U.S. customs officers seize 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars

TribeLive ^ | Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 | Patrick Varine

[cuz1961]

... U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Saturday announced the largest seizure ever of counterfeit Gibson electric guitars.

Working with U.S. Homeland Security and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, agents recently seized more than 3,000 counterfeit guitars at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest seaport complex.

...

All three agencies will be on hand with Gibson officials Tuesday morning in Carson, just a few miles north of the Port of Los Angeles, to detail the seizure and — in advance of the holiday shopping season — to caution consumers about fraudulence products sold on e-commerce platforms and other sources.

Here is a quick primer video on distinguishing a fake Gibson — often made in China and referred to as “Chibsons”

[rmccullo]

My 2022 Gibson Hummingbird Standard. My years-long search for a quality acoustic-electric ended the day I bought this guitar. Plays great, looks great, sounds amazing.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e7g0tj2uw56o7uiu92yoq/20241123_153431.jpg?rlkey=9uaut2w9napq5mulk24ke6f7n&st=9cdhsu2a&dl=0

Fantastic guitar.

[gibsonguy]

The 345 and the 355 are stereo sicks meaning each pick has its own output. This added versatility

[rmccullo]

Set up a search on this site for what you are looking for:

www.reverb.com

Any real Gibson ES won’t be cheap, period. Why? Because the Gibson ES line has always been the standard for slimline semi hollows.

You only live once...

[rktman]

Sweet

[left that other site]

I still pay around town at our communities Open Mike Nights, but I mostly teach now.

I’m kinda old. :-)

[rmccullo]

Interesting point. The numbers are certainly high, but they are not out of line with the deflation of the UD $

Example:

A brand new 1952 Gibson Les Paul (P-90 PUPs) listed for $210. CPI indexed to today’s $$ = $2,498.61
Source: https://wowablog.com/historical-price-lists-for-gibson-electric-guitars/

A brand new 2024 Gibson Les Paul Standard (P-90 PUPs)list price: $2,599. Source: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPS5P9GTNH—gibson-les-paul-standard-50s-p90-gold-top

I’d say that’s fair.

“Only a Gibson is good enough”.

[frank ballenger]

Solution: give each illegal alien a guitar and they’ll be easy to find!

---

Book about the 1960s....

https://www.google.com/search?q=images+book+guitar+army&sca_esv=2438b37d9629074e&udm=2&biw=1052&bih=479&ei=_XJCZ-SzEKeIptQPztunwAQ&ved=0ahUKEwikpuT42vOJAxUnhIkEHc7tCU

[frank ballenger]

RE: Probably sounded like a Chinese Zither

The tones said come hither
and no one would dither
at the sound of the zither.

[frank ballenger]

RE: “Epiphone”

My beloved cherry red Epiphone Casino was stolen from my apartment while I was at work in 1969.

I never got over it.

[Drew68]

The 345 and the 355 are stereo sicks meaning each pick has its own output. This added versatility

The ones Gibson is making today have the standard single output. And they chucked the Varitone switch, neither of which were very popular. I think some custom signature instruments still have both.

My Ric has the "Ric-O-Sound" dual outputs. I've never used it.

Another bit of useless trivia: The Don Felder Custom Gibson Doubleneck has dual outputs as well. Felder (a gearhead himself) ditched one of the tone control knobs and wired in a separate output to run the 12-string side into a Leslie speaker for Hotel California.

I guess it never occured to him to simply buy a Uni-Vibe.

[Mama Shawna]

HA! Too funny! But in all fairness, Epiphone makes a decent guitar if you’re on a budget.

[Mama Shawna]

Where’s your Strat? I don’t see one! Gotta have a Strat! (Says the girl with a black Strat, no Epi’s and no Gibsons). Plus my Martin D-1 which I play a lot more than the strat.

[frank ballenger]

Awesome and impressive.

Like the photos of the u shaped front driveway of your home when you parked all the luxury cars out there.

I wasn’t aware of the Dean V and while looking it up saw the Epiphone V which was its version of the beloved Gibson Flying V.

[Hammerhead]

Im DONE ordering ANYTHING off Instagram or FB!!! Iv been scammd too many times receiving ABSOLUTE garbage than what was advertised. DONE!!!!

[Drew68]

My beloved cherry red Epiphone Casino was stolen from my apartment while I was at work in 1969.

Bummer. Seriously.

Gibson is now making Casinos in America under the Epiphone badge. You can replace it for the low, low price of only $3499.

Epiphone also makes entry-grade Casinos in China and Indonesia and then a nicer mid-grade Casino in Japan.

[Drew68]

I wasn’t aware of the Dean V and while looking it up saw the Epiphone V which was its version of the beloved Gibson Flying V.

I love my Dean V. I got it for a steal. It's an old Korean-made model from the 90s and the previous owner outfitted it with DiMarzio high-output blade pickups.

Gibson has since sued Dean and so all of their current V and Explorer models, they've had to alter the shapes of. Now they don't look quite right.

[Mama Shawna]

Well crap. Didn’t see your list until after I posted. Looks like you have a couple Fenders. I’d really like a telly!

[gibsonguy]

“Only a Gibson is good enough”.
There ya go, however when you need a strat or a tele that’s what you need

[wally_bert]

Donating sounds like a great idea.

[Drew68]

Where’s your Strat? I don’t see one! Gotta have a Strat!

Funny, you ask. I actually consider myself primarily a Strat player.

Here's my baby. It's on old pic. It's a little more beat up now.

It was a "Wildwood Special" from Wildwood Guitars in Colorado, basically a '54 reissue with a thin-skin nitro finish with a 9.5" neck radius.

It's a wonderful Stratocaster.

I also have this one that I pretty much built myself from an old American-made Highway One series.

What I REALLY WANT is the new Fender USA Ultra II HSS Strat in Sinister Red.