In a moment of stupidity I bought a fake Les Paul and a white Falcon from china some years ago. Almost immediately regretted it, and luckily for me they contacted me next day and said the order had to be cancelled due to some inventory issue… at the time I really wanted a Falcon so I ended up buying a different white Gretsch instead. It scratched the itch for a few days but it wasn’t a real falcon. So I just saved money and bought a used one and couldn’t be happier. If I had bought the fake I would know it wasn’t the real thing and it would bother me everyday… I had a les Paul about 20 years ago, it’s a cool guitar but I wouldn’t pay full price for one ever. I got a second Gretsch MIJ with broadtrons and I’m done with guitar buying for now! That’s just to say if your dream is to own a guitar and you can’t afford it save some money and buy used. If you buy a fake you will remember that every time you grab it…
Pretty sure these were going to be a Craigslist special for Christmas. Listed as a private owner need to sell asap to pay “medical bills” Or another thing I saw last year, a non existing guitar store is closing and everything 50-70% off. I am glad this shipment was caught, a lot of people would have been scammed out of their money.
I cannot remember the content creator, but I remember what he did to all his Chipson's. He made a branding iron of the word "Fake". He used it to burn the word fake on the back of every headstock on each of those guitars. He wanted to make sure that if they were stolen, sold, or given away after his death, no one would be taken advantage of.
@@AudiomoMusic His show was basically to show you that it was wrong to buy them and pass them on as real. Then he braided them and gave them to school music programs after fixing the issues. I think his name was "China Skeptic" or something like that. He was trying to educate people not to buy them. He said to buy copies with legit names on the headstock, like Harley Benton. He passed away from a terrible disease, he's no longer with us.
Well said Jim. Buy and play what you want, but don't buy a counterfeit anything. It's a lose lose for the entire community. Brand doesn't matter all that much anymore, there's a price point for everyone.
completely agree Jim, people who buy chibsons are so weird. just buy an epiphone, firefly, etc. so many great options in that price range. the fact that some people NEED to have a name on a headstock no matter what are dummies.
Some people only care about their image not the quality or integrity of product and will go to any length to get it. Imagine if there were counterfeit BMW or Mercedes available, Los Angeles would be FULL of them hahahaha
@@AudiomoMusic There are counterfeit cars just like there are counterfeits of any thing else that has any kind of value. The thing about cars though is if you are going to “counterfeit” a car it really only works if it’s a really expensive car you’re copying. It’s not really worth the effort and expense to copy just a run of the mill mainstream BMW or Mercedes because you can buy real used ones that are fairly new for less than it would cost to make a copy.
Chibsons really hurt the used market. I’d rather max out a credit card on a brand new than go on to reverb and buy a used Gibson. The extra money I spend is knowing this Gibson is 100%. And if sell mine one day I have documentation where my Gibson came from. I’ve spent so much of my kids college money on instruments, I want them to sell them with joy and pocket all the money. lol
I've known of two cases where someone passed away leaving guitars for family that ended up being worthless because well you guessed it - they were fakes. Really sad stuff all around.
Cool. One thing also about the Chibsons. If believe guitar max did lead test on some of his cheap guitars. All were good except the chibsons. They had lead in the frets. So there’s that to.
Even the pickup mounting rings tested positive! Probably due to whatever cheap pigments were used to color the plastic. They use the absolute bottom of the barrel cheapest parts available on these things, since they don't have to pass any real quality control/safety standards.
Yeah, I forgot to mention that good shout. Not only are people willingly buying counterfeit garbage they are buying counterfeit garbage that will poison them.
I highly recommend that people who are looking to buy a counterfeit guitar purchase a high end Chinese made guitar kit. You can customize the guitars wood selection and get some upgrades like a maple neck with scarf joint, carbon fiber rods etc. They’ll come with the original style headstock and you can put your own logo on it, paint it and have it routed for your preferred hardware. Rather than cheap kits and counterfeits, the high end kits use heartwood rather than sapwood and the maple top will actually be a solid cap without a veneer. Some would say if the headstocks the same then it’s a knockoff, personally I think it becomes counterfeit the moment it says ‘made in USA’ and/or has the brand name. Tokai doesn’t make counterfeits, you buy one because you want a better factory made Les Paul.
3 Chibsons China made in. AWFUL!!!! You have to put so much money into making it playable. I recommend a used Gibson Les Paul or Edwards Japan. These are far superior and just as good as Gibsons for a fraction of the price.
I bought a white “Chibson”Firebird years ago…I knew what i was buying .., after multiple truss rod adjustments and 2 fret levelings and recrowning, i had a friend in the sign business cut me a vinyl “chibson” logo that adorns the truss rod cover … All 3 pickups and wiring were stripped out.. and one nice P-90 installed at the the bridge… My friends still get a chuckle out of it.. but they agree it sounds pretty good now
Big win for Gibson, cant wait to see what happens Tuesday! The reason I think people still buy them is because over 1000 for a Chinese guitar feels insane, 8 years ago the most expensive Epi (other than texans and limited runs) were the LP custom at 980 cad and a standard was 790, even back then that felt a little steep but it was reasonable. Now an Epi standard is 1000 cad and a custom is 1149, right now they're on sale for the old prices at L&M, and I've heard Epis don't move like they used to unless they go on sale. At that price you might as well buy a used Gibson lp studio from the 2000's. You can also contact the factory and select the wood you want, and how you want it built like a one piece neck and long tendon. You can get a totally custom spec guitar at the price of cost thats built by the same people who build Epis, without any of the Gibson tax, or paying the builders for their hard work... I think the people who die on the Chibson hill are the same people who buy fake LV bags and nike shoes, they don't care about the ethics they just wanna look rich to flex on people. It's lame to buy fakes, but you do get a lot more options and control over how it looks, they will build anything you want, something Gibson wont do even if you had all the money in the world. So to a point I understand why someone would do it but it's still lame. Just buy used if you need to have the name and shape.
I like cheap guitars, but not that way. You are completely right. I see some people selling "fake" Gibson's, and I'm glad that they're honest. But I also see the ones selling so-called "real" Gibson's cheap because my Husband, Grandpa, Dad, Brother or Uncle died, and I can't stand looking at the guitar that reminds me of my loss, and I don't play.
I don't respect, support, or endorse ANYONE buying a counterfeit guitar in any capacity. Nothing positive comes from them existing especially given all the alternatives we have available.
I have to agree with you, Gibson has to go after fake products to protect their brand and in this case their customers as well. We have many playable guitars starting from $150 .
When people buy Chibsons, I DO get it. But at the same time, plenty of manufacturers and brands make Gibson shaped instruments at a variety of price points. But also, why would you want to buy a fake from a no name factory stealing the brand of something that doesn't belong to them, compared to being proud enough to put your own name on the headstock. When people ask me about my Greco or my Maybach, I am more than happy to tell them all about it and more often than not, they're interested in looking up more about them in their own time
I don't get it, there is no excuse for it. It's feeding into and enabling the production of counterfeit products. Zero respect for anyone buying that trash.
The trail of sad events caused by the evil process of getting counterfeit gear to market must also be appreciated. The marketplace listings/stories of people being ripped off this end do not tell the whole story...........
I’ve never bought one, but considered it many times. The thing that makes them unappealing is the lower quality and need for upgrades. But money-wise, it’s cheaper than actual Gibsons. For me, I just like it when the guitar says Gibson on it and looks like the classic guitar. I know that’s shallow but idrc. I think that if you go in knowing and understanding what you’re buying, and that it’s not real, then whatever, buy what you want. To me, the only moral issue is if you try to resell it to someone and claim it’s real. But if it’s just for yourself cuz you like the look, it doesn’t matter.
Somewhere along the way in the past few years it became cool to buy dirt cheap chibsons and demo them. I can't stand trash counterfeit guitars. You get what you pay for. FAFO.
whole thing never made sense to me. even in the 70's with the lawsuit guitars from Japan that were actually really well made ( better than Gibson US were at the time and miles clear of these chibsons ), the Japanese brands never stamped the guitars made in the USA or tried selling them AS gibsons.
Japanese brands and Gibson settled out of court ages ago to allow Tokai, Greco, Crews, Momose etc to continue to build the guitars for Japan with the caveat that they don't offer them here in the US. Besides, it's extremely easy to get those Japanese brands to the USA, I've been importing them for well over a decade. Really though I don't think it would make a difference. People don't buy Chibsons for their quality, they are junk guitars made by questionable people available via questionable sites that have no problems selling counterfeit products well beyond guitar. The people who go out of their way to buy Chibsons want a Gibson logo on the headstock, otherwise they'd never think twice of buying that firewood.
Gibson owns Epiphone. They are the authorized outlet for economy priced Les Pauls. A new Gibson Les Paul Standard costs at least $2000. The Epiphone is less than $700. If you want something cheaper, you don't get a new real Les Paul. Maybe a used one will be more affordable. There are some things in this life that we desire but can't afford. A Les Paul is one of them.
@@AudiomoMusic The dude who buys a Chibson isn't concerned with the quality - they just want that "Gibson" logo on the headstock so they can fool the 10 drunk idiots at the local dive bar into thinking they're playing a real Gibson.
@AudiomoMusic I'm talking about being able to order a Tokai, etc from Musicians Friend, etc instead of all the hassle and shipping costs to get them from Japan. Especially when nobody in their right mind thinks a Les Paul that says "Tokai" etc could ever be mistaken for, or passed off as a Gibson... open book headstock notwithstanding. It's the same with all the Fender stuff you can only get in Japan.
I'm glad they seized these and they didn't go through. This crap needs to stop. Too many people get hurt by this, from the unknowing person, to the reseller that doesn't know, but most importantly Gibson USA employees that lose some work, etc.
forget Gibson as a company, producing any sort of counterfeit product is flat out wrong. the people that knowingly buy these need to have a serious look in the mirror.
I personally prefer the Chinese guitars with their own branding. Firefly, Leo Jaymz, Westcreek, Fesley, and others. Those are the ones I buy and support.
Just curious .... If a Chinese guitar has a Gibson logo on the TRC it's a fraud. But I've heard that some guitars coming in include a second unprinted TRC or a removable decal of some sort over the Gibson logo. Is this still fraud against the manufacturer or is it collusion if the owner choses to display the Gibson logo? In addition, if a company chooses to reproduce a Gibson guitar to the n-th degree wouldn't that be a violation of Gibson's copyright? Or if Gibson didn't copyright their guitars design back in the 50's or whenever which I believe is the case, wouldn't Gibson be SOL as far as any infringement issues?
To your first question - it's still fraud because the guitars have "Made in the USA" and fake US serial numbers on the back. To the second question - The only point of reference we have for this is the court settlement between Gibson and the Japanese makers. Basically, an agreement was reached within all parties that should a Japanese manufacturer use the open book headstock regardless of logo it is only available to be sold domestically in Japan and not in the United States. ESP have also changed their Eclipse models from being traditional 4 knobs to 3 knobs for their eclipse models available in the United States but that's more of a grey area. All of this was because Gibson didn't do a great job of initially protecting their IP in the first place. Luckily for them, Japan actually respects the law so they are at least dodging the bullet of having really high quality guitars that are far better value than most US Gibsons are available here... which is more than we can say for the place making the straight up counterfeits.
Good. Gibson is the brand that produced the original version of the Les Paul guitar series with the input and consent of Les himself. The only other companies authorized to replicate that model are Epiphone and Orville, both subsidiaries of Gibson. Putting someone else's name on the headstock of your own product is akin to identity theft. Not only do you claim to be them, but any activity that is detrimental to them is your fault. If you wish to produce a similar product out of respect for the design, fine. There are plenty of Les Paul styled guitars that are easily identified as such. They don't claim to be Gibsons. Even Heritage guitars restyled their instruments despite arguably being more authentically Gibson than the ones made under new management that moved out of the Parsons Street factory decades ago. If you want an authorized Les Paul made in China, buy an Epiphone. The Traditional Pro IV is a great instrument. Lightweight, nice color choices, an option to upgrade the pickups, coil taps on both pickups. Inexpensive. Legal. No reason to buy fake junk built by crooks then whining when you get screwed.
@@AudiomoMusic Thank you for the great video. You only get what you pay for. Paying $200 for a Les Paul made in Nashville is unrealistic. Labor costs, utilities, materials, overburdensome regulations... Getting one made from an overseas factory sanctioned and paid for by a subsidiary of Gibson is perhaps not as good as having one produced domestically if only for the transportation. You have to ship each guitar halfway around the world. Lots of bumps and chances for damage. No wonder GC has so many new guitars in need of a set up. Even if the Chibsons were made in the Epiphone factory, would the QC be as good as an Epiphone? Highly unlikely it'd leave the factory with a seal of approval with another company's name on the headstock. There is only one reason to buy a knockoff instead of a legal import. The finish. Tangerine metallic purple burst? I don't recall even the wildest Gibson models offering some of the color schemes. Firewood is still firewood and crooks are still crooks, so I'll pass. Have a great night.
If you can't tell the difference, what does that say about the quality of Gibson guitars? I'm glad they caught this batch-those unscrupulous individuals trying to deceive and steal from guitar players. My affordable LP copy, mostly hand-made by highly skilled Korean luthiers, isn't a counterfeit; the name and headstock are clearly different. It's essentially a luthier-built, Korean-made version of an LP Standard that cost just a tenth of a Gibson's price. The unfortunate truth is that it's as good as any real LP Standard I've played pickups not withstanding. Maybe I've only come across poorly-made Gibsons, but the reality is what it is. Cheers!"
It’s not so much about people that are so into guitar they watch RUclips or keep up with things, I’m talking about the average non guitarist that is potentially buying something for a family member locally or for themselves that would have no idea what a good or bad guitar is regardless of the headstock.
Well, knowing drumpf, this is probably the lot of guitars he was going to sell with his name on them. Now the website will have to say something like, "Your guitar may or may not actually exist and may never arrive," like with the watches. *edit: I laughed really hard when you said, "If you're someone who doesn't want to support Gibson, why on Earth would you buy a product that says Gibson," I barked and laughed until I had to sit down. I don't know anyone who likes Chibsons for that reason, but they're out there lol
I’m failing to see the correlation between sweatshop counterfeit Gibsons and Donald Trump. I try to avoid politics like the plague on this channel but this is a wild takeaway.
@@CraigFlowersMusic matsumoku1 is right. This video has absolutely nothing to do with Donald Trump but you find a way to make it about him, this is exactly what TDS is. You will have a happier life when you start thinking for yourself and stop seeing evil orange man everywhere in places where he is not.
@@AudiomoMusic Look at the photos. The acoustics are low res, which is fishy enough, but look at the electric. It's not a real Les Paul. It has a BOLT ON NECK! The cutaway is all kinds of wrong. These will be $11,200 humbucking Melodymakers LOL Mark my words! Andy the Guitar Geek asked them what country they’re made in, and they replied with a legalese non answer. In other words, not American. That was on today’s week in gear episode on his channell, go see for yourself how sketchy it all is as usual. So it may have been half joke, but it’s already looking like it was half right. Everything with his name on it is a lie. That is not hyperbole.
If they're good guitars, then I don't really care if they're fake or not and destroying them seems like a massive waste of time, money, and resources, as well as materials. I mean, it's not like we're currently in an era of massive waste or anything.
Problem is the seller is deceiving the buyer. These fakes get passed around, multiple people being ripped off from the original seller and from resale. Just brand them as something that isn't Gibson.
@@brncrw Furthermore, anyone who doesn’t really “care if it’s fake or not” is part of the problem. I can’t comprehend how there are still people who think that way. It’s basically the same thing as stealing someone’s identity. Would these people “not really care” if someone opened credit cards or got loans with their personal information or the personal information of a relative?
What brand of car do most drive? Most have Chinese components. Just buy what you like, what makes you happy. Russian vodka, Cuban cigars, German cameras, Japanese guitars. Gibson is the Harley Davidson of electric guitars. Thanks Jim.
It has nothing to do with components, it has everything to do with selling a 100% counterfeit pretending it is a brand it is not and made in a country is not. There are countless Chinese made guitar brands out there I at least respect for putting their own brands name on the headstock and label them as guitars made in China. I have zero respect for Chibsons or the people that buy that trash.
@@AudiomoMusic In your dreams, they are also produced throughout Asia in sweat shops...how can anyone sleep at night knowing they are supporting the CCP's war machine is all.
I don’t own a single Harley Benton guitar but the single cuts I had from them weren’t built in China- they were Indonesian so if you’re going to spout garbage at least know what you’re talking about
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
In a moment of stupidity I bought a fake Les Paul and a white Falcon from china some years ago. Almost immediately regretted it, and luckily for me they contacted me next day and said the order had to be cancelled due to some inventory issue… at the time I really wanted a Falcon so I ended up buying a different white Gretsch instead. It scratched the itch for a few days but it wasn’t a real falcon. So I just saved money and bought a used one and couldn’t be happier. If I had bought the fake I would know it wasn’t the real thing and it would bother me everyday…
I had a les Paul about 20 years ago, it’s a cool guitar but I wouldn’t pay full price for one ever. I got a second Gretsch MIJ with broadtrons and I’m done with guitar buying for now!
That’s just to say if your dream is to own a guitar and you can’t afford it save some money and buy used. If you buy a fake you will remember that every time you grab it…
They do a fairly good job of faking the Gibsons, BUT the Gretsch fakes they make are so horrible. They look so fake and bad.
Pretty sure these were going to be a Craigslist special for Christmas.
Listed as a private owner need to sell asap to pay “medical bills”
Or another thing I saw last year, a non existing guitar store is closing and everything 50-70% off.
I am glad this shipment was caught, a lot of people would have been scammed out of their money.
Some people are just awful man.
I cannot remember the content creator, but I remember what he did to all his Chipson's. He made a branding iron of the word "Fake". He used it to burn the word fake on the back of every headstock on each of those guitars. He wanted to make sure that if they were stolen, sold, or given away after his death, no one would be taken advantage of.
He still knowingly bought garbage counterfeits, doesn't exactly sing of an ethical dude.
@@AudiomoMusic His show was basically to show you that it was wrong to buy them and pass them on as real. Then he braided them and gave them to school music programs after fixing the issues. I think his name was "China Skeptic" or something like that. He was trying to educate people not to buy them. He said to buy copies with legit names on the headstock, like Harley Benton. He passed away from a terrible disease, he's no longer with us.
Actually if someone stole my guitar, i'd want them to think it was a real Gibson haha
Sounds like CGS - ‘China Guitar Sceptic’ Mike Milton, R.I.P. He also did a lot to promote small specialist builders in 🇬🇧
Agreed. Bottom line is it’s a bad idea.
Well said Jim. Buy and play what you want, but don't buy a counterfeit anything. It's a lose lose for the entire community. Brand doesn't matter all that much anymore, there's a price point for everyone.
Bingo
completely agree Jim, people who buy chibsons are so weird. just buy an epiphone, firefly, etc. so many great options in that price range. the fact that some people NEED to have a name on a headstock no matter what are dummies.
Some people only care about their image not the quality or integrity of product and will go to any length to get it. Imagine if there were counterfeit BMW or Mercedes available, Los Angeles would be FULL of them hahahaha
@@AudiomoMusic
There are counterfeit cars just like there are counterfeits of any thing else that has any kind of value.
The thing about cars though is if you are going to “counterfeit” a car it really only works if it’s a really expensive car you’re copying. It’s not really worth the effort and expense to copy just a run of the mill mainstream BMW or Mercedes because you can buy real used ones that are fairly new for less than it would cost to make a copy.
Chibsons really hurt the used market. I’d rather max out a credit card on a brand new than go on to reverb and buy a used Gibson. The extra money I spend is knowing this Gibson is 100%. And if sell mine one day I have documentation where my Gibson came from. I’ve spent so much of my kids college money on instruments, I want them to sell them with joy and pocket all the money. lol
I've known of two cases where someone passed away leaving guitars for family that ended up being worthless because well you guessed it - they were fakes. Really sad stuff all around.
Cool. One thing also about the Chibsons. If believe guitar max did lead test on some of his cheap guitars. All were good except the chibsons. They had lead in the frets. So there’s that to.
Even the pickup mounting rings tested positive! Probably due to whatever cheap pigments were used to color the plastic. They use the absolute bottom of the barrel cheapest parts available on these things, since they don't have to pass any real quality control/safety standards.
Yeah, I forgot to mention that good shout. Not only are people willingly buying counterfeit garbage they are buying counterfeit garbage that will poison them.
I wish I could be there to help destroy those guitars. 😂 Chibsons are just bad for all involved. I’ll never understand it.
We all know the reasons the two kinds of people who buy them do so. Both are awful.
I highly recommend that people who are looking to buy a counterfeit guitar purchase a high end Chinese made guitar kit. You can customize the guitars wood selection and get some upgrades like a maple neck with scarf joint, carbon fiber rods etc. They’ll come with the original style headstock and you can put your own logo on it, paint it and have it routed for your preferred hardware. Rather than cheap kits and counterfeits, the high end kits use heartwood rather than sapwood and the maple top will actually be a solid cap without a veneer.
Some would say if the headstocks the same then it’s a knockoff, personally I think it becomes counterfeit the moment it says ‘made in USA’ and/or has the brand name. Tokai doesn’t make counterfeits, you buy one because you want a better factory made Les Paul.
3 Chibsons China made in. AWFUL!!!! You have to put so much money into making it playable. I recommend a used Gibson Les Paul or Edwards Japan. These are far superior and just as good as Gibsons for a fraction of the price.
I bought a white “Chibson”Firebird years ago…I knew what i was buying .., after multiple truss rod adjustments and 2 fret levelings and recrowning, i had a friend in the sign business cut me a vinyl “chibson” logo that adorns the truss rod cover …
All 3 pickups and wiring were stripped out.. and one nice P-90 installed at the the bridge…
My friends still get a chuckle out of it..
but they agree it sounds pretty good now
Big win for Gibson, cant wait to see what happens Tuesday! The reason I think people still buy them is because over 1000 for a Chinese guitar feels insane, 8 years ago the most expensive Epi (other than texans and limited runs) were the LP custom at 980 cad and a standard was 790, even back then that felt a little steep but it was reasonable. Now an Epi standard is 1000 cad and a custom is 1149, right now they're on sale for the old prices at L&M, and I've heard Epis don't move like they used to unless they go on sale. At that price you might as well buy a used Gibson lp studio from the 2000's. You can also contact the factory and select the wood you want, and how you want it built like a one piece neck and long tendon. You can get a totally custom spec guitar at the price of cost thats built by the same people who build Epis, without any of the Gibson tax, or paying the builders for their hard work... I think the people who die on the Chibson hill are the same people who buy fake LV bags and nike shoes, they don't care about the ethics they just wanna look rich to flex on people. It's lame to buy fakes, but you do get a lot more options and control over how it looks, they will build anything you want, something Gibson wont do even if you had all the money in the world. So to a point I understand why someone would do it but it's still lame. Just buy used if you need to have the name and shape.
I like cheap guitars, but not that way. You are completely right. I see some people selling "fake" Gibson's, and I'm glad that they're honest. But I also see the ones selling so-called "real" Gibson's cheap because my Husband, Grandpa, Dad, Brother or Uncle died, and I can't stand looking at the guitar that reminds me of my loss, and I don't play.
I don't respect, support, or endorse ANYONE buying a counterfeit guitar in any capacity. Nothing positive comes from them existing especially given all the alternatives we have available.
I have to agree with you, Gibson has to go after fake products to protect their brand and in this case their customers as well.
We have many playable guitars starting from $150 .
Exactly, this has greater ripple effects than just Gibson the brand.
When people buy Chibsons, I DO get it. But at the same time, plenty of manufacturers and brands make Gibson shaped instruments at a variety of price points.
But also, why would you want to buy a fake from a no name factory stealing the brand of something that doesn't belong to them, compared to being proud enough to put your own name on the headstock. When people ask me about my Greco or my Maybach, I am more than happy to tell them all about it and more often than not, they're interested in looking up more about them in their own time
I don't get it, there is no excuse for it. It's feeding into and enabling the production of counterfeit products. Zero respect for anyone buying that trash.
The trail of sad events caused by the evil process of getting counterfeit gear to market must also be appreciated. The marketplace listings/stories of people being ripped off this end do not tell the whole story...........
I was looking for the extra Pokemon in this video when I realized the irony -- the supposedly real "Gibson" in the background is actually a Ditto! 😸
Would have been the most expensive ditto in history haha
I’ve never bought one, but considered it many times. The thing that makes them unappealing is the lower quality and need for upgrades. But money-wise, it’s cheaper than actual Gibsons. For me, I just like it when the guitar says Gibson on it and looks like the classic guitar. I know that’s shallow but idrc. I think that if you go in knowing and understanding what you’re buying, and that it’s not real, then whatever, buy what you want. To me, the only moral issue is if you try to resell it to someone and claim it’s real. But if it’s just for yourself cuz you like the look, it doesn’t matter.
Somewhere along the way in the past few years it became cool to buy dirt cheap chibsons and demo them. I can't stand trash counterfeit guitars. You get what you pay for. FAFO.
whole thing never made sense to me. even in the 70's with the lawsuit guitars from Japan that were actually really well made ( better than Gibson US were at the time and miles clear of these chibsons ), the Japanese brands never stamped the guitars made in the USA or tried selling them AS gibsons.
Gibson could partially kill the demand for Chibsons by allowing Tokai, Greco, etc replica guitars into the states instead of the Japan only market...
Japanese brands and Gibson settled out of court ages ago to allow Tokai, Greco, Crews, Momose etc to continue to build the guitars for Japan with the caveat that they don't offer them here in the US. Besides, it's extremely easy to get those Japanese brands to the USA, I've been importing them for well over a decade.
Really though I don't think it would make a difference. People don't buy Chibsons for their quality, they are junk guitars made by questionable people available via questionable sites that have no problems selling counterfeit products well beyond guitar. The people who go out of their way to buy Chibsons want a Gibson logo on the headstock, otherwise they'd never think twice of buying that firewood.
Gibson owns Epiphone. They are the authorized outlet for economy priced Les Pauls. A new Gibson Les Paul Standard costs at least $2000. The Epiphone is less than $700. If you want something cheaper, you don't get a new real Les Paul. Maybe a used one will be more affordable. There are some things in this life that we desire but can't afford. A Les Paul is one of them.
@@AudiomoMusic The dude who buys a Chibson isn't concerned with the quality - they just want that "Gibson" logo on the headstock so they can fool the 10 drunk idiots at the local dive bar into thinking they're playing a real Gibson.
@AudiomoMusic I'm talking about being able to order a Tokai, etc from Musicians Friend, etc instead of all the hassle and shipping costs to get them from Japan. Especially when nobody in their right mind thinks a Les Paul that says "Tokai" etc could ever be mistaken for, or passed off as a Gibson... open book headstock notwithstanding. It's the same with all the Fender stuff you can only get in Japan.
I'm glad they seized these and they didn't go through. This crap needs to stop. Too many people get hurt by this, from the unknowing person, to the reseller that doesn't know, but most importantly Gibson USA employees that lose some work, etc.
forget Gibson as a company, producing any sort of counterfeit product is flat out wrong. the people that knowingly buy these need to have a serious look in the mirror.
@AudiomoMusic that too.
Flood market to keep price down, but charge $6k each, to really keep buyers away.
Maybe buy Chibsons with counterfeit dollars!
I personally prefer the Chinese guitars with their own branding. Firefly, Leo Jaymz, Westcreek, Fesley, and others. Those are the ones I buy and support.
Yeah I have zero problems with any of them or any brand from anywhere for that matter that isn't just making straight up counterfeits.
Just curious .... If a Chinese guitar has a Gibson logo on the TRC it's a fraud. But I've heard that some guitars coming in include a second unprinted TRC or a removable decal of some sort over the Gibson logo. Is this still fraud against the manufacturer or is it collusion if the owner choses to display the Gibson logo? In addition, if a company chooses to reproduce a Gibson guitar to the n-th degree wouldn't that be a violation of Gibson's copyright? Or if Gibson didn't copyright their guitars design back in the 50's or whenever which I believe is the case, wouldn't Gibson be SOL as far as any infringement issues?
To your first question - it's still fraud because the guitars have "Made in the USA" and fake US serial numbers on the back.
To the second question - The only point of reference we have for this is the court settlement between Gibson and the Japanese makers. Basically, an agreement was reached within all parties that should a Japanese manufacturer use the open book headstock regardless of logo it is only available to be sold domestically in Japan and not in the United States. ESP have also changed their Eclipse models from being traditional 4 knobs to 3 knobs for their eclipse models available in the United States but that's more of a grey area. All of this was because Gibson didn't do a great job of initially protecting their IP in the first place. Luckily for them, Japan actually respects the law so they are at least dodging the bullet of having really high quality guitars that are far better value than most US Gibsons are available here... which is more than we can say for the place making the straight up counterfeits.
I’ve thought about getting one to smash up on stage for a video or use it while surfing 🏄
Good. Gibson is the brand that produced the original version of the Les Paul guitar series with the input and consent of Les himself. The only other companies authorized to replicate that model are Epiphone and Orville, both subsidiaries of Gibson. Putting someone else's name on the headstock of your own product is akin to identity theft. Not only do you claim to be them, but any activity that is detrimental to them is your fault. If you wish to produce a similar product out of respect for the design, fine. There are plenty of Les Paul styled guitars that are easily identified as such. They don't claim to be Gibsons. Even Heritage guitars restyled their instruments despite arguably being more authentically Gibson than the ones made under new management that moved out of the Parsons Street factory decades ago. If you want an authorized Les Paul made in China, buy an Epiphone. The Traditional Pro IV is a great instrument. Lightweight, nice color choices, an option to upgrade the pickups, coil taps on both pickups. Inexpensive. Legal. No reason to buy fake junk built by crooks then whining when you get screwed.
thank you for being completely sensible, makes me feel a bit more sane to be extremely against these counterfeit junk guitars.
@@AudiomoMusic Thank you for the great video. You only get what you pay for. Paying $200 for a Les Paul made in Nashville is unrealistic. Labor costs, utilities, materials, overburdensome regulations... Getting one made from an overseas factory sanctioned and paid for by a subsidiary of Gibson is perhaps not as good as having one produced domestically if only for the transportation. You have to ship each guitar halfway around the world. Lots of bumps and chances for damage. No wonder GC has so many new guitars in need of a set up. Even if the Chibsons were made in the Epiphone factory, would the QC be as good as an Epiphone? Highly unlikely it'd leave the factory with a seal of approval with another company's name on the headstock. There is only one reason to buy a knockoff instead of a legal import. The finish. Tangerine metallic purple burst? I don't recall even the wildest Gibson models offering some of the color schemes. Firewood is still firewood and crooks are still crooks, so I'll pass. Have a great night.
Meanwhile eBay does nothing about sellers selling these fakes .
i wouldn't ever buy pickups or a guitar from ebay OR amazon, they do not care about counterfeits.
If you can't tell the difference, what does that say about the quality of Gibson guitars? I'm glad they caught this batch-those unscrupulous individuals trying to deceive and steal from guitar players. My affordable LP copy, mostly hand-made by highly skilled Korean luthiers, isn't a counterfeit; the name and headstock are clearly different. It's essentially a luthier-built, Korean-made version of an LP Standard that cost just a tenth of a Gibson's price. The unfortunate truth is that it's as good as any real LP Standard I've played pickups not withstanding. Maybe I've only come across poorly-made Gibsons, but the reality is what it is. Cheers!"
It’s not so much about people that are so into guitar they watch RUclips or keep up with things, I’m talking about the average non guitarist that is potentially buying something for a family member locally or for themselves that would have no idea what a good or bad guitar is regardless of the headstock.
@@AudiomoMusic Good point!
The only reason I have plenty of Gibson is because of my Chibson nobody get fool with Chibon
So you bought a counterfeit sweatshop guitar that gave you the confidence to buy a legitimate one?
I hear they were Trump decal guitars!
orange man so so bad oh no
Is this video from the future? Tuesday November 26th is two days from now 😂
yes time machine goes brrr
Well, knowing drumpf, this is probably the lot of guitars he was going to sell with his name on them. Now the website will have to say something like, "Your guitar may or may not actually exist and may never arrive," like with the watches. *edit: I laughed really hard when you said, "If you're someone who doesn't want to support Gibson, why on Earth would you buy a product that says Gibson," I barked and laughed until I had to sit down. I don't know anyone who likes Chibsons for that reason, but they're out there lol
Get help for your TDS.
@@matsumoku1 Good point. You've changed my mind. You're so smart.
I’m failing to see the correlation between sweatshop counterfeit Gibsons and Donald Trump. I try to avoid politics like the plague on this channel but this is a wild takeaway.
@@CraigFlowersMusic matsumoku1 is right. This video has absolutely nothing to do with Donald Trump but you find a way to make it about him, this is exactly what TDS is. You will have a happier life when you start thinking for yourself and stop seeing evil orange man everywhere in places where he is not.
@@AudiomoMusic Look at the photos. The acoustics are low res, which is fishy enough, but look at the electric. It's not a real Les Paul. It has a BOLT ON NECK! The cutaway is all kinds of wrong. These will be $11,200 humbucking Melodymakers LOL Mark my words! Andy the Guitar Geek asked them what country they’re made in, and they replied with a legalese non answer. In other words, not American. That was on today’s week in gear episode on his channell, go see for yourself how sketchy it all is as usual. So it may have been half joke, but it’s already looking like it was half right. Everything with his name on it is a lie. That is not hyperbole.
I went Chibson to get the Zakk Wylde rebel flag model. Funny they made the guitar in Fender scale length. Take care!
Yikes
If they're good guitars, then I don't really care if they're fake or not and destroying them seems like a massive waste of time, money, and resources, as well as materials. I mean, it's not like we're currently in an era of massive waste or anything.
Problem is the seller is deceiving the buyer. These fakes get passed around, multiple people being ripped off from the original seller and from resale. Just brand them as something that isn't Gibson.
@@brncrw
Furthermore, anyone who doesn’t really “care if it’s fake or not” is part of the problem. I can’t comprehend how there are still people who think that way.
It’s basically the same thing as stealing someone’s identity. Would these people “not really care” if someone opened credit cards or got loans with their personal information or the personal information of a relative?
What brand of car do most drive? Most have Chinese components. Just buy what you like, what makes you happy. Russian vodka, Cuban cigars, German cameras, Japanese guitars.
Gibson is the Harley Davidson of electric guitars. Thanks Jim.
It has nothing to do with components, it has everything to do with selling a 100% counterfeit pretending it is a brand it is not and made in a country is not. There are countless Chinese made guitar brands out there I at least respect for putting their own brands name on the headstock and label them as guitars made in China. I have zero respect for Chibsons or the people that buy that trash.
Yeah they should be stopped, but you made the awful mistake of then saying Hardly Bentsome are great cheap alternatives....end of report!
Compared to a POS lead filled chibson they are custom shop quality guitars
@@AudiomoMusic In your dreams, they are also produced throughout Asia in sweat shops...how can anyone sleep at night knowing they are supporting the CCP's war machine is all.
I don’t own a single Harley Benton guitar but the single cuts I had from them weren’t built in China- they were Indonesian so if you’re going to spout garbage at least know what you’re talking about
@@AudiomoMusic I already mentioned across Asia but always CCP controlled.