[Drew68]

This is a growing problem and is different than buying a fake Rolex for $40 --a watch that the buyer knows is fake and obviously looks fake. People are paying several thousand dollars for knock-off Les Pauls. More and more of them are finding their way to these shores.

Many of these guitars are handcrafted by Chinese and Korean luthiers and so closely mimic the originals that experts from Gibson had to be called in to verify that the guitars were fake. In many cases, these instruments far surpass Gibsons in quality and playability!

[Cymbaline]

Many of these guitars are handcrafted by Chinese and Korean luthiers and so closely mimic the originals that experts from Gibson had to be called in to verify that the guitars were fake. In many cases, these instruments far surpass Gibsons in quality and playability!

I suspect that what this is actually about is Chinese copies that are actually cheap garbage and aren't even accurate copies. That's been happening a LOT lately on ebay, where people are getting ripped off left and right and spending big money on these copies. People are fooled because either they aren't knowledgeable enough, or the pictures in the auction aren't clear enough.

And it's not just Gibson that's affected by the Chinese copies, it's Ibanez (people call them "Chibanez"), Fender, pretty much all the big name makers.

Basically any guitar that' made in China I wouldn't touch with a 50 foot pole. I've NEVER seen a Chinese guitar, by any company, that holds a candle to a real Gibson. Some Japanese guitars are awesome (Ibanez, Fender Japan, the Epiphone Elitist series), and even the Koreans are pretty good, but Chinese - no way. I'll never buy one, just on principle.

[Liberty Valance]

Fake Gibson guitars in New York...
is there nothing sacred anymore?

Hang'im!

[sinanju]

I don’t know beans about guitars but I did get a kick out of that recent Wall Street Journal article about “distressed” reproductions of rock veterans’ old classics. Recreated right down to the dings and scratches, so perfectly that well-known guitar legends are touring and recording with the reproductions and keeping their priceless originals in the vault.

[sinanju]

Of course I also got a kick when in ‘01 the late George Harrison appeared on the Howard Stern show. Howard administered his Beatles Trivia Quiz and George flunked.

[Grams A]

Did you see Bitter Pills? Imported drugs that are identical in all respects to the real thing including packaging. Lab tests reveal that inside they are filled with material used to make wallboard! Now available through your local pharmacy.

[Redcloak]

Maybe they’re just stunt guitars. You know... They kind they smash on stage.