The $170 Chibson Les Paul - 2 YEARS LATER - Did it LAST?
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2019
- Will these cheap Chinese knockoff guitars stand the test of time? In this video I look out how my cheap $170 Chibson Les Paul copy has held up over the past 2+ years! I've used this guitar in several other videos, even one music video, and although it has done pretty well, I have had some problems! Let's check it out.
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Rubric: -5 points for Danzig references. -5 points for not reading the description. -5 points for not watching far enough into the video to answer your own question. -5 points for misquoting me in your comment. 20 points possible. Everyone starts with an A!
So I was buying a guitar off of Craigslist, I thought I has buying a high quality, lightly used Chibson guitar. It looked and sounded great, I was short on time so I bought it and took it home. A couple days later I was in complete shock to discover there was a company based out of the US called Gibson that is completely ripped our beloved Chibson and giving us inferior products for a vastly inflated price.
lol
Nice
🤣🤣🤣🤙🏻
🤣🤣🤣 I have one of these things and I love it. My main guitar since 2015.
Purt funnie! I do have 1 Gibson, a LPJ2013. I forgive the company for the BAD paintjob cuz it's surely the cheapest production model they've ever made. I love it but don't use it cuz it's heavier than a year old corn fed sow!
Only way you will get caught is if Gibson see it and notice that the workmanship is too good to be a real Gibson
lol
MR is being snarky but he os close to correct. Gibson is NOT like guitars they had in the 1970s and older. Gibson is failing and having a 'money man executive' rather than a real guitar guy as the chief is a large part of their problems
I want to like your comment cause its funny but I don't want to ruin the '69'
😁
perfect ha ha
You know it's a chibson when it stays in tune
Haaaa!!!! You're killing me!!!
😂 nice
Chinese guitars are garbage. Newbees and beginners think they are great ...... while supporting chinas human rights abuses. ALL for a REALLY CRAPPY playing "guitar"
@@markconnell7723 Its because China have no "Quality Control" over their products and just import them anywhere. The only problem in China's guitar is the Quality of Hardware and Craftmanship. But with a price of 100-300$, Its a great deal for everyone. Would you spend 2500$ just for a guitar to play at home? Lets be honest here.
It’s true !!!
As long as buyers don't try to re-sell as a Gibson, I don't have an issue with it.
Worst is if music shops are doing this supposed to sell second hand instruments but this is something very obscure.
Pretty sure they will....
I feel the same i own one basically so that if I go out I leave my real lps at home and take out the one if someone steals or snaps the headstock onit I won't freak out but now after having it leveling the frets new nut new tunes and loading it with real gibson guts wish I would've just got a another real gibson also all I see a few people on fb selling fakes as real ive called out two so far they act like they bought it from someone else that same day......and I don't act aggressive I just tell them why its fake and they should take it back to who they bought it from. Then it disappears from fb.
I did watch the whole video, I don’t believe you said this so I hope I don’t get my grades knocked down. What website did you buy it on? And how long did it take to receive it?
Don’t hope
It's not a counterfeit..its a TRIBUTE!
Absolutely. I own like 6. They are tribute guitars. Replicas, etc.
@@signalahead8865 can you send me a link in private so i can buy one?
@@HyralProductions Aliexpress. Go on there and type in LP guitar; 20 will come up from different vendors. They are replicas not knock offs, there are so many differences to tell if real: bridge, headstock angle and break, poly, non-lacquer finish, knob placement. If you go and try and sell it off as real then you have some big issues, but the average person can spot them from a mile away.
lolll you killed me !!
Agreed
If Gibson guitars were more price friendly,
I'm sure chibsons would be less sought after.
then gibsons wouldnt be as sought after
YEP
@@TheVINMAN531 And that is exactly what is coming, lads. Chibsons are not going anywhere, and young people are less impressed with "legacy" brands and "Boomer bends." With the exception of signature and historic models, I think you'll see prices on Gibsons (and Fenders) creep down, and the introduction of cheap models.
@@kafesociety1759 Hopefully
@@TheVINMAN531 I own both, and honestly I enjoy fixing up Asian knockoffs much more than buying a new expensive axe off the rack.
If they start to proudly put "Chibson" on the headstock these guitars would be so cool
You can actually ask for that. They do that :D
@@silviolopar6587 I bought a Chibson 4 years ago and love it. I payed $400 for a solid 1 piece neck, 1 piece body with solid maple cap and love it. I requested no logo so they sprayed over the logo,
@@sifree6623 400$ will get you Epiphone or ESP .... why bother w. Chibson?
@@22KaTsh Im a 35year qualified woodworker and so I choose based on spec rather than brand. A one piece neck, one piece body with solid maple cap exceeds that of many genuine Gibsons. All the electronics and pups are Epiphone. In Australia an Epi starts at $800
@@sifree6623 rub the logo hard with some cleaner the spray will rub off
My lead player picked up the clone and changed out the tuners ,pots, toggle, tuners and Gibson 57 neck and 57+ at bridge, dressed the frets and has now used it for four years with no issues, he said that he did not want to use his 69 Black Beauty as to it's value and worried of breakage or theft at the gigs that we were playing. The guitar sounds great which surprised all of us.
It's essentially looks like an Epiphone with a Gibson head stock. If you change the electronics, it should sound good.
@@qua7771 My brother bought 2 LP from China each with one pickup. A friend of his who is a Luthier (and work for L&M in Canada) did the first essential setup. He told him, it's basically an Epi with poorer electronics.
@@denisvanwassenhoven3822 It may, or may not have been. Some even had Epi pickups. There are varying levels of quality with these.
My guess is more and more musicians will do this, so they don't screw up their guitars they record with.
From my understanding the chibson guitars are made by pissed off workers from the epiphone plant.
Hahaha 😂
At the risk of going full autismonaut over a joke, what you're referring to is typically called a "ghost shift" and is a very common phenomenon particularly in Asian/overseas manufacturing, but I'd find it very unlikely that the vast majority of Chibsons are in any way a byproduct of a ghost shift at the Epiphone factory. An in-depth explanation would probably be slightly long winded so suffice to say, there are plenty of equally qualified instrument factories in China that aren't directly owned/operated by Gibson, and that have a lot less to lose by producing Chibsons than the Qingdao Epiphone plant would.
No those are kibson and jibson japan
Absolutely! There are a multitude of factories with a multitude of QC issues.
people always say things like that and the reality is .... every fucking chinesse guitar build company can do a really good copy of a gibson, or an ibanez, etc ... i think that is mith
I got a Gold Top just a little over a year ago, added Stew Mac tuners. Rewired it with different pickups, leveled the frets and Id take that thing up against any Gibson any time.
its a good shitbox,they play fine as long as you rip out the electronics,level the frets,put a better bridge and tuners,definitely new pickups AND you arent a mega douche and pretend its actually a gibson.ive called out every single jackass on the used market trying to pass one of these off as legitimate and gone as far as making counter ads to fuck them over.
Ooh you weasel
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 you keyboard warrior you.
@@rkh7169 lmao
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 show me where gibson hurt you
I like these types of follow up videos that lets you know just how well the more affordable guitars and equipment holds up over some time and use please do more like this. Thank you max for all the usefulness and knowledge you give with your opinion on the gear you showcase. Keep on rockin bro
Good to see your arm progressing. Thanks for the quality update, it gives an idea what to look out for. Stay safe!
Awesome look back man!!! You rock!
I could careless about trademarks. The only problem I had was the input, it kept cutting out and my bridge and tail are bottomed out and the action is still high. Couple of replacements and it’s all good now. Glad to see you back Max.
Love what you do Max!
Never had any issues with my Chibson. Replaced all electronics and pickups while saving $3000 🤷🏻♂️ I got a 59 reissue for under $200
Where to buy online?
You realize these guitars are in fact ILLEGAL under US customs laws right? If you like the poor quality and awful playability, go for it. But if you EVER sell this guitar, you have in fact committed a felony under the current US title codes. So I hope you're cool with dying with it or giving it to someone, because reselling it can and should land you in jail
Michael L Rakes hey man... I own 8 other American made guitars all pricing over $1000. I don’t see anything wrong (personally) with owning something that I’m fully aware is a replica. Compared to a real Gibson/Fender.. the quality isn’t much different other than electronics and maybe some wood grain imperfections. I also would never sell it as an actual Gibson.
Ai Man TV AliExpress
@@michaellrakes5521 People that buy these guitars or ANY knockoff of ANYTHING are the same people you vote for that you believe will look out for your welfare.......wake up slick you been sleeping wayyyy too long. Breaking the law my a$$.
Chibson has the funniest Instagram page by far
I love all of mine, with simple pick up and hardware upgrades they're a dream to play.
I bought them just for me and not to resell, I have zero issues with this.
If gibson made more affordable and better quality guitars there wouldn't be a market for these....
Why not buy an Epiphone instead?
@@blastofobecause they are just overpriced chibsons
@@6411892 Epiphones have way better quality than Chibsons.
thank you Max ...hope your healing up well
Thank you For your review. I’m always appreciative of your videos!
Thanks for the follow-up. I bought a Chibson (the Les Paul Custom), recently after watching your original Chibson videos (I had them customize the name/logo so it says "Catfish Man" instead of Gibson. I've been happy with the fit and finish, and although to my untrained and probably close to tone deaf ears things sounded fine, I upgraded the pots and wiring though I left the pickups as is. It's nice to know that they hold up two years later!
My second one arrived this week. a cherry burst that needed nothing other than some minor tweaks. I love the damn thing, it looks and plays amazing.
Max, love your videos mostly because of your unassuming and warm personality. Congrats, yours is the FIRST channel that I have ever subscribed to.
Thank you!!
I think when the Chinese maker drilled the holes for the studs on my guitar, they didn’t compensate for the arch top of a Les Paul and the bridge sits on an angle, making the strings touch the intonation screws. I also wanted to mention that the truss rods in these Chibsons “do not work”, they are welded inside at the heel of the neck, so getting neck relief is not possible. They will turn a bit but if you keep going, it will lift your fingerboard. I watched a video of a guy that couldn’t adjust his truss rod and the guitar was playing terrible, the luthier determined that it was not working and the guitar was junk, so the ripped it apart and he shows you that it is welded at the heel and non-adjustable. I just found this out and wasted a whole bunch of money upgrading the parts on mine. Cheers
You better tell that to my setup guy who adjusted mine beautifully
I’m willing to assume almost every single one is different mate
No problem adjusting the trust rod on mine
Max, I have a Chibson with p90's. One of the first things I did WAS change out the pods, along with all the wiring, switches & pickups. After that I had NO problems what-so-ever! It's been one of my main axes for about two years. It sounds great, and plays fantastic. I believe it's all about touch & tone! I wouldn't recommend buying one of these, when there's other great guitars out there (Like Harley Benton) that are GREAT guitars and cost about as much or less than the Chibsons, and you DO NOT have to replace anything on those guitars! I own a HB bass & guitar. Straight out of the box, they were more than playable! I didn't even have to give either one a set-up. The Chibsons are hit or miss you can get a nice one, however you WILL have to do some work on it. With all of the resources on the internet, one can find what you're looking for very inexpensively. Parts for replacement are everywhere. Guitar kits are next to nothing many places!
I did the same with a Vintage brand Greeny and like it as much as my Gibson
Bought a tobacco sunburst chibby LP about 6 months ago. After levelling and crowning the frets, adjusting truss rod & bridge it's a fine playing guitar. After replacing the pickups with Duncan Designed Sh-6 knockoffs and pots with cts 500k, and all wiring with braided pushback wire, it sounds fantastic. Some minor finish flaws but none too noticeable. Don't know what kind of wood it has, but don't care. I call it my Big Bamboo. It sounds and plays as it should. I sent them a picture of a custom headstock design, similar to Gibson but without the open book style, and a custom logo. They did that for no extra charge. I'm happy. $202 shipped, $36 for the DD pups from eBay, $35 for pots and wire. All in, less than $275.
From who did you order? Looking to order a own designed telecaster style guitar and trying to find a Company that will make a one off custom design guitar. Want my own logo as well...
@@msgn8i11s2 It was a store that started with "Vicers" but I don't think they are on aliexpress anymore. I couldn't find them 3 months later. I've read that most sellers will customize, some for an additional fee, some not. You just have to communicate with them. These don't seem to be stock guitars but made when you order. They sent pics of the progress including the headstock.
Ur a legend dude, love your vids!
Max, you have a great speaking voice and should seriously consider doing voiceovers and narration
His dad is John Travolta, so he's loaded, he does this youtube channel just for fun.
Have you ever heard of Mitch Hedberg?
I would MUCH rather hear his voice over an AI voice over....
Electronics quality is where most manufacturers in any field cut corners.The hidden costs some people don’t see.
I got a relic strat about a year ago and it's become my #1 guitar. I did switch out the cheap pots for better quality but not because they weren't working. I was adding a capacitor so tone wouldn't roll of when I turned ti volume down and thought "while I have open I may as well replace the pots too." I'm a semi truck driver and have carried the guitar through all kinds of climate and altitude changes and have no issues with anything. I LOVE my fake Fender!
Hail yea its not a fake its another copy of the others
I can testify that the loss of quality control was not "perceived" as in "imagined", but absolutely real: I experieced it first hand with my SG, sold for less than half the retail price after countless issues(even unstable frets, moving in the slot!). That being said, several manufactureres have been copying LP, SG, TL, Strats since forever, but I find the counterfeit logo quite distasteful, especially since it disrupts the 2nd hand market with high risk of people omitting that they are clones and reselling for markup.
I’ve modified mine as I have used it as a project. It became my go to guitar. with every electronic parts changed (350$ investement for the electronics) it’s amazing. I’m honestly surprised. Not the same finish quality than the real thing but sound wise, it’s much better than my real Gibson 2006 LP classic. My chidson is a 2010 and still plays incredibly well.
Paraphrase from a statement that David Gilmour of Pink Floyd made....I can go into any guitar store, grab a guitar off the wall, a few pedals and sound like me. The skill he possesses is like your skillset for guitar Max....Keep on Jammin’ Braddah....Aloha....Mahalo nui loa for sharing!
I have two, costume made Chibsons
Black Ace Frehley and a custom made Steve Clark
I just changed the pickups and a good setup and they play great!
I do have the logos on them but not to fool anyone as I have no plans to sell them
I ripped out everything on mine - new bone nut, Kluson vintage tuners, 50's wiring kit, cts pots, Switchcraft toggle & jack, plus SD APH2-S pups but it was a fun project & I ended up with a decent guitar that plays really well & can happily take to gigs, without having to worry about any of my real Gibsons getting damaged. Cool playing as always Max
wish mine sounded like yours ! great playing
Hey Max! I'm glad you're back in the game!
Are you going to do a "re-visited" series for gear you reviewed a while ago?
That would be cool.
Stay healthy man!
yeah we need those old old classics in HD now. either that or new LTD reviews! (like his old ltd collection)
Makes me wonder how the Wolf PRS is gonna be in 2021 ......you make a lot of observations I need to look into myself....... great health n happiness to all!!!!......
I really like your videos. Informative, and when you play, contrary to legions of other guitarists, you are not just shredding your way over the fretboard all the time. I like shredding from time to time, but it is so overdone IMO. Keep the good work!
I had mine for a few years, I had it 'custom' and what I did to make sure it was not mistaken for a real one was to ask the serial number to be my birthday! I also replaced the tuners, electronics, bridge and eventually installed real Gibson pickups in it. It's been great, and I don't mind carting this one around instead of my fancy 1971 one (which is harder to play too!)
My “59” Chibson plays nicer than my Gibsons. It doesn’t sound as good, but it plays nicer.
@@6411892 that comment was 3 years ago, and actually, I still enjoy my custom chibson a lot, it's in fact at the front of the rack looking at me here. Absolutely no problem whatsoever, wood's perfect, neck's perfect, fret's still all good and I play it quite a bit. Hardware is Gibson so I woudln't expect it to fail really. Now, I don't KNOW if they make the chibsons as good as they used to, normally with china, products they make improve gradually then they start to cut corners -- so hard to tell what's coming out of there nowadays...
So glad that these guitars are available for us less fortunate that can't really shell out the funds needed for a Gibson name. Buy a Chibson and do some upgrades and your rocking. :) And for the record I would never sell this as a Gibson guitar, this would be for me and me only. I have done a lot of research on these and watch videos in regard to the Chibson guitars. Thank you for this video Max was wondering how this would hold up as I plan on getting one very soon and I saw the video where you had gotten one. Just subscribed btw.
Instead of supporting companies that are committing fraud why not support ones that are not committing fraud? check out all in one Guitar shop and look over their Wolf guitar line. Max has done a review on at least one of their Les Paul styles and they seem to be really great guitars! You can buy a nice guitar for about $350 and be 100% legal. Or you can just go to a place like Zzounds and buy yourself an actual Gibson or Epiphone on monthly payments for about $75 a month with zero interest and basically nothing down and in 1 to 2 days have your brand new legal guitar with full warranty sitting on your lap!
@@alabamahebrew Because for some like me who are older, lost their business, can barely afford to support his family, they can't afford to pay $75 a month for a substantially overpriced instrument. I'm lucky enough to have bought two actual Gibsons when I had the money (1975 and 1980 models) and they are extraordinary guitars, but I paid $400 for my 75 in 1982, and $1200 for my 80 about ten years ago. Who's going to get a LP standard for that? I will say that around 8 years ago I bought a Chibson SG and while I replaced the electronics, tuners, had a fret dressing and setup done and it was a great guitar, I could have had a dot Gibson SG for the same money I spent overall, and after years of neck adjustments, I can't turn the truss anymore so the guitar is a goner now. A real Gibson would still be with me. Now the Chibsons are supposedly way better now, but I would be hard pressed to buy another. I care nothing about the illegitimacy of the logo because I would never sell a Chibson, not even representing that it wasn't. I would never want to be part of some poor kid getting ripped thinking he bought the real deal. THAT is the only problem I have. Misrepresentation. I have no problem with the fake name because anyone wants a real Gibson is going to get a real Gibson no matter how good the quality of a Chibson is.
@@genevieverusso3970 - Oh I hear you, I broke my back in 2017 and have not been able to work since and in fact can't work any longer and I have been waiting to get my social security disability going, so I know all about not being able to afford the real deal or ANY guitar right now. The main issue I have with the knock off is the ones who slap the Gibson name on it and try to fool people, as you said you to take issue with. Right now a 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard will run you about $2500, I don't think that is a ridiculous price IF the Quality is there and as we know, Gibson has had issues in that department lately but do seem to be getting it under control. I will not buy a new one until they take care of the QC issues unless I can put it in my hands and really check it out, lol if I had the money that is. I think also something really just bothers me is since some of these companies seem to be able to put out great quality instruments, why copy someone else's property? I plan on making various items hand made out of wood here in a little while to off set money I loose once the disability gets started. But I don't want to just make the same things that everyone else is making. I feel these companies, since they can turn out great products, should come up with their own design, Maybe something similar to a Les Paul or a Strat but not 100% identical!
buy an epiphone,they are far better and dont need fret levelling and the electronics gutted
Glad your arm is better. I have a Chibson that I replaced all the electronics on it with EMG electronics and it sounds AMAZING!!!
I just saw and played my first "Chibson" last week. One came into the shop for a setup. It wasn't bad. I have played much worse guitars. The only issue the guitar had was shipping related I believe. It had a very small crack on the neck that that was repaired. From a playing and feel standpoint, it was right there with other inexpensive Les Paul style guitars like the entry level Epiphones or LTDs. The pickups were a little thin sounding but that is easy to replace. I think without any mods it would be a great student, or first guitar for someone. It was easy enough to play. With a few tweaks and upgrades it could be a pretty good gigging guitar. From an ethical standpoint, I personally don't have much of a problem with the branding. I look at it like replica cars (like a shelby kit car maybe) for someone who likes the guitar but can't, or doesn't want to pay $2500-$5000 for a real Gibson. I agree with you that the most likely negative aspect would be an unscrupulous seller passing one of these off as authentic preying on an inexperienced buyer. To sum up, they really are not bad starter guitars out of the box. Modern authentic Gibsons are noticeably better, but not thousands of dollars better in my opinion.
I walked into a music shop in Fond du Lac Wisconsin a few years back to buy some picks. While inside I saw a Jay Turser ES-335 copy, tried it through a nice Fender tube amp, and walked out with it. $250, and it included a nice Washburn hardshell guitar-shaped case. It's my favorite guitar. It feels and sounds amazing. I have 12 guitars, and none are Fenders or Gibsons, though I do have a nice Larrivee acoustic and three by Ibanez.
Gibson quality has been an inexcusable rollercoaster over the years. The high price is unjustified. I own 12 guitars but have never been able to talk myself into buying a Gibson. I did buy a Washburn WP-50in 1989 and it is a fabulous Les Paul styled guitar.
why don't you complain about inflation? the main reason guitars are getting more expensive?
@@realtruenorth Lol whatever choom. Gibby'z have always been thousands of dollars silly af expensive. Bro, I'm looking at a early 2000s catalog. Les paul standards were still over 2 grand back then and the les paul customs were still close to 4000 dollars. So sthu inflation has barely hit these things in a way that's all the much different from decades ago. It's still hella pricey.
Hey Bob. Nvm this guy amiright? Love your comment bro. Turns out I'm not the only one lololol. I own like 40 guitars yo. Not a single one is a Gibby.
I do however have a penguin which is a les paul body shape and I do have a 96 heritage les paul gold top which is a les paul style guitar made str8 out of the orig gibby factory from back in the day. Kalamazoo : )
I can tell ya that both of these guitars are great.
Still though... The visual cosmetic sucker that I am... I still want a gibby custom model.
But 3 things that really suck lol...
1... They are like 5 grand. I'm not rich enough for that lol.
2... They are made with richlite fret boards a lot of em. Wtf is that stupid crap? Better be giving me like brazilian rosewood or something if I'm paying that much haha.
3... Gibsons are the most well known for the most phuck ups in terms of quality. What's the most common broken neck guitar? Gibby lol. And they are over all the most expensive brand to buy from too. Oh yay lol isn't that sooo swell?
Phuck gibson lol. But some of their guitars do look kool so I want in. If I can find a chibby and make it work at least decently enough? I'm game. I've become less picky about my guitar sound and feel these days anyways. I'll play a squire lol I don't really give that much of a phuck.
@@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342 how old were you when your mama dropped you on your head?
@@realtruenorth you mean biden.
@@happyvalley6990 LOL, yeah might as well be Biden
Hi Max, First off, your the best guitar reviewer out there! Thanks for your info and time! Yes I purchased a China made 1959 Les Paul copy with Gibson logo's and a serial #. At first was a little wary of the guitar but after playing it for a few weeks, it felt, sounded, playability was as close to my epiphone custom shop LP in all ways. But the sound was close to a 1970's Les Paul custom black & chrome Raven copy I owned in the day...whoops now you know i, am product of the 1970's...Lol. Anyways your the one Max that got me into these China LP
copies, and now I,am purchasing another one, a Jimmy Page style copy. Keep up the good work and reviews Max. All the best, Roger
Hey Roger, how did you find a seller for the chibson?
@@MrTomparvin yes about a year ago... Lol
epiphone "custom shop" is just an extra brand/sticker/laser print logo they put on to try and gain some extra credibility.they arent custom shop by any measure
Did you use any pedals to get that dark blues tone? It sounds amazing!
I have a Chibson Joe Perry copy that I have had since 2013, I changed the nut on it and the tuners when I got it. It came with Epiphone pickups and most likely Epiphone hardware. Everything still works perfectly on it and I play it very regularly. Of course when I gig with it, I let everyone that ask know it's a Chibson.
Damn that looks nice where did you get it from?
They're on Aliexpress
I have an older Chibby LP Custom that I bought off a buddy and it's great. It's built similar to a Norlin era LPC but with Seymour Duncan Distortion pickups. She screams!
@Joe Paul I replaced the bridge and tailpiece with a gold Gotoh ABR-1 and tailpiece set, replaced the pick guard with a proper Gibson 5 ply. The tuners are an old set of Gotohs that work fine. It's got a flamey 3 piece maple neck like the 70s Customs.
Hi Max, watching your reviews so gives me some kind of guidance when i was buying my guitars. I can agree Chinese guitar can be good and i do not have problems with company who copy and sell product, but in same time i buy my guitar from local shop with warranty and following documentation of authenticity. When you buying original guitar you also buying a piece of history of this company and knowledge of company, yes, this company can have issue with some series or similar, but in end there is warranty and all the rest what goes with.
Second hand market now is blooming with fake guitar and this become lucrative business, therefore i choose new guitar in local shop.
Looking forward to see your new videos. Wish you all the best.
Gibson’s QC from what i understand is coming back into fruition, which is great! I can’t wait to see more of what Gibson has in store!
For the problems with Name Branding at customs as well as the long wait time . I have got budget friendly guitars from Thomann / Harley Benton with no problems and better quality electronics . Thats where I tell friends & associates to go !!
Same here. I'd even go with an Epiphone LP Standard (which I plan to get in the Fall). I have several Epi LP Specials and a LP 100. I also have a Harley Benton SC-450plus which sounds incredible! The risk just isn't worth it with these guitars. I've heard plenty of horror stories and seen the paperwork where people had to let them be destroyed. Then, they would have to haggle with the seller to get their money back.
I love my Harley Bentons I have 2 and plan on buying more. I own Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez PRS along with Squires and misc other and the HBs are a big bang for the buck. Getting them without shipping damage can be tricky but Thomman has great customer service.
Exactly . and you can have them ship 3 guitars for the price of one . Also no waiting 8 or 10 weeks for them to arrive !!
I can vouch for Harley Benton as well, excellent quality imo for a very low price! Love my SC450Plus
So Logan you are really satisfied with Harley Benton,,when you order how long does it take,,,getting ready to buy from them🎸🎸
Probably better build quality than a Gibson
Probably. Recent Gibson builds have been sloppy lately.
thewalrus1968 can confirm that. After hearing so much. I took the plunge and purchased one of these fakes for less than $300 shipped to my door. It is GORGEOUS. The build quality and finish is fantastic. Not just for a $300 guitar, but in general. There’s a couple blemishes here and there but NOTHING noticeable first glance, and certainly nothing worse than what I’ve found on my real Gibsons. It’s an absolutely beautiful guitar. Electronics and hardware are complete junk but that’s to be expected. The body, build and finish work is great. Swap in some new hardware and pick ups and you’re set.
Not even fucking close to the real thing on Gibson's worst day
@@michaellrakes5521 I don't know if agree so much. I've had my hands on both. The pick ups are noticeably different. But other than that these Chinese counterfeit guitars are pretty damn good quality. Some are anyway.
@@michaellrakes5521 The Chibson are pretty close. After pickup/tuner upgrades, you're not going to be able to tell the difference.
Great video Max. I bought a Les Paul style guitar a few years back off of Amazon, but it does not have "Gibson" on the neck head stock, it looks "close" to an 80's Les Paul with tobacco sunburst and it sounds great. I've said it before, "to me" in makes sense to buy guitars like these for the commercial licensed music that I write and record, and get different guitars with different pickup configurations, for little money. Although i have not upgraded the electrics on my Les Paul "clone", I have done that one one of the other "clones" that I have.
commercial licensed music,tell me more? musnt pay well if you use a chibson
Glad you are back and healing well Max, love your channel. As others have said, it's simple really. Copy shape? fine. Logo and branding? No.
Headstock? Grey area, but I think OK to be similar. Harley-Davidson tried to copyright the exhaust note of their famous V-Twin engine. No dice.
And as you have just proved, replace electronics and end up with an axe as good as, or close to the original for a fraction of the price.
God Bless Max... Keep on rockin' and posting. :-)
Oh yeah, one other thing. When I brought this to my luthier for the stainless frets he looked it over and said the top is a veneer but the neck and body are both one piece of some kind of mahogany. Pretty crazy.
they venier around the outside of the body to make it look like one piece,it isnt
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 that's your story and your sticking to it.
Considering you get the same quality missing a zero. .. I find it fine lol
missing a zero OR MORE ......
Thanks max. Great review update. I'm getting one. The yellow burst is still the same price.....
I had to change the tuners fairly soon after buying mine - I replaced the no brand klusons that it came with with a set of grovers and it now stays in tune.I will change the pick ups and the electronics after the summer but just as a project - it sounds pretty awesome as it is.
Be careful Mark get's you, so, play authentic
haha ha! los chinos han demostrados ya contundentemente que se pueden fabricar les pauls a un costo muy por debajo , obvio, hay que cambiar electronica y listo!
hecho de menos al mark agnesi de norman´s!
randy clemente lopez carrasco Bien dicho señor. Es la vedad.
You can own it, just not sell it.
@@cbrock420 just sold my Chibson ES355 on ebay with no problem.
My 2 Chibsons from 3 years ago are doing just fine. Obviously i swapped out the electronics and better pickups. Nothing falling of, neck perfect straight. And I have far, far more expensive guitars in my arsenal.
Maxx, I have a chibson les Paul but I wanted to upgrade the whole tune-o-matic bridge, where can I find one that will fit? Or what do I look for as far as size? You're videos are very knowledgeable 🤘
Great job Max this one went straight to your playlist on my channel
My only question is what website did you buy this axe from ?
These guitars are typically found on Aliexpress or Alibaba.
@@GuitarMAXMusic thank you max
I've had mine for over a year. I just replaced the pickups and added a few things. Mine has been awesome! I put some Dragonfire Powerrails in it. I leveled the frets and tightened the tuning knobs. I'm just a bedroom guitarist so i'm not spending $1,000. on a guitar.
MobileDecay so you’d rather buy a fake and help support a company that feeds off of gibsons design? Not smart buy a used gibson it’ll cost the same you spent and your not supporting Japan then
@@nateklug5933 Lol! Dude i'm playing in my bedroom. Why would I buy a real Gibson? Btw when has Gibson ever fought for or cared for you... Never!
MobileDecay actually they have it’s funny how you say they haven’t done anything for me like you would know but you know nothing of me I had a guitar I was having trouble with and it was a Gibson nothing was really wrong with it I just couldn’t get it to set up exactly the way I wanted and I took it to them and they rebuffed the finish they set it up like a dream and gave me some goodies too free of charge and they’re an American company every time you buy foreign goods it hurts the American economy. And when you said you were a bedroom player well guess what so am I I’m a 17 year old and I own 3 gibsons and a Taylor acoustic if you use your money wisely you can afford anything so if I were you I’d think before I speak cause gibson has helped me plus they’re customer service is amazing and on top of that your whole just a bedroom player was a stupid statement clearly you like gibson cause you have them on your headstock only difference Is yours is a toy not the real thing.
@@nateklug5933 Lol they gave you a crappy instrument for over $1,000. and then actually offered support for it lile they should? See this is why I wouldn't buy a real Gibson. 😂😂😂
@@nateklug5933 Wow they turned a screw driver for you! Omg! You bought a Gibson and you know nothing about guitars? No comment. 🤦♂️
Max you opened up a can of worms today. Instead of catching crap like I had in the past for my opinion on this subject I will simply say that I have bought two Epiphone Les Paul's and was satisfied with their quality and was finally able to purchase a Gibson Les Paul studio. Thanks for the video.
Hey, Max. I was wondering, what genre of music are you playing in the opening demo? I dig it.
Hey Max, glad to see you're healing and back to bidnuz! I'm here for the shenanigans!!!
Take a letter punch and stamp FAKE on the back of the head stock, this way nobody could ever get a hold of it and sell it as the real deal!!
Take care
Jack - Canada
I'm with people who wants to play guitar. Cheap and cool guitars for all.
Then buy a cheap guitar, not a fake one.
@@yeyonge You're uptight dude just accept it.
When I ordered mine I used it as an opportunity to pretend I'm some rockstar with my own band. It has its own unique brand name and the guitars Nick name on the headstock. They even let me change the serial number , and they changed the "made in USA" to my country of origin. It's a cool set peice. I think I'm more happy with this then something I could have bought from a real guitar store
Wait they actually let you do stuff like that?!
@@jahyeet1137 yea find a good one on AliExpress,sunye store on AliExpress did a great job, just had to change the strings
@@MrJigglebits I was looking At a few yesterday and I saw this lp with a full dragon inlayed on the body and the neck it was insane
@@jahyeet1137 oh yeah those are really cool, might get the black one with the gold pick ups as a Christmas gift later down the line
@@MrJigglebits you saw them?
That's what I did to try them out I ordered mine with no serial number and no logo on the headstock just plain black. And I found out at least with the three I have their built very similar to my epiphone's. In mind I put Dragonfire pickups a switchcraft toggle switch and replaced the pots with 500K cst's . I also put roller Bridges from Philadelphia luthier on them. Bone nuts and used Wilkinson tuners which I got off of eBay. And they've turned out to be pretty good jamming Guitars at home.
I bought a Chibson a few years ago coz I was starting to hear a lot about them. I bought a Les Paul Custom but while I was waiting for it to arrive I also bought a a complete Epiphone pick up and wiring kit and some Grover tuners so when the guitar arrived I swapped all the parts with the ones I'd bought for it. They are getting better at making these Chibsons. It even had binding over the fret ends, like a real Gibson and with the wiring and tuners sorted, it's actually not a bad guitar. Like u said, if u buy one of these and are willing to spend a little more on them they can b an ok guitar, if u can get around the principles of playing a counterfeit guitar. Mine is ok.
i was kinda excited by your original video about this guitar! hey i could have Les Pauls galore at a bargain....but then i reminded myself about all the fake Rolex watches i almost bought from nefarious sellers....hard no to gibson fakes ...just call them something else
Exactly!! I don’t care if you copy the les Paul exactly, but call it something else. It’s unethical to do otherwise. For example this guy reviews another guitar from a company called firefly. Basically a Gibson, but named something else. I like the advice to just leave the Gibson branding off to help potential future buyers!
In the end, with all the replacements and the problems fixed... how much did the guitar real cost ? Just a question 😊 greetings from Italy!
MUCH less than a real one.
Jim Mintz I’m sure but I just wanted to know the total price of the guitar “ready” 😊
I would get a Harley Benton instead
Four quality 500K Pots $30, high quality toggle switch $20, two quality pups $100 (you can spend way less or way more but this is fair medium range). Some of these guitars made overseas are not made with the same specifications so replacing a bridge or even tuning pegs can be way more of a hassle then simply buying the item, meaning re-drilling holes. If you own a solder iron and can do the work yourself (I suggest learn if you don't already know) then you are looking at around $200 to $250 to upgrade. Fret work is not cheap so that is the biggest risk in my mind about buying an overseas no name. If is super fun re modding a guitar so buying cheap and building out is a good way to go.
@@MrYatesj1 it really isnt fun modding a "chibson" guitar,its more necessary as everything about chibsons other than how they look kind of suck
Hi Max. I have a Chinese copy hybrid telecaster it's semi hollow fitted with licensed floyd. good looking and cheep. Now I had lots come loose. Really the problem was the neck was out of alignment with very poor intonation. I actually had to remove wood from the neck cavity to get it straight. After resetting the intonation it was realy good and a nice cost less repair. I love playing it and I think it sounds great. However if you don't have the tools or the knowledge to do this kind of repair it could be costly to get somthing like this fixed. On other cheep Chinese guitars I have really the only thing wrong is the intonation. So I find a good setup is all you need. Well you have a great day Max as always take care from your pal Helcat in Australia
Hi. Bought one over a year ago. LP, swapped all the electronics right away. Had to do a fret leveling, but other than that, no problems. Also have a PRS Custom 24 Private Stock. Did the same thing. They both play great. I don't have any problem with clones.
Are you jamming over a Led Zeppelin backing track of “Since I’ve Been Loving You”?
I don't mind the companies ripping off the design of the guitars. If they can produce a good quality guitar for a better price than the name brands, then by all means they should do it. But ripping off the name, that's ultimately bad for the people ripping them off, because it kills any future sales for them. Like Agile guitars for example, they're basically clones of existing guitars but with their own name on it, but they've established a reputation of making fantastic guitars. So when someone wants a nice guitar for an affordable price, they can go buy an Agile guitar and everyone is happy.
But now imagine you're a chinese manufacturer, and you've gotten the tools, people, and skills together to be able to make excellent quality guitars for absolutely dirt cheap, like this Chibson here, but you use a ripoff branding on it. Sure you'll sell some guitars to those who don't know or don't care, but you're never going to get a repeat customer, and you're never gonna get word of mouth. Looking at your guitar, I can see that they did a killer job on it (bad electronics notwithstanding) but how would I ever find that manufacturer to buy one for myself? It's essentially impossible.
So ultimately the only people that the ripoffs hurt are the people making the ripoffs themselves, and anyone who ends up getting scammed into buying one thinking it is real.
Agree totally.
if you purchased an official Gibson be happy. Only butthurt owners complain about chibsons from an investment point of view, it has nothing to do with ethics.
@@lobsterwhisperer7932 I dont play gibson and have no issue with chinese copies but change the name. If it has to say gibson on it then buy a gibson.
The chinese are doing both. They make the copycats and they make their own brands. One of them is Byron.
Yeah, I love Burny and Edwards copy guitars (high quality, but slap their own name on the product), but counterfeiting is morally reprehensible. No one gave a crap about Kramer, Jackson, and Charvel making Super Strats in the 80s, and basically every mainline manufacturer has at least one Stratocaster/Telecaster knockoff. Just don't put someone else's name on your work.
I liked that they worked with me when I ordered it,,I had to pay a bit more but I got a three piece maple neck with ebony fretboard and one piece back,,I put a 50s style wiring kit and pups from a company named Dark moon,also ,,had them put made in china on the back of the headstockj,,I am very happy with the way it turned out,,
Max, thanks, I think I bought one of the last Chibsons, before the lockdown. I like it, R9 Black Beauty
Glad the arm looks to be healing well 🙂
Thanks! It's coming along! Playing guitar is okay now but it's still much weaker than the other arm.
Just don't end up looking like Quagmire on Family Guy with the oversized arm, Max. People will begin to ask questions!
I think it's more about price than anything. Plus there's so many other options for inexpensive LP style guitars that you needn't bother getting a Chinese made one with the Gibson logo.
Yeah, and all the other “options” are coming from China too 😂
Can you do a revisit of the Harley Benton explorer like guitar? I’d love to hear how it’s stood up, unless you’ve done that already, lol I’m still pretty new to the channel but I love your videos!
Love them, they get better and better
My 2016 Les Paul Studio has those same issues with the electronics.. AND a fret Marker is POPPING up now.... Hearing horror stories about Customs Confiscating for "Copyright Violations" I've been afraid to order a chibson..esp. in CA.. but i do need another FIX.. so I'm always looking for Quality CHEAP guitars.. what can I say, I'm addicted!. lol
Harley Benton LP's are awesome, in my opinion! That's my HB SC-450plus Les Paul in my user picture. The guitar is VERY nice and the Roswell pickups are excellent!
well...I have 5 of those $89 Kits shipped to my front door. The kind you have to drill
ur own tail piece..but the body looks just like an epip.I drilled them like an Epiphone. i dont have issues with them..i had to do my own soldering....
I did invest in better selector switch ( switch craft) and different pickups.
But it didnt cost me an arm or a leg for ea guitar.
I had to do my own painting and sanding...So all workmanship is on me :-P
All the guitar plays great...I have lemon burst with 3 pickup..it looks sick.
and all blackout 3 pick ups too....
I also have an all chemelon glitter ...spraying 15-20 clear coats.
The wet sanding was a BIETCH...but it was worth it.
i had to put in alot more $200 worth of labor, thou.
and I'll be damn if i put someone's name on my guitar...Lmao
I have several of them but without the Gibson name on the head stock. Mine was priced at 185 with the upgrades I payed 270 because the seller would do it at the request when ordering. Electronics that have Epiphone stamped and tuning pegs that lock . The fret work was outstanding.
your voice is incredible
I'd rather have the white Japanese Les Paul you reviewed with the Bad@$$ electronics built in
TFS glad your arm is doing good!
Thats a fernades burney 85s. And there are badass
@@cyb3r3vil30 I just bought a ESP LTD EC 401fr deluxe on reverb. I looked for a Burney 85s didn't see any found some of the Burney 50's I think. Same guitar without the floyd or sustainer system. I did see some other Fernandez with sustainer system.
From Leo: Let me go on record, I am strongly against anyone putting a false logo on a product and selling it fraudulently. About electronic parts, have been repairing amps and guitar electronics for a few shops on and off since the early 1970's I have replaced a lot of selector switches over the years on lots of different brands, including gibson. With the expansion of Asian guitars, I have also replaced a lot of potentiometers, almost all because customers wanted to upgrade, but not that many are actually bad. I have replaced some genuine Gibson stamped pots that had gone bad. Not a lot but it does happen. They want to talk like "best of the best" but often when ordering Genuine Gibson or Fender parts, the packaging says China, Taiwan or Korea. Not a lot are stamped Made in USA, even though they are 2 or 3 times the price. .
Who’s Leo
I was guessing Leo Fender? But then again, who am I?
I picked up a Chibson LP, and it plays like a dream. I borrowed a buddy's Epiphone LP Standard Pro, and play them back-to-back. The Chibson plays like a dream, just edging out the Epiphone, for its playability in the higher register. I am replacing the electronics, tuners, knobs, and nut. Putting in a Dimebucker in the bridge, and a 59 coil tapper in the neck position. It will be my main guitar, at that point.
Yessss subscribe and notifications on!!!!!
Thats a lovely guitar, I agree with you on the headstock name, slash's 59' copy says "guitar" in the headstock and is one legendary guitar! Do you still have the sellers info? I want one!
Awesome channel Max! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
I try to avoid China-made copies at all times but I don't mind if it's made in China. There's a difference.
I've never seen a good Guitar come from China there all junk regardless what name is on the headstock
Korean and Japanese do best
Cyb3r 3vil I’ve got a 58 epi explorer made in China its a beast.
@@funnyfarmband4410 the explorer in my avatar is a 58 Korean epi totally Rock's
I have had a chinese made LTD not a knock off for years and havent had any problems and it sounds great
I think one of the bigger problems is that people see “made in ...” and automatically form an opinion on the guitar based on that alone.
I bough one of these in a Cash Converter store. It look great from a distance and when the guy handed it to me, I looked at the serial number, JP#2-1958.I said the guy “you know this is not a real Gibson” he said “ I know, that’s why its $220. When I played it it felt just like my ES335 and weighed 8 lbs. So, I put in real G spec pots, oil filled caps,Dimarzio 36th anniversary PAFs, wired it to 1959 specs, changed the truss cover and knobs and put on real Grover “bottle” tuners and a real nickel tail piece, which made a huge difference. It played and sounded so good that it became my main guitar for all rock gigs. I wore thru the shit metal frets in about two years and put in stainless steel frets. So, I buy a guitar for 220 and put in about another 700 into it. At this point it is still my main ax because is so light and sounds awesome. Especially through my old Silvertone amps.
I have 4 Chibsons Les Paul Totally awesome guitars and they are all different I love to do the fretwork , the pickups upgrade , wiring stuff replacing the bridge and nut I look on the internet for all the parts i need It's so much fun )) Most of the time i endup around 600 euro total
I have purchased two Harley Benton LP and SG style guitars and have been very pleased with the quality and playability.
Yeah i bought the PRS style from Harley Benton and i love it. Its not even made in china but vietnam. But best about them is, they doesnt pretend to be the "other company" . They are "very inspired by" but they are not "fake copys (that potentially could be resold way overpriced)" So i would go with Harley Benton all the time over a Chibson. +You know the actual company and if you should have problems you can contact them easyly, thats another +
This is the reason i have no confidence in buying a used les paul.
Its common sense you will know.
Someone with experience would know. If someone was buying a guitar for the first time or just as a gift online or something
@@jimr5793 They use real serial numbers on the fakes also.
If you can’t tell the difference. It’s not the right time to buy a Gibson.
i can pick up any les paul and tell you if its real within seconds.take the 15 minutes to learn about them
I have a '59 LP reissue from China, I've had mine for going on three years now, I live in Thailand so stuff like copyright laws and such is laughable here... I have basically done nothing to mine, except for a fret dress and sanding the fret edges..I did my own set up. It plays well, doesn't really sound like a LP, but has some great tones, the electrics have been fine as well. Next will be replacing the frankly, very crap tuners with Grovers, and just keep playing it. BTW, if anything has fallen apart, it was thew hard shell case I bought for it from the same seller, but who cares...
are the tuners on yours " grover " copies ?
I've got a ace chibson and it has ' grover " tuners but holds tune great
@@And1slash Actually mine has these Kluson knock offs, and they work well too, pleasantly surprised....
I bought a chibson les paul supreme about 6 or 7 years ago. It was beautiful. When it arrived I had new pickups and several authentic Gibson parts ready to put on it. Of course the original pickups were microphonic and I replaced them. The tuners were just fine and even though I spent the money on the Gibsons, I had no need to switch them out. It was setup quite well right out of the box, I just changed the strings. I was very happy with it. Having about 35 guitars, after a few months of playing it, it sat in the closet for about a year. I got it out with the intent to play it and I was very disappointed. The white binding on the body had a yellow spot about every inch or so around the body. I'm guessing they put a dot of glue on the binding there and it yellowed the binding. If the entire binding had yellowed, that would have been more acceptable but not the poke a dots. I put it in the case and haven't looked at it since. I guess I should go pull it out of the closet and see what else has happened to it over the last few years. I haven't wasted anymore money on chinese guitars.
Changed to grover tuners, pearliod.
Pulled pickups and potted them, half parifin half beewax. Setup, new strings. Great sounding since 2018