If you guys stop buying guitars - and start spending more time playing the ones you already have - then you will be safe....
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Counterfeit Guitars seized
- Thread starter chilipeppermaniac
- Start date
If you guys stop buying guitars - and start spending more time playing the ones you already have - then you will be safe....
Then you get the real funny case that I learned about only because certain folks had " copies" of a certain model of Gibson made for themselves.
In the discussion, out came a fact I had no idea had happened. It is said that the SLASH Les Paul, ( and here is where the funny part comes) Gibson now makes Signature Slash Les Paul based on his famous " Appetite For Destructon LP" ( correct me if I got this wrong) The FUNNY part is That Appetite LP was a "Copy" of a Les Paul and not an actual Gibson LP.
The Legend of Slash’s Appetite for Destruction Les Paul
Will we ever know who built the Les Paul Slash played on “Sweet Child O’ Mine”?www.premierguitar.com
Correct.
And, Gibson cloned his "fake" Kris Derrig Les Paul for the AFD signature.
Slash initially had (3) counterfeit/replica guitars, made by SoCal Luthiers. At one time, Slash said in an interview, "They were better than anything Gibson was making and on-par with Gibson's from the 1950's." You will be hard pressed to find that interview now, since he was named Global Gibson Ambassaor.
According to luthier Roman Rist, the middle Les Paul replica here is Slash's first
from luthier Kris Derrig—the one Rist says Slash used on the tail end of Appetite.
The guitar on the right was built by Peter "Max" Baranet.
The instrument on the left is purportedly Slash's second Derrig model. Photo by Roman Rist
I think the key thing to remember here, with respect to the Slash replicas, is that they were not made to hoodwink unsuspecting buyers. they were made to fulfil a desire for a particular level of quality that Gibson could not or was unable to deliver at the time, for a fraction of the price.
Gibson is apparently 'OK' with fakes as long as they profit from it.
The most notable users of high-quality, private Luthier-made Gibson-Logo'd Les Pauls include, Slash, Joe Perry, Billy Gibbons, and Charlie Daniels. These are very well documented. Charlie bought his 'Replica' 1958 Les Paul from Atlanta Guitar Works. It was built by Kris Derrig before his move to California.
Gibson is apparently 'OK' with fakes as long as they profit from it.
The most notable users of high-quality, private Luthier-made Gibson-Logo'd Les Pauls include, Slash, Joe Perry, Billy Gibbons, and Charlie Daniels. These are very well documented. Charlie bought his 'Replica' 1958 Les Paul from Atlanta Guitar Works. It was built by Kris Derrig before his move to California.
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I am often hired to examine guitars for the purposes of authenticating them. I've seen some very, very good fakes, right down to the correct headstock angle, brass nut truss rod and grease pencil marks in the cavities.
Amp Mad Scientist
Ambassador of Heresy
Like I said from the very start: I side with Gibson.
Many people have criticized Gibson for going after the imitators (like Dean Guitars) ...who profited handsomely from the copies...
(Paul Reed Smith was one of these imitators !)
Oh Yeah.
The Guitar head stock may say "Dean" or "PRS," but it's still infringement.
But I still side with Gibson.
I think they have every incentive to stop the copies. I support these efforts.
More power to them. I hope they are 100% successful.
gball
Ambassador of Boogie
Lets not forget that most of AFD was recorded with an SG. The fake didn't come into play until they were doing overdubs.
Let's also not forget that the moment Slash had the dough he started buying and playing the real things.
And lastly let's not forget that a fake with a Gibson logo on it is a forgery/counterfeit and is illegal no matter how many times someone calls it a "replica."
Let's also not forget that the moment Slash had the dough he started buying and playing the real things.
And lastly let's not forget that a fake with a Gibson logo on it is a forgery/counterfeit and is illegal no matter how many times someone calls it a "replica."
Amp Mad Scientist
Ambassador of Heresy
It's going to be very difficult to spot fakes...the fakes are becoming more sophisticated.
gball
Ambassador of Boogie
I call BS. If they were so damn great then the guy should have had the confidence to put his own name on the headstock, and if they really were that good then the people playing them wouldn't have cared that it didn't say Gibson, right? But...they did care, and it was all about appearances and getting their hands on something that looked like what they wanted the World to see them playing. They may not have been built to hoodwink anyone but they were definitely made to provide a false appearance to observers and in a way that's just as bad. Oh, and illegal.
And I've heard the argument about Gibson "profiting" from fakes before and find it spurious. Someone stole their intellectual property and they took it back. That to me is far from profiting from fakes.
A lot of people's lifestyle changes when they come into money.
If I was famous and had limitless cash, I would still shun Gibson. They've been a huge disappointment. The fact they condone fakes, as they profit from it, only reinforces their laughable status.
I just play what sounds best. I play what's reliable. For someone who has no other income source than guitar, that's a game changer. Fads and brand loyalty won't pay the bills.
I built a knock off Gibson Les Paul in my garage and it's a great guitar. Im also very proud of its "counterfeit" status. Everyone who plays it trys to buy it. That guitar is head and shoulders above any Gibson product.
My Double Neck is essentially a counterfeit of a EDS-1275, but has my name on the headstock.
Most of the time, I'm playing my Schecter or my 1982 Fender MIJ Frankenstein. Both are superior to any genuine Gibson's I've owned or played.
As far as ensuring that a prospective purchase is a genuine Gibson, buy only from authorized retailers. Avoid Craigslist and E-bay transactions and you got nothing to stress over...
Buy from only authorized dealers and you have nothing to worry about.
OP
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
Gball, I had no idea Slash used SG's to record AFD.
And as many folks have posited, tone comes from the fingers of the player.
I suspect Slash could have truly made AFD etc with a Hello Kitty guitar and still sounded like Slash and still rocked us all as hard as G N R did in their early days.
And as many folks have posited, tone comes from the fingers of the player.
I suspect Slash could have truly made AFD etc with a Hello Kitty guitar and still sounded like Slash and still rocked us all as hard as G N R did in their early days.
I purchased 5 new Gibson's in less than two years from major dealers. All were of just miserable experiences. Each one would require luthier intervention to fix. From humped fretboard, loose frets and too-steep neck angles, all were just amazingly defective...any Indonesia Fender was more well made.
Never again. You can buy them and love them and that's totally cool, but I now understand why Derrig's guitars were so good for thousands less than a real Gibson.
I've auditioned for bands where you were mandated to bring either a Gibson or a Fender. I also turned down a full-time gig as guitarist for a huge country music star in 2007 when the contract read "Must play only Fender guitars and amps pursuant to endorsement contracts."
Steve Lukather said the production company required him to play a Gibson Les Paul in the Rosanna video, even though he played and endorsed Valley Arts.
Here's the thing about playing for a living. Part of the job is being a stage actor and the Gibson branded headstock is mostly just a stage prop. It's more about what other people perceive than anything else.
I built a Gibson logo Les Paul Custom to keep from spending $4k to $6k on an original and it looks great on stage.
That guitar is frequently borrowed for recordings and photo shoots.
Having said that, I'm earning a comfortable living now with the 1982 Fender MIJ Standard Stratocaster I got as a sanded-down hulk from @SG John.
I kinda like making my own stuff from parts.
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gball
Ambassador of Boogie
I can totally understand something not working for you. For example, I have never met a Telecaster that I could find a way to get along with despite them being a huge crowd favorite. And building something to your own specs is always a great way to get just to where you want.
But, and it's a fairly big but, you did choose to put a Gibson logo on your guitar. If your perception is that they produce an inferior product and you have made the solemn "never again" vow, then why would you want to promote that brand and imply to the average person that you are indeed playing a Gibson. There's an underlying reason there, and it kind of reinforces my point about the Derrig fakes. There's power in that logo, like it or not.
Me neither. Never could embrace the Tele.
I agree 100%. In fact, I believe there is more power in the Gibson logo than there is in the Gibson product. I always wanted (as a child) a Tuxedo Les Paul Custom, but couldn't justify a $4k purchase and then still needing to "fix" things. So, I built my own. It's a great playing guitar and a handsome stage prop.
It's constantly out on loan for videos and recording, so I agree, the logo has a mystique, even if their product may not be able to live up to it. Even the Chibster I got from @eSGEe is frequently borrowed for video shoots. I mean, TBTH, where else could you find someone willing to let you use a "real" 1958 Honeyburst for a video???
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Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
Some Gibson's are probably really great guitars. But, I see an alarming trend where the problems with Gibson's are tolerated for the sake of the name on the headstock, and I would caution against that type of instrument worship.
Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
I certainly agree..
Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
Gball said
I can totally understand something not working for you. For example, I have never met a Telecaster that I could find a way to get along with despite them being a huge crowd favorite. And building something to your own specs is always a great way to get just to where you want.
I didn't either until, i got what i wanted..
I can totally understand something not working for you. For example, I have never met a Telecaster that I could find a way to get along with despite them being a huge crowd favorite. And building something to your own specs is always a great way to get just to where you want.
I didn't either until, i got what i wanted..