Fake Chibson vs Real Gibson (Can You Tell The Difference Between These Two Les Paul Guitars?)
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- Is there a difference between a fake “Chibson” and a real Gibson? During a conversation with a friend of mine about Gibson guitars, I found out that he was ripped off a few years ago and unknowingly bought a fake Gibson Les Paul Custom, also known as a Chibson. These are fake Gibsons manufactured in china to look like the real thing. In this video I compare the fake Chibson Les Paul Custom guitar with a real Gibson Les Paul Standard Guitar. I will show a couple of ways to spot a fake, so you don’t get ripped off to and buy a fake. There are things to look for in the headstock, tuners, frets, pickups, bridge, serial number and more. At the end of the video, I do a sound comparison of the fake Chibson Custom Les Paul to the Real Gibson Standard Les Paul using my Fender Bassman 20. Can you tell the difference?
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#1. The paintjob looks better so it must be the fake.
Sad but true.
Yeah the gibson quality its crapppier that the chinese.Sad but true.
its just the contrast of the colors they used on the chibson, not exactly the quality of the paint
@@acespades8747 Gibson has done some of the most incredible looking tops
Chibson is fukn trash
Sad but true 😢
All of this video is good, but there is a two second way to know which is the copy... let each guitar fall over off the guitar stand... the one where the neck breaks is the real Gibson.
ahahaah so true
Our dog knocked two of my Les Paul's off of the stands last month.... The first this I thought was, ''Damn, did the Headstock's crack''..... Got lucky with both........
scott bird 😂😂😂😂
@Nintariz how many people do you know that own one? They complain trust me. I met an old guy driving an F1 a few years ago and asked if he would race me on my Ninja... he laughed and said he NEVER races because he cannot afford to fix it when it breaks. A bright red convertible F1 with the top down that won't race?!?!?!?! Why would you own one then? Get a damn Rolls or something.
We all think that way! I even check them before buying for being repaired and hairline ones you cannot see. For the ones you cannot see play it for about 2 min. If it goes notoriously out of tune it is most likely new stings that are not stretched or an inside hairline crack. The crack sometimes will make little pop like noises when you apply more tension on the strings (this method may snap the headstock off though)
I purchased one on AliExpress $230 only upgraded the tuners Saddle bridge, and new strings. I can’t believe how beautiful and well-made it is and it sounds beautiful.
Same here, I updated the turners with locking tuners. What bridge did you use?
It's still Chinese crap . Wood , craftsmanship sound tone Chinese slave labor. You're just to cheap to buy a real Gibson. Despicable.
I did so too with a Gretsch.
Might have to look into that.
I recognize the fake Blake Shelton. Called Fake Chelton
HAH
I’m dead😂😂😂😂😂
hahaha
Lol 😆😆
Savage
Some guy in a Chinese factory is taking notes right now lol, hmmmm Fake Chelton has good points, we fix now
LOL 😂
LMAO !!!
Exactly
Better not to tell what wasn’t right so they don’t correct
LOL
You know when they start making these Chibsons so the headstocks break it going to be damn near impossible to tell them apart.
Five seconds to see where is the fake one .
The Chibson sounds slightly out of tune
both are not in tune!
So that means it’s a Gibson
noticed that too. hard to compare when thats the case
also the setup could be different. professionally set up these both can be very good players.
The difference is like night and day. Those pickups sound weak. Maybe fixable with a set-up or change them out.
@@Comakino i mean it’s a nice Seymour Duncan, idk if you’d want to really change that out. Maybe the top one though
Three years ago I bought my dream guitar, A gibson R8, two years later two of the fretboard inlays fell out and anther couple were loose, had to get them glued back in, the guy who done it for me at the shop said it was common, then I noticed all the binding on the neck had started cracking and I can actually feel it on my thumb when playing, then the volume broke and needed replacing, but apart from all that it's a great guitar, as long as you retune it after every song, the G string goes out after the first couple of bends,
Can't expect to much, it only cost £5,000
Are you sure it's not a Chibson? Dealers get fooled too, y'know.
That's awful! I'm sorry that you got a lemon, it happens to all of us sometimes. I still don't have a Gibson Les paul, but, I just bought a Gretsch g5120, and I absolutely adore it. Go trade that mean brute in!
@@Jockeylotforfun Yes a buddy of mine has the g5120 in orange colour , he absolutely loves it, great looking guitar too, good luck with it.
I have 3 LP's and they all have issues.. I guess that's just part of the Gibson experience. Only one was purchased new and that was the most flawed one.
As far as staying in tune ... all of mine go out if I just look at them funny. The weirdest thing about Gibson is every time they try to address the problems the purists freak out and demand they change it back. One of mine has the neck volute .. smartest thing they ever did. But that didn't last either.
holy hell that is just crazy. you would think they would make them better at that price I would be so pist off wow
I think this is the most informative clip re Gibsons v Chibsons. I wish I'd seen it prior to buying a fake Firebird.
Big sound difference! It's the sound of $4,500 savings in my bank account!
Lol; you can pick up a Les Paul standard for just over a third of that price; and it's worth every penny.
Cha-ching!
@@doosworld1901 You can pick up a Chibson that will blow a Les Paul Standard into the weeds, for much cheaper. And I guarantee, the Chibson is the higher quality guitar. And now they are putting Grovers on them and good pickups. Gibson is doomed.
@@steveharrigan7811 Lol, and where are you getting your information from? I hope you're being sarcastic!
@@doosworld1901 Comments like that wont save your low standard company. Let me guess: you either work for Gibson, or at a high end guitar store. Let me tell you something buddy, no guitar ever made is worth more than $500.00 Basic woodworking skills, and 1950's technology electrics, will never be worth $3000.00 I have 2 Gibson guitars, and 5 "Chibsons" I threw about $350.00 into them in upgrades, and still came out with a fantastic playing and sounding guitar for under $700.00 The Chibsons are played regularly. The Gibson's haven't been out of their cases in years.(and the availability of custom finishes, and attention to detail is literally stunning. Gibson "fit and finish" is regrettable at best, and sometimes outright embarrassing.) Good luck with your delusions
The fake sounds like it needs a good tuning
And here's the thing - maybe this guy's tried his damnedest to tune it well but it resisted his concentrated effort. A bad guitar is one that doesn't play in tune, not just along the neck but with different chord shapes. That's regardless of what the logo might or might not say. Any true player would have to agree - posers might demurr.
Sounds like the intonation needs adjustment on the fake
Colin Freeman you’re very much correct
Put real Grover's on it and fix the neck issues and intonation.
I figured the in tune one was fake. My genuine Gibson Les Paul goes out of tune every other song.
Oh I just remembered I bought a Cort guitar and within six months it was beginning to get loose on the tuners and as I speak the third tuner has been loose, falling loose, the other challenge is of knowing the original manufacturer so as to compare with the fake, but thanx at least there is someone on you tube who is opening our eyes even more about guitars, thanx
Cort is one of the largest guitar manufacturers in Korea I believe ... I remember reading over 65% of Korean guitars come out of the Cort factory...4 of my ibanez's are cort made. It all depends on who contracting them and what they spec out.
Thanks for the video,
No one likes to be lied to.
We have the government for that.
Marty Mcmannis,
Yeah, whenever I feel the need to be lied to, I just turn on faux"news".
Marty, Yes! We sure do. Like Universel Guitar lessons for all. LOL
what if the guy told you it was a chibson , you play it and it is good and he is asking 300 bucks or whatever do you buy it?
Axe handlers that have been riffing -n- shredding for yrs SHOULD know the difference.
Ok. Wait for 4 more years of lying..
I really have no clue, but I'm saying #1. The inlays seemed off for a Custom
There are several aspects that say the first guitar is a Chibson (fake Gibson) as I now live in Asia and there are plenty of them here. The dead giveaway is that the Gibson has two thin wooden pieces attached to the headstock. The inlays on the Chibson are poor and wrongly shaped, the metal work (bridge, etc) are not Gibson and the colour of the selector switch is wrong on the first guitar. Also the vol and tone switches are not correctly located.
One more issue. When I (later) heard you play the Chibson, I think there may be a wiring fault as when you play in the middle position, there is a slight out of phase sound that I have heard before with them. The internal wiring can often be junk and it is not uncommon to find them for sale with only one pickup actually working when they are shipped.
The cost in Asia for these Chibsons (when ordered directly from online merchants) is about $US150 to $200. Although they are cheap new, they are totally worthless second hand and you'd be better off buying something else. A fake Stratocaster here is even cheaper - about $US120 to $150.
Exactly!!
Mark Dignam but players modify the wiring on their real Gibsons 'cause that out-of-phase sound is quite sought after. The easiest way to tell them apart is lookin' at the trussrod cover.
I agree Its the inlays seeming wrong
I have a CORT CR300,a Les Paul copy with same LP body thickness,a slim taper neck, weighs 8 lbs and has a solid 1/2" maple top for $649 ( I got a great deal at $575. Better than the Epis or others that just have veneer tops. Using quality mahogany reduces weight--there is no chambering or weight relief. After a fret level it plays like a great guitar should. I installed locking tuners which were a direct replacement, Tone Pros locking tom bridge and locking stop bar. I took out the Fishman alnico II style humbuckers and put in a set of Duncan 59s. I've had it for 3 years now and love it. This one is a keeper.🎸👍
My tell was the flame top. A real AA 0r AAA flame top will appear plain on camera until the light hits it at the right angle, while a fake Lam or photo-flame top will have a consistent flame no matter the lighting angle. Also the truss rod cover wasn't bound and looked cheap.
Custom is fake, could tell in 1.2 seconds
Headstock is way off !
Boudreau Guitars it should have an ebony board not rosewood. Plus the head stock looks too wide!
1.5 seconds .. haha ... fret nibs, position of tailpiece, logo G in wrong angle ... lots of stuff not correct
Boudreau Guitars same
whitey 1 I'm here to tell you, I noticed. The little roundish parts in the middle don't go up as high. It's wider, too
I would never buy a Gibson, real or fake.
With the quality you can get today with so many fantastic brands from Asia there really is no reason to buy the overly priced big brands.
Meanwhile my Ibanez Pia has the worst paint job I’ve ever seen 😂
I currently have 3 fake Les Pauls. I have had many real ones over the years(9 or 10, since the mid-70's), and every real one save for one(a 1991 Celebrity Classic Tuxedo), had serious issues-bridge in wrong place, inlays falling out, on one, the fingerboard wood had fuzz coming out of it everywhere on another, frets popping loose on another, etc. My first fake LP was nitro laquered, came with 57 Classic pickups, and Epi wiring/guts. I swapped the pickups out with old, used Duncan SH2's put CTS pots and Russian PIO caps in it, Tusq nut, and it's probably the best of my 30+ guitars. I got another one from a different seller, and the quality wasn't as good-bridge posts not all the way in, bindings not properly scraped, but about an hour messing with it and it was fine. Six weeks later, they sent me another one-FOR FREE. THAT one was perfect. The main thing with these is you have to change out the wiring and pickups. I think if you are willing to spend an afternoon doing some very minor work, at the least you are getting a terrific gig guitar so you can leave the overpriced one at home, so it doesn't fall apart on you at a gig.
Whatever you have to tell yourself.
Counterfeits are junk. Period.
@Dylan Gruenloh Yes, because it's true. Counterfeit guitars are literally made from junk materials.
And, I'm not defending Gibson, even though I've spent the better part of my life playing them (mostly vintage). Just saying, that there are a lot of legit copies out there, that are a million times better, than this crap. Some of them less expensive, as well.
Btw, if people are so concerned about bashing Gibson for their "quality" issues, why are they going out and buying junky, Chinese-made crap, with "Gibson" on the headstock?
Kind of redundant, don't you think?
Dennis Thompson you are a guitar hypebeast
@@mrbrownstone79 Thanks...I guess?
Dylan Gruenloh even if they both played identical , knowing that you bought a guitar that was not made by Gibson is enough to piss me off
Great video! The Chinese are getting better at producing more accurate fakes, but I noticed a huge difference in the sound/tone in several pick-up selections. The real Les Paul is warmer and more powerful in the neck and combo positions and crisp with that wonderful Gibson “bite” from the bridge pick-up. The Chibson just did not have the tonal variation nor the quality sound. Also, and thus may not be a quality issue, but the Chibson was slightly out of tune. The G string sounded a bit flat.
You covered it all, was gonna comment the same thing
Upgrading pickups is an easy solution, and you don't have to spend a fortune!
The chrome plating on the fake Custom gave that away the moment I saw it.
Well “played”, K. Russell. Thanks for the education. This led me to believe that I have a Chibson after 3 years of playing. The only give-a-ways directly from your list were the almost engraved versus stamped serial number and the fact that it goes out of tune almost right away. It was an impulse buy on a price that was hard to pass up for brand new solid body guitar. I’ll have to just keep on play’n.
Replace the tuners and pickups and keep it in the case to avoid sudden changes of temp and humidity and you will be fine. The copies are less selective about raw materials and warp easier as they age.
Or just get so damn good nobody cares what you play or they just give you guitars.
If it sounds good who cares?
My Les Paul from 1992 is a 1960s reissue, it has the ink stamp, no USA, which is exactly the appointments it should meet, just depends on the model, one good way of being able to distinguish, is the truss rod. Chibson has the Alan Key adjustment, Gibson uses wrench style truss rod adjustment. Also the stamping on the back is not deep on a Gibson, Chibson is almost carved into the back of headstock, very deep compared to Gibson
Also look at the shape of the horns, huge difference, knob placements, Gibson uses 2 screw truss cover, Chibson uses the Epiphone standard 3 screw truss covers
Keep on brother....it's not the bow and arrow...it's the Indian
The Seymour Duncan gave it away. Mostly because I figured the pickup was replaced due to the fact that most Chinese clone guitars come with unpotted pickups.
I would buy a fake mercedes for 10.000. if the only difference was that I knew the fake was not real.
I'm guessing number 1. It looks "Too" good!
My guess was #1 as well it just didn't look right seemed off. Sometimes if you look at the bridge it should line up with the center screw in the middle of the guitar where it's put together also the tone controls are out of line by that I mean the front two are spaced different then the rear ones and yeah the tuners are crooked I didn't no about the serial number being stamped
true!
Too good? I instantly thought it looks terrible. Tuners are off, custom shop logo is done really badly. Or was the 'too' meant to be ironic 😂
Lmao 😃 I'm glad he admitted he was playing the "fake" out of tune. Cos duh it was obvious. We'll just have to accept that it wasn't intentional and that he didn't give his Gibson prize the special pedal effects😁
I always look at the pot placement. The neck volume pot in the fake is almost in line with the bridge whereas the real Gibson is slightly pulled back from that datum. Both sound good, by the way.
The moment you realize a fake looks better than a real one... Maybe that's why they're on such decline?
Geusseppe González Cárdenas Yeah, those Chibsons are highly sought.
Geusseppe González Cárdenas It doesn’t look better!! Maybe you prefer the looks of a Custom... if that’s the case then that’s fine but this Chibson doesn’t look better than a real Les Paul Custom.
And it sounds horrible. Like it’s permanently out of tune, even on open chords. The video poster commented on it himself. It sounds awful.
They tried to copy the look of a 25th 50th anniversary les paul. Since i owned one i was able to tell pretty quick.
The real one looks like it is missing the flame maple for some reason.
Geusseppe González Cárdenas I hope the Gibson ceo takes a fucking hike. They need someone who cares about the employees. That’s why the price is stupidly high and they’re on the fence from going belly up
For me it was the fretboard inlays, at least the first few appear to be off center and the first one is ever so slightly tilted even. I'd assume Gibson would do a better job at placing these.
@9:53 Where is he finding these amazing deals on Gibson Les Paul customs?! hahahaha
I agree 100% not only with the facts you pointed out, but your opinion on every single thing as well. Good job. Too bad Gibson doesn't microchip each guitar they make like Carvin did for a while, at least the higher end ones like LP's. There is so much wood on a LP that someone would have to nearly destroy it to remove the chip. Sure, not every dealer or shop would have the scanning equipment to read it, and there are decades of LPs already made, but over time I would think it would help curb the fakes.
Hey, every vetinary doctor has a chip reader. So it's not that big a stretch. You should patent the idea and sell it to Gibson
Most people I know that own Gibson are no better players than people with cheaper guitars, as a matter of fact, some of the people I know that play cheaper guitar sound better than the people that play Gibson... A lot of people think they have to have the best of everything just because they think that way.....
Good idea
Rolex have the same problem. With a Rolex, don't look at the face. Turn it over and feel for sharp edges. Rolex pride themselves on smooth edges. The pretend fakes also have loose floppy strap links. Like anything, you're only kidding yourself with a pretend fake! That was an excellent video!
I spotted that Chibson the second I looked at that headstock. It was so off! Also that finish looks like it's poly instead of lacquer, they have different shines. Still, it can sure fool a lot of people.
No wonder Gibson is dying, these fakes are getting better and better the fact that they have a Made in USA stamp on the headstock and not get in trouble as a forgery is Crazy
Gibson isn't dying because of their Guitars. In fact their Guitar market is safe and is what is going to keep them going. Gibson is in trouble because of all of the other companies they bought trying to gain the upper hand on the entire music market. They bought Teac, Onkyo, and Royal Phillips entertainment systems. The Royal Phillips deal is what put them in trouble. It has absolutely nothing to do with their Guitars. The guitars as I mentioned before are going to be what keeps them going. Gibson Guitars are the epitome of what an electric guitar should be. The sound you get from them is absolutely beautiful. If you take a moment and read about how for example the Les Paul was designed it will make you understand why buying a Chibson is just wrong. It's really not as simple as them making a guitar and then slapping Les Paul's name on it. Les Paul had a lot of influence on how that guitar would be made. That means a lot because you take all of the history out of the guitar when you buy a fake. It would be like buying a BMW only to find out you only got a reproduced body that looked like a BMW but was slapped on a cheap Chrysler K-car frame and motor. I know that probably isn't a possible scenario , I'm just using it to compare what it would feel like. You get in something that looks cool then punch it to see what it has under the hood and it just sort of goes.
One thing is for sure. The quality built into a Gibson is bar none. My father played in bands for most of his adult life at least while he was able. He was given a 1958 Gibson ES 350 back in something like 1961 or 62', from my Uncle. As the story goes my dad was needing a guitar and my Uncle (his older Brother) bought this guitar off of a bar tender that was in need if some quick cash. Knowing a good deal when he saw one he bought it for my dad. This guitar lasted until he sold it back in the 1990's. I was heartbroken when I found out he sold it. That was really the only thing I ever wished to inherit someday. Money wasn't it for me, it was that guitar and the history behind it. I suppose every man has a price. I know my dad was in desperate need of a new amp/speaker setup and he wanted a more traditional electric acoustic guitar. He mainly played rhythm and sometimes bass. So he sold it and was able to get pretty much everything he needed buy selling that one guitar. I think he got something like 8k to 10k for it. I was never able to pin him down on what he actually got but based on what he bought and then what he said he banked after buying what he needed, I'm guessing it was in that range. Which from my understanding was a decent price range based on the condition. It still hurts when I think of it being gone. It was such a beautiful guitar with a Sunburst finish. Just gorgeous. I remember just sitting there admiring it when I was a little boy. That being said, if that guitar would have been a Chibson he wouldn't have gotten anything for it and he would have probably had to replace it 20 years earlier so you can look at buying a real Gibson as an investment. I would be curious about how much it would be worth today with another 20 years of history behind it. It was very well taken care of so I'm confident it would still be in excellent condition. At least it would have been had my dad kept it. I am betting it's probably worth upwards close to 15k by now.
Gibson is dying because you pay 3 thousand and never stay in tune!
They do it with Fender as well.
Is Fender dying?
@@Phaseband Sounds like a "you" problem as opposed to a Gibson problem. I have 5 and no tuning issues at all.
My first guess was the second until I really looked at it.
Having had experience with a few fakes, I can say that even when they look the part, they are super hit or miss with the quality and playability. Be aware of what you are getting. Some fakes can be amazing, but don't be fooled into paying full price for what could be better used as firewood. Don't let the love/hate for certain brands make you a victim of paying $$$$ for junk. If you know you are buying a fake, I would recommend not buying online, as you won't be able to return it or get a refund from most sellers. I have heard of a few online merchants that have done an exchange/refund when they knew that the customer was a notable RUclipsr that already had a video made showing that what they paid for and what they got were not even close. Buy what makes you happy, but don't get ripped off.
"Chibson" Was great !!
Oh wow the sound difference is huge!
Less bite like significantly less! Also feels a little thin.
I always notice straight away on a chibson, the distance between where the strings are threaded through and the bridge is far greater similar to the epiphone version.
Funny that I spotted the fake one WITHIN the intro clip.
Me 2
One thing I noticed was the dot in the “i” on the logo. The real one has it more close to the top.
The bottom volume control on guitar one is not centered with the other knobs, looks a little funky
The Harley Bentons are a nice cheap alternative to buying a fake Gibson. They play well and have a good price point.
pcbullets Agreed. The alignment of the knobs is another major sign on Chibsons and when viewed side by side with a real Gibson guitar number one does look a bit wrong. Also, the stopbar is too far away from the bridge on the fake... that’s another warning side and it means it lines up wrong with the neck pickup volume control... another “tell”. There are quite a few little things that give it away.
I would love to do an experiment! I would love to fool someone by
actually sending them a real Gibson %100 REAL packaged up just like how
the Chinese do and then have them do a review on it. NOW THAT would be a
great video. It would be so awesome to see how the brain really fools a
person. I'm sure they would find all kinds of problems with the real
thing. I'm telling you it needs to be done.
Danny Lee: Learning Guitar with Rocksmith. Butt hurt you can’t get a real one.
Old saying, don’t touch what you can’t afford. Loser haha
Sure, send me the guitar!
You're right: it would be a test to do ...
Send it to me & I'll even post the video on RUclips.
I agree. And the opposite (Sending a fake Gibson making the guy think it's a real one) should be done as well.
12:42 love that contemporary majestic sound
Great video as usual Kennis ! In answer to your question, no, why buy a known fake ?
Much better value in Epiphone, Tokai, Eastman, Burny etc, there's lots of others, sure Gibson have better resale value,
one would hope so after the initial outlay is a lot more than the others.
"If you want a Gibson, buy a Gibson"
I wish I was born in US just to say this
estamos no mesmo barco.
@@wiimusictheme6593 foda né mano, queria poder dizer isso algum dia, mas no Brasil é difícil
As a US citizen, you completely made my day with this comment. 😂🤣
@@doug2190 tem que trabalhar por pelo menos 10 meses pra conseguir comprar uma Gibson, pqp
@@wiimusictheme6593 10 meses? dependo do trabalho ou dependendo da gibson que tu quer são 10 anos
First issue was the open book headstock wasn't quite right (I design for a living so I can easily see difference in very similar shapes), the neck binding is below the frets, toggle switch ring isn't right... This is all from the first few minutes of the video.
I spotted it right away just by looking at them sat there before you even started. Gibson Les Paul horn has more curve and the 4 controls are evenly spaced. The scratch plate on the fake is a dead give a away, it's almost nearing the body perimeters edge, the horn isn't curved like a Gibson and the 4 controls are not evenly spaced.
Did you forget mention this or not notice?
I wouldn't pay more than 200 for either of them, Gibson have ripped people off for years.
The "Cheapson" 😂 well looking and sounding guitar for its price though.
Its like the fake "Rolex" of guitars! That was really good that. Thanks for the advice.
The chibson can be visually spotted almost instantly to me, the details always is kinda wonky, the chosen color of the parts/pieces usually don't match looking like an amateur work, they never do the typos and logos perfectly also, I don't know why but is a fact. But needs some meticulous attention, the majority of people don't do it
"Fake" is now called "enhanced". Applies to pairs too.
I bought a 59 copy for the body only. I put top end everything in it. New Grovers, new Bare Knuckle pickups, obsidian wiring harness, new Nut , new saddle.. all told I spent 800 bucks. It plays like a custom shop Bloomfield.. its killer. Get one but hot rod it. You'll love it. I wish they would just put CHIBSON on the headstock
One thing I always noticed when it comes to the headstock the Chibson’s always tend to have a “big mustache” whereas the Gibson has the “pencil thin mustache” Also, placement of the volume/tone knobs. It’s easier to tell when you’ve a side by side comparison.
Those are the early ones there were knocking out from the chinese epiphone factory.. i think you will find the replicas from china are of superior build quality now.. Real Gibson killers.. & built to order.. custom shop style to your own prefrence, specs & choice
@@upcycleelectra8311are you one of the sellers 😅
#2 is the real one.
I was instantly able to tell that number one was the fake because of the sloppy inlay work on the headstock.
Legit not a huge difference for 3k. The real Gibson does sound brighter though.
Chad Baker tone deaf loser haha
Easily noticable difference
I play an Epiphone Les Paul but I did guess correctly! I love my Epiphone!
At 9:35 Kennis comments on the question "Who cares?" I agree with his comment re the economic investment, but there is much more to it for me. Les Paul himself, Gibson and all the super stars throughout my life ( I come from the 1940s) made these guitars the icons they are, and the whole concept of them from start to finish has a deep meaning to me and people like me. For Bar Stewards to rip them off and, worse still, try and make capital from it, is just plain sacrilegious!
Rock on ALL!
No.2
Binding over fret edges. The dot on the "I"
The back of the headstock 2 edges that they glue on "not 1 piece" like the fakes.
Also if the Ghibson is supposed to be a custom ,,,,, where's the ebony fret board 🤔
Chibson is a great guitar to destroy on stage, and you can say that you broke a real one!
Meus parabéns pelo excelente conteúdo e trabalho! Este vídeo irá ajudar muitas pessoas, igualmente a mim! Muito obrigado e um forte abraço 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
#1, the tailpiece is too low and the toggle switch seems off
thats what she said
The giveaway for me is the inlay on the first fret. The only Les Pauls that have first inlays are a few Supremes.
Don't buy fakes. Like Kennis said, there are many great guitars in the same price range that are not stealing from an established brand. Epiphone makes great guitars.
Do you really believe gibson which prices their lp customs with fake patina and lab analyzed plastics at gulp ahem $11,000 is not stealing from its customers? My buddys $200 lp custom chibson is virtually indistinguishable from the real one which starts at $4500 discounted online and could go 2-3 times that with their foo foo limited editions.
That is 22.5 to 60x the cost.
No sorry there is no justification. Let the chibsons flow in. Gibson can step up their game or die in the marketplace like the overbloated greedy corporate dinosaurs theyve become.
The fakes are a viable option for young players. You go tell a kid making 15 an hour he should spend $550/mo making payments on a gibson so they can build a factory with a vanity performance venue they sell at a fire sale a decade later due to overextending with irresponsible acquisitions.
Idiots bought pioneer electronics prolly gonna run it into the ground too.
Chibson are better and cheeper... :p
Yep and Epiphones are made in China also in fact I would bet they are made in the some of the same factory by the same people that make the Chinese Gibson replicas they just put in cheaper hardware sometimes. I have seen Chibsons with some Epiphone hardware a piece here and there.
Just buy a Gretsch ffs
Glenn Gardin Eppiphone’s are incredible
Video didn't help when you intentionally play the same tune terrible on the guitar that you know isn't the Gibson. Lol talk about being impartial.
most fakes play terribly. Bad frets, frets in the wrong place, nut in the wrong place, bridge misplaced. They have no incentive to bother getting any of that right. You pay your $400 and they’re done with you. Doesn’t play well...too bad for you because you’ll never see that seller again.
My thoughts exactly. Average player never know the difference playing or the sound.
#2 is real. Biggest giveaway was the inlays and fret nibs. Saw a fake L-5 not long ago, being sold as a fake. It obviously wasn't real to anyone who knew, but the fit and finish were skillfully executed, frets were level, and it played pretty friggin well. It's scary how good some of the Chibsons are getting. Lol, why is it always a fake Custom vs. a Standard? Wouldn't it be more accurate to compare it to another USA Custom?
Doesn’t matter what you compare it to because the cheapest Les Paul would still blow the fakes out of the water. The counterfeits always will have to have a lot of work done to them before they play half way decently. If you want something worth something and can’t afford a real one because of your lack of financial ability to save, buy an Epiphone. At least with an Epiphone you get a decent guitar that is playable out of box without major repairs and actually worth something. Quality control is key and being able to send it back to manufacturer if it’s messed up. Good luck trying to send it back with a chibson.
The real one sounds way better
micah obviously
Yes, I agree.
Sounds the same
Yeah I hope it’s not just because it’s tuned up a little better
Chibson is so out of tune this video is already pointless. The real gibson would sound thinner if the chinese copy wasnt so awfully out of tune. U can clearly heart the bottom end of chibson.
Atleast the last, bridge pickup confirms to me that the Chibson sounds so much fuller. That was SD wasn't it. I also would consider buying a chibson specially since I wouldnt be able to buy the real thing ever anyway. And no, I hate epi headstocks. The only thing that makes me anxious about chibson is that how dry the wood is. I wouldn't like to buy a guitar and then find out the neck is bent to mars in next couple of years. Tokai could also be an option.
Guitars have no more value than what we think they do. See how good the japanese guitars were made. Should you pay 2000 more for a guitar brand that doesnt care about nothing but corporate greed?
I have a chibson. Mine is OK, my low end gibson LPM is a lot better playing, but I bet there are many good chibsons that are worth 2000. Just because the craftsman didnt get paid a great deal and the company didnt charge for its logo, doesnt mean its a crap guitar. You may not get it, but some do.
in the middle ages many spices were worth more than gold, now its 5 bucks for a bottle. Commodities only have value to what the market will bear. If you dont know the difference and you are super happy with it, why does it matter who reaped the profits. I refuse to buy USA made guitars because they are over priced. I have asian, mexican and canadian guitars that have as good or better QC.
I have Fernandes gibson copy and it plays so awsome it's my go to guitar every time over my Epiphone
@Natasha Minor That is completely inaccurate. They set up plants because we had tariffs in place. They placed 2 plants in ontario and we once had very high union rates, but also high quality. The reason they went to the south was not unions but depressed areas that people would take any wage. They aren't unionized in Canada but offer the same wages as the other 4 auto makers. We also have Honda and they pay 30 something for on the line and 43 for trades.
So if people in that area are fine with making less money so is the company. When I worked at the BMW plant in Carolina they had strangely low quality but high wages. They could pay more for their branded cars. But the quality wasn't very good. We had to come in from Canada and automate more equipment because of it.
The reality is vastly different from what you are told. In fact the main reason for the southern states is they had incentive programs( Subsidies or more commonly known as welfare for the rich) and tax exemptions for companies to come there.
They must be getting better...it took me almost 3 seconds at the beginning of the video to call the left one fake. 😂
If the Chinese can improve their hardwares and stuff, they'll outsell Gibson one day
Lol so a epiphone and those pick up on the chibson made me want to throw up
@@darklinkduck2275 yeah but pick ups are an easy fix compared to the price difference between the real vs the fake. You can do a whole lot of customization for that amount.
No way once a legend is always a legend
When you buy a Chinese 'Gibson' you are supporting piracy / theft of musical intellectual property. I have no problems with the Chinese producing copy guitars, but I do have a problem with them passing them off as the real thing e.g. using the American brand names / trademarks etc. The best way to stop this is simply not to buy them in the first place. You buy local and you support local employment and local business.
@Piano Communist!!😂😂😂😂😂 Just kidding. Not everyone can afford the real thing. Good for you. 👍
Clearly you don’t understand the point. Piracy is when you sell a fake for the real thing. The China fake is sold as a replica for $150. The rip off is when Gibson sells theirs for what the market max is 20 times the cost. So who is the real Pirate?
@@dkreeves61 China use the trademarked names of these products which is illegal. Try opening a hamburger shop and calling one of your lines the big mac burger... you'd be sued back to the Stone age. At least the Japanese copies in the 70's put their own brand names on them so you could tell the difference. Yes Gibsons cost more, but then they're not being made in a sweat shop by a person on 20c an hour for their labor...
What do u mean on a sweat shop? Shouldn’t gibsons guitars be 100% crafted hand made? Seen plenty of YT here and the Chinese seemed to actually work on their hands more than the machines in their factory. It’s one valid reason their guitars are getting better. And counterfeit term is harsh word to use knowing USA govt actually accepts masses of products from China in the 1st place and that makes its all legal in the eyes of the law. Facts. :)
They wouldn't come from the factory with Seymour Duncan pickups either right?
i think its no 1 because of the inlays
Number 2
I'm guessing #1 is the forgery. LP Customs have ebony fingerboards, this one looked like rosewood.
Number is 1 the fake indeed, but not all real Customs have ebony boards (while they should, but that is another conversation).
saw the fake was number 1 straight away. before I even noticed it didn't have fret-nibs the volume/ tone knobs are spaced too far apart. then when i saw the fret nibs and the real one, went back and confirmed it. toggle switch is a bit too high, maybe a bit too far over but it's hard too tell. the screw for the pickguard bracket also doesn't come in as far as on a real one and the back of the headstock looks goofy, like there's only mms in it all but the spacing between the tuners and where they're placed relative to the edges of the headstock and serial number spacing just looks wrong.
Who cares? If I'm coughing up the cash, I care. I don't like Les Pauls myself,but I think anyone knocking off someone else's IP should be locked up for ever. I only build original designs. That being said, I don't care if someone pops out copies of existing shapes, but put your own brand on the headstock. That's the difference between a copy, and a counterfeit.
I'm done with Gibson, the new guitars they churn out are not much better than Chibsons. On my two LP standards, I have had finish cracks in the neck joint, which indicates movement in the join. While that is normal for bolt-on necks (they do move), a Gibson neck should not be moving at all. I don't like the sound of the BBs over Duncans or DiMarzio either. I sold the guitars and never looked back. High-end Ibanez products are what I use now and I'm in a much better place. No offense, but unless you *must* buy American for whatever reason, buying a Gibson is stupid.
Hmmm I'd argue buying an Ibanez is stupid but...that's the wonderful thing about opinion isn't it.
Ibanez Used to build perfect copies of Gibson and fender guitars back in the 1970s and a lot of people said they’re actually better than the Gibson and fender guitars that were built in the 1970s maybe IIbanez Should build the Gibson guitars up today they would probably be really good quality guitars
@@jimherleva4541 - Well I don't think Messrs Vai or Satriani would agree with you there... I certainly don't. Ibanez are one of the top world brands now and rightly so, they've put in the time and effort and kept abreast of changing times, more than one could say for Gibson.
@@Deebz270 Like I said, opinions are like that aren't they. My opinion is that Ibanez' look and feel cheap. Certainly in comparison to my three vintage Les Pauls. However, I have friends that swear by Jacksons, Ibanez and the like. I would suggest not reading another person's opinion if you feel the need to defend your own opinion on the matter. And FYI, using Sach and Vai as examples only reinforced my opinion of Ibanez since I cant stand either of them. Thanks for playing though.
@@jimherleva4541 - Fair comment. But I'm hardly the one who is doing a *defensive* commenting. I was merely expressing my *opinion* likewise and making conversation.
The fact that you cannot stand either of the two artists mentioned, is of little consequence, being merely your subjectivity. Thier popularity, speaks for itself... I cannot stand Springsteen or Bonamassa, but I recognise thier musicianship and popularity and the fact, that both are exponents of their art and of their respective instruments(Telecaster/Les Paul), as are Vai and Sachs...
Ibanez have made some exceptionally good instruments over the years. Especially some of thier one-off custom jobs, a far-cry from thier standard 'boxwood' offerings. But there's no denying that they have added considerably to the varied world of guitars. My JEM is as light as feather and yes, feels even cheap and nasty, compared to my Gibson or PRS. But the JEM is hyper accurate, stays in tune and has clarion voicing. In a gig, that means all.
I'm too old, to go prancing around stage these days, but if I were still gigging, then the JEM would be used more than the Gibson, or its companion 24 fret- ESP/Ltd F2e. Even if, to give my neck and shoulders some relief.
I have both he and I used my chibsons primarily reworked with heavy mods for gigs & road work after losing a couple of expensive Les Paul's to theft.
All my guitars are made in China, 30 years apart. The latest being a Yamaha where the quality is top notch, and in fact the first one was too - obviously not fakes though. There are many other China made guitars that are better quality than a real Gibson. No need to buy a fake, its just free advertising for them.
WOW... Good one! :D More seriously, Yamaha is japanese, you can't compare. Fake japanese guitar were fine. A friend of mine made me a "surprise" at a jam session a couple of weeks ago, and asked me to play on his new "Les Paul" during the gig. I didn't need more than 10 seconds to realize it was a fake one... Terrible guitar... He is happy with it. Well good for him!
Lol in my country we have Givson 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I couldn't afford a 60's slim Gibson Les Paul and it was my dream guitar and so I got a replica used Spear RD 150 Les Paul instead. I hope I can get hold of one someday.Point is most people who get a fake one is actually on the route to getting an original someday in future.
I’m with ya, I would be furious if I got ripped off. I appreciate your passion for guitars.
Question is, if you can’t hardly tell the difference, then just who is ripping you off? China at 200usd or Gibson at 3000 usd
The copy sounds out of tune. It's harmonics are off
You did an awesome job at making them both sound like crap 💩
Thanks for the info and comparisons! I definitely learned something.
Open the case and smell it.. real Les Pauls have a particular smell.
blacky salamanka and fake smell like a pig
Would a Chibson that has had a proper fret leveling and dressing, real Grovers, proper copper shielding, Obsidian Wire electronics and pots installed -- and real Gibson Vintage 50s pickups replaced -- play noticeably differently from a :real" one? Well, every guitar is subtly different, real or not, but a Chibson that has been leveled, crowned, and modded with bona fide after market parts is no longer a "cheap" guitar. Not even close. Paying for that work and parts will boost the price well above $1,000. And it will look -- and in most respects - *play* like a $3,000 Les Paul Custom. Is that inherently objectionable? Hmm. We are into "it depends" answers I think.
The only part where I become upset is when it is sold to another person claiming the modded Chibson is the genuine article. Short of that, "it depends..."
Probably the part which we are conveniently ignoring here is just how *good* the Chinese have become at creating beautiful looking fake Les Paul Custom guitars. And if by spending enough on leveling/crowning and closing the parts and quality gap that the two become indistinguishable? I think that says more about the pricing of "real" made in the USA Les Paul Custom guitars than it does about the Chinese factory making the awesome looking fakes.
Exactly!!!!!
I noticed right away. Gibson only do custom double binding on black finished lespaul. And The knob placement on the fake is all over the place.
Clearly out of tune on purpose how odd…
Yep, no bias here at all! 😜
Chibson are crap!! does people bashing Gibson actually own a Gibsons? I know when I bought mine, I looked at several models in a store before buying! checked it all over! I never understand when you hear guys complain about Gibsons and then say they ordered if online??? if you spend loads of money on a guitar!! you have to see it first :)
My Gibson LP Supreme (real) is quite nice, bought a Chibson Supreme. Build quality is not the same, but the neck binding does cover the fret ends, it has an ebony fretboard, stays in tune for weeks on end, playing comfort is very good, no fret buzz or setup issues. The Real Supreme is better, obviously, but this particular Chibson was not bad at all. Next time I will get a more basic Chibson LP Standard as the supreme is already kind of ostentatious with all the flames and gold trim. Finding a 60's with a slim-taper neck would be cool. Actually, I should say the build quality was good, just had a few too many different woods used. Gibsons are much more uniform with the wood. The Chibson also appears to be a photo-flame under the finish, but I could be wrong.
Gibson Weasel wouldn’t spend 5k on a les Paul when I can get a fender with good quality control for half the price or a fake/copy for less than half the price
The Gibson haters are a cheap lot most of the time. You get what you pay for and the haters tend to be the guy who buys strats and keeps modding it again and again chasing the moving target in his head. Buy a Gibson Custom Shop, spend some real money and get a great guitar.
I think there is a lot of frustration, hate but also lack of knowledge going on in the Chibson supporter community.
Lots of them don't understand how a good guitar is made and the step it needs for having a good quality instrument. We already had it in this comment section. They see a shiny top and a neck, and they think "yeah, totally worth it". But you are, in general, going to have a giant turd and nothing more. For them to realize that will take time, but in this amount of time, the market around them could already be completely destroyed beyond any point of repair.
Knob placement is a giveaway as is where the binding meets the neck in the cutaway.
At 2:40 I already knew that the LP #1 was the counterfeit one. I already suspected it because excessively luxurious Gibson guitars tends to be fake. Anyway, the details that real caught my attention and turned the big red light on were the neck binding and the tuners. HOWEVER, the problem is that not all Gibsons has the binding covering the tip of the frets and the tuners could just be have replaced with cheapo ones (although I don't think that the owner of a real Gibson in such mint condition would do this). The Chibson sounds a bit darker but both guitars sound just great. Said that I wouldn't mind to have that Chibson hanging side by side my other guitars (for the right price of course).
I'm at 3:30 in the video. I think the one on the left is fake. All Customs have ebony fingerboards and it looks to be lower quality overall. I also noticed two other things. The knobs are spaced wider and the spacing of the bridge and stop are wrong.
To identify a Chibson from a Gibson, one thing only is needed. Take off the back panel for the electronics and look at the pots. Chibson uses small pots, unlike Gibson, which uses the large pots. Oh, and the nut is usually also a dead giveaway, although Chibson is sometimes using bone nuts now.
I always look for fret nibs, I know not all Gibson have that nowdays, but its a first check for me.
The saddle posts are the quickest to spot on most fake Gibson's but as is the case with this one, they can be changed. The single most surefire way to pick out a fake Gibson is the binding nibs. For some reason chibsons never replicate that. Probably because it takes too much time.
#1 is the fake (before I know). The frets do not have the binding integrated and the bridge has a slot (versus pin). (I hope that I am right)..
Soundwise and speaking of the neck pickup only the Chibson sounds muddy, like all cheap pickups do, while the Gibson sounds clear as water. As for the body, didn't you noticed that the Chibson body horn is wider than the Gibson one? Or am I crazy?
Number 1 jumped out to me as the fake. Am I right? I’ll in pause and find out… Yes, I was right. 👍🏻What gave it away for me was the fingerboard fret ‘nibs’ on the real Gibson. I wouldn’t knowingly buy a fake anything. If I mistakenly bought a fake Les Paul, I’d feel duped and pretty crappy. Also, I’d be stuck with it as I’d never try to pass it off to anyone else as the real thing and be worried someone else would if they knowingly bought it from me as a fake. I think you lose all round so best thing is to stick to the real thing. Thanks for a great video. 👍🏻 ps. I’m more a Fender man anyway!🤣