Baxter and Jonathan discuss the Gibson Fakes out there with one that was sent into us by a fan of the channel. Have you ever purchased one or played one?
Baxter,lol, that's why I've been married for 12 years. I could almost guarantee that your wife is the sweetest woman ever. Great shows as always. The color of that Chib is the first thing that gave it away. Have a great day, Baxter and Johnathan, I'm a single parent since my daughter was 2 years old. Today she is getting married, to a man I actually like. Have a blessed day !
this fully made me smile dude.... from a fellow solo dad wih 2 TEENAGERS. your comment gives me hope man! have a great day mate. oh yeah that Chibbo woulve fooled me until touching it... lol
I have a Chibson DG335. I've only played a couple of Gibsons at local stores and have never played a real DG335 (or even a ES335), so I don't really have anything to compare it to. It is a blast to play and looks like the real deal. I'm sure it plays WAY different, but you look good doing it. I'll never resell it, so I'm a fairly satisfied customer.
I bought a chibson on purpose because for one I was dying to know, and two because I’m teaching myself how to do various repairs and luthier work and I knew a chibson would need some work. And then one I got was surprisingly, shockingly well made and has almost none of the problems described in this video. I would never recommend that other people buy one because I know this is unusual, but still. I actually kinda love mine.
Unfortunately the rest of the world has caught up with American guitar builders and you end up paying more basically to support the American economy and for a nitro finish. My new epiphone Bonamassa with a long neck tenon is fantastic. My Indonesian g&l asat is better than a Mexican tele.
I would like to get one and do Les Paul style setup testing with it. Maybe put a P90 in the middle and wire it up for stereo hook ups and additional pots or switches. All things that you would never do with a real Gibson.
@@jgenoese Epiphones will keep getter better. Gibson owns and operates the facility where Epiphones are made. They brought in Epiphone employees from the USA to run the facility in China. And because their building isn't contracted out, as those workers gain more and more experience building the same guitars over and over they'll keep getting better and better. Things like pickups, electronics, and hardware are not as high quality, unless it's one of the top of the l in me signature models that have Gibson pickups or Seymour Duncans. But there is a huge difference between buying an Epiphone versus buying a Chibson. Epiphone is a legit guitar with product support and a Chibson is illegal to sell and basically comes down to stealing. Gibson designed those guitars and they have trademarks and copyrights. Every time someone buys a Chibson, there is a high likelihood that somewhere down the line it will be used to rip someone off. There's nothing wrong with Epiphone or even guitars that are slightly similar but don't attempt to pass themselves off as a Les Paul, such as ESP/LTD Eclipse. Don't support the buying or selling if fake guitars. Nothing good will come from it. If someone doesn't want a Gibson, can't afford a Gibson, or wants something different there are lots of great options and they're all better than a Chibson.
Chibson's have been getting better over the last 5 years. I have seen some that take disassembly and measurements to verify after the hardware was changed. Be careful out there folks!
Years ago when Chibsons were very little known about, I bought a Les Paul at a bar in the sunlight outside and didn't really have a chance to look at it. When we got home we were watching an episode of Pawn Stars and Chumlee bought a fake Gibson mandolin. My wife asked if any of the guitars I had recently bought were fakes and I said heck no I know what I'm looking at..... You know the rest of the story LOL!
Funny, I just watched Junior on Pawn Stars get taken for $6500 on a supposed 62 Jazzmaster. Brought in an “expert” who didn’t even pull the neck. Not a screwdriver in sight. A decent fake but really wrong relic’ing.
3 years ago as a test I was able to have a Chinese builder (Ali Express) make me a Les Paul to R9 specs. I only purchased the finished hull and installed all Gibson hardware myself (including aHistoric Spec ABR-1 bridge). I leveled and polished the frets and the the guitar took to being setup very well. Conclusion, for about $1100 total cost (not counting my time) I have a wonderfully resonant Les Paul that compares very well to each of the Gibson Les Paul Guitars I currently own. As with most things in life there are good and bad, I was fortunate enough to the good! To make sure my R9 copy would never be mistaken for a real Gibson I used my DOB for the serial number (it looks great with the factory Stinger).
as i know,those chibsons guitar or diy guitar kit, all build and ship from same place or city like epiphone factory , i guess there all about wood industry ,like furniture factory kind of stuffs , if they can build a gibson copy, why not make own brand, or call jinson,gibbon,fander,funder,fenker,funker, like 70,80s lawsuit era, better than knockoff brand, few 5,6 year ago i bought a fender tele neck learn to build a guitar, blank headstock, seller said add $10 dollar can help your put fender decal on it, 5 years later, i still not even start to build a body, maybe i should buy chopper board bolt nock on to call it done. sorry for my poor english.
As a left-handed player, I appreciate the AliExpresses and DHGates, because it has allowed me to get instruments in lefty orientation, however I want. And given how most lefty instruments are either a burst or black, I like knowing I can get the guitar I'm GASing for. But I may have a difference of opinion from most, because my first guitar was an Aria 5520 bass, a lawsuit era Gibson EB-2 clone. Plus, one of the good things about these clones, is that they make terrific modding platforms.
I'm an older player, have owned lots of instruments at all price ranges, and currently have a few Chibsons in the mix. 2 have personalized Logos, 2 were bought on a whim. I bought 2 after getting recommendations from other Chibson owners. Only one has upgraded pickups and electronics, and one had microphone pickups that I wax potted. Honestly, they all are perfectly usable, and one goes to every gig with me. The most expensive was $350. I bought them with full knowledge of their origin, and wouldn't sell them, but am able to have a few model LPs that I couldn't afford otherwise. Be careful out there: some convincing fakes are there, and are sometimes sold as actual Gibsons!
Gibson situates their logo so the 'G' is parallel to the neck. Chibsons always gloss over this detail and that includes this example. If you had a ruler placed onto the left side of the G, you'll see it's not parallel. Not even close.
I have a Chibson that I love. With its mutiple woods of unknown origin it is not likely anyone would be fooled but it is light as a feather for a Les Paul
I'm glad you did a video on this, I wish you would have educated us more on the finer points of it's a fake in close up and maybe a comparison with a real one. Pointing at something 6 feet away from the camera doesn't really hep to show those wrong details. None the less, thank you for pointing out and reminding people these are still out there. Due diligence should be handled before any expensive purchase and if you can't be there in person, ask for more pics. Any willing seller should have them or will get them for you.
How to spot a fake Gibson: 1. You can just tell by lookin' at it, you know? Th...thanks? They didn't even mention the binding nibs on the tips of the frets that should be on real Gibsons...
Well it really depends on the chibson's manufacturer, a lot of them are made in the same plants as Epiphone and they're just changing the headstock. Because you can have great products with CNC machinery, its more a matter of design. The cons of Chibson are hardwares, electronics and ethics. The pros are the guitar itself, looks and the fact that people wants to mod these things.
Played a jam session with a guy that was over the moon for his chibson. It had some problems, but he loved the thing. Funny bit: it had fake epiphone pickups in it!
Worked in a store a couple of years ago and I would see Fakers and Chibsons a couple of times a month. They were easy to spot in those days. Scarf joints, Poly finish and 3 screw truss rod covers being the most obvious signs. But I would pull a Les Paul off of the wall and walk them thru and show them why I was sure they didn't have a Gibson. We actually bought a Fender* custom shop that was a MIM body with a Mighty Mite neck and some half way decent waterslide decals on the headstock just to keep it from ending up on Ebuy again.
Good Video! I have a mid 70's (Orlando) lawsuit Les Paul (acquired used in 1976) that is really a pretty nice guitar. I have been told by a couple of "Gibson freaks" that it is possibly better than what was coming out of Gibson at that time. I don't know about that, but it has been playing well for me for 40 odd years. I am going to re-fret it again soon, and maybe upgrade the pickups with something nice, but otherwise, I would have no reason to trade it up to the real thing.
I have a les paul custom who is kinda moody. Sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it holds really well. Also I have 2 prs guitars (not trying to be cocky here) and they’re way more stable on this matter. But the Gibson sound is the Gibson sound. I’m not intending to sell it.
Man this thing looks pretty believable. I'm a PRS guy and I haven't seen a fake PRS that is even close, but I'd probably get fooled by this Chibson on Reverb...
@@DDWyss the guys at the Burny factory in japan would disagree. those lawsuit LPs were head and shoulders better than what was coming from gibson. its rare to find a finish flaw on one of them compared to the real gibsons having all kinds of QC issues. In all fairness, i am a bit biased towards japan quality. i live in japan so i have access to the lawsuit era guitars and i can say with as much objectivity as i can muster, that japan makes a better gibson than gibson does. headstocks dont break as often either because they learned from their mistakes of having poor break angles.
I don't think it shouldn't be sold as long as it's known that it's not real. A local guitar shop had one in one time that I saw and thought was an Epi, when I sat down to play it the owner wrote on the price tag "Gibson" Les Paul Custom, between that and the price of $300 it was pretty easy to tell what was up.
I paid $225 for mine I replaced the bridge pickup the tuners were pretty good and the intonation was set it had 9’s on but I prefer 10’s I wasn’t actually looking for perfect I wasn’t expecting perfect so I’m extremely impressed with my purchase 😉
I saw that someone was selling a Chibson that actually had "Chibson" inlayed on the headstock. I totally would've bought it if I had the disposable cash at hand. Agree though, just don't try to fleece anyone with them and I don't have a problem with them.
Besides the TOM, instant visual indicators (to me) are the overly wide pickup ring surrounds and the 'not quite rhombus' placement of the knobs. It is of course, very tricky. I think the 'split diamond' looks wrong, but along with the tuning pegs that are not quite aligned; these are things that indicate, - but don't guarantee - a fake.
I found a Gibson Fake that was so good I bought it anyways.It was handmade, with real Gibson Pups, and sounded better than any Gibson SG I have ever tried.There are good fakes and real crappy ones.
Rosewood fingerboard is always the first dead giveaway. But I have a gold top version, and I use it all the time. It’s basically like an an Epiphone. And a good workhorse for gigs.
Looking forward to the podcast. Let us know when they start. As far as the Chibson one of the few things I remember from college was from my first year economics teacher. He said if you remember nothing else from this class remember this “there is no such thing as a free lunch” I followed his instruction it’s the only thing I remember.
i have a Chibson Standard and it came w that SAME truss rod cover hahahha but its fun to take the 3 LP's on the wall and see who likes which one best. a few people have picked the chibson! which is weird. i think that tells me my friends play gtr w their eyes
Having never owned a genuine or fake Gibson, it's easy to see how buying one on auction websites is taking a big risk. These Chibsons are what they are copies with tuning and intonation issues, but as said below so do genuine Gibsons from what the owners say. If only Gibson asked sensible prices, no one would risk buying these fakes.
Gibson has a guitar at $999 and other around that price point. No other American guitar companies have a offering anywhere near $999 with nitro and a gig bag.
@@Barbarapape I understand that Gibson might not be for you, and I’m primarily a Fender player myself even though I do own a Gibson Les Paul and a Gibson acoustic. Ben was just responding to your comment to let you (and other who might not be aware) know that Gibson’s entry level models ARE the lowest priced American made electric guitars of any of the major brands. Plus they offer Epiphone as a more affordable option. The bottom line is that there is absolutely no reason that anyone should be buying a fake Gibson guitar WITH the Gibson logo on it, and this is true regardless of whether it is a $200 Chinese made instrument or a $10,000 custom made instrument buy the best builder in the world. It is perfectly fine to buy a Gibson style guitar with the logo of the builder on it or even with no logo at all. However, every “fake” WITH a Gibson logo will eventually be sold to someone else, and the chance is very high that at some point it will be misrepresented as a “real” Gibson. The simple truth is that many people buy them with that intent from the start.
@@charlesbolton8471 I agree that buying a reselling a know fake guitar with Gibson, Fender or any other brands logo on is fraudulent. There are and always will be fake copies of know brand names of not only guitars, but watches etc. Even experts can be fooled by a very well made guitar that is not made by the name on the headstock. I have a very high quality Strat made here in the UK by a leading luthier Alan Brason, i bought it used with a Fender decal on the headstock, the seller was honest and made it clear that it was not made by Fender. You can buy Fender and Custom Shop decals with traceable seriel numbers on the internet. The auction websites are full of fakes from guitars to memory cards, You need use your instincs and ask the right questions before buying any guitar even from a guitar store.
I traded for a Chibson double cut Junior last week. No way I would've laid out cash, but the seller was honest about what it was and I liked the look, so I did it. One thing not mentioned in the video, which everyone should remember, is that the last three digits in the serial number indicate where the unit was in that day's production. "100" would mean it was the one hundredth guitar that rolled off the line that day. The Nashville plant averages 220 guitars per day, so any serial number that ends in something higher than "250" would be suspect. My Junior ends in "583". That would never occur anywhere in the real world. So, be careful - it's a jungle out there. Knowledge is key.
I got a chibanez jem. It is all clear lucite and the stock pickups and hardware are weak but the fretjob was excellent and I didn't have the truss rod issues but mine is a jem not a lp.
Big Apple Strat I owned for years had the bidge in the wrong place. Long after I sold it we started wondering if it was a fake. But it sounded fantastic. Pearly Gates in the bridge and 59 in the neck. And from the first time I picked it up it the store the neck felt like I had been playing it all my life. Never again owned a guitar with a neck that felt like that.
I have a Gold Top Chibson that I bought off a friend for $75. I put new tuners on it and a new bridge (I already had the parts) and no lie the pickups in the guitar sound awesome. With a little work this thing plays pretty damn well. I own real Gibson's, but its nice to take this Gold Top out without worries like with my real $3K+ Gibsons. If its stolen oh well. Also other than a few guitar players, no one seems to realize its a fake. That is scary how well these new Chibs are made. Give it a few more years and damn. If i bought a new one id have them put something else on the headstock.
While you are looking at the fine details, I’m stuck by the weirdness of it being a Custom Gold top. AFAIK, never been made. But I’m a guitar nerd too.
I didn't know that piracy was still a problem. I remember the "lawsuit" guitars from Japan back in the 80s, but I thought that got cleaned up through the courts. You don't have Tokai's being sold with a Gibson name on the headstock anymore. They still make Les Paul copies (I own one and it is a fantastic guitar with amazing workmanship) but they are branded Tokai Love Rock.
Some people should heard and not seen.......of course present company excepted. Getting back to the topic.....never got caught short with a fake. This does give one pause of buying off Ebay or from a small show, and even on Reverb. I'm a big fan of not buying with my eyes alone and need to hold and play to buy. So don't buy anything off Reverb unless it has a return if not satisfied policy. When through a time of creating a herd with most not being played first and got lucky everything was jake except one, a nonreturnable. Never again....too many guitars or fine folks like you guys to buy legit. Thanks as usual for combing some info with yaks like in real life.
If you accidentally purchased one of those, can you tweak them enough to make them decent to play? Swapping parts, set up and etc. And how much would be too much to spend on upgrading it? I don't have one, just curious.
@@danoverfield8923 Understandable. I was just pondering about being stuck with one and could anything be done to improve it? I know if I had spent $500 on it - which would be a devastating hit to my wallet - I couldn't afford to give it away. I wouldn't upgrade it for resale, just so I didn't lose my money and a guitar. Something that I had save every penny that I had to purchase. Maybe some sort of mark could be put on the guitar so that it would be easily identifiable as a knock off.
Chibson's aren't fakes, they are replica's. Depending on how much you pay for a replica will depending on the quality. I agree people shouldn't re-sell them as the real deal.
I don't understand why they don't brand them something else and sell them legitimately. For the price the manufacturer sells them at, they're worth it. The problem is when "scalpers" onsell them as genuine LPs at an inflated rate. For a couple of hundred, they're not too shabby, just not Gibson.
I took a chance on a $300 knockoff from aliexpress. Packed better than some more expensive guitars from real brands from real music stores. Set neck, complex binding, and top, the original model it's based on was a limited run maybe 20-50 units, which if you can find one used they typically start at $7K. One control was loose - just tightened and good to go; I replaced the strings; it needed a setup and intonation adjustment which I normally do on all my guitar purchases. Neck was fine, no adjustments needed; string height fine; fretboard looks very good, no tooling marks, frets are smooth and polished, no sharp fret ends. Plays great, sounds great, looks great. I plan to get another one or two. Probably made by the same factory or side hustle from people that work at the same factory. Better than I expected, and worth $300 IMO
Alternatively there are many companies making great quality guitars like the Maybach Albatroz (SG) and Eastman SB59 (LP). I haven't had either in hand yet but they certainly look and sound great on the demo's I've heard.
Watch the show daily. Hunted down older shows. Most, are really entertaining. Start my day off with you guys. I have to say Jonathan would beat Baxter at mar wrestling, but who cares! Who is better with the wood, that's what I want to know?
I bought a chibson on reverb on purpose, always wanted a Gibson double neck but can’t even come close to affording a real one right now Ive got some weird gold double neck sg thing, its by far one of the worst things I’ve ever played but hey! Good decoration piece lol
I have seen a lot of Chibsons, Chenders, Chickenbackers, and even Churns guitars for sale online that weren't really fakes. The pictures looked like they were made on the same assembly line as the real thing but lacked the logos and other proprietary details. For example, the Chickenbackers didn't say Rickenbacker anywhere and the tailpiece was only vaguely reminiscent of the trademarked tailpiece. If these were decent guitars, they would be well worth one tenth the price of the real thing.
I deal with these all the time. Sometimes the owner knows it’s fake, sometimes I have to break the bad news. I see a lot of fake Gibsons but I’ve seen plenty of Martins and fenders too. Most recently I had a Fender Custom shop guitar come in but it was a Squier affinity that had the logo replaced. The owner got ripped off big time. I’ve also seen a lot of people passing Black label fenders as normal MIM fenders.
The real value of a guitar is if it inspires you to get better and create music. Not finish flaws and tiny differences. The flaws they pointed out were not flaws. Just differences.
I bought a 70's Jibson (Japanese copy) and everything is off on it from the bridge to the wiring,And it basically sit's in the corner as a conversation piece.
It's a popular misconception that any Japanese made copy in the late 70's/ early 80's is somehow as good as or better than the real thing. To be frank most were as shit as a cheap copy could be. Quite sad really.
@@TheGtrmarcus I agree with you on that one, I talked to an older guitarist on them, and what he told me was their was two plants in japan one was good one was shit. the good one went down because of sales and the shit one thrived till the end basically.
I bought my Gibson from Gibson so it is real and plays incredible nice fn love it,Slash picked the perfect guitar you can hit a note and just hold it for a while and appreciate it before moving on to another it makes you want to play a little slower who wants to shred and not hear every string.btw I can shred
DUNE!!! Sting was pretty awesome in it. Oh wait. YOu guys are talking about the new one. THat' one is pretty cool. Chibson has never gone away. Even the threat of play authentic cannot touch the "invincible" Chinese manufacturers across the pond. And year by year, they are getting better. The biggest threat is the Guns N Roses Slash situation, a local skilled luthier making something so good, people think its legit, but I don't think Gibson is chalking up the Slash shenanigans as a "threat" .
I have been teaching golf in China since 2009, and they make tons of fake clubs there. Real clubs are double the USA price in China. So, on several occasions, my students bought counterfeit sets, as they are about 40% of the cost of real clubs here. One set, priced about $700USD, was so bad that the only thing usable was the bag… the clubs were throwaways…
I am sure you said you were going to tell us how to spot one…but, not sure I heard one example. Maybe along the lines of, the logo isn’t quite right? Or x shouldn’t look like this? Well…why should they look like? Lot of rambling, but no real specifics. Maybe the truss rod nut comment was a help, but even that was light comment. Hope you cats have a good one. Hope to one day roll that way and get a guitar from the store.
![Gibson Les Paul R9 refinish. PART 1 [How to remove Gibson factory lacquer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yks_xVrv3y4/mqdefault.jpg)
The biggest difference is the Gibson headstock is usually broken an reached poorly while the Chibson is intact.
Baxter,lol, that's why I've been married for 12 years. I could almost guarantee that your wife is the sweetest woman ever. Great shows as always.
The color of that Chib is the first thing that gave it away.
Have a great day, Baxter and Johnathan, I'm a single parent since my daughter was 2 years old. Today she is getting married, to a man I actually like. Have a blessed day !
Hey congratulations
@@mma1st105
Mr. MMA 1st
Thanks bro !
this fully made me smile dude.... from a fellow solo dad wih 2 TEENAGERS.
your comment gives me hope man! have a great day mate. oh yeah that Chibbo woulve fooled me until touching it... lol
It has trouble staying in tune? How is that any different from any other Gibson?
Damn, that cuts cold:)
😂 he aint wrong
Who do people even buy genuine Gibsons when there are far better
altenative and better LP style guitars out there.
@@Barbarapape nitro finish and history
@@jgenoese A good reason, and probably why the original Nitro finished Fender Strats
are so popular if you can afford one.
I have a Chibson DG335. I've only played a couple of Gibsons at local stores and have never played a real DG335 (or even a ES335), so I don't really have anything to compare it to. It is a blast to play and looks like the real deal. I'm sure it plays WAY different, but you look good doing it. I'll never resell it, so I'm a fairly satisfied customer.
I bought a chibson on purpose because for one I was dying to know, and two because I’m teaching myself how to do various repairs and luthier work and I knew a chibson would need some work. And then one I got was surprisingly, shockingly well made and has almost none of the problems described in this video. I would never recommend that other people buy one because I know this is unusual, but still. I actually kinda love mine.
Unfortunately the rest of the world has caught up with American guitar builders and you end up paying more basically to support the American economy and for a nitro finish. My new epiphone Bonamassa with a long neck tenon is fantastic. My Indonesian g&l asat is better than a Mexican tele.
I did the same and it was very well built. I was impressed 🤷♂️
I would like to get one and do Les Paul style setup testing with it. Maybe put a P90 in the middle and wire it up for stereo hook ups and additional pots or switches. All things that you would never do with a real Gibson.
You're supporting their fakes.
@@jgenoese Epiphones will keep getter better. Gibson owns and operates the facility where Epiphones are made. They brought in Epiphone employees from the USA to run the facility in China. And because their building isn't contracted out, as those workers gain more and more experience building the same guitars over and over they'll keep getting better and better. Things like pickups, electronics, and hardware are not as high quality, unless it's one of the top of the l in me signature models that have Gibson pickups or Seymour Duncans. But there is a huge difference between buying an Epiphone versus buying a Chibson. Epiphone is a legit guitar with product support and a Chibson is illegal to sell and basically comes down to stealing. Gibson designed those guitars and they have trademarks and copyrights. Every time someone buys a Chibson, there is a high likelihood that somewhere down the line it will be used to rip someone off. There's nothing wrong with Epiphone or even guitars that are slightly similar but don't attempt to pass themselves off as a Les Paul, such as ESP/LTD Eclipse. Don't support the buying or selling if fake guitars. Nothing good will come from it. If someone doesn't want a Gibson, can't afford a Gibson, or wants something different there are lots of great options and they're all better than a Chibson.
Chibson's have been getting better over the last 5 years. I have seen some that take disassembly and measurements to verify after the hardware was changed.
Be careful out there folks!
True
I bought one last year. Level/dress the frets. Replaced the tuners, bridge and pickups and it’s actually a decent guitar
but have you ever had to do that to a chibson
@@omgdisfunny4852 more people need to see this lol
Years ago when Chibsons were very little known about, I bought a Les Paul at a bar in the sunlight outside and didn't really have a chance to look at it. When we got home we were watching an episode of Pawn Stars and Chumlee bought a fake Gibson mandolin. My wife asked if any of the guitars I had recently bought were fakes and I said heck no I know what I'm looking at..... You know the rest of the story LOL!
And you had to point out outside in the sun,because you would never fall for that,that’s fn hilarious
Funny, I just watched Junior on Pawn Stars get taken for $6500 on a supposed 62 Jazzmaster. Brought in an “expert” who didn’t even pull the neck. Not a screwdriver in sight. A decent fake but really wrong relic’ing.
@@tommilitello198 I might have had a few beers in the bar beforehand lol
Video would’ve been better with at least some up close shots of some of the stuff you were talking about.
This is awesome vid yall have done in some time. Really cool vibe and knowledge from both Baxt and Jonathan, thanks for the great content!
3 years ago as a test I was able to have a Chinese builder (Ali Express) make me a Les Paul to R9 specs. I only purchased the finished hull and installed all Gibson hardware myself (including aHistoric Spec ABR-1 bridge). I leveled and polished the frets and the the guitar took to being setup very well.
Conclusion, for about $1100 total cost (not counting my time) I have a wonderfully resonant Les Paul that compares very well to each of the Gibson Les Paul Guitars I currently own. As with most things in life there are good and bad, I was fortunate enough to the good!
To make sure my R9 copy would never be mistaken for a real Gibson I used my DOB for the serial number (it looks great with the factory Stinger).
as i know,those chibsons guitar or diy guitar kit, all build and ship from same place or city like epiphone factory , i guess there all about wood industry ,like furniture factory kind of stuffs , if they can build a gibson copy, why not make own brand, or call jinson,gibbon,fander,funder,fenker,funker, like 70,80s lawsuit era, better than knockoff brand, few 5,6 year ago i bought a fender tele neck learn to build a guitar, blank headstock, seller said add $10 dollar can help your put fender decal on it, 5 years later, i still not even start to build a body, maybe i should buy chopper board bolt nock on to call it done. sorry for my poor english.
I don't mean to be insulting by the way. Just... Seems extraordinarily stupid to me. You could have bought something real instead.
As a left-handed player, I appreciate the AliExpresses and DHGates, because it has allowed me to get instruments in lefty orientation, however I want. And given how most lefty instruments are either a burst or black, I like knowing I can get the guitar I'm GASing for.
But I may have a difference of opinion from most, because my first guitar was an Aria 5520 bass, a lawsuit era Gibson EB-2 clone.
Plus, one of the good things about these clones, is that they make terrific modding platforms.
Thanks for shouting out to Austin...he is my Gibson UA-cam Hero. What a cool gig! He shares my quirky tastes, too.
I'm an older player, have owned lots of instruments at all price ranges, and currently have a few Chibsons in the mix. 2 have personalized Logos, 2 were bought on a whim. I bought 2 after getting recommendations from other Chibson owners. Only one has upgraded pickups and electronics, and one had microphone pickups that I wax potted.
Honestly, they all are perfectly usable, and one goes to every gig with me. The most expensive was $350. I bought them with full knowledge of their origin, and wouldn't sell them, but am able to have a few model LPs that I couldn't afford otherwise.
Be careful out there: some convincing fakes are there, and are sometimes sold as actual Gibsons!
As I'm watching this video, I keep looking back at my 1976 Gibson SG that I got for a good deal...
Looking forward to the podcast. I drive an hour each way to rehearsal and that will help pass the time.
Awesome guys thanks for the info 😀👍have a great weekend
Gibson situates their logo so the 'G' is parallel to the neck. Chibsons always gloss over this detail and that includes this example. If you had a ruler placed onto the left side of the G, you'll see it's not parallel. Not even close.
If you've tried to do one yourself, it's really tricky to get right. Not surprised they botch that.
It’s a good reference, but this headstock overall looks good comparing to others I saw.
I have a Chibson that I love. With its mutiple woods of unknown origin it is not likely anyone would be fooled but it is light as a feather for a Les Paul
The funny thing is, I pick up $3000 Gibsons and always say “this isn’t as good as my Fenders.”
I'm glad you did a video on this, I wish you would have educated us more on the finer points of it's a fake in close up and maybe a comparison with a real one. Pointing at something 6 feet away from the camera doesn't really hep to show those wrong details. None the less, thank you for pointing out and reminding people these are still out there. Due diligence should be handled before any expensive purchase and if you can't be there in person, ask for more pics. Any willing seller should have them or will get them for you.
I like that they asked on camera if they should do a side by side, then said no because they’ll do a picture on screen then never did lol!
How to spot a fake Gibson:
1. You can just tell by lookin' at it, you know?
Th...thanks?
They didn't even mention the binding nibs on the tips of the frets that should be on real Gibsons...
Love your amazing info!!!!!!!
Glad to see this didn’t get sold again. I don’t own any Gibsons, yet. But definitely don’t want to get ripped off. Gotta do research
I've always had this weird goal to own a Chibson at one point. If nothing else than just the curiosity to know what they're really like.
It’s a $200 guitar, not $500. You could get an equivalent used Epiphone for $500
Well it really depends on the chibson's manufacturer, a lot of them are made in the same plants as Epiphone and they're just changing the headstock. Because you can have great products with CNC machinery, its more a matter of design. The cons of Chibson are hardwares, electronics and ethics. The pros are the guitar itself, looks and the fact that people wants to mod these things.
I was building a Gundam model kit while I was watching this video and then Baxter mentioned Mobile Suit Gundam. Cool!
Played a jam session with a guy that was over the moon for his chibson. It had some problems, but he loved the thing. Funny bit: it had fake epiphone pickups in it!
no matter what the topic is, baxter always finds a way to bring it back to film 😂
Love the chibson guitars very little is needed to be perfect better than a Gibson 🤑
Y'all are the best!
6:18 - Cock eyed tuning pegs is usually a sign that it's a genuine Gibson,,, 😅
Worked in a store a couple of years ago and I would see Fakers and Chibsons a couple of times a month. They were easy to spot in those days. Scarf joints, Poly finish and 3 screw truss rod covers being the most obvious signs. But I would pull a Les Paul off of the wall and walk them thru and show them why I was sure they didn't have a Gibson. We actually bought a Fender* custom shop that was a MIM body with a Mighty Mite neck and some half way decent waterslide decals on the headstock just to keep it from ending up on Ebuy again.
I've seen at least 12 Chibson"s and Chinese made Fender copies.. Some of these are scary close and some you can tell right away..
My mom bought me a used 2015 gibson les paul 100 junior and i LOVE it 🥰😍
Good Video! I have a mid 70's (Orlando) lawsuit Les Paul (acquired used in 1976) that is really a pretty nice guitar. I have been told by a couple of "Gibson freaks" that it is possibly better than what was coming out of Gibson at that time. I don't know about that, but it has been playing well for me for 40 odd years. I am going to re-fret it again soon, and maybe upgrade the pickups with something nice, but otherwise, I would have no reason to trade it up to the real thing.
Make sure you look for the binding on the fret nibs too.
i have sold every gibson i owned over the years because they struggle to stay in tune.
if you want a gibson that stays in tune... buy a PRS
Epiphones stay in tune very well. I have 4 Epi LP's & all of them stay in tune extremely well.
I have a les paul custom who is kinda moody. Sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it holds really well.
Also I have 2 prs guitars (not trying to be cocky here) and they’re way more stable on this matter.
But the Gibson sound is the Gibson sound. I’m not intending to sell it.
@@silverfr3ak i feel like a 594 nails the les paul tone.
Man this thing looks pretty believable. I'm a PRS guy and I haven't seen a fake PRS that is even close, but I'd probably get fooled by this Chibson on Reverb...
This headstock looks kinda convincing to me (comparing to some clearly fake I saw years ago). These guys are getting better.
It's just a matter of time before Chibsons surpass the originals.
No it isn't. The people who make those guitars have no interest in putting in the work it would take to make them as good as the originals.
I have a real studio Les Paul from the early 2000’s. This modern day fake gold top is no where near it.
@@DDWyss the guys at the Burny factory in japan would disagree. those lawsuit LPs were head and shoulders better than what was coming from gibson. its rare to find a finish flaw on one of them compared to the real gibsons having all kinds of QC issues.
In all fairness, i am a bit biased towards japan quality. i live in japan so i have access to the lawsuit era guitars and i can say with as much objectivity as i can muster, that japan makes a better gibson than gibson does.
headstocks dont break as often either because they learned from their mistakes of having poor break angles.
Not likely Chibsons will never have the quality of Epiphone and Gibson
@@crswro1690 Japanese made copies are always far, far better than cheap Chinese knockoffs, which is what a "Chibson" is.
I don't think it shouldn't be sold as long as it's known that it's not real. A local guitar shop had one in one time that I saw and thought was an Epi, when I sat down to play it the owner wrote on the price tag "Gibson" Les Paul Custom, between that and the price of $300 it was pretty easy to tell what was up.
I paid $225 for mine I replaced the bridge pickup the tuners were pretty good and the intonation was set it had 9’s on but I prefer 10’s I wasn’t actually looking for perfect I wasn’t expecting perfect so I’m extremely impressed with my purchase 😉
Make a glass top coffee table using a flight case and place the chibson into it looks cool and the guitar becomes useful .
I saw that someone was selling a Chibson that actually had "Chibson" inlayed on the headstock. I totally would've bought it if I had the disposable cash at hand.
Agree though, just don't try to fleece anyone with them and I don't have a problem with them.
Besides the TOM, instant visual indicators (to me) are the overly wide pickup ring surrounds and the 'not quite rhombus' placement of the knobs.
It is of course, very tricky. I think the 'split diamond' looks wrong, but along with the tuning pegs that are not quite aligned; these are things that indicate, - but don't guarantee - a fake.
I found a Gibson Fake that was so good I bought it anyways.It was handmade, with real Gibson Pups, and sounded better than any Gibson SG I have ever tried.There are good fakes and real crappy ones.
Had a chibson that I set up and I got less than 1mm at the 12th fret. It played great.
Was it a high fret?
🤠🤠🤠
Baxter, Your the Man.
Rosewood fingerboard is always the first dead giveaway. But I have a gold top version, and I use it all the time. It’s basically like an an Epiphone. And a good workhorse for gigs.
Great work Gentlemen!
Looking forward to the podcast. Let us know when they start. As far as the Chibson one of the few things I remember from college was from my first year economics teacher. He said if you remember nothing else from this class remember this “there is no such thing as a free lunch” I followed his instruction it’s the only thing I remember.
Nothing worse than seeing damaged Gibsons and Fenders going for thousands of dollars with shotty repair work.
hey, show the guts, the switch and the pots and back of the pickups,
i have a Chibson Standard and it came w that SAME truss rod cover hahahha but its fun to take the 3 LP's on the wall and see who likes which one best. a few people have picked the chibson! which is weird. i think that tells me my friends play gtr w their eyes
At 8:06 my upstairs neighbor probably thought I had a seizure I started laughing so loud
Having never owned a genuine or fake Gibson, it's easy to see how buying one
on auction websites is taking a big risk.
These Chibsons are what they are copies with tuning and intonation issues,
but as said below so do genuine Gibsons from what the owners say.
If only Gibson asked sensible prices, no one would risk buying these fakes.
Gibson has a guitar at $999 and other around that price point. No other American guitar companies have a offering anywhere near $999 with nitro and a gig bag.
@@benlogan430 Great if you like Nitro Finishes and Gibson guitars.
They are just not for me.
@@Barbarapape
I understand that Gibson might not be for you, and I’m primarily a Fender player myself even though I do own a Gibson Les Paul and a Gibson acoustic.
Ben was just responding to your comment to let you (and other who might not be aware) know that Gibson’s entry level models ARE the lowest priced American made electric guitars of any of the major brands. Plus they offer Epiphone as a more affordable option.
The bottom line is that there is absolutely no reason that anyone should be buying a fake Gibson guitar WITH the Gibson logo on it, and this is true regardless of whether it is a $200 Chinese made instrument or a $10,000 custom made instrument buy the best builder in the world.
It is perfectly fine to buy a Gibson style guitar with the logo of the builder on it or even with no logo at all. However, every “fake” WITH a Gibson logo will eventually be sold to someone else, and the chance is very high that at some point it will be misrepresented as a “real” Gibson. The simple truth is that many people buy them with that intent from the start.
@@charlesbolton8471 I agree that buying a reselling a know fake guitar
with Gibson, Fender or any other brands logo on is fraudulent.
There are and always will be fake copies of know brand names of
not only guitars, but watches etc.
Even experts can be fooled by a very well made guitar that is not made
by the name on the headstock.
I have a very high quality Strat made here in the UK by a leading luthier
Alan Brason, i bought it used with a Fender decal on the headstock,
the seller was honest and made it clear that it was not made by Fender.
You can buy Fender and Custom Shop decals with traceable seriel numbers on the internet.
The auction websites are full of fakes from guitars to memory cards,
You need use your instincs and ask the right questions before buying
any guitar even from a guitar store.
I traded for a Chibson double cut Junior last week. No way I would've laid out cash, but the seller was honest about what it was and I liked the look, so I did it. One thing not mentioned in the video, which everyone should remember, is that the last three digits in the serial number indicate where the unit was in that day's production. "100" would mean it was the one hundredth guitar that rolled off the line that day. The Nashville plant averages 220 guitars per day, so any serial number that ends in something higher than "250" would be suspect. My Junior ends in "583". That would never occur anywhere in the real world. So, be careful - it's a jungle out there. Knowledge is key.
Another thing to look at is the R(x) models with have used analin dye and will show binding bleed if played.
I got a chibanez jem. It is all clear lucite and the stock pickups and hardware are weak but the fretjob was excellent and I didn't have the truss rod issues but mine is a jem not a lp.
Big Apple Strat I owned for years had the bidge in the wrong place. Long after I sold it we started wondering if it was a fake. But it sounded fantastic. Pearly Gates in the bridge and 59 in the neck. And from the first time I picked it up it the store the neck felt like I had been playing it all my life. Never again owned a guitar with a neck that felt like that.
⚓️ Thanks Casino 😎 Not in the market…. But if the great deal pops up… 🎸
Well I've had a gibson and I've got a chibson. Think that says it all really
You guys rock 🤘🏻🎸
As a podcast producer I can’t wait for the new show
Hey guys!! Baxter, what happened to the gold top that was next to the pink Strat, and could be seen next to your head?
Peace, Keith
Never experienced a fake Gibson. Except for the SG copy I built. But you would spot that a mile away
I have a Gold Top Chibson that I bought off a friend for $75. I put new tuners on it and a new bridge (I already had the parts) and no lie the pickups in the guitar sound awesome. With a little work this thing plays pretty damn well. I own real Gibson's, but its nice to take this Gold Top out without worries like with my real $3K+ Gibsons. If its stolen oh well. Also other than a few guitar players, no one seems to realize its a fake. That is scary how well these new Chibs are made. Give it a few more years and damn. If i bought a new one id have them put something else on the headstock.
Chebony fret board, with gorgeous mother of linoleum inlays.. humdingers neck n bridge, mine has a to die for soysauce sunburst..
Lol "If I saw this... And I was drinking..."
Locking tuners helped my guitar to stay in tune.
Remember....if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
While you are looking at the fine details, I’m stuck by the weirdness of it being a Custom Gold top. AFAIK, never been made.
But I’m a guitar nerd too.
Jacket over hoodie. Serious Doctor Who vibes!
The fonts used for the serial numbers is often a big clue too!
I didn't know that piracy was still a problem. I remember the "lawsuit" guitars from Japan back in the 80s, but I thought that got cleaned up through the courts. You don't have Tokai's being sold with a Gibson name on the headstock anymore. They still make Les Paul copies (I own one and it is a fantastic guitar with amazing workmanship) but they are branded Tokai Love Rock.
Some people should heard and not seen.......of course present company excepted. Getting back to the topic.....never got caught short with a fake. This does give one pause of buying off Ebay or from a small show, and even on Reverb. I'm a big fan of not buying with my eyes alone and need to hold and play to buy. So don't buy anything off Reverb unless it has a return if not satisfied policy. When through a time of creating a herd with most not being played first and got lucky everything was jake except one, a nonreturnable. Never again....too many guitars or fine folks like you guys to buy legit. Thanks as usual for combing some info with yaks like in real life.
Sup guys! What do you think of threaded inserts on bolt-on necks?
If you accidentally purchased one of those, can you tweak them enough to make them decent to play?
Swapping parts, set up and etc. And how much would be too much to spend on upgrading it? I don't have one, just curious.
I tried for a few days. My opinion, it was better to send it away to an ethical vendor who would not attempt to resell it. It was junk.
@@danoverfield8923
Understandable. I was just pondering about being stuck with one and could anything be done to improve it?
I know if I had spent $500 on it - which would be a devastating hit to my wallet - I couldn't afford to give it away. I wouldn't upgrade it for resale, just so I didn't lose my money and a guitar. Something that I had save every penny that I had to purchase.
Maybe some sort of mark could be put on the guitar so that it would be easily identifiable as a knock off.
They have tons of these on dhgate, it's tempting. They also have fake handwired Marshalls that look even more intriguing...
Chibson's aren't fakes, they are replica's. Depending on how much you pay for a replica will depending on the quality. I agree people shouldn't re-sell them as the real deal.
I don't understand why they don't brand them something else and sell them legitimately. For the price the manufacturer sells them at, they're worth it. The problem is when "scalpers" onsell them as genuine LPs at an inflated rate. For a couple of hundred, they're not too shabby, just not Gibson.
I took a chance on a $300 knockoff from aliexpress. Packed better than some more expensive guitars from real brands from real music stores.
Set neck, complex binding, and top, the original model it's based on was a limited run maybe 20-50 units, which if you can find one used they typically start at $7K.
One control was loose - just tightened and good to go; I replaced the strings; it needed a setup and intonation adjustment which I normally do on all my guitar purchases. Neck was fine, no adjustments needed; string height fine; fretboard looks very good, no tooling marks, frets are smooth and polished, no sharp fret ends.
Plays great, sounds great, looks great. I plan to get another one or two. Probably made by the same factory or side hustle from people that work at the same factory. Better than I expected, and worth $300 IMO
Alternatively there are many companies making great quality guitars like the Maybach Albatroz (SG) and Eastman SB59 (LP). I haven't had either in hand yet but they certainly look and sound great on the demo's I've heard.
Watch the show daily. Hunted down older shows. Most, are really entertaining. Start my day off with you guys. I have to say Jonathan would beat Baxter at mar wrestling, but who cares! Who is better with the wood, that's what I want to know?
I bought a chibson on reverb on purpose, always wanted a Gibson double neck but can’t even come close to affording a real one right now
Ive got some weird gold double neck sg thing, its by far one of the worst things I’ve ever played but hey! Good decoration piece lol
I have seen a lot of Chibsons, Chenders, Chickenbackers, and even Churns guitars for sale online that weren't really fakes. The pictures looked like they were made on the same assembly line as the real thing but lacked the logos and other proprietary details. For example, the Chickenbackers didn't say Rickenbacker anywhere and the tailpiece was only vaguely reminiscent of the trademarked tailpiece. If these were decent guitars, they would be well worth one tenth the price of the real thing.
I deal with these all the time. Sometimes the owner knows it’s fake, sometimes I have to break the bad news. I see a lot of fake Gibsons but I’ve seen plenty of Martins and fenders too. Most recently I had a Fender Custom shop guitar come in but it was a Squier affinity that had the logo replaced. The owner got ripped off big time. I’ve also seen a lot of people passing Black label fenders as normal MIM fenders.
I've got a chibson! I love it! £80 bargain, better than epiphone haha
The real value of a guitar is if it inspires you to get better and create music. Not finish flaws and tiny differences. The flaws they pointed out were not flaws. Just differences.
The chrome pickup ring screws are always a dead giveaway. Gibson uses black screws.
Great vedio. Rumor has it most of the parts comedy form epiphone wheather there stollen or not i don't know
I bought a 70's Jibson (Japanese copy) and everything is off on it from the bridge to the wiring,And it basically sit's in the corner as a conversation piece.
It's a popular misconception that any Japanese made copy in the late 70's/ early 80's is somehow as good as or better than the real thing.
To be frank most were as shit as a cheap copy could be. Quite sad really.
@@TheGtrmarcus I agree with you on that one, I talked to an older guitarist on them, and what he told me was their was two plants in japan one was good one was shit. the good one went down because of sales and the shit one thrived till the end basically.
Nobody talks about the "phony phenders". They are a more simple design and can be made/set up even better than a set neck gibson.
what about Epiphone Les Pauls made in China, aren't they technically, 'CHIBSONS'?!?!??!?
No, those are Phibsons.
So hows it compare to an equivalent Epiphone?
I bought my Gibson from Gibson so it is real and plays incredible nice fn love it,Slash picked the perfect guitar you can hit a note and just hold it for a while and appreciate it before moving on to another it makes you want to play a little slower who wants to shred and not hear every string.btw I can shred
Post it on Facebook and claim you bought it really dirt cheap and there will be people telling you it’s fake
DUNE!!! Sting was pretty awesome in it. Oh wait. YOu guys are talking about the new one. THat' one is pretty cool.
Chibson has never gone away. Even the threat of play authentic cannot touch the "invincible" Chinese manufacturers across the pond. And year by year, they are getting better. The biggest threat is the Guns N Roses Slash situation, a local skilled luthier making something so good, people think its legit, but I don't think Gibson is chalking up the Slash shenanigans as a "threat" .
Headstock angle is always off on those along with fret nibs and the nuts
I have been teaching golf in China since 2009, and they make tons of fake clubs there. Real clubs are double the USA price in China. So, on several occasions, my students bought counterfeit sets, as they are about 40% of the cost of real clubs here. One set, priced about $700USD, was so bad that the only thing usable was the bag… the clubs were throwaways…
The headstock angle is definitely off. First thing I noticed when you held it sideways.
I am sure you said you were going to tell us how to spot one…but, not sure I heard one example. Maybe along the lines of, the logo isn’t quite right? Or x shouldn’t look like this? Well…why should they look like? Lot of rambling, but no real specifics. Maybe the truss rod nut comment was a help, but even that was light comment. Hope you cats have a good one. Hope to one day roll that way and get a guitar from the store.