Personally, for me, if I were to get one, KNOWING it's not a real Gibson, then I am taking the name off. But here in the U.S, most of the Chibsons coming that I heard about, they are in pretty bad shape. Now, if you want to get it for a modding project, I don't see why not. But like I said, I am taking the name off of it.
I recently disposed of a Chibson I purchased almost a decade ago. (It having major problems combined with being a fake made me choose to dispose of it so it would not be re-circulated). Anyways before it went in the trash bin, I tried to break the headstock. I dropped it multiple times, threw it across the garage, I put it on a concrete floor and stood on the neck like a skateboard bouncing my weight. It just would not break, absolutely wild.
Who says you need to pay someone to do a fret job? Or any work on your guitar? No one. No man or woman should be afraid to work on their guitars, and there’s no better way to learn than on a 200$ guitar. Everything you need to know you can find on RUclips. And once you’ve done it well you got that skill forever. No guts no glory. Live by it
Loved the video. I got a chibson lp a few years back from a local guy for stupid cheap, he even threw in a really nice hard case. I was curious to see how bad it could be and also I wanted it to practice some mods on. Changed the pickups for a set of tone riders, changed the tuners as they were a bit crap and changed the toggle for a switchcraft. Played ok, and gave it to my luthier as a few dead spots on the frets and the nut was rubbish. Bloody thing plays amazing now, best neck of any guitar I’ve got including high end Gibson’s. Everything you said in the video is right. Bones of many of these knock offs are actually pretty good, but you gotta spend some money to get it there… was it worth it.. hell no, but I enjoyed the journey and it did come in a very nice case 😅
@@stevejenner6838 very inspiring story mate🔥, you and video uploader are absolutely right "Bones of many of these knock offs are actually pretty good" - just change the pieces of hardware coupled with a great pro setup will transform your Chibson into something even better than the super expensive "original" if only the Chibson owner knows how to UPGRADE with the perfect specs - like tuners, pick-up, switch and especially the plastic nut to (bone nut). I wouldn't trade my $280 Chibson to any guitar below $2,000 w/o set-up. That's how good it is after the set-up.👌
@@2good2betrue3 cheers for your comment. I think you also need to have a bit of luck on your side too. There are chibsons and there are other chibsons, as they are all made in different factories to varying quality control. I could tell right away the cheapy I picked up was from one of the better builders as apart from crappy hardware and indifferent fret job, it was a decent LP, so worth putting some money into
I have a genuine cherry red Gibson SG and you can clearly see a centre join in the body. Even the grain in the wood looks different, so the two sides don't appear to be matched from the same piece of wood. It also shows a colour mismatch between the two sides caused by the mismatch in the grain. So Gibson have nothing to brag about re finish quality.
@@mit1346 I bought it online. The problem is you don't get to see it until it's delivered. I didn't return it because I still like it. It plays very nicely. I reckon next time I'm in the market for a new guitar I'll go shopping at music stores. Hey we live and learn.
Bought a P90 Gibbie SG. Plekked, etc, but the neck pickup hadn't been screwed in so the strings lay on it. How could that have been tested? Bought a Chibbie Byrdland - a model no longer made by Gibson, so I could justify it that way. Just needed a fret polish and a neck oil. Plays and sounds beautiful. Chibbie was 1/6th of the cost of the Gibson. Which would I buy again? Let me think...
I'd gladly pay 250$ for a Gibson copy instead of giving another dime to this company. There are loads of manufacturers making better instruments at a better price.
Both Fender and Gibson have gotten too greedy and one can't rely they care about customers anymore. Besides, the innovation along with right price is to be found elsewhere.
I completely agree, just get one without branding on the headstock. Save yourself the hassle of being told your Gibson is fake, because it's not a Gibson and doesn't need to be. It's a perfectly working good looking alternative that's a fraction of the cost, it doesn't look $1000+ cheaper but it is.
You should build your own guitar, it’s not that hard. I bought authentic materials (one piece Honduras Mahogany body blank and neck, aniline dyes, nitrocellulose lacquer etc., components worth about a grand and build one from scratch. Most I did, I did with hand tools. ( Topcarve with French scraper for instance) I got the plans online, the mandatory tools from stew Mac and build my own templates. It’s based on a ES 336 but a bit smaller body size and thinner, since it’s a solid body instead of a hollow body ES-336 and it weight slightly less than my CS ‘59 Les Paul, around 3,4kg. It looks cool, sounds unbelievable and strays in tune perfectly. It was my first electric and I already have all components for an authentic ‘59 replica. 😂
Holy fuckin shit I love your video. Finally someone that doesn't bore me to death with the details of ohms and shit. Straight and to the point. Immediately subscribed a minute in and I am off to binge watch everything else.
It's actually real timber buddy. I couldn't tell what kind, ebony, jatoba, rosewood, panga. It could literally be any, although most likely the cheapest option.
Nice video. I bought a Chickenbacker from China and it's much better than what I hoped for. There is only one fret that rocks a drop and I was surprised at how good the mini humbuckers are. Only think I would change out is the pots because I think the volume pots are linear? Is that the right term? You turn them a bit before anything happens. Other than that is pretty nice.
The 9 pounder I just got for just under $200US actually has a maple top, luck of the draw! Full fret level right away then replaced every single thing but the pickguard and the strap buttons. Myself though. All by myself! I love it!
I really can’t get over the quality of content on your channel. The knowledge sharing is ace, the workmanship is ace, the humor is ace, the production and editing are ace. I can’t believe you don’t have more subscribers. Where is everyone?!?
I have a Chibson Lemon Burst 1959, the beauty was shockingly good for $280. Everything is great, the only thing I don't like is sharp frets, so I took it to a Pro Luthier for full set-up, and I was really surprised that even the luthier at first glance thought it was a real Gibson and only when he inspects it, he realized it's a copy.😮Now it plays like a dream with ball end frets, low action, bone nut, the stock pickups sound great so I did not replace it. All the labor just costs $150, so overall it's worth $400 with the change to bone nut as the only upgrade, and it NEVER stays out of tune.👌 All my friends admire it and thinks it's a $5,000+ Gibson so that really put a smile on my face.🤭 Because I was NOT scammed in buying the overpriced, very expensive "original" that doesn't stay in tune especially the G-string😆 and at the same time I get the same admiration because it has the "iconic logo" without me busting the bank.🤘hahaha.😈😁 I just laugh at elitist gear snubs who are guarding their imaginary "elitist gear club", they take pride of their very expensive, bank busting $5,000 to $20,000 Gibson that doesn't stay in tune.😂Chibsons are the equalizer (with Professional Full-setup) Thanks for this video, I got to express how satisfied and happy I am with my Chibson.😅💯
@@2good2betrue3 fuckin A, I feel the same way about mine, it’s a 59 with a awesome tiger striped body, can’t remember what the finish is called, it’s a very nice axe, its beautiful and hanging on my wall so I can see her everyday, 🤣🎸🤘
@@jmangi6221 Haha, nice to hear that mate, We both have the best "Les Paul" according to "experts"- the legendary 59.🤭 probably it's the same Lemon Burst with Tiger striped👌Enjoy your guitar and be proud of it - we have the $20,000 Murphy Lab equalizer hahaha.😂 I'm gonna buy another one soon. Cheers!
@@jmangi6221 Great!😀 you choose the seller with "store" on the name followed by lots of numbers. The one with lots of positive review at AExp__ (my comments don't show up whenever I type it in full.) 👍
I used to sell Gibson guitars. I was very embarrassed by the junk we got from the US. I remember when my boss yelled at a hesitant buyer: "Can't you see this is a genuine American guitar? Now buy it!". But it had a crappy fret job, the nibs were crap, and we even got brand new guitars with cracks in the heel-neck joint. When our first shipment of Chinese Epiphones arrived in the late 1990's, all necks were bent/warped/twisted. We sold them at cost to unsuspecting buyers...or fools...as my boss used to call them. Gibson are pricks and boast about their poorly-made guitars. "Play Gibson. Play genuine crap". Gibson evidently stole headstock and body design of the Les Paul from O.W. Appleton. Appleton approached Gibson a decade before the Les Paul came out with his prototype that looked exactly (more or less) like today's Les Paul. Therefore, even if I wouldn't stand on-stage with a fake myself, in my view, anyone should be able to make copies but NOT put the Gibson (Shit-son) name on it.
At that point, why even care if they DO put the Gibson name on it? I mean, if the design is practically stolen to begin with... the Chibsons are copies of copies!? Maybe it does the guitar a disservice to write "Gibson" on the headstock.
@@465marko Sadly, Mr. Appleton is long dead and any challenge to Gibson in court would have probably failed as the Gibson Les Paul is sufficiently different to Appleton's design for Gibson to get away with the theft of the idea. However, I still don't think that people should misrepresent a product by putting the Gibson name on a fake guitar. But the body and headstock shape are all up for grabs as they existed long before Gibson even existed but it is not their design. It's like Musicman who they threatened to sue the company that I worked for years ago for releasing a guitar with a headstock design that had 4 and 2 machine heads. The fact that the 4 - 2 design was already around decades before Musicman made it popular didn't bother Musicman. They sent their cease and desist letter and my management crumbled.
@@Anonymous-si6py The Musicman thing is craziness to me. As an outside perspective anyway - I don't know how this stuff all works. But like, not only because the design was already around. But because something like a 4-2 headstock seems like such a broad thing to have a monopoly on - if you know what I'm trying to say? I can (almost) understand if it was exactly the same shape, exactly the same everything. Or if it was some novel invention. But then, people were doing it decades before Musicman anyway. It's nuts. For the fake guitars, I think anyone who would try to make money by passing them off as the real thing, is a POS. That's fraudulent. But selling it cheap when everyone knows it's fake - I don't really have a problem with that, tbh. I guess maybe it messes up the used market a little. Because the more fakes there are, the more people ARE going to try and sell them as real Gibsons. But also, the more buyers become cautious, having to scrutinize everything (so it'll be harder to defraud people, but it's a pain in the ass as a buyer knowing there are fakes out there). But besides that, I don't think I fully understand the hate. Unless you're Gibson lol.
i think the best thing is no fret lips , no fret lips is a upgrade to me, but now some chibson getting better, got the lips and omatic bridge, to be honest your chibson finish looks great to me, not every chibson build from same factory , there some good and some bad , lot of chibson the finish doesn't looks right ,but this one i think is ok, in my opinion most people buy chibson mainly for the body or basic construction ,people like to modify it for your own taste, because not a real deal,is ok if you messed up ,and if you got a bad one, not a bad way to learn to fix guitar too, and have some fun on the process .
If you used Warman PAF humbuckers, (they're excellent,) and did the level crown and polish yourself, you could buy everything including a Dremel, for under £175. Great fun too
It was the same as most necks with a decent fret job really. Comfy at 1.5mm. Incidentally that's a bit low for my heavy handed playing. It's a perfectly good neck.
I bought a Chibson Greeny a few months ago and was duly surprised by the quality. The only thing it needed doing to it out of the box was a bit of fret polishing on the 3rd and 5th fret. I bought it as a project guitar and my first time doing handywork on guitars. It was slightly reliced, but still needed a lot more doing to it so I’ve been slowly sanding it and working on it. Ive changed the magnet of the pickup and will eventually replace the hardware as well. Good guitars for a bit of fun and games.
I paid 500 euro for a top end Chibson has full flame maple top, nitro finish, one piece body and neck, bone nut and fret end nibs. I jut gave it a light fret level and crown. I did change out the electronics but the original stuff was actually good enough so didnt really need to be done. After 6 years couple of very fine cracks in the binding just how a Gibson woud do after time. Neck is perfect no twists and buzzy frets. All the haters were wrong.
First time viewer here. You do a great job. I too restore , repair, buy , sell, and trade guitars. I have a small studio. I write songs, play, record them , and make CD’s and give them away. I’m an old codger and have had some high end guitars during my life. Some took me years to pay for. But, once I learned how to work on them , I do what you just did. Since I’m getting on in years and do not perform in public anymore. I have sold most of my name brand vintage guitars, and have bought cheap replacements for them. Since, when recording people do not know if you’re playing an expensive or a fixer upper. If you record it properly , use eq, and have the right attitude know one can tell a 57 Name brand Tele style guitar from a fixer upper. I sold 12 last year and took the money that was left from buying the replacements and bought stock. I however have never bought a guitar that has a fake logo. The ones I upgrade all have the actual brand on them . I feel out of all the guitar manufacturers or regardless of nation of origin , in this time in history, Indonesia are the best craftsman. The ones made there are much more superior than China or Korea. There is one brand in particular which I have the most of . I have to do very little work to them and actually have them to be better than the instruments they copied. I will not advertise for them , but they are sold through a distributor in Germany. Keep up the great work. If anyone is interested, my music is on RUclips @LarryBuckBarker Original Songs. I hope all have a happy and healthy day. Cheers!!
it's not whether Chibsons are good or bad (plenty of both categories exist), but simply the fact that they are counterfeit goods. That being said, whichever guitar gives you joy is the one you should own and play.
So is a Gibson lookalike, that are on sale in every budget guitar store in UK, USA or Europe, morally better just cos they don't have the Gibson logo? That would be the only difference.
I bought a Chibson during Covid lockdown. Put some nice Dimarzio pickups in it and had a local tech run it through a touch up, much like this video, and restring. Three years later it's a great guitar and even stays in tune longer than my authentic Gibson Les Paul.
I’m an engineer and all around tinkerer. Taught myself how to do fret work and already had soldering and electronic skills. I like taking less expensive guitars (not fraudulent copies with illegitimate brand names) and making then play well, as long as the “bones” are good a good playing instrument can be had for much less $$.
Hey man! Loved this! Just received a custom chibson with all the crap you listed here esp frets. Wanted to start with that and buy up on specs to see if I wanted to spend the actual money on a real G single cut. How do I get in touch? Based in Cornwall
Just discovered your site...love it! Honest with a sense of humour. I retired about 10 years ago from teaching cabinetmaking and took up guitar. Looking at your shop makes me want another one!! ..nice workspace . Keep up the good work and thanks. (Ps..I had a similar horror story with a Harley Benton strat about 5 years ago...I got it playing fine but by then it was close to the cost of a Fender Player, plus all the hours put in.)
I bought a chib and did all the work to properly set it up. I did add a bone nut and a roller bridge. The bridge on mine was wonky. Now the action us super low and sounds amazing. One of my favorites of all my guitars now. Which is up against 3 real Gibsons, 3 fenders, and schecter. It plays as good as any I have. Mine, including the upgraded parts, was around $330. My 2 cents.
I bought a X-plorer. I've replaced all electronics and hardware. The nut is plastic and maybe someday I'll replace that. The frets needed polishing. The figured top is veneer, not panel, and the fingerboard is synthetic (which I happen to prefer). It wasn't shielded. It doesn't have "Gibson" on the headstock (I wouldn't have bought it if it did). I've lightened the body by routing and cutting part off (which I never would have done to a real Explorer)(I also wouldn't have screwed the strap into the back of it either, which I did to reposition where the guitar hanged on my body). I'm very happy with the end product, and it cost me about 1/3 what a new Explorer would. Also, because it wasn't a real Gibson, I could modify it however I wished, and I did. The finish is perfect. The construction is perfect. It played perfectly right out of the box. The parts weren't even close to perfect; that is their weakness. But for $250, plus about $500 put into it? Wow.
Interesting, I've had one for a time now and been great no issues other then changing the strings to 8s when it arrived, action was good, pickups good and for 200 fun vouchers. I personally won't sell it even tho prices are going up on s/h market. Would i buy i gibson? If i had the money probably yes, but for 200 squid its a no brainer, and what id save over a gibson, get a nice amp as well
I've worked on guitars for many years, way before there were "Chibson's". I have straightened necks smoothed fret ends and leveled frets, even (plecked) Gibsons time and again. What is amazing is the customer who has both and realizes after the set up that one plays as good as the other. The USA trade policies and practices are chiefly responsible for this and we will continue to see this happen until that changes. USA made guitar prices will continue to climb.
best choice 2024 is I believe by far HB, 289 quid. Harley Benton are checked at Thomann/EU. stainless jumbo frets, tesla opus-1 pickups, graphite nut, decent HW and POTs, just got it, adjusted truss rod and intonation (was necessary) plays, sounds and feels ~ 5000$ PRS McCarty
When I l moved New Zealand I needed a cheap guitar to tide me over so I ordered one of these. I ordered no Logo and P-90's. At the time it cost me $250 US. Unfortunately came with Humbuckers and a Gibson logo. Have to say it was a very nice quality guitar. Pickups were from Epiphone Frets were respectable as far as level and no fret sprout. Biggest surprise was the body was a single piece mahogany and the cap was a solid piece of maple. I scratched some paint off in the pickup rout to confirm. It's a gold top so cant say anything for the grain. There is a small blush in the gold paint but who cares it's small. I can't say it is the guitar I pick up the most but not a fan of Les Pauls and same goes for humbuckers plus I don't like the weight. Mine weighs 9lbs 2oz. but it's a solid player I have stamped X's over the made in USA and number on the back and would love to get rid of it but am afraid to sell to some unscrupulous person who might try to rip some one off. So there she sits.
Did you by chance get to see the name of the shop that produced this? All the Chibsons I've seen came with a sticker over the falsified logo, identifying the builder. LS Customshop does some decent work.
ive seen a few chibsons that had fret nibs and a nitro finish and epiphone dose not offer those specs. im tempted to try one out someday. the setup stuff i do to all my guitars and all my friends guitars for free witch i see costs hundreds of dollars otherwise..lol at least i enjoyed the work. im wondering how much to charge myself for a re-fret on my old strat neck? i don't dare do another level and crown. im estimating about twenty thousandths of an inch left give or take. they lasted almost 33 years.
Chibsons are neat, but every one I've gotten has gotten a dimension or detail wrong that was such a severe eyesore to me personally despite objectively being extremely minor I found myself having to part with all of em and swearing off gambling on Aliexpress axes. If they made a LP Deluxe copy (with mini hums) that may convince me to change my mind however
What a refreshing take on the reality of a cheap guitar, no real surprise it’s not going to be perfect. At least you can afford to fix it , break it and fool idiots, well done and brilliant delivery
How refreshing to hear someone who comes from my part of the world. And totally agree we don't want to be supporting the rip-off industry. Entertaining video. Glad to have found your channel.
Loving your style! Yay!! 👍🏼I paid £300 to get my pro 2 Strat set up along the lines of what you did here. Made a significant improvement. Do you not do any set up work? I have a 50s style black squire Strat in need of a set up. One of those guitar guitar short runs black guard Gilmour style but I’ve added hot noiseless pick ups. Needs a proper set up as action is way high. Again. Loving your videos. ❤
Cheers boss. I don't do any work on other peoples guitars actually. I remenber that series on the Guitar Guitar web site. They were a great bargain. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Just got my bull’s-eye Zakk Wylde not everybody has 10 grand to go spend on a gutiar mine is absolutely amazing it even came with active pick ups. I had to sell my EVH Frankie a couple of months ago and bought this to have something to play for the time being well, I’m keeping it I’m not changing the thing. It sounds great plays great feels great. Measurements are right on, etc. all for under $300 and it got to me in seven days from overseas and now I’m buying the Frankie relic for 240 to hell with fender and Gibson….. for the price you can’t beat this so complain all you want for those of you who have the real Les Paul are a real fender. Go ahead and call the company up when you have a problem and see how much they help you for . for me I’m more than happy with my purchase and making a RUclips video showing it. God bless.
I look forward to seeing your video on the Chibson you bought and like. I've thought about buying an Ace Frehley Les Paul Chibson, but afraid I'll get one that won't stay in tune. I can't justify spending thousands on a real one. There's really no money in music anymore.
I’ve never bought one one of these copies but after seeing one on scar my guitar and then on this channel,so I think imma buy one just to see what they are selling
Wylde Audio is not Chibson, a Chibson is a counterfeit trying to pass off as a Gibson. Some of Zakk's designs are quite crazy and none of them try to be what they aren't. Rock that Wylde for what it is
I’ve bought various Chibsons, a Chender Jazz-Mastur, and a Chofner Paul McFartney bass… lot of business I have with Union Jacks since I’m from Texas, lmao..but the Union Jack looks cool AF lmao. I seem to have extraordinarily better luck than some, as I’m pleased with them all. Bought them over the past 10, 12 years. They generally need wax-potting (if humbuckers), and a general setup by my man at the single music shop we have in this remote small town, and after a little coddling, they’re perfectly fine. One Chibson advantage is you can order them in colors which don’t occur in “Gibson nature”. Some kids that came knocking cos they heard me making noises, this one fetal-stage little girl saw my neon-pink “Res Paul Custom” and literally gasped in awe. She was all, “Like, oh my gawiid, that is SO COOL”, lol. When I took my Chofner bass up there to be sorted, someone was all, “Wow, you have that; that’s a limited edition, you lucky dog”. Then when I told him it was a Chinese fake, he didn’t believe me. I was allowing him to plug it up and noodle, and he thought I was lying. That Chofner is a very good copy. I just buy one occasionally because they’re stunningly inexpensive, not because I’m a monster. Tbh, I don’t give the issue of “counterfeit” much thought. That’s a “rock & roll” attitude, I think. Rockers are supposed to be rebellious, and all that. lol. I wish good luck to anyone seeing this who may order one. Look at the store ratings; I suggest paging past any stores within DH Gate which don’t rate at least 95%. That may be one of the factors involved in the good luck I’ve been having. Cheers, and no offense to the Chibson haters; you do have a point I suppose.
I bought a Chibson Peter Frampton 3 pick up Les Paul for the equivalent of GPB 500 2nd hand. Think I am mad read on. I replaced 2 of the PUPS with Gibson pickups (not the middle) and bined the tuners and was starting to sound good. After proper set up it plays like you would not believe ! I had a 2008 legit LP tribute and sold it real quick as the neck was like a log .Sounded great but the Chibson necks are much more playable. I bought 2 more legit ones after this and they still do not match the Chibson playing wise. All up I have spent around AUD 2,000 and more than happy as this had a perfect neck and fret job so my tech did not need to touch it or the nut. I have never forgotten one gig I played all right now and during the solos I got some applause as it sounded so good. I knew that after discounting as a fake I would have a great guitar. Anyone that sees it does not argue. FYI to order a "Gibson" Peter Frampton Les Paul prepare to shell out AUD 11,799 , FYI I own a variety of guitars 😀 which includes 4 Gibsons.
I not only own an unbranded Chibson, but a Chibson Kit Guitar from Pango. I assembled the guitar and finished the quilted maple cap in a Honeyburst myself. I did not however use Any of the electronics, tuners, pickups or plastics. Everything was upgraded to high quality parts and set up by a professional guitar tech. The kit was $350. The new parts were close to $500. The set up was another $150. The guitar is Awesome. The equivalent Epiphone Les Paul custom is $1300....Which I Also own... And required a fret level and set up, right out of the box.
Just got myself a chibson. I didn't know it was a chibson when I got it, but not that I really care. According to the guy i got it from, this here is pretty old, and I'm the 4th (and last) owner already. Based on my needs as a musician, it does great! I'm not even ashamed to say it's a chibson. Seems to me they seem to be better than expected of fakes. Note: I did not buy it from a retailer. I bought it from some dude who wanted to sell his old guitar on facebook. Anyway, awesome video! Might have mine checked for a set up soon. Thanks!
I have an inspired by Gibson Epiphone Les Paul Special. Cost GBP350. Played beautifully straight from the box and you have all-on to hear the difference between it and my mates Gibson '58 special although the more modern finish is the giveaway. Bought in a UK dealer (Anderton's), the backup is there and Epi is actually owned by Gibson. Even if they are made in China, the QC is obviously miles better than the Chibson reviewed.
Great video, this guy tells it how it is. I bought a Chibson Firebird expecting to have to spend time and money and I'm really happy with it. Steinberger banjo tuners, graphtech nut, D'Urbano pickups, Gotoh bridge and a really good wiring harness, CTS pots and Switchcraft jack and toggle. Hours of fretwork and setup but really enjoyed it. It's probably cost £700 plus my time and for that, it's a great guitar which I gig regularly. It's fooling nobody and I'd probably get peanuts if I sold it but that was never the point.
If you want a straight away player that you don't want to touch or pay to have set up - definitely spend more to get better. But if you go into these cheap buggers with the expectations that some fiddling will be required, they can be great to learn to fiddle with, modify or even get a feel for all sorts of different bodies/necks and pick up styles to point you in the direction of other expensive models you might not normally have considered otherwise.
Great video! Learning how to do my own level/crown/polish has saved me serious amounts of money, and the tools to make it happen cost about the same as one good setup. There aren't many guitars that are unredeemable - I think I've had one that I gave up on out of about 20 setups. The one disappointing thing I've seen is that no one is able to do a good fret dress. The two best ones I've had from the factory are Harley Benton and Yamaha. Had issues with Charvel, PRS, Mooer, Fender.
I have a chibson 'R9' in plain Top Honeyburst (I specificly asked for that), payed $300 in 2020. Fret nibs, period correct headstock, and also all measurements are true to the historic 59, I checked that multiple times. I changed pups, electronics, strings, tuners, bridge and knobs. And it needed a good setup and fret leveling and all the fretwork. I have a friend whith a real Gibson R9 and we both played the two guitars intens. We both find mine the better one. Mine is $700 now. (I did all the work myself) So how on earth can a Gibson be like $8000?? So all the people who cry about the 'not real', you're ok with the Gibson scam because of a 'real' decal ?? Every time I pick up that guitar, I smile. It's a great time to be a guitarplayer.
My argument would be for 700 you could get a better guitar, it wouldn't say gibson but you aren't fooling anyone who would be impressed with a gibson anyway. I can pick up a studio or an epiphone standard for 550 and 250 respectively and they will both play great.
I watched this video a while back, I've known about the Chibson phenomena for quite a while. I think they're at the point now where they're like an invasive species that has become so well established it's never going away. I stumbled across them on Ebay shipping from sellers in the US, about 32,000 of them in the "unbranded" guitar search. Although I've resisted for years, I bought a Angus Young signature model SG last week to hang on the wall. I have to say, it's pretty nice. Beyond just "playable". I got lucky though, I've seen some that are pretty rough. Anyway it's funny how youtube threw this video back in my feed after I bought one. The algorithm knows all.
🤣 don't watch my channel for the playing buddy ... I'm just figuring out the whole recording process to improve the samples. I'm sure you can appreciate there's a ton of things to learn when setting up a RUclips channel. Thanks for watching though.
Further conformation that while I would not give up my '86 Les Paul Studio for anything, I would gladly shell out $300 for a Chibson, and then bring it up to speed, rather than dumping $5-10K on a new Gibson factory model (that is chambered, prone to poor wiring (among other things), and bad finishes). To be fair, I feel pretty much the same way about Fenders today - I'll buy a Squire Tele and spend a little sweat on it, rather than thousands for an "official" one that doesn't sound or play as well.
Yeah I've owned a few Strats over the years ranging from £300 to £3000. I can't see a reason to buy anything more expensive than a Mexico guitar. Literally the same as a USA in the hands.
I had a Chibson black beauty once - it was fairly terrible. But I played a gig using it and I used amp simulation (to keep stage volume down) through the PA and had an old Marshall amp that I used as a monitor. After the gig a punter came up to me and said "Nothing sounds better than a Gibson through a Marshall amp"...didn't have the heart to tell him that it wasn't a Gibson or Marshall amp he was listening to.
@@Milehousestudios Very true. The man Les Paul said himself, "people listen with their eyes" when he came up with the layout of the black Les Paul Custom. It looked good on our old black and white TV's in the 50's, with Les in his tuxedo.
I keep telling people that any guitar can be good, just as long as the foundation is decent to start with. Would be interesting to put the chibson and epiphone sude by side to compare the quality.
I allways say that they can better look for an 80ies Aria Pro, Westone or everything build by Matsumoku. The westones and aria's can be found for a friendly price and build to last.
OK then. First video iv ever seen of yours. Fuckin loved it. I don't have a want to build guitars but you can bet English ass imma be watching some more. Underrated
I bought a AliExpress guitar and the fret work was shocking. The good thing is, it gave me the opportunity to buy the tools and teach myself to do a fret level and crown. I'm sure a proper tech would be horrified at the job especially with cheap tools I did but it actually plays now and doesn't fret out everywhere. I've since done a few fret levels and crowns on other cheap guitars I've bought as my confidence grows. I like the look of that Z file though! Think I need to invest in one of those for sure. I'm not too keen on my current fret crowning files.
I had one of these for a little bit mostly because I was bored. I thought that with the part I had lying around I'd hop it up a little bit. Turns out that my Gibson hardware didn't fit and for the money I would have to add to it I could've just bought a used Gibson Studio that will always retain its value.
The instrumental track that is playing when he is doing the fret work around the 6 minute mark is freaking incredible. Very power metal-ish. Reminds me of my university band.
Good informative channel especially on fret levelling filing👍good humour made me laugh your comments😂 interesting info on this piece guitar wooden top cheers🎉❤🇬🇧
I got my Chibson "Old Black" LP replica about a year ago. Swapped out the electronics, leveled and polished the frets, and replaced the trem with a real Bigsby that I already had. Plays better than the Gibson LP Studio that it replaced.
So a friend bought one very similar to the one in your video, not as dark red on the burst, first time i saw it, I thought it was real, the only tell is the headstock is a tiny bit thin, he wanted it as a shelf queen but eventually moved into a small unit so I bought it and just like this video it needed fret level, I put a bone nut, grover tuners on sale $90 I looked for a while and eventually scored, locking tones pro bridge and tail piece $77 because some guy didnt realise the difference between nickel and chrome vs nickel on nickel = a more golden nickel than chrome, I waited a bit longer and just recently new tonerider nickel covered Alnico 4 humbuckers $140 with cts pots, orange drops together with switchcraft toggle and jack, all on sale, aprox $60 .. Personally I hate thick gloss necks, I sand, sometimes aggressively, the necks on my guitars, there's no way I would do that to a $3000 plus dollar Gibson, which my chibson is a copy of, I chose to go this route because I work on guitars all the time, to a semi professional level, I wouldn't risk money buying one online for any amount of money because I've had people bring these ali express copy's to me, hoping I could fix them, Ive seen Rickenbacker copys made of foam and of corse the necks twist, Ive seen Gretsch copy’s with photo copied ( yes paper photos of flame tops ) that were glued to the guitar and spray painted over, thin tin foil stuck to guitar's and sprayed over with translucent paint to make it look metallic, guitars with no truss rods and some that have wires soldered in the back cavities that don’t actually go anywhere, wires that are soldered to pickups that lead nowhere, simply there for show lol 😂 The only way to buy a decent copy is if you know how to spot any and every issue a guitar can have, but unfortunately this seems to be the case with most guitar’s sold on line these days no matter what company makes them, especially overseas, more and more companies are selling inferior products with less quality control. After having said all that, I’m extremely happy with my Les Paul copy and doubt I would ever sell it, but I knew exactly what I was getting, buyer beware.
Man you did the complete overhaul. I've enjoyed the outcome of this video for comments like these. It seems the only way to get the whole picture. I have so many spares in the workshop that I think I'm going to have to do something similar. If the veneer is on top of actual maple I'll sand through and refinish like a bound studio...Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
I have to say I have seen plenty of cheap guitars that play really well. With that said I don't agree with counterfeit goods. Kinda like the old wonder bra really, good from afar but far from good once you get em out of the wrapper!
1st time watching, half way through the vid and already I can say I found a new channel to watch, use whatever oil you want I don't give a shit is the moment I hit subscribe
It's getting just as hard to find a genuine Gibson as it is to find a real Stratocaster. I suspect, at some point Gibson experimented with the MIC thing. It must have been very hush hush. I never heard of it. I believe Gibson decided against it. Probably quality issues. However, I think MIC kept right on making them. If MIC has to give them away for practically nothing anyway, why not brand it? Maybe they did. They wouldn't do that to a firefly, would they?
Amazing how much mystery there is around the subject. I'm also a reticent buyer of second hand humbuckers... That's also a minefield. Thanks for watching.
Depends on what you want, if you want a chinese knockoff go get one of these, if you want a real Gibson, buy one. The irony (at least from someone living in the States) is that the same people who embrace the chinese knockoffs and say that they're going to run out and buy one, are the same people typically going on ad nauseam about "china, china, china", until it comes to an imitation make of a iconic brand such as Gibson. If you've had a bad experience with a real Gibson, don't buy used garbage, don't buy entry level models and expect Custom Shop quality, and don't buy something that's been hanging on the wall at GC for two years and expect quality.
I bought a used ESP Ltd WA-600 Will Adler, Green Camo from Guitar Guitar about six years ago. It cost me £399 and was made in South Korea. I call it my poor man's Les Paul though there is definitely nothing poor about it's built quality and hardware.
Polished the frets and actually put Gibson pickups in it. It’s my favorite guitar to play. The fact that i have broken so many “laws” but im not in jail - elevates my spirit.
I've gigged thousands of shows with my Gibson Les Paul Goldtop and I also have a white Gibson Les Paul Custom. Amazing guitars. If you want a cheap copy for the bedroom/small pub gig, buy the Epiphone version and then swop out the pickups, the nut and the tuners. Newer Epiphones have better pickups in the higher range models.
If I buy an LP again it would be a gold top. Beautiful. Incidentally, the first concert I ever went to was the Manics and James' white LP was so iconic. It seems you've got two belters.
can tell it's not a real gibbo, it's still got the headstock attached :P
Easily the most controversial comment so far 🤣... Pinned for giggles.
Yeah, that's original. FFS.
@@stevedocherty1816 if that really bothers you, you can easily mod it.
Personally, for me, if I were to get one, KNOWING it's not a real Gibson, then I am taking the name off. But here in the U.S, most of the Chibsons coming that I heard about, they are in pretty bad shape. Now, if you want to get it for a modding project, I don't see why not. But like I said, I am taking the name off of it.
I recently disposed of a Chibson I purchased almost a decade ago. (It having major problems combined with being a fake made me choose to dispose of it so it would not be re-circulated). Anyways before it went in the trash bin, I tried to break the headstock. I dropped it multiple times, threw it across the garage, I put it on a concrete floor and stood on the neck like a skateboard bouncing my weight. It just would not break, absolutely wild.
Who says you need to pay someone to do a fret job? Or any work on your guitar?
No one. No man or woman should be afraid to work on their guitars, and there’s no better way to learn than on a 200$ guitar. Everything you need to know you can find on RUclips. And once you’ve done it well you got that skill forever.
No guts no glory. Live by it
100% true that
Amen, brother!
That’s wasted time and money. Best to save for a real Gibby.
This is how I learned to level and crown frets.
Start with a cheapo and now im doing some higher end.
@@ahf5471literally the stupidest thing to do nowadays is save up for a Gibson. They are mediocre guitars for a shit ton of money
i have a Chibson and it's great. 8 years so far and no issues. stays in tune and howls like a beast.
Dam rights, I have a few and they are awesome play great sound great feel great, love em
Thanks for sharing, I also have a Chibson and it plays like dream. People are missing a lot. Chibson FTW!😄
Loved the video. I got a chibson lp a few years back from a local guy for stupid cheap, he even threw in a really nice hard case. I was curious to see how bad it could be and also I wanted it to practice some mods on. Changed the pickups for a set of tone riders, changed the tuners as they were a bit crap and changed the toggle for a switchcraft. Played ok, and gave it to my luthier as a few dead spots on the frets and the nut was rubbish. Bloody thing plays amazing now, best neck of any guitar I’ve got including high end Gibson’s. Everything you said in the video is right. Bones of many of these knock offs are actually pretty good, but you gotta spend some money to get it there… was it worth it.. hell no, but I enjoyed the journey and it did come in a very nice case 😅
@@stevejenner6838 very inspiring story mate🔥, you and video uploader are absolutely right "Bones of many of these knock offs are actually pretty good" - just change the pieces of hardware coupled with a great pro setup will transform your Chibson into something even better than the super expensive "original" if only the Chibson owner knows how to UPGRADE with the perfect specs - like tuners, pick-up, switch and especially the plastic nut to (bone nut). I wouldn't trade my $280 Chibson to any guitar below $2,000 w/o set-up. That's how good it is after the set-up.👌
@@2good2betrue3 cheers for your comment. I think you also need to have a bit of luck on your side too. There are chibsons and there are other chibsons, as they are all made in different factories to varying quality control. I could tell right away the cheapy I picked up was from one of the better builders as apart from crappy hardware and indifferent fret job, it was a decent LP, so worth putting some money into
I have a genuine cherry red Gibson SG and you can clearly see a centre join in the body. Even the grain in the wood looks different, so the two sides don't appear to be matched from the same piece of wood. It also shows a colour mismatch between the two sides caused by the mismatch in the grain. So Gibson have nothing to brag about re finish quality.
I've noticed that a lot on SG's. I actually prefer an SG to an LP myself. Angry beasts.
@@Milehousestudios Yeah, I prefer the SG and they're much lighter. LP too heavy. Although I criticise the finish quality I still like playing it.
So why did you buy it?
@@mit1346 I bought it online. The problem is you don't get to see it until it's delivered. I didn't return it because I still like it. It plays very nicely. I reckon next time I'm in the market for a new guitar I'll go shopping at music stores. Hey we live and learn.
@@Milehousestudios I bought a Chibson SG.
Chibson, Chibanez, Chender.......they're not going away.
Even more correct now...The fact that there in the news makes more people want one
Don't forget Chickenbacker.
I bought a plexiglass Chan Armstrong. That turned out to be better than the original
Don't forget the CCPRS....
And chackson
Bought a P90 Gibbie SG. Plekked, etc, but the neck pickup hadn't been screwed in so the strings lay on it. How could that have been tested? Bought a Chibbie Byrdland - a model no longer made by Gibson, so I could justify it that way. Just needed a fret polish and a neck oil. Plays and sounds beautiful. Chibbie was 1/6th of the cost of the Gibson. Which would I buy again? Let me think...
I'd gladly pay 250$ for a Gibson copy instead of giving another dime to this company. There are loads of manufacturers making better instruments at a better price.
spot on mate I agree with you 100%
Both Fender and Gibson have gotten too greedy and one can't rely they care about customers anymore.
Besides, the innovation along with right price is to be found elsewhere.
I completely agree, just get one without branding on the headstock. Save yourself the hassle of being told your Gibson is fake, because it's not a Gibson and doesn't need to be. It's a perfectly working good looking alternative that's a fraction of the cost, it doesn't look $1000+ cheaper but it is.
You should build your own guitar, it’s not that hard. I bought authentic materials (one piece Honduras Mahogany body blank and neck, aniline dyes, nitrocellulose lacquer etc., components worth about a grand and build one from scratch. Most I did, I did with hand tools. ( Topcarve with French scraper for instance) I got the plans online, the mandatory tools from stew Mac and build my own templates. It’s based on a ES 336 but a bit smaller body size and thinner, since it’s a solid body instead of a hollow body ES-336 and it weight slightly less than my CS ‘59 Les Paul, around 3,4kg. It looks cool, sounds unbelievable and strays in tune perfectly. It was my first electric and I already have all components for an authentic ‘59 replica. 😂
@@scoobydoo936 Someday I'll get into it, just for the fun of it, no matter if it plays well or not.
ooo i hope you talk about the fret placement.. is it right for the scale length?
I'm not actually sure. There's a comparison video coming up in the future. I'll be sure to address that boss.
Holy fuckin shit I love your video. Finally someone that doesn't bore me to death with the details of ohms and shit. Straight and to the point. Immediately subscribed a minute in and I am off to binge watch everything else.
Holy shit ... My next video is all about ohms 🤣 just kidding, I'm too thick to get into that. Welcome to the family boss.
Why did you oil a composite fret board,looks like that compresed paper /cardboard material,not sure what it's called
It's actually real timber buddy. I couldn't tell what kind, ebony, jatoba, rosewood, panga. It could literally be any, although most likely the cheapest option.
Nice video. I bought a Chickenbacker from China and it's much better than what I hoped for. There is only one fret that rocks a drop and I was surprised at how good the mini humbuckers are. Only think I would change out is the pots because I think the volume pots are linear? Is that the right term? You turn them a bit before anything happens. Other than that is pretty nice.
I've got a Chickenbacker 4003 bass. It rocks!
Just the name alone is worth the purchase. Chickenbacker 😂
My first time watching one of your videos , and i gotta say .... I'll be watching more !!
You made me laugh once or twice !
Sweet. Welcome aboard boss.
Right , you've convinced me...I'm off to buy a Chibson.
Oh fuck....That wasn't my intention 😂
@@Milehousestudios God moves in mysterious ways...
@@plantagenant 🤣
@@plantagenant hells yea, don’t give Gibson a dime, freakin overpriced 💩 crap 💩
You should buy👌, I have one, and it's amazing ONCE fully set-up'd. You won't regret it.😉🤘
Thanks for the guitar class!🤘🖖
Thanks Doug. That's very unexpected and kind. All the best
The 9 pounder I just got for just under $200US actually has a maple top, luck of the draw! Full fret level right away then replaced every single thing but the pickguard and the strap buttons. Myself though. All by myself! I love it!
This was an excellent video... very informative & not boring.
Glad you enjoyed it! Make sure you subscribe for part 2 then boss. 😉
I really can’t get over the quality of content on your channel. The knowledge sharing is ace, the workmanship is ace, the humor is ace, the production and editing are ace. I can’t believe you don’t have more subscribers. Where is everyone?!?
Wow, thank you! I only started this year...Onwards and upwards. Those are very kind words. Thanks again.
I have a Chibson Lemon Burst 1959, the beauty was shockingly good for $280. Everything is great, the only thing I don't like is sharp frets, so I took it to a Pro Luthier for full set-up, and I was really surprised that even the luthier at first glance thought it was a real Gibson and only when he inspects it, he realized it's a copy.😮Now it plays like a dream with ball end frets, low action, bone nut, the stock pickups sound great so I did not replace it. All the labor just costs $150, so overall it's worth $400 with the change to bone nut as the only upgrade, and it NEVER stays out of tune.👌 All my friends admire it and thinks it's a $5,000+ Gibson so that really put a smile on my face.🤭 Because I was NOT scammed in buying the overpriced, very expensive "original" that doesn't stay in tune especially the G-string😆 and at the same time I get the same admiration because it has the "iconic logo" without me busting the bank.🤘hahaha.😈😁
I just laugh at elitist gear snubs who are guarding their imaginary "elitist gear club", they take pride of their very expensive, bank busting $5,000 to $20,000 Gibson that doesn't stay in tune.😂Chibsons are the equalizer (with Professional Full-setup) Thanks for this video, I got to express how satisfied and happy I am with my Chibson.😅💯
@@2good2betrue3 fuckin A, I feel the same way about mine, it’s a 59 with a awesome tiger striped body, can’t remember what the finish is called, it’s a very nice axe, its beautiful and hanging on my wall so I can see her everyday, 🤣🎸🤘
@@jmangi6221 Haha, nice to hear that mate, We both have the best "Les Paul" according to "experts"- the legendary 59.🤭 probably it's the same Lemon Burst with Tiger striped👌Enjoy your guitar and be proud of it - we have the $20,000 Murphy Lab equalizer hahaha.😂 I'm gonna buy another one soon. Cheers!
@@2good2betrue3 I’m getting one soon too brother
If she's got a good neck, level frets and good intonation she's going to be a banger. Thanks for watching buddy.
@@jmangi6221 Great!😀 you choose the seller with "store" on the name followed by lots of numbers. The one with lots of positive review at AExp__ (my comments don't show up whenever I type it in full.) 👍
I used to sell Gibson guitars. I was very embarrassed by the junk we got from the US. I remember when my boss yelled at a hesitant buyer: "Can't you see this is a genuine American guitar? Now buy it!". But it had a crappy fret job, the nibs were crap, and we even got brand new guitars with cracks in the heel-neck joint. When our first shipment of Chinese Epiphones arrived in the late 1990's, all necks were bent/warped/twisted. We sold them at cost to unsuspecting buyers...or fools...as my boss used to call them. Gibson are pricks and boast about their poorly-made guitars. "Play Gibson. Play genuine crap". Gibson evidently stole headstock and body design of the Les Paul from O.W. Appleton. Appleton approached Gibson a decade before the Les Paul came out with his prototype that looked exactly (more or less) like today's Les Paul. Therefore, even if I wouldn't stand on-stage with a fake myself, in my view, anyone should be able to make copies but NOT put the Gibson (Shit-son) name on it.
Wow. Brutal bit is insight there. I think I prefer Shitson to Chibson 🤣
At that point, why even care if they DO put the Gibson name on it? I mean, if the design is practically stolen to begin with... the Chibsons are copies of copies!?
Maybe it does the guitar a disservice to write "Gibson" on the headstock.
@@465marko Sadly, Mr. Appleton is long dead and any challenge to Gibson in court would have probably failed as the Gibson Les Paul is sufficiently different to Appleton's design for Gibson to get away with the theft of the idea. However, I still don't think that people should misrepresent a product by putting the Gibson name on a fake guitar. But the body and headstock shape are all up for grabs as they existed long before Gibson even existed but it is not their design. It's like Musicman who they threatened to sue the company that I worked for years ago for releasing a guitar with a headstock design that had 4 and 2 machine heads. The fact that the 4 - 2 design was already around decades before Musicman made it popular didn't bother Musicman. They sent their cease and desist letter and my management crumbled.
@@Anonymous-si6py The Musicman thing is craziness to me. As an outside perspective anyway - I don't know how this stuff all works.
But like, not only because the design was already around.
But because something like a 4-2 headstock seems like such a broad thing to have a monopoly on - if you know what I'm trying to say?
I can (almost) understand if it was exactly the same shape, exactly the same everything. Or if it was some novel invention.
But then, people were doing it decades before Musicman anyway. It's nuts.
For the fake guitars, I think anyone who would try to make money by passing them off as the real thing, is a POS. That's fraudulent.
But selling it cheap when everyone knows it's fake - I don't really have a problem with that, tbh.
I guess maybe it messes up the used market a little. Because the more fakes there are, the more people ARE going to try and sell them as real Gibsons. But also, the more buyers become cautious, having to scrutinize everything (so it'll be harder to defraud people, but it's a pain in the ass as a buyer knowing there are fakes out there).
But besides that, I don't think I fully understand the hate. Unless you're Gibson lol.
i think the best thing is no fret lips , no fret lips is a upgrade to me, but now some chibson getting better, got the lips and omatic bridge, to be honest your chibson finish looks great to me, not every chibson build from same factory , there some good and some bad , lot of chibson the finish doesn't looks right ,but this one i think is ok, in my opinion most people buy chibson mainly for the body or basic construction ,people like to modify it for your own taste, because not a real deal,is ok if you messed up ,and if you got a bad one, not a bad way to learn to fix guitar too, and have some fun on the process .
I wonder how much it would cost to buy a chibson and replace all of the electronics, pickups, tuners, nut, crown level and polish the frets ect?
If you used Warman PAF humbuckers, (they're excellent,) and did the level crown and polish yourself, you could buy everything including a Dremel, for under £175. Great fun too
How is the Aliexpress Malmsteen Strat guitar ?
It's great, I bought one 3 years ago and it plays well to this day. ☀
how much did it weight,that would tell us alot right there?
What did you get the action down to in the end?
It was the same as most necks with a decent fret job really. Comfy at 1.5mm. Incidentally that's a bit low for my heavy handed playing. It's a perfectly good neck.
I bought a Chibson Greeny a few months ago and was duly surprised by the quality. The only thing it needed doing to it out of the box was a bit of fret polishing on the 3rd and 5th fret.
I bought it as a project guitar and my first time doing handywork on guitars. It was slightly reliced, but still needed a lot more doing to it so I’ve been slowly sanding it and working on it. Ive changed the magnet of the pickup and will eventually replace the hardware as well.
Good guitars for a bit of fun and games.
I paid 500 euro for a top end Chibson has full flame maple top, nitro finish, one piece body and neck, bone nut and fret end nibs. I jut gave it a light fret level and crown. I did change out the electronics but the original stuff was actually good enough so didnt really need to be done. After 6 years couple of very fine cracks in the binding just how a Gibson woud do after time. Neck is perfect no twists and buzzy frets. All the haters were wrong.
That sounds like a belter..
Where did you get it from?
same as me. I paid 435 dollar, over 500 with tax. Same specs, same fret issues. xD
First time viewer here. You do a great job. I too restore , repair, buy , sell, and trade guitars.
I have a small studio. I write songs, play, record them , and make CD’s and give them away.
I’m an old codger and have had some high end guitars during my life. Some took me years to pay for. But, once I learned how to work on them , I do what you just did.
Since I’m getting on in years and do not perform in public anymore. I have sold most of my name brand vintage guitars, and have bought cheap replacements for them. Since, when recording people do not know if you’re playing an expensive or a fixer upper. If you record it properly , use eq, and have the right attitude know one can tell a 57 Name brand Tele style guitar from a fixer upper.
I sold 12 last year and took the money that was left from buying the replacements and bought stock.
I however have never bought a guitar that has a fake logo. The ones I upgrade all have the actual brand on them .
I feel out of all the guitar manufacturers or regardless of nation of origin , in this time in history, Indonesia are the best craftsman. The ones made there are much more superior than China or Korea.
There is one brand in particular which I have the most of . I have to do very little work to them and actually have them to be better than the instruments they copied.
I will not advertise for them , but they are sold through a distributor in Germany.
Keep up the great work. If anyone is interested, my music is on RUclips @LarryBuckBarker Original Songs. I hope all have a happy and healthy day. Cheers!!
it's not whether Chibsons are good or bad (plenty of both categories exist), but simply the fact that they are counterfeit goods. That being said, whichever guitar gives you joy is the one you should own and play.
So is a Gibson lookalike, that are on sale in every budget guitar store in UK, USA or Europe, morally better just cos they don't have the Gibson logo? That would be the only difference.
As long as you change the logo its fine. In fact they normally will put whatever logo you want for free
I bought a Chibson during Covid lockdown. Put some nice Dimarzio pickups in it and had a local tech run it through a touch up, much like this video, and restring. Three years later it's a great guitar and even stays in tune longer than my authentic Gibson Les Paul.
Such a familiar story. I think the Chinese builders must have upped their game. Most people are happy like you. Thanks for watching boss.
I’m an engineer and all around tinkerer. Taught myself how to do fret work and already had soldering and electronic skills. I like taking less expensive guitars (not fraudulent copies with illegitimate brand names) and making then play well, as long as the “bones” are good a good playing instrument can be had for much less $$.
Agreed, and its fun bringing a guitar back to life.
How long is a piece of string?🤯🤯🤯
Where was it bought?
Good old Ali express
How good is a Gibson? I have one but prefer a good and old Epi.
Hey man! Loved this! Just received a custom chibson with all the crap you listed here esp frets. Wanted to start with that and buy up on specs to see if I wanted to spend the actual money on a real G single cut. How do I get in touch? Based in Cornwall
Hey buddy. Send me a message over on Instagram. Cheers
Just discovered your site...love it! Honest with a sense of humour. I retired about 10 years ago from teaching cabinetmaking and took up guitar. Looking at your shop makes me want another one!! ..nice workspace . Keep up the good work and thanks.
(Ps..I had a similar horror story with a Harley Benton strat about 5 years ago...I got it playing fine but by then it was close to the cost of a Fender Player, plus all the hours put in.)
Cheers Bob... The workshop is definitely a happy space. Thanks for the support.
I bought a chib and did all the work to properly set it up. I did add a bone nut and a roller bridge. The bridge on mine was wonky. Now the action us super low and sounds amazing. One of my favorites of all my guitars now. Which is up against 3 real Gibsons, 3 fenders, and schecter. It plays as good as any I have. Mine, including the upgraded parts, was around $330. My 2 cents.
Nice work!
I fell out laughing when you said "Gibson wouldn't let that go". 🤣🤣🤣
You got me there 🤣 I spoke way to soon.
I have the same problem. 25 or so in my collection. Fun to play around with, but they are unsalable in the used market.
25 Chibsons? Blimey.
I bought a X-plorer. I've replaced all electronics and hardware. The nut is plastic and maybe someday I'll replace that. The frets needed polishing. The figured top is veneer, not panel, and the fingerboard is synthetic (which I happen to prefer). It wasn't shielded. It doesn't have "Gibson" on the headstock (I wouldn't have bought it if it did). I've lightened the body by routing and cutting part off (which I never would have done to a real Explorer)(I also wouldn't have screwed the strap into the back of it either, which I did to reposition where the guitar hanged on my body). I'm very happy with the end product, and it cost me about 1/3 what a new Explorer would. Also, because it wasn't a real Gibson, I could modify it however I wished, and I did. The finish is perfect. The construction is perfect. It played perfectly right out of the box. The parts weren't even close to perfect; that is their weakness. But for $250, plus about $500 put into it? Wow.
Interesting, I've had one for a time now and been great no issues other then changing the strings to 8s when it arrived, action was good, pickups good and for 200 fun vouchers. I personally won't sell it even tho prices are going up on s/h market. Would i buy i gibson? If i had the money probably yes, but for 200 squid its a no brainer, and what id save over a gibson, get a nice amp as well
Agreed, even a pants set of humbuckers will sound lovely with a great amp. A fact so often over looked.
I've worked on guitars for many years, way before there were "Chibson's". I have straightened necks smoothed fret ends and leveled frets, even (plecked) Gibsons
time and again. What is amazing is the customer who has both and realizes after the set up that one plays as good as the other. The USA trade policies and practices
are chiefly responsible for this and we will continue to see this happen until that changes. USA made guitar prices will continue to climb.
What is that intro clip from?? 😂
I have no idea 😂
best choice 2024 is I believe by far HB, 289 quid. Harley Benton are checked at Thomann/EU. stainless jumbo frets, tesla opus-1 pickups, graphite nut, decent HW and POTs, just got it, adjusted truss rod and intonation (was necessary) plays, sounds and feels ~ 5000$ PRS McCarty
It's scary how good sub 500 guitars can be nowadays.
Bloody good video says this Yank across the pond! Keep 'em coming, mate!
Cheers boss. Love an international comment...
When I l moved New Zealand I needed a cheap guitar to tide me over so I ordered one of these. I ordered no Logo and P-90's. At the time it cost me $250 US. Unfortunately came with Humbuckers and a Gibson logo. Have to say it was a very nice quality guitar. Pickups were from Epiphone Frets were respectable as far as level and no fret sprout. Biggest surprise was the body was a single piece mahogany and the cap was a solid piece of maple. I scratched some paint off in the pickup rout to confirm. It's a gold top so cant say anything for the grain. There is a small blush in the gold paint but who cares it's small. I can't say it is the guitar I pick up the most but not a fan of Les Pauls and same goes for humbuckers plus I don't like the weight. Mine weighs 9lbs 2oz. but it's a solid player I have stamped X's over the made in USA and number on the back and would love to get rid of it but am afraid to sell to some unscrupulous person who might try to rip some one off. So there she sits.
Did you by chance get to see the name of the shop that produced this? All the Chibsons I've seen came with a sticker over the falsified logo, identifying the builder. LS Customshop does some decent work.
I didn't actually. I'll ask though for sure.
ive seen a few chibsons that had fret nibs and a nitro finish and epiphone dose not offer those specs. im tempted to try one out someday. the setup stuff i do to all my guitars and all my friends guitars for free witch i see costs hundreds of dollars otherwise..lol at least i enjoyed the work. im wondering how much to charge myself for a re-fret on my old strat neck? i don't dare do another level and crown. im estimating about twenty thousandths of an inch left give or take. they lasted almost 33 years.
Chibsons are neat, but every one I've gotten has gotten a dimension or detail wrong that was such a severe eyesore to me personally despite objectively being extremely minor I found myself having to part with all of em and swearing off gambling on Aliexpress axes. If they made a LP Deluxe copy (with mini hums) that may convince me to change my mind however
I have an LP59 copy...amazing for the price...very solid...correct weight...all I need.
many epiphones i come across have these same issues
not every body feels the need to sand the finish off the neck. I like it shiny and smooth.
That’s what she said.
😂
Is a Fender made in Indonesia a Fender ?
Indeed...Indonesia seems to have amassed a great reputation in recent years though.
What a refreshing take on the reality of a cheap guitar, no real surprise it’s not going to be perfect. At least you can afford to fix it , break it and fool idiots, well done and brilliant delivery
You sold me on this. I'm gonna have to get me one now. Nice Guitar.
It's a gamble but from what I can tell, the odds aren't bad as long as you're handy.
How refreshing to hear someone who comes from my part of the world. And totally agree we don't want to be supporting the rip-off industry. Entertaining video. Glad to have found your channel.
You've got to love our neck of the woods... Thanks for watching boss.
Loving your style! Yay!! 👍🏼I paid £300 to get my pro 2 Strat set up along the lines of what you did here. Made a significant improvement. Do you not do any set up work? I have a 50s style black squire Strat in need of a set up. One of those guitar guitar short runs black guard Gilmour style but I’ve added hot noiseless pick ups. Needs a proper set up as action is way high. Again. Loving your videos. ❤
Cheers boss. I don't do any work on other peoples guitars actually. I remenber that series on the Guitar Guitar web site. They were a great bargain. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Just got my bull’s-eye Zakk Wylde not everybody has 10 grand to go spend on a gutiar mine is absolutely amazing it even came with active pick ups. I had to sell my EVH Frankie a couple of months ago and bought this to have something to play for the time being well, I’m keeping it I’m not changing the thing. It sounds great plays great feels great. Measurements are right on, etc. all for under $300 and it got to me in seven days from overseas and now I’m buying the Frankie relic for 240 to hell with fender and Gibson….. for the price you can’t beat this so complain all you want for those of you who have the real Les Paul are a real fender. Go ahead and call the company up when you have a problem and see how much they help you for . for me I’m more than happy with my purchase and making a RUclips video showing it. God bless.
I look forward to seeing your video on the Chibson you bought and like.
I've thought about buying an Ace Frehley Les Paul Chibson, but afraid I'll get one that won't stay in tune.
I can't justify spending thousands on a real one. There's really no money in music anymore.
I’ve never bought one one of these copies but after seeing one on scar my guitar and then on this channel,so I think imma buy one just to see what they are selling
Wylde Audio is not Chibson, a Chibson is a counterfeit trying to pass off as a Gibson. Some of Zakk's designs are quite crazy and none of them try to be what they aren't.
Rock that Wylde for what it is
@@MuscleCarLoverI think they mean a counterfeit "bullseye" print Les Paul
@@AndrewGlitchMasterBalaschak Eh, I personally associate the Bullseye with Zakk anyway and I think a lot would
I have a Chibson LP Standard for 4 years. Replaced tuners with Gibson tulip style kluson, switched out bridge with Gibson Abr-1 bridge. Awesome!!
I think you get the guitar that makes you happy. Whatever you feel is all that matters
Probably the most logical answer yet. A man after my own heart. Welcome to the channel.
I’ve bought various Chibsons, a Chender Jazz-Mastur, and a Chofner Paul McFartney bass… lot of business I have with Union Jacks since I’m from Texas, lmao..but the Union Jack looks cool AF lmao.
I seem to have extraordinarily better luck than some, as I’m pleased with them all. Bought them over the past 10, 12 years. They generally need wax-potting (if humbuckers), and a general setup by my man at the single music shop we have in this remote small town, and after a little coddling, they’re perfectly fine. One Chibson advantage is you can order them in colors which don’t occur in “Gibson nature”. Some kids that came knocking cos they heard me making noises, this one fetal-stage little girl saw my neon-pink “Res Paul Custom” and literally gasped in awe. She was all, “Like, oh my gawiid, that is SO COOL”, lol.
When I took my Chofner bass up there to be sorted, someone was all, “Wow, you have that; that’s a limited edition, you lucky dog”. Then when I told him it was a Chinese fake, he didn’t believe me. I was allowing him to plug it up and noodle, and he thought I was lying. That Chofner is a very good copy.
I just buy one occasionally because they’re stunningly inexpensive, not because I’m a monster. Tbh, I don’t give the issue of “counterfeit” much thought.
That’s a “rock & roll” attitude, I think. Rockers are supposed to be rebellious, and all that. lol. I wish good luck to anyone seeing this who may order one. Look at the store ratings; I suggest paging past any stores within DH Gate which don’t rate at least 95%. That may be one of the factors involved in the good luck I’ve been having. Cheers, and no offense to the Chibson haters; you do have a point I suppose.
I bought a Chibson Peter Frampton 3 pick up Les Paul for the equivalent of GPB 500 2nd hand. Think I am mad read on. I replaced 2 of the PUPS with Gibson pickups (not the middle) and bined the tuners and was starting to sound good. After proper set up it plays like you would not believe ! I had a 2008 legit LP tribute and sold it real quick as the neck was like a log .Sounded great but the Chibson necks are much more playable. I bought 2 more legit ones after this and they still do not match the Chibson playing wise. All up I have spent around AUD 2,000 and more than happy as this had a perfect neck and fret job so my tech did not need to touch it or the nut. I have never forgotten one gig I played all right now and during the solos I got some applause as it sounded so good. I knew that after discounting as a fake I would have a great guitar. Anyone that sees it does not argue. FYI to order a "Gibson" Peter Frampton Les Paul prepare to shell out AUD 11,799 , FYI I own a variety of guitars 😀 which includes 4 Gibsons.
Sounds like she's a belter. AUD 12 000....staggering amounts
I not only own an unbranded Chibson, but a Chibson Kit Guitar from Pango. I assembled the guitar and finished the quilted maple cap in a Honeyburst myself. I did not however use Any of the electronics, tuners, pickups or plastics. Everything was upgraded to high quality parts and set up by a professional guitar tech. The kit was $350. The new parts were close to $500. The set up was another $150. The guitar is Awesome. The equivalent Epiphone Les Paul custom is $1300....Which I Also own... And required a fret level and set up, right out of the box.
Blimey you went full in on that one. I'll bet it's a cracker
Just got myself a chibson. I didn't know it was a chibson when I got it, but not that I really care. According to the guy i got it from, this here is pretty old, and I'm the 4th (and last) owner already. Based on my needs as a musician, it does great! I'm not even ashamed to say it's a chibson. Seems to me they seem to be better than expected of fakes. Note: I did not buy it from a retailer. I bought it from some dude who wanted to sell his old guitar on facebook.
Anyway, awesome video! Might have mine checked for a set up soon. Thanks!
How about my 1960's Japanese Raven Les Paul with semi hollow body? : ) (It sounds like magic and is priceless...)
I had one , with active pickups , they were not very active I can tell you . Sold it to some other shmuck . Got myself a real les paul now 🤘🏻
That's the one common story that folks agree with, Ali express active humbuckers are wank.
I have an inspired by Gibson Epiphone Les Paul Special. Cost GBP350. Played beautifully straight from the box and you have all-on to hear the difference between it and my mates Gibson '58 special although the more modern finish is the giveaway. Bought in a UK dealer (Anderton's), the backup is there and Epi is actually owned by Gibson. Even if they are made in China, the QC is obviously miles better than the Chibson reviewed.
Great video, this guy tells it how it is. I bought a Chibson Firebird expecting to have to spend time and money and I'm really happy with it. Steinberger banjo tuners, graphtech nut, D'Urbano pickups, Gotoh bridge and a really good wiring harness, CTS pots and Switchcraft jack and toggle. Hours of fretwork and setup but really enjoyed it. It's probably cost £700 plus my time and for that, it's a great guitar which I gig regularly. It's fooling nobody and I'd probably get peanuts if I sold it but that was never the point.
Absolutely. The process is often more valuable than the outcome. Thanks for taking the time to comment boss.
I’ve got a couple of Rickenbacker fakes. After a little upgrade, they play fine. But, nothing can replace the real deal
If you want a straight away player that you don't want to touch or pay to have set up - definitely spend more to get better. But if you go into these cheap buggers with the expectations that some fiddling will be required, they can be great to learn to fiddle with, modify or even get a feel for all sorts of different bodies/necks and pick up styles to point you in the direction of other expensive models you might not normally have considered otherwise.
Great video! Learning how to do my own level/crown/polish has saved me serious amounts of money, and the tools to make it happen cost about the same as one good setup. There aren't many guitars that are unredeemable - I think I've had one that I gave up on out of about 20 setups.
The one disappointing thing I've seen is that no one is able to do a good fret dress. The two best ones I've had from the factory are Harley Benton and Yamaha. Had issues with Charvel, PRS, Mooer, Fender.
Happy to pass it onto you for a more proper evaluation 😉 I know you're not a fan.
Its nice to have a story to tell about any guitar. Bringing a Chibson to life works for me.
I have a chibson 'R9' in plain Top Honeyburst (I specificly asked for that), payed $300 in 2020. Fret nibs, period correct headstock, and also all measurements are true to the historic 59, I checked that multiple times. I changed pups, electronics, strings, tuners, bridge and knobs. And it needed a good setup and fret leveling and all the fretwork. I have a friend whith a real Gibson R9 and we both played the two guitars intens. We both find mine the better one. Mine is $700 now. (I did all the work myself) So how on earth can a Gibson be like $8000?? So all the people who cry about the 'not real', you're ok with the Gibson scam because of a 'real' decal ?? Every time I pick up that guitar, I smile. It's a great time to be a guitarplayer.
My argument would be for 700 you could get a better guitar, it wouldn't say gibson but you aren't fooling anyone who would be impressed with a gibson anyway. I can pick up a studio or an epiphone standard for 550 and 250 respectively and they will both play great.
I watched this video a while back, I've known about the Chibson phenomena for quite a while. I think they're at the point now where they're like an invasive species that has become so well established it's never going away. I stumbled across them on Ebay shipping from sellers in the US, about 32,000 of them in the "unbranded" guitar search. Although I've resisted for years, I bought a Angus Young signature model SG last week to hang on the wall. I have to say, it's pretty nice. Beyond just "playable". I got lucky though, I've seen some that are pretty rough. Anyway it's funny how youtube threw this video back in my feed after I bought one. The algorithm knows all.
🤣 something's listening to you....
How do I judge this guitar when you drown it in infinite reverb?😢
🤣 don't watch my channel for the playing buddy ... I'm just figuring out the whole recording process to improve the samples. I'm sure you can appreciate there's a ton of things to learn when setting up a RUclips channel. Thanks for watching though.
Further conformation that while I would not give up my '86 Les Paul Studio for anything, I would gladly shell out $300 for a Chibson, and then bring it up to speed, rather than dumping $5-10K on a new Gibson factory model (that is chambered, prone to poor wiring (among other things), and bad finishes).
To be fair, I feel pretty much the same way about Fenders today - I'll buy a Squire Tele and spend a little sweat on it, rather than thousands for an "official" one that doesn't sound or play as well.
Yeah I've owned a few Strats over the years ranging from £300 to £3000. I can't see a reason to buy anything more expensive than a Mexico guitar. Literally the same as a USA in the hands.
I had a Chibson black beauty once - it was fairly terrible. But I played a gig using it and I used amp simulation (to keep stage volume down) through the PA and had an old Marshall amp that I used as a monitor. After the gig a punter came up to me and said "Nothing sounds better than a Gibson through a Marshall amp"...didn't have the heart to tell him that it wasn't a Gibson or Marshall amp he was listening to.
Just goes to show how much a visual affects perception.
@@Milehousestudios Very true. The man Les Paul said himself, "people listen with their eyes" when he came up with the layout of the black Les Paul Custom. It looked good on our old black and white TV's in the 50's, with Les in his tuxedo.
I keep telling people that any guitar can be good, just as long as the foundation is decent to start with.
Would be interesting to put the chibson and epiphone sude by side to compare the quality.
I've got a Zakk wylde LP from the 90's. I'll have a crack at that
@@Milehousestudios 90s epi will have an unfair advantage 😂 but would definitely be interesting!
I allways say that they can better look for an 80ies Aria Pro, Westone or everything build by Matsumoku.
The westones and aria's can be found for a friendly price and build to last.
OK then. First video iv ever seen of yours. Fuckin loved it. I don't have a want to build guitars but you can bet English ass imma be watching some more. Underrated
Thanks buddy. That's very kind. Welcome to the family 😄
Thumbs up just because I like your humor lol. I do have my own Chibson Explorer that I like, full disclosure 😎
Right on! No complaints from here. Thanks for watching boss.
Great video. As a "project" or opportunity to learn, these seem to be a good choice.
I bought a AliExpress guitar and the fret work was shocking. The good thing is, it gave me the opportunity to buy the tools and teach myself to do a fret level and crown. I'm sure a proper tech would be horrified at the job especially with cheap tools I did but it actually plays now and doesn't fret out everywhere. I've since done a few fret levels and crowns on other cheap guitars I've bought as my confidence grows. I like the look of that Z file though! Think I need to invest in one of those for sure. I'm not too keen on my current fret crowning files.
I had one of these for a little bit mostly because I was bored. I thought that with the part I had lying around I'd hop it up a little bit. Turns out that my Gibson hardware didn't fit and for the money I would have to add to it I could've just bought a used Gibson Studio that will always retain its value.
Happy with mine.. headstock says Made in tne USA as if it were barge-stock for expkrt market.
These are illegal in the US. You could throw nuts and bolts at it, rough it up and say it's a Murphey Lab special and charge double
In the follow up video, i'll slide it along the workshop floor to add some £'s to the value 🤣
The instrumental track that is playing when he is doing the fret work around the 6 minute mark is freaking incredible. Very power metal-ish. Reminds me of my university band.
I would definitely have come to watch...I agree, it's awesome. Thanks for watching buddy.
Biggest thing I realised, how it feels beats how it looks..... but I always get the pretty topped ones hahaha
Good informative channel especially on fret levelling filing👍good humour made me laugh your comments😂 interesting info on this piece guitar wooden top cheers🎉❤🇬🇧
Drier than Ghandi’s flip flop 😂, brilliant. Glad I stumbled upon your channel. Subscribed. Utube is good for something!
😂 welcome to the family boss.
@@Milehousestudios 👍
I got my Chibson "Old Black" LP replica about a year ago. Swapped out the electronics, leveled and polished the frets, and replaced the trem with a real Bigsby that I already had. Plays better than the Gibson LP Studio that it replaced.
So a friend bought one very similar to the one in your video, not as dark red on the burst, first time i saw it, I thought it was real, the only tell is the headstock is a tiny bit thin, he wanted it as a shelf queen but eventually moved into a small unit so I bought it and just like this video it needed fret level, I put a bone nut, grover tuners on sale $90 I looked for a while and eventually scored, locking tones pro bridge and tail piece $77 because some guy didnt realise the difference between nickel and chrome vs nickel on nickel = a more golden nickel than chrome, I waited a bit longer and just recently new tonerider nickel covered Alnico 4 humbuckers $140 with cts pots, orange drops together with switchcraft toggle and jack, all on sale, aprox $60 ..
Personally I hate thick gloss necks, I sand, sometimes aggressively, the necks on my guitars, there's no way I would do that to a $3000 plus dollar Gibson, which my chibson is a copy of, I chose to go this route because I work on guitars all the time, to a semi professional level, I wouldn't risk money buying one online for any amount of money because I've had people bring these ali express copy's to me, hoping I could fix them, Ive seen Rickenbacker copys made of foam and of corse the necks twist, Ive seen Gretsch copy’s with photo copied ( yes paper photos of flame tops ) that were glued to the guitar and spray painted over, thin tin foil stuck to guitar's and sprayed over with translucent paint to make it look metallic, guitars with no truss rods and some that have wires soldered in the back cavities that don’t actually go anywhere, wires that are soldered to pickups that lead nowhere, simply there for show lol 😂
The only way to buy a decent copy is if you know how to spot any and every issue a guitar can have, but unfortunately this seems to be the case with most guitar’s sold on line these days no matter what company makes them, especially overseas, more and more companies are selling inferior products with less quality control.
After having said all that, I’m extremely happy with my Les Paul copy and doubt I would ever sell it, but I knew exactly what I was getting, buyer beware.
Man you did the complete overhaul. I've enjoyed the outcome of this video for comments like these. It seems the only way to get the whole picture. I have so many spares in the workshop that I think I'm going to have to do something similar. If the veneer is on top of actual maple I'll sand through and refinish like a bound studio...Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
I have to say I have seen plenty of cheap guitars that play really well. With that said I don't agree with counterfeit goods. Kinda like the old wonder bra really, good from afar but far from good once you get em out of the wrapper!
Best analogy yet 🤣 I'm filming a follow up today... I'll put that quote in
1st time watching, half way through the vid and already I can say I found a new channel to watch, use whatever oil you want I don't give a shit is the moment I hit subscribe
😭 it's so weird when geezers get all shitty about lemon oil... Glad you found the channel brother. Welcome aboard
It's getting just as hard to find a genuine Gibson as it is to find a real Stratocaster. I suspect, at some point Gibson experimented with the MIC thing. It must have been very hush hush. I never heard of it. I believe Gibson decided against it. Probably quality issues. However, I think MIC kept right on making them. If MIC has to give them away for practically nothing anyway, why not brand it? Maybe they did. They wouldn't do that to a firefly, would they?
Amazing how much mystery there is around the subject. I'm also a reticent buyer of second hand humbuckers... That's also a minefield. Thanks for watching.
Depends on what you want, if you want a chinese knockoff go get one of these, if you want a real Gibson, buy one. The irony (at least from someone living in the States) is that the same people who embrace the chinese knockoffs and say that they're going to run out and buy one, are the same people typically going on ad nauseam about "china, china, china", until it comes to an imitation make of a iconic brand such as Gibson. If you've had a bad experience with a real Gibson, don't buy used garbage, don't buy entry level models and expect Custom Shop quality, and don't buy something that's been hanging on the wall at GC for two years and expect quality.
I thought about getting one and have actually say "Chibson" on the headstock , went with an Edwards instead.
Ebay has Chibson decals available.
I bought a used ESP Ltd WA-600 Will Adler, Green Camo from Guitar Guitar about six years ago. It cost me £399 and was made in South Korea. I call it my poor man's Les Paul though there is definitely nothing poor about it's built quality and hardware.
Polished the frets and actually put Gibson pickups in it. It’s my favorite guitar to play. The fact that i have broken so many “laws” but im not in jail - elevates my spirit.
Gibson's pickups are lovely. Good choice
I've gigged thousands of shows with my Gibson Les Paul Goldtop and I also have a white Gibson Les Paul Custom. Amazing guitars. If you want a cheap copy for the bedroom/small pub gig, buy the Epiphone version and then swop out the pickups, the nut and the tuners. Newer Epiphones have better pickups in the higher range models.
If I buy an LP again it would be a gold top. Beautiful. Incidentally, the first concert I ever went to was the Manics and James' white LP was so iconic. It seems you've got two belters.
Love your style man 😂 and Guitars of course new sub here, from Ireland...
Cheers boss. Much appreciated... The next builds are getting interesting.