http://www.ibanez.com/support/counterfeits.asp
Ibanez Counterfeit Warning
Some auction websites currently have hundreds of instruments that look like Ibanez guitars and/or feature our trademarked Ibanez headstocks and logos. These guitars do not offer the feel, sound and quality people expect from Ibanez. In fact, most are not good guitars by any standard.
We here at Ibanez, our distributors, and our retailers have heard many complaints from consumers who have purchased these instruments thinking they were getting a great deal when actually, in the end, they were getting swindled.
If a guitar is up for auction or straight sale at a price that's a fraction of what a new or used Ibanez guitar would typically sell for, chances are it's not a genuine Ibanez. If the shipping cost is more than the price of the guitar, it's probably not a genuine Ibanez. As the old saying goes," If something seems to good to be true, it probably is."
The best protection against being cheated or disappointed is to buy your new or used Ibanez guitars and basses from an authorized Ibanez retailer. To locate your nearest authorized Ibanez dealer, please consult the dealer locator here on our website.
One final but very important note: Because of the damages and hardship that illegal merchandise cause at so many levels, counterfeiting in the United States is a serious crime. By Federal statutes, it's not only a felony to sell counterfeit merchandise, it's a felony even to own it.
Bottom line: BE CAREFUL!!!
P.S. While I like my Ibanez Artcore very much, I find this statement from the company somewhat ironic. "Lawsuit", anyone? :wink: :lol:
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
The irony is noted, but it seems that Ibanez is saying that these imitations are being passed off as a genuine Ibanez. At least, that's what I get out of that blurb. If that is the case, it's a whole different deal, even flat out fraud.
Very true. The old so-called lawsuit Iby's were never marketed as anything other than Iby's. And Ibanez quality was never in question, either.
It was a subtle irony. :)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
It was a subtle irony. :)
And still quite amusing :lol:
God damn I've seen those and theyr irritating. You try n look for Ibanez's on ebay.co.uk and the listing is flooded with counterfeits from China like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wonderful-new-vogue-musical-tool-electric-guitar_W0QQitemZ7417691651QQcategoryZ33043QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
So its becomes so hard to find genuine stuff. Im amazed ebay hasnt done anything, its been going on for a long time!...hmm and strangely if you try and highlight any of that text, you get a nice message :roll:
click on the EU box on the left under search options and the Chinese ones disappear!
And I believe eBay do try and stop them but there are far to many that keep appearing
Ebay do nothing unless someone makes a complaint about an auction (this was a statement made by Ebay UK Customer Service).
If you want them to disappear, you have to note all the auction numbers and report them to Ebay for attempting to avoid paying Ebay fees (the postage is obviously far too high and is a common trick to get round the fees). They're gone in no time.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
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There was a guy on Guitar for beginners I think, who bid stupid amounts of money for these to block the naive from buying them! But as they flood ebay and make up the ratings it's hard to keep on top of them and have some sort of life
If you look at their early ratings, they're all as buyers of really cheap stuff, not as sellers - most people only look at the number and %-rating, not whether they bought or sold or what was involved.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
Im glad I saw this, a guy at our shop was telling me yesterday "Yer customing yer Ibanez? Theres lots of nice looking Ibanez bodies on EBay right now..." Hah. The Low Pro bridge on that guitar is worth more than the auction haha...
SHUT UP ABOUT IRON MAIDEN SOLOS AND GO PRACTICE!
-Manitou
this is so ironically funny.
back when there were two kinds of guitars...Fenders and Gibsons ( as a gross example...bear with me) Ibanez was the fake.
times have changed. :)
I had a look at one of the Chinese sellers and noticed one or two oddities. This is a new option from Gison, apparently - you have a choice of headstock styles :lol: :lol: :lol: 
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
I had a look at one of the Chinese sellers and noticed one or two oddities. This is a new option from Gison, apparently - you have a choice of headstock styles :lol: :lol: :lol:
i've never heard of "Gibsun" lol
#4491....
As I was in a really good mood, this weekend, I decided that, whilst I was waiting for an auction to finish, I'd report one guy's stuff to ebay. Within a few hours, 40 of his auctions had disappeared.
I've a good mind to write to Gibson, about these Chinese sellers, although they probably know already.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
Good work, Greybeard!
Those headstocks are pretty funny, too. If you're going to cheat, why make it so obvious?
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
