveeral to Gibson a couple of months ago, but they're still trading, although 2 others are no longer trading on ebay.
The difference here is that the seller is in the UK, selling cheap Chinese crap, that he has probably bought under another ebay handle - I couldn't see feedback for the guitars, when he bought them.
I've emailed him as well, to tell him that he's "almost certainly" selling a fake. As yet, I've had no reply.

Update:
One of his 3 guitars sold to some poor sap with 0 feedback. He has relisted the other two. I wrote to him again and made it clear that he was selling fakes. He replied in such a way that I can only draw the conclusion that he knew what he was doing. Interestingly he asked me why I didn't send similar messages to the other sellers - giving me the idea that he trades under several names.
I replied to him saying that I know that he is fully aware that he is selling fakes and that, as ebay doesn't seem inclined to do anything, I'm going to inform Gibson UK and see what they do.

This kind of trash needs to be sent back to the tar pits, whence they came.

Further update.

I have a reply from Gibson UK saying that the auctions have been passed to their legal dept with the intention of prosecuting the seller.

It will be interesting to see what happens now (if anything).

Hopefully something. Good work!

Great work greybeard. Keep us posted.

8)

Greybeard - The Guitar Police , nightmare of the some ebay sellers.Behold...

That seller must be really cursing GB as to why he has to involve himself in it.

So much for the fellow guitar fraternity.Nice going.Keep us informed as to how that seller ended up in the courts.

Btw , is Gibson UK sending a token of thanks to you GB ? Atleast they should be kind enough to send some pack of strings , if nothing else.

Man it's hard to a difference in real or fake guitar sometimes.

Man it's hard to a difference in real or fake guitar sometimes.

Aye but in this case you just have to read the part that says.....

This guitar is a copy manufactured in China

And the headstocks do look a little anorexic :lol:

Having said this I own 2 fantastic Les Paul Chinese copies both a bargain at £150.00 each from our local bootsale here in the UK .

Pickups are even waxed and really powerful/sweet and buzzless.

They both p*ss allover any Epiphone LP Ive EVER owned but the necks are no match for my true Lesley They are great for taking to gigs and Jam sessions knowing that if they get lost its no big loss.
Although I would have to hunt another down.
Ive even been known to widmill one across the floor if the emotions run high enough after freebird and it still stays in tune today.

Its great that younger players can get a cheap and playable copy , theres too much shite around these days that can put a newer player off for life , Im really glad that when I started out the likes of ARIA and IBANEZ were banging some great copies out , sure made me appreciate how bad my Hono was !!!

(Im not talking about the sellers trying to pass off as real thing here by the way but really dont agree with the premium price Gibson are asking now that China is catching up with the Japanese and Korean Makers , find a good chinese model and you might just like the idea )

Doubt if the guy will get banged up or fined as he is listing as copys , they may just make him alter listing .
There are loads of replacement logos on Ebay anyway and actually seen / bought / sold a few Crappy reworked bolt neck Westfields here in UK after trying them out , these models dont deserve a gibson logo although a few of the fixed neck custom models Ive seen pass through my hands were good enough and well worth the cost of a pickup makeover !!!

Also seen a couple of Gender Stratocasters , which from a distance looked like "Fender" and a couple of Givsons a few years ago LOL

Givson still exist to this day ...SEE HERE http://www.givson.com/home.html notive theyve changed headstock though since I had mine , the slanted / deep slashed upper body of the "Electric Spanish" LOL looks extremely simular to an aria PE LP model , now these models in the 80s were something of a fantastic guitar IF you found a good one , I loved em and still have 2 x CS200 , 1 x CS350 and a fantastic PE like the one Andy Summers used in the Police , its by far the most beautiful wood finish Ive had and bought shortly after the "lawsuit" era when Aria stopped the copies made thier 1st? own guitar .
It looks like an aged "victorian" beeswaxed cabinet now complete with contoured top and sunken receses for the control knobs, stunning
These are real classics if you see one buy one .

not many copies become classics in thier own right but these are
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING
- edited by greybeard to conform to GN posting rules
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He uses the auction title to state "Gibson LP", which it isn't. He also claims that they use genuine Gibson parts, which I, for one, cannot believe - what does a set of Burstbuckers cost? - Half the price of the guitar or more.
If it's a copy, why does it have "Gibson" on the headstock? Why does it carry the legend "Les Paul Custom", when it's not? Why does it have a Gibson serial number? Why does it say "Made in USA" on the headstock, when it's made in China?

It's the intention to deceive that makes the crime. Having been told of the fact that they are almost certainly fakes (I was being careful in case he turned out to be a lawyer 8) ), he simply changed one small part of the text - where it was made.

I'll leave the rest up to Gibson.

well I dont know and heres me worrying about all the silly wars in the world when I should really be worried someones hacking into Gibsons profits a little , LOL.

Stop worrying about it , if he gets removed another will take his place , its the simple rule of supply and demand .
If Ebay removes them they will just do as before and list without a headstock picture and say Email me for details.

Its not worth a crusade you wont win these are rife at the bootsales here in the UK along with all counterfeight goods , I know it doesnt make it right but thousands upon thousands of people in the UK attend fields on a sunday morning and buy counterfeight goods from the back of cars.
To stop this you would have to visit each of these every sunday and they never get done when caught.
The bobbies catch em one week and next week they are back with thier nice chinese givsons and senders and a bootfull of xbox 360 games

He quite clearly says "chinese copy" and in my eyes it looks a pretty damn good copy !! .
I would be concerned however if he WAS trying to pass it off as a Gibson at Gibson prices and Im sure there are some still doing that.
His copys are a little on the pricy side maybe if it needs a complete "Chinese Electrics Makeover" , some are very good and some are bad but none are as bad as the cheaper Epiphoneys.
The cheap Epiphoneys just suck in my opinion at anything over bedroom volume , but SOME of these chinese guitars are worthy of playing the stage at Glastonbury.!!!

Get em while there hot kids and if you are that worried then painty over the headstock.

I still would recommend buying a good Aria copy though from the 70s / 80s they usually go for about the same price :D