My brother has two Gibsons and one chibson, he has the money to buy another Gibson guitar, but he decided to go for another chib, only because the thing ended up being that good, we even did the old blind tests, and the chib ended up being undistinguishable from the Gibsons. This was after the usual fret levelling, and a whole electrical swap out, he put in Gibson custom shop pick-ups and changed the electric cabling and switches, and added some old Russian capacitor into the thing, and it's now an absolute beast. He's just waiting for his new one to be delivered, it's taken two months to build, and he was even involved with deciding on the specs and the nitro colour shading, the guy that made the guitar has updated him during each part of the process. Gibson wouldn't give this type of customer service, especially for the princely sum of three hundred quid. And for the people who say it isn't ethical, well, they can cram it in any orifice they like, because there's nothing ethical about Gibson charging thousands for something that costs a few hundred dollars to make, at best.
This....... exactly. First... humans made those Chibsons. They've as much "soul" once they've been gone through. And they can be great guitars. But cramming it..... that is what I've been thinking. We as creators make music. That is influenced by our surroundings. Is it any wonder that the working have no problem ignoring the pleas of stockholders and yacht owners. Here in the states, we are experiencing wealth inequality more severe than the great depression. But in 1933, companies were hiring busloads, investing in infrastructure and folding to collective bargain. Flour companies started printing flowers on sacks and leaving off logos. So that people could use the fabric for their kids clothing. Here and now... Gibson passes qc disasters and charges musicians thousands. Because they can. The societal obligation of these huge companies has been neglected. And reverence is reciprocal. I guess in that way..... Gibson is gap punk. And a knock off is bonefide.
I bought mine about 4 years ago. 300 USD and never had to change a thing to it. Came with great electronics, all cavities copper foiled, Gotoh nickel hardware and an ebony fretboard (real ebony, and back in the day were not very common on epiphones until now 2020's) I just play it in my room, not a band guy so the headstock name not an issue. Worth it every penny
Sometimes a chibson is the only option, for example if you want a Ace Frehley custom shop with his face on the headstock you cannot buy one period. Gibson made 300 in 1997 and that’s it. It doesn’t matter if you have $100,000 they are just not available. However there’s plenty of chibson copies available. In fact right now if you see one in person there’s a 99% probability it’s a chibson
XACTLY... I have an Epiphone Ace Ferhley Budokan... I almost got a Chibson.. but by way of the Guitar gods I caught the Epiphone for a nice price on Ebay it didn't come with case but But I'm happy.
You can buy them for about 9,000 dollars on reverb. Or the epiphone version for 1,600 dollars used. I just upgraded the Chibson version of the Ace Frehley to as close to original as possible.
@@melodica5407 You're not very intelligent, right?. . To your information high end replicas exist and not only in guitar building. These highly regarded replicas exist in the car world - AC Cobra replicas, Bugatti vintage cars from the 1930s and 1940s replicas and cost 6 and 7 digits... In painting all the masterpieces you see in the museums are high end replicas because the originals are stored in tresors...
@vmx23 While I can understand your perspective regarding commerce, your political lecturing is unnecessary and frankly it invalidates your sentiment. And while indeed imperialism is alive and well through examples like the removal of Mossedeq from Iran in the 1950s (he was democratically elected) or our involvement in the French colonialism that resulted in the 1.3 million deaths of southeast Asia from 1959 to the fall of Saigon in 1975, Afghanistan for oil twice, you name it... this is simply a channel for musicians to relax and discuss. Your fight is for those that influence American foreign policy. Not for us just looking to play after a long week. So Vmx, have a lovely day and if the revolution is indeed alive with you, don't assume you are the only one fighting it in your own way.
I own 5 Chibsons. I am really enjoying them. Some need a little setup. Fret level, truss rod adjustment, and intonation. Some don't need anything but new strings .Your dream guitars for a reasonable price.
I had already bought a roller bridge for my real les paul and found the posts didn't fit, and was preparing to drill them out to fit the new bridge and now I know everyone will think mine is a fake if I do that. I thought through the "morals" issue and the firebird X crushing settled that issue real quick. I'm taping over the headstock of my real gibson.
Gibson customs are 6000 dollars. I would never own one because of it. I do plan on getting a Chibson custom and gut it. I work on all my guitars so as long as the neck is good and straight I'm happy. Nice video you have here.
I have no moral issues with buying these. All mine have been really good.. At the over priced Gibson, this is a fun alternative.. even tho I own several gibbys too
Same. I've got a standard and a few specials. Love those... but honestly the cost differentiation is just not proportional to the gain in quality. Thanks for watching btw. 😊🙏
After having played a few expensive instruments I don't really care anymore to have a very cheap guitar instead. They all sound good it's all in your head especially if you do a few upgrades. Only consideration is neck and fretboard/frets to be decent (which can also be problematic in expensive instruments to be fair). Having said that I personally would go for something in the cheaper range an Epi or another les paul like guitar not a copy just to avoid all these moral implications (no judgment though it doesn't personally bother me if someone plays a counterfeit if they are open about it).
Yep. That's kinda how I feel about it. I love my Gibsons but as far as shows and sessions, name brands mean little. Truth be told, half the brilliant records made were made with gear that was falling apart or cheap to begin with. Whatever gets you that sound.
My gold top p90 chibson is absolutely top notch and I bought it just to see what they are like! I'd say most people would actually think it's a Gibson but unfortunately it's a non painted neck and you can see the joint at the heel isn't Gibson. It has a Gibson bridge not a epiphone one and the tuners are branded gibson and don't have that green colour most have. The body is heavy just like my 90s Les Paul and the paint is fantastic. I did swap out the wiring and pickups for Gibson p90s I had from a snapped headstock and neck Les Paul. It even has a bone nut and fret nibs! Think I paid £250 delivered! I'd definitely buy another but is go for a custom next time to hide that neck joint
@@Pragtical aliexpress...do your research and look at real feedback and you will find good and bad. I asked them to change a few things so I knew it was built for me and even got photos of the build.
I had mine specially made so it’s exactly like a real Gibson les Paul , yeah it cost a little more but!! It didn’t cost me $2000 or higher, and it’s the best guitar I have. Btw it cost me all together $540. I had to edit this because I forgot a few things when I did order it it was just a body all the parts and everything on there I bought separately and that’s what I meant when I said it’s exactly like a real Gibson Les Paul every piece of wood every part on it even the fat 50s PAF pickups.
My 1st Chib was unplayable. My 2nd (was a Grote product, weighed a ton and was unplayable) BTW, I got iy ON the advice of some other YT creator who Raved about the product...cheques in the mail. My 3rd, had a Tobacco/Honey Burst with some light figuring...georgeous. It was lite weight, with a thin neck (me likey), it has all the Gibson markings and the Open Book HS. I got me a starving artist luthier (Had a store now lives with his mom) He Did the entire electronics (jack plug / 3 way / pots AND SS frets / bone nut (beautifully cut) Tail Piece AND anchors / ABR and anchors, swapped pick ups ALL above Stew Mac. $1000 Can for the upgrades (and whatever u pay for the actual guitar / shipping. (he told me the tuners were fine) The prep work dor the elec was extensive !! $1500.00 cant keep my hands off it but as u can see....its a crapshoot. best wishes
I'm seeing them with true ABR bridges now . I haven't seen one with fret nibs until this video ! So I have a feeling it going to get down to poping out pickups and looking at the cavitys . That said I'm ording a chibson . All take a chance @$250 . I have so many pickups and hardware ,pots etc bc I have changed out so many big name brand guitars trying to make them better .
Damn man there you go. I wish I had all that laying around. I love to tinker. Like Eddie van Halen said if there's a screw I want to turn it. I've often wondered where we would be if Les paul (Lester Polphous) and Eddie didn't do what they did. Because Les invented microphones for guitars multi track recording and much more. Be a different world for sure.
@chucklee347 Truth! Imagine a world in which multitracking didn't happen till 1970? It would have literally altered the culture massively. The counter culture thrived in overdubs.
I bought a Chi-SP Snakebyte. I knew going in I would be swapping out the pups and hardware. Big question for me was......is it mahogany with an ebony fretboard? Yes it is. I used Seymour pups with CTS pots, gotoh bridge, TP6 tailpiece, Schaller locking tuners and a bone nut. I also had to level the frets and that is something that will be hit or miss on your China made replica. Guitar and parts was $550. It plays and sounds amazing. The Japan made Snakebyte is $5000. I would say I did pretty well. Disclaimer......I don't claim it to be real and will not be selling it.
Yup. Exactly what I'm doing with an older Chickenbacker. When it shakes out, it's a good bit of wood and typically able hands can get it to be a great player that'll go for years.
I have a relic-ed silverburst (Adam jones clone). Came with a Seymour Duncan sh-6, Grover tuners, and a tune-o-matic bridge surprisingly enough for 300 bucks brand new. Best playing guitar I own and looks like it’s been around since 1979 haha
I have many of them . Some are good and some are dead on but if you can't communicate with the seller you will get whatever. I bought most of mine when there was no name 'Chibson".
I really appreciate this video as I’ve neither handled a Chibson nor a Gibson. All of my Les Pauls are Epiphones; I have yet to hold a guitar with a nitrocellulose finish. I want a Les Paul that looks like that one but with the “yellow” binding and “gold” pearl inlays brought about by the aging of the nitrocellulose clear coat, but bring myself to pay $6k to $7k for a Murphy Lab Ebony Custom.
I swapped out everything and its killer. I installed a 50s 60s switchable Obsidian harness and 59 pickups. New grocers. I'll put this up against any les paul and it likely barks better than any Gibson could. I've got a 59 Bloomfield burst for about 800 bucks all told . It's a 8 thousand dollar savings .
Lol right. I gotta call BS when I see it. Your shitty, inferior quality wood guitar, with a fucked up neck angle and botched scale length is better than any Gibson? Get real dude. According to you Jimmy page would gladly trade you his burst for your chibson because as you said “it barks better than any Gibson could”. Are you high? So out of the millions of Les Paul’s ever made none of them stack up to your inferior Chinese counterfeit you paid $300 for on aliexpress? I’ve seen these guitars in person and played them and they are NOT better than a Gibson Les Paul- and I’ve played some absolutely shitty Gibson’s in my day. But none were anything close to the level of garbage these Chinese counterfeits are.
Nahhh a Gibson sounds wayyy better my friend, if you do the. Comparison between them, you will hear the difference, I did! And I can tell you there's big differences. yes chibsons are great guitars for their money, and with some mods they can be great instruments, but to compare. Them with Gibson....nahhh not even close
@@QuantumGamingUploads I totally agree. yes chibsons are great value for money, to play at home, or if you upgrade it, it would defently sound great for a gig or something, but to compare a Gibson with a chibson... no. Way, night and day differences!!! from the. Woods, from the. Electronics, from the pickups, and generally from the whole construction of the instrument there is no match. at all!!! sorry my friends but that's the true, as I have said before, if you are in love with les Paul's like I am.. keep. your money a little more make some more savings, and find a used studio or a tribute like I. Did, there are many of them outside if you do a research, believe me it's worth it!!!
@@QuantumGamingUploads I have a 1994 studio, it is beaten up from the previews owner, but plays very well, with ebony fretboard, and gold hardware, amazing sound, it is my baby!!! If I only had a band... 😅😅😅
Well i'm thinking of buying one but that's purely because i just cannot afford the 5000$ it would take to get the Gibson i really want. I'd rather spend 300 bucks and slowly over time mod the Chibson up to spec. I don't care if the flamed maple is veneer or a full top, if it looks the part it looks the part. Just hoping i get a decent copy that's worth upgrading.
Totally! It does the job and is fun to play with some light lifting. And to be honest, I remember when people said the Japanese imports would never be more than garbage. They were wrong. Very wrong. In the end, it's a guitar. What could be better than that?
Dude this is 2 years ago and the diamond and the g in Gibson is close to the d peg like it's supposed to be amazing. That may be the closest I've seen yet 😮
How does the feel and sound of this compare to a real Gibson LP custom? Does it feel and sound close, or are the differences obvious? I was thinking about getting a made in Japan Burny from the 80s as I hear they're better than real Gibsons, but they're still over $1000. Just want to get a decent guitar without breaking the banks.
The Chibson lacks something. The frets will be sharp and uneven. And when you hold into it, there's some sort of resonance disconnect. A Burny, Greco, tokai, Ibanez... all excellent instruments. I have a lower level Ariel (aria, motsumoku) and it absolutely stands shoulder to shoulder with my Les Paul Standard. It lacks the grace, but it does everything just as good. I've got Gibsons. I want vintage Greco. Their SGs in the 70s? Omg.
You can request they don't put Gibson on the headstock. The company may or may not do it though. Returning them is often a hassle so the company can do whatever they want.
I have one of these, its supposed to be a "Custom" --I bought it off a guy who put grover lucking tuners on it, and Seymour Duncan pickups in it. It plays great. It fools people who know nothing about guitars, but many can tell. Not that I'm passing it off or anything. BUT-- it DOES NOT have an Ebony board or real Mother of Pearl
@@pandaman1968 I don't get why people have an issue with them existing, as long as you own it morally and never try to scam someone, no one's fault what someone else chooses to do.
Those gold pickup rings screws are a dead giveaway. Gibson uses black pickup ring screws with black pickup rings. Also, that trussrod cover is poorly cut and it should be engraved, not silk-screened.
Another detail often missed, the Epiphone/Chinese plastic pickup mounting rings are larger than real Gibson pieces. So much so that if you try to mount the Gibson pickup rings on a fake the previous mounting screw holes from the Epiphone/fake rings will show on the guitar's top right on the outside edge of the Gibson pickup rings. It is a small detail however once you see it you can't unsee it. Epiphone's pickup mounting rings look unnecessarily large when viewed next to a real Gibson.
Because a Gibson owner couldn't possibly want gold screws and replace them? Unoriginal hardware is really no indicator of inauthentic guitars, neither is original hardware an indicator of authenticity.
@@hkguitar1984 Yeah the chibsons are made on CNC routers using epiphone files obtained by the chinese when Gibson moved Epiphone to China and retained by them when epiphone moved to korea.
Thank you Sir! By the looks of it, appears to be pao Ferro. However, the finish on the board is a bit loose and looks like they could have focused on the texture with some finer sanding.
@@breilly66 Than you for your reply. I've worked on these budget knock offs for a few years. I've actually seen particle board fret boards. The little concave depressions in the finish that you pointed out is called fish eye.. and you're exactly right. It's caused from not evacuating moisture in the air line or not using an inline filter to remove moisture. Great Observation.
now chibson getting better and better , in2023 they got fret nips ,o tune matic style bridge and nitro finish too, only one thing i never see on chibson is the brass nut truss rod, chibson always use allen key style rod, so brass nut truss rod is real gibson, so for some not very familiar gibson guitar ,thats the safe way to tell is gibson or not , of course you need take the truss rod cover off to check , i heard some very very rare gibson not use brass nut truss rod .
Besides the tuners replace that crappy way to deep cut plastic nut.. Another thing not mentioned is that Binding at head stock angle bunched up like mountain climbers waiting to get to the peak of Everest at 6:11. Real LP Custom stays thin and smoothly continues to flow into the edge of the head stock.
I welcome these and all guitars that are affordable. I own high end end guitars and have been playing a long time. Fuck the haters people and enjoy what you can afford. Later you can upgrade.
Seems to me that the biggest giveaway that it's fake is the glaring fact that the headstock and logo on the back say, "GIBSUN"!!! PLEASE tell me you noticed that!!! Personally, I went with an "Inspired by Gibson" Epiphone '59 Les Paul. My conscience is clear, I have a great guitar and I saved almost two grand compared to a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard.
ive done a bit of research and some sellers i suspect will make a guitar to a customers specs as i ran across one a while back that tempted me to get one kinda. it came with with a one peace long tenon neck no veneers a solid 2 peace cap on a one peace back. and the fret board binding had fret nibs! and was finished with nitro. the posts for the bridge wer screwed directly into the top. it was missing the usual suspects that point to it being fake. the electronics we epiphone still. their wer some other giveaways but they wer hard to spot in a hurry you had to look close and know a thing or two about real Gibson.
Totally, I've seen a few really good ones lately. They've put more into quality finishes vs furniture finishes. The neck shapes are improving rapidly as well.
Agreed. I don't see people bagging on Epis like they used to. They are accepted freely. These things are equitable to the epis (sometines) but there's some real hatred there.
no, people would stop criticizing all low-end knockoff guitars if they simply stopped pretending to provide something they don't. Epi doesn't have that problem, because they never pretended to be anything more than what they actually are. They have always had certain lines of excellent guitars, like Riviera & Casino
The ones I've spotted and been tempted by would be the les paul custom with p90s. Like Garcia's when the Dead played that massive street fest on the Haight.
Gibson made a production model of the ace frehley I have oneand I have one of the 300 the aceface and lightning bolt are exactly the same I also have a chibson ace it's totally different chibson also has a website license by gibson
Steer clear of the p90 models as the pickups can be unbearable in their weakness. And be very specific! Think of AliExpress as a genie who grants wishes but periodically looks for ways to leave things out.
The thing I think is cool af with Chibsons or guitars coming out from China in general, you can get those guys to build you whatever you want. That being said, I'm not sure if the efforts to go through that is entirely worth it, and it's also quite a gamble on if you get something playable.
I think if you can save your money and buy the real thing would be best but if money is an issue you can always find other legitimate les paul so maniy other guitar makers make them and the quality is outstanding and they are not that expensive because it doesn't say Gibson on the headstock doesn't mean it's not a good guitar.
you understand that the only thing that differentiates a chibson from an epiphone is just on the headstock right? i have a real gibson sg, i have an epiphone custom shop 59 les paul standard, and i have a chibson les paul. i paid 1800 brand new from the gibson site for the sg, it’s an amazing guitar, i paid 1000 brand new from the epiphone site for the epiphone 59 it’s fine, i paid 200 for the chibson, i paid about 350 for tuners, sd paf, and a pro setup, and what i have concluded is that…. the chibson plays the same as the epiphone, sounds better than it, has a true 1 piece mahogany body, true 1 piece mahogany neck, true rosewood fretboard, true nitro finish, a gibson headstock (which looks much better than the epiphone headstock imo) and i spent about 400 less on it than i did with the epiphone. a chinese made epiphone is the same exact thing as a chibson, but chibsons are so much cheaper and look better out of the box, spend a few hundred bucks and now they sound better and play better than the epiphone, and after all of the money you spent on parts and a setup, it’s still marginally less than an epiphone. slash’s afd guitar was a gibson copy bro.
I just left Guitar Center I had $3,500 in my pocket and after playing 3 Gibson guitars I still have $3,500 in my pocket 🤦🏻♂️ no way I’m letting go of $2,999 for a Gibson Guitar ever 😂
Why do those guy never get the Gibson logo inlay on the headstock right, they never get it right and yours also has the n sloping. First thing I look for when I'm looking for a fake.
I think from a manufacturing standpoint they kind of hit the "good enough for who it's for" moment. A business philosophy first told to me at a show in Philadelphia. I'm assuming but I'd bet the builders haven't even held a Gibson with their own hands. Let alone know the intricacies.
Personally I feel that Gibson is one of the few manufacturers that are still holding out for a return to an isolated commerce economic model. I'd want that too but it won't happen in a country that can't afford its own products anymore. So we're globalized and Gibson is still badge engineering guitars and holding out for a Gibson entry market. Their entry offerings are great but their deliberate "hobbling" of Epiphone is absurd. The Epi line isn't so far off in a quality sense that Gibson should feel that only their models are "worthy" of the open book. Imo anyhow.
Well There are different ways to see it. Is a Chibson worth the $300-$500 price point? Yeah id say it does. If someone was to sell it for $1k to $1.5k absolutely not. Same as an actual Gibson, is it worth the $2500-$4000 price range? Hell no. I’d say $1500-$2200 would be about right for a made in the USA Gibson, anything more than that would be a ripoff.
Gibsons are cheap when it comes to american made guitars. The cheapest gibson is 999 whereas the cheapest american made prs is 2000 and the cheapest american made musicman is 2600. Also the cheapest american fender is 1500.
@@ashleyjohansson230 i was talking about a les paul custom SG which goes for $6,699 or a Gibson les Paul standard which goes for about $2699. Now, fender also has $800 Stratocasters and that’s a good price but let’s face it, Gibson isn’t exactly known as an affordable brand. It’s for a reason that most comments on a Gibson video begin with ¨wish i could buy it but i can’t afford it¨
I saved my money,did. A research and finded a used Gibson studio, with a. Fixed headstock, no big deal, I owned an epi les paul, standard...there is no comparison not a chance!! I also own a tokai les Paul, the tokai is much better from the epi, but not from the Gibson, you can hear the difference from the first notes, I can hear the difference without even plugged in... If you know what I mean, Gibson it's ringing!!! Day and night difference from both of my others les Paul's, yes tokai plays great but not like the Gibson. So in my opinion if you are a guy like me with no big budget but loves les Paul, there is hope!!!! A used studio or a tribute les Paul, you will thank me later!!!!
Your tone is killer. I've got one of those in gold top for 4 years now. It got all new parts and fret leveled when I got it and it's an absolute monster of a guitar. The neck is totally stable, it stays well in tune, the intonation is perfect and it's just an absolutely fantastic guitar. The way I see it is this. I paid an excellent price for an excellent instrument. I don't give a shit where it came from or who made it. Long as it's not stolen. I think people and their "morals" need to go get fucked. There's no difference in using a Chinese guitar vs a Chinese amplifier. Also, these guitars are not for the man buns who can't use tools. They will need lots of finish and setup work and they will need lots of replacement parts. The people who bitch about these are one of two, or both. They are trying to project some self righteousness that doesn't really exisit, and/or the aren't capable of changing their own strings without a disaster.
This is literally the clearest argument for the simple pursuit of the instrument/tone on this yet. Completely agree. And in addition, I find it odd when people are so offended but then buy an Epi for 300 dollars more that is likely made on the same assembly line.
Good job and objective. I have 3 chibsons and I have one more coming in. And one of them is my go to guitar and i like it better than my more expensive ones. The one issue with it is the wiring does need to be replaced it crackles a little. But great job man, I just subscribed
@@PaoloRS1 you do realize I have a law degree right? You will never ever find anyone in jail for purchasing a replica but you will find a bunch of those whom sell them. Is slash in jail?
@@PaoloRS1 I’m sorry kiddo the law doesn’t change based upon your feelings. When it comes to the law yeah, I think someone with a law degree knows a little more when it comes to law kiddo
@@PaoloRS1 maybe I need to type slower….it….is….not….illegal…..to…..purchase……it…..is….illegal…..to……sell…. This is why I need to stick to my IQ prerequisite for those I respond to. And again it is not what I “think” you nincompoop it is what the law it. I don’t get to make up laws like you think you can snowflake
One thing we should remember to justify buying one of these …. The genuine Gibson products have also degraded and some are downright garbage and not to mention the outrageous prices they charge….Gibson deserves everything coming to them…..
@@breilly66 Absolutely. Thanks for taking the time to make it! Everyone knows, Chibsons need COMPLETE Electronics replacement with good pickups, fretboard setup and fret leveling and nut replacement. Then comes the bridge is going to ABR-1 or Nashville, and tuners. But once done can have an excellent guitar for $600-750 that if purchasing from Gibson would be $2-3,000 or $10,000+ for some models! Soo, to get one is a no-brainer (unfortunately), but you have to spend as much money as it cost initially and the above MUST be replaced, but then will be a very good guitar!
@@RozsaAmplificationLLC Exactly how I feel about it. Once the husk gets a more intentional set of electrics and the frets are properly dressed, it starts to wake up. And you are very welcome Sir. 😊
@@breilly66 ...and this is coming from someone who own TWO original vintage 1972 Gibson Les Paul Customs, a limited edition Gibson 1967 SG reissue, a PRS Hollowbody II "10" piezo ($6,000 guitar alone)....so, I have very high dollar instruments and just not a Gibson Poser kissing the tip. It is what it is. If you have the money and want an original instrument and support the home team...absolutely, do it. But they are overpriced today and if you want to get out cheap and still have an amazing playing instrument that looks great and is a clone of the original....get a Chibson (unfortunately). It is what it is.
@@RozsaAmplificationLLC Same opinion. Though I only own a measly '93 Les Paul studio, I know what is really good about a gibson and what isn't. I think the thing that we need to warn people who want to buy one against is the "dollar signs for eyeballs" problem when you see you can get a signature SG that would cost $4k from Gibson for $250 and know you can get the hardware upgraded and fix anything but neck twist (wood problems) you impulse buy rather than fully exploring the full options of Chibson. What are the odds that YOUR signature guitar is the exact same guitar as Angus Young or Tony Iommi? That's THEIR signature guitar. Chibson will build you YOUR signature guitar. You want an SG with the special diablo body with a left handed tony iommi signature fretboard on a right handed guitar? Gibson won't even entertain the idea, Chibson would be happy to make it for you. That's really my regret is that I now know what I SHOULD have ordered, so I'm going to get another one and give this "Phony Iommi" to my Black Sabbath worshipping friend to hang on his wall as art. (another advantage of chibson, is you're not out much money to convert them to art or Guinea pig projects.)
Ahhh…that’s the answer I was looking for. I have a 2002 Heritage H-150CM and hangs in with every LP I’ve ever shot it out with, including early 2K VOS and NOS.
Good job, I bought a good one as well, in Jan 2020, two weeks to deliver, 248$! It was a good one, and I gave it to a buddy. He loves it and re rods with it. I’m retired LAPD, so when I heard all of the rumors, I decided to find out the legalese. I like to compare the illegality with buying a knockoff Gucci bag for 100$. Interestingly, a couple months ago, that same friend decided to order one himself and got a cease and desist letter! He was kinda freaked, but I explained it had no real teeth at this point. Some people say you can lose your money on the website. I find DHgate to be safe, and I’ve had money returned the same day. I still look at what they are making and if they ever put a legit one way truss rod, and start using nitrocellulose, I might get another. However, I’ve got the Gibson bug, and I’m up to 3. Had to have each one lol. I’d like to see a movement of finding pre 1958 Les Pauls, and doing burst conversions. Good luck, good video, and good night. Steve
I know how you feel. I've been jonesing for a p90 paul for a year solid and this one scratched the itch while hunting. Thanks for watching Brother! Cheers!
You buy counterfeit guitars to pretend you have something you don't want to spring for. Look at the inlays, binding, tuners, hardware, pick ups, frets, serial number, the entire guitar is off to someone who works on them. Burn them before some kid who spent all his graduation money or wife brings it in for a setup as a gift for her husband and they get embarrassed and hurt because nobody will touch the guitar because it's an illegal item. Happens way more than you know.
No matter what you do, as people are curious, and that’s why I bought one. You might get a cease and desist letter, or a good guitar. Do no pass it off as a real Gibson, that’s where the trouble begins and is deserved
@@dingusfuzzklonnkt2755 as long as no one is passing it off as real, it’s not a problem and it was fun seeing what showed up. Absolutely, the problem is someone trying to pass it off as a real Gibson. I come from law enforcement, where the entire system is broken. There is nothing that says you can’t buy one of these from China, or nothing that is enforceable from customs, other than confiscation and a cease and desist letter. So, you are right in one respect, and hopefully scammers will get caught. But as I said, law enforcement is a broken system holding on to old ideas of drug criminality, which should be a medical issue. However, I digress. From what I hear, China is getting better, but they still don’t know what a Gibson truss rod is. Let’s be honest, most young players today don’t have the scratch for a real Gibson. If chibsons were available when I was 15, I would have been happy. I understand your concerns.
well I bought a 59 reissue from "Custom Shop" on DH gate and I'm happy to tell you it's fucking killer.Nitro finish and no real issues except one tuner with slight play .But unlike any of the real Gibson LPs Ive had (5)...this chibson stays in tune ,sounds great and looks fabulous and for only $265....oh I did replace the nut with a brass one but other than that it's killer.Don't bother ordering a case as you may not get one .
My thing.. some people can barely afford rent or food or an oil change. They are not going to spend 3k or 5k to support gibson. A knock off may be their only hope to ever have a guitar like that. And even the 300 bucks for it is a lot to them. So in those cases gibson didn't actually lose a sale.
Truth. They weren't getting that buyer anyway. And honestly.... I love guitars... but I love knowing that people short of money still have access to gear that will get them playing put and writing more. The company will survive. We've got music to make.
@breilly66 yeah I agree. I truly will make every attempt to support the original company but I'm an example that if I want a gibson les paul custom my only options are chibsons or maybe an epiphone. I'd go epiphone next. But sometimes you just want another inexpensive guitar to screw around with and these are perfect for that too.
We buy budget guitars so we can have something that feels ,and looks like the real thing,I have plenty of other brands of LPs ,and none feel or look as good as my chibson does,the guitar these copy ,are no longer affordable as a working mans guitar,I know I don’t want to take a $3000 guitar to a bar gig ,to get it all beat up,many musicians use chibsons instead.
Why do you think Epiphones exist? Gibson's first step in moving production to China. "Chibsons" and Epiphones are likely made in the same factory on the same machines. Most modern production methods are automated, so charging $1,500 - $5,000 for a "real" Les Paul is mostly huge profit margins. Everyone is complaining about these "fake" guitars, but we're just cutting out the middleman and the fat profits for Gibson.
Don't have one , don't want one, somebody brings one to me I won't work on it. Knowingly buying something stolen or with a stolen trade mark is the same as stealing it yourself.I've heard every justification in the book and just can't condone them. I just saved and got a real LP. Got it used got a pretty good price on a 2007 plain top custom shop 58, (R8). 9th one made that year. Didn't do it to be a snob, just can't get into stealing. I don't know too many people that wouldn't be pissed if they got something stolen. Kinda the old do unto others.
As long as your not trying to sell it as the real deal and you just want to own what to you looks like a Gibson. Have at ! :-) I can see the fear of these getting into the wrong peoples hands, but i think karma will solve that in the end. But some of these ive seen have been so close, some are literally there. Its shocking. But not all of these places build good models and there can be a lot of issues with these. But if you get a decently built one and do some work on it, for cheap you gotta decent guitar that looks the part.
Totally. And funny enough you say that as a friend from the east coast had me check a nice SG for a good price. And it was totally a fake. :/ That was literally yesterday and I'm seeing alot getting posted now.
We catch so much crap from Gibson snobs. We buy and appreciate Chibson for what they are, what they can be, and value for our $$. Snobs??? Ha!! Blo me.....
As long as the Gibson name is present anywhere near the product, then there’s no good reason what so ever to feel good about spending money on it. You can never come up with an argument to even remotely defend that purchase as long as there’s traces of the Gibson name and «made in USA». Never.
Ive bought 2 of them. They are more resonant than my $3200 real one. Frets needed some minor work, swapped electronics, my tuners all worked fine, overall completion created something I like better than the real thing, they got thicker necks, nice wood, face it.... wood is wood.. whether Gibson makes the mahogany body or china... its the same. My real les paul from Gibson isnt perfect, had inlays lifting up, machine marks on the fretboard, so ... chibsons no different once you reman it with good parts. Face it... if you buy a R8 or R9... those are clones.. not real. Slash's LP was fake and Gibson made a copy of the fake and made it a Gibson..lol.. so none of them are "real". The Gibson lacquer is more softer and acts a damper making them less resonant, that is why they say Gibsons tone gets better with age, it takes that long for the paint to dry.. The poly finish on chibsons is rock hard, they ring like a bell. Im happy with mine, still giggle how mice they are for how cheap.. one was 100 and the other was 128. Almost considering selling my real one as its less desirable to me now. These chibsons are great.
When it all shakes out, they're made by people same as anywhere else. And I've got to believe that some of the folks on the line would rather make a thing worthwhile than just make something. When it comes down to it, an instrument is as good as what we make with it. :)
They are not counterfeit...counterfeit implies you are trying to pass them off as the real thing..like counterfeit money...It's obvious by the price and purchase understanding that no one is buying these expecting its a REAL Gibson. Fake, knockoff, and the like are more correct terms. I wouldn't call them a copy either as they are not using genuine hardware, fretwork, and quality control etc.
I remember when people where happy to just have a electric.guitar and crank it up / i dont recall anybody talking about how the serial number was done😅 And the finish??? Is it tripple A top???? WTF. It is getting sooooo ridiculous/ seems like everybody going deep diving into micro bits and pieces/ Slash did the first album on a copycat ??? So what is this insanity 👊
Like I have said before most of you guys that have your morals in place are mostly NOT (A) working musician! Go out a work your butt off like me for next to little pay, while hoping on and off planes, trains, euro buses and have YOUR killer AXXE thrown around like bad luggage and you’ll appreciate taking one of these guitars, and fixing them up to be playable so that if one does get busted…. It’s no big deal! Try this 😮with YOUR Three to Six Thousand dollar minted Gibson Les Paul and see how YOU feel then about having a “Chibson” in your arsenal! Oh! BTW I don’t see an AMERICAN TELEVISION in the background? Let’s talk about that shall we? And… Yes I do own A 1983 Gibson Cherry Burst Standard Les Paul. Which stays here in America!!!!
@@breilly66 Oh I see . Yes sir I appreciate that if you come across one definitely post it . I have one more question. Could you tell me where your friend got it from? Does he know the exact seller?
@TheEvdavis7 Regrettably no. That online vendor shut their account since. The thing is.... all these sellers.... they aren't silo'd. They're all in one spot. The seller isn't a shop. It's a salesperson. They middle between a few large facilities and connect orders. The best sellers are those who have shipped many, translate well or just speak English really well, they know the customs details, they have a good familiarity with the product, players are best, they know the newest options and they deliver on all agreements regarding build quality and adherence to spec. With them, the factory will build you a beast. With a bad seller? Guitar shows up the wrong color and doesn't work. You gotta check recent feedback. Look at negative feedback. Check to see if it resolved well or they argued. The seller is only as solid as the last deal or delivery. So that is what you look at first. Then work back and look for consistancies.
The truth is there is no real reason to buy a new GIBSON LP unless you absolutely need to have one. The Epiphone line is almost and in some cases better than the stuff made here. It’s all an image thing that we guitar players have in our heads. I have a 72’ burst and a Chibson only because I was curious to see if I could make the China fake anywhere close to my 72’. Well it cost a bit to get there but I did. Now I was lucky in the fact that got I good one, but as you well know that is not always the case. So to all you young players out there in the most general of terms the guitar is only as good as the player handling it. 😂
This is something I was talking to a friend about. The fact that the Fender and gibson headstock/logo association has become part of the inherent asthetic. We're so conditioned to associate the Origin brand as a sign of legitimacy to the musician. Like a form of brand totality. Xerox in the 80s, i everything in the 2000s.
what you’re saying is true…….now. there was a time when guitars built overseas were inferior. in the past 10 years manufacturing has advanced significantly. even a hobbyist like myself can make some pretty amazing gear using my high end cnc machine, 3d printer and laser cutter/engraver. we’re at a point in time where guitars made in Korea, China, Mexico and sometimes Indonesia are as good as any US made instrument. we just have to view things with the right historical context to fully appreciate and understand why we sometimes look at things the way we do.
Sand the logo off or burn it. I don't understand why people do not order them without the logos. Some kid or women trying to surprise their husband ends up with these and will have a distaste for guitars for life. If people put their dog or nickname on the logo it's fair game. People that order the special models do it for one of two reasons; to rip someone off or pretend they have something they can't afford.
That's what I'm seeing alot of. Literally today spotted a chibson going as gibson for 999 on offer up. If I let this one go (pretty sure I'm keeping it. Long story) I'm going to stamp the back of the headstock. Cause you're right. I'm seeing alot of these lately. And not with full disclosure.
It sounds like many DO order without the logo, and they show up with it anyway. Its hilarious to see people speculate as to the reasonings. More realistic and cited reasons include: "I can't order the gibson with the features I want from gibson they said "no!", and chibson said "yes!". (just look at the variety of options on Ali express vs Gibson themselves, ali has a much wider selection of options which will appeal to more buyers. You want a diablo body with a left handed tony iommi signature fretboard on a right handed guitar? Gibson won't even entertain the idea, Chibson would be happy to make it for you." "Gibsons aren't worth what they're asking, but they are worth what Chibson is asking". "I'll never buy another gibson after they CRUSHED 350+ firebird X's rather than doing the right thing and doing just about anything else with them" "I want to learn how to work on guitars like doing fret changes, pickup wiring, nuts etc but I don't want to learn on my $1500 guitar, how better to learn than to order a very cheap one that NEEDS those things fixed?" I see the same stupidity in the tool world where snap-on afficiandos try to put down people making intelligent tool for dollar choices with "you just can't afford" aspersions. The response of "you're right, I can't afford to be ripped off that bad" is appropriate.
Anyone who wants a Gibson Les Paul and has $2000-$3000 to spend, would not be fooled by a chibson. Ever. Even a dumb ass noobie..would not be stupid enough to give someone $3000 cash for a fake. I just dont buy it.
They should not be allowed in this country what happened to copy right laws anyway should never be sold with a bogus gibson emblem if you want a cheap import go buy one but not a chibson screw that bs
Unfortunately it’s not against the law, but to pass it off, that’s the real crime that should be pursued. But having been in law enforcement, it’s a joke, and entirely broken. Sure, it might get confiscated or you might get a letter, but that’s it. For me, I was curious and I got a decent guitar for 248$, delivered. I gave it away to a friend who loves it.
@@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020 yeah with everyone wanting to make $40+ an hour but not wanting to buy products that make those jobs possible is why we have a flood of Chineseium junque.
My brother has two Gibsons and one chibson, he has the money to buy another Gibson guitar,
but he decided to go for another chib, only because the thing ended up being that good, we even did the
old blind tests, and the chib ended up being undistinguishable from the Gibsons.
This was after the usual fret levelling, and a whole electrical swap out, he put in Gibson custom shop pick-ups and changed the electric cabling and switches, and added some old Russian capacitor into the thing, and it's now an absolute beast.
He's just waiting for his new one to be delivered, it's taken two months to build, and he was even involved with deciding on the specs and the nitro colour shading, the guy that made the guitar has updated
him during each part of the process.
Gibson wouldn't give this type of customer service, especially for the princely sum of three hundred quid. And for the people who say it isn't ethical, well, they can cram it in any orifice they like,
because there's nothing ethical about Gibson charging thousands for something that costs a few hundred dollars to make, at best.
This....... exactly.
First... humans made those Chibsons. They've as much "soul" once they've been gone through. And they can be great guitars.
But cramming it..... that is what I've been thinking.
We as creators make music. That is influenced by our surroundings.
Is it any wonder that the working have no problem ignoring the pleas of stockholders and yacht owners.
Here in the states, we are experiencing wealth inequality more severe than the great depression.
But in 1933, companies were hiring busloads, investing in infrastructure and folding to collective bargain.
Flour companies started printing flowers on sacks and leaving off logos. So that people could use the fabric for their kids clothing.
Here and now... Gibson passes qc disasters and charges musicians thousands. Because they can.
The societal obligation of these huge companies has been neglected. And reverence is reciprocal.
I guess in that way..... Gibson is gap punk. And a knock off is bonefide.
I bought mine about 4 years ago. 300 USD and never had to change a thing to it. Came with great electronics, all cavities copper foiled, Gotoh nickel hardware and an ebony fretboard (real ebony, and back in the day were not very common on epiphones until now 2020's) I just play it in my room, not a band guy so the headstock name not an issue. Worth it every penny
Heck yea. When it all shakes out, it's a guitar and guitars are fun as hell.
@@breilly66 Every guitar deserves all love. Thanks for the content, nice video!
Which seller did you buy yours from? :)
310998947 NO.2 Store
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Me too! Im a drummer! IDGAF what the logo says. I have Chibson on mine!!!!
Sometimes a chibson is the only option, for example if you want a Ace Frehley custom shop with his face on the headstock you cannot buy one period. Gibson made 300 in 1997 and that’s it. It doesn’t matter if you have $100,000 they are just not available. However there’s plenty of chibson copies available. In fact right now if you see one in person there’s a 99% probability it’s a chibson
XACTLY... I have an Epiphone Ace Ferhley Budokan... I almost got a Chibson.. but by way of the Guitar gods I caught the Epiphone for a nice price on Ebay it didn't come with case but But I'm happy.
You can buy them for about 9,000 dollars on reverb. Or the epiphone version for 1,600 dollars used. I just upgraded the Chibson version of the Ace Frehley to as close to original as possible.
I remember that riff - Dust Junky’s Nothin’ Personal.
Little further back! Fleetwood Macs "Oh Well"
Slash is my inspiration on guitar.
I have no problem playing counterfeit because even slash did when he was broke.
Yup. Many never even realize that the les paul he played on appetite, that Gibson then cloned for his signature model was a counterfeit.
Slash's guitar on "Appetite..." wasn't a counterfeit but a high end replica built by a reputable American luthier.
@@bumpyroad3251 How do you explain a replica with gibson brand on the headstock isn't a counterfeit?
Do you have some kind of cognitive disfunction?
@@melodica5407 You're not very intelligent, right?. . To your information high end replicas exist and not only in guitar building. These highly regarded replicas exist in the car world - AC Cobra replicas, Bugatti vintage cars from the 1930s and 1940s replicas and cost 6 and 7 digits... In painting all the masterpieces you see in the museums are high end replicas because the originals are stored in tresors...
@vmx23
While I can understand your perspective regarding commerce, your political lecturing is unnecessary and frankly it invalidates your sentiment.
And while indeed imperialism is alive and well through examples like the removal of Mossedeq from Iran in the 1950s (he was democratically elected) or our involvement in the French colonialism that resulted in the 1.3 million deaths of southeast Asia from 1959 to the fall of Saigon in 1975, Afghanistan for oil twice, you name it...
this is simply a channel for musicians to relax and discuss.
Your fight is for those that influence American foreign policy. Not for us just looking to play after a long week.
So Vmx, have a lovely day and if the revolution is indeed alive with you, don't assume you are the only one fighting it in your own way.
You're a great guitarist brother!
Too kind too kind! Thank you! Appreciate you Brother!
I own 5 Chibsons. I am really enjoying them. Some need a little setup. Fret level, truss rod adjustment, and intonation. Some don't need anything but new strings .Your dream guitars for a reasonable price.
Yup. Exactly. A bit of tweaking and sorting. Nothing too crazy.
And thats a great way to learn about setup and swapping out bits and parts.
I had already bought a roller bridge for my real les paul and found the posts didn't fit, and was preparing to drill them out to fit the new bridge and now I know everyone will think mine is a fake if I do that.
I thought through the "morals" issue and the firebird X crushing settled that issue real quick. I'm taping over the headstock of my real gibson.
Gibson customs are 6000 dollars. I would never own one because of it. I do plan on getting a Chibson custom and gut it. I work on all my guitars so as long as the neck is good and straight I'm happy. Nice video you have here.
Exactly! And thanks Tom! Greatly appreciated!
I would play a Gipson. No moral problem here. If Gibson doesn't have a moral problem with over priced guitars...
Yea. They just haven't had luck hooking the younger demographic. And that's the growth market.
Gibsons are the cheapest american made guitars.
They still look good i just ordered a RR Model cant wait to get it🤷🏼♂️
You gotta let us know how it turns out!
I have no moral issues with buying these. All mine have been really good.. At the over priced Gibson, this is a fun alternative.. even tho I own several gibbys too
Same. I've got a standard and a few specials. Love those... but honestly the cost differentiation is just not proportional to the gain in quality. Thanks for watching btw. 😊🙏
After having played a few expensive instruments I don't really care anymore to have a very cheap guitar instead. They all sound good it's all in your head especially if you do a few upgrades. Only consideration is neck and fretboard/frets to be decent (which can also be problematic in expensive instruments to be fair). Having said that I personally would go for something in the cheaper range an Epi or another les paul like guitar not a copy just to avoid all these moral implications (no judgment though it doesn't personally bother me if someone plays a counterfeit if they are open about it).
Yep. That's kinda how I feel about it. I love my Gibsons but as far as shows and sessions, name brands mean little.
Truth be told, half the brilliant records made were made with gear that was falling apart or cheap to begin with.
Whatever gets you that sound.
My gold top p90 chibson is absolutely top notch and I bought it just to see what they are like! I'd say most people would actually think it's a Gibson but unfortunately it's a non painted neck and you can see the joint at the heel isn't Gibson. It has a Gibson bridge not a epiphone one and the tuners are branded gibson and don't have that green colour most have. The body is heavy just like my 90s Les Paul and the paint is fantastic. I did swap out the wiring and pickups for Gibson p90s I had from a snapped headstock and neck Les Paul. It even has a bone nut and fret nibs! Think I paid £250 delivered! I'd definitely buy another but is go for a custom next time to hide that neck joint
Absolutely. Had a gold top p90 chibson 2 years back. It played far and above a lot of expensive guitars I've had.
who did you buy it from? i want a gold top?
@@Pragtical aliexpress...do your research and look at real feedback and you will find good and bad. I asked them to change a few things so I knew it was built for me and even got photos of the build.
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This. Ask lots of questions. And be specific with what you'd like. That's the big thing with AE. They require some direction on what you want.
I had mine specially made so it’s exactly like a real Gibson les Paul , yeah it cost a little more but!! It didn’t cost me $2000 or higher, and it’s the best guitar I have. Btw it cost me all together $540.
I had to edit this because I forgot a few things when I did order it it was just a body all the parts and everything on there I bought separately and that’s what I meant when I said it’s exactly like a real Gibson Les Paul every piece of wood every part on it even the fat 50s PAF pickups.
Totally. I ordered a different one 2 years back and checked all the boxes. When it showed, it was pretty close to bang on and sounded excellent.
My 1st Chib was unplayable.
My 2nd (was a Grote product, weighed a ton and was unplayable) BTW, I got iy ON the advice of some other YT creator who Raved about the product...cheques in the mail.
My 3rd, had a Tobacco/Honey Burst with some light figuring...georgeous.
It was lite weight, with a thin neck (me likey), it has all the Gibson markings and the Open Book HS.
I got me a starving artist luthier (Had a store now lives with his mom)
He Did the entire electronics (jack plug / 3 way / pots AND SS frets / bone nut (beautifully cut) Tail Piece AND anchors / ABR and anchors, swapped pick ups ALL above Stew Mac.
$1000 Can for the upgrades (and whatever u pay for the actual guitar / shipping.
(he told me the tuners were fine)
The prep work dor the elec was extensive !!
$1500.00 cant keep my hands off it but as u can see....its a crapshoot.
best wishes
I'm seeing them with true ABR bridges now . I haven't seen one with fret nibs until this video ! So I have a feeling it going to get down to poping out pickups and looking at the cavitys . That said I'm ording a chibson . All take a chance @$250 . I have so many pickups and hardware ,pots etc bc I have changed out so many big name brand guitars trying to make them better .
Exactly, a bit of parts replaced and fettling and these wake up real good. Anything that makes music can't be bad.
Damn man there you go. I wish I had all that laying around. I love to tinker. Like Eddie van Halen said if there's a screw I want to turn it. I've often wondered where we would be if Les paul (Lester Polphous) and Eddie didn't do what they did. Because Les invented microphones for guitars multi track recording and much more. Be a different world for sure.
@chucklee347 Truth! Imagine a world in which multitracking didn't happen till 1970? It would have literally altered the culture massively. The counter culture thrived in overdubs.
I bought a Chi-SP Snakebyte. I knew going in I would be swapping out the pups and hardware. Big question for me was......is it mahogany with an ebony fretboard? Yes it is. I used Seymour pups with CTS pots, gotoh bridge, TP6 tailpiece, Schaller locking tuners and a bone nut. I also had to level the frets and that is something that will be hit or miss on your China made replica. Guitar and parts was $550. It plays and sounds amazing. The Japan made Snakebyte is $5000. I would say I did pretty well. Disclaimer......I don't claim it to be real and will not be selling it.
Yup. Exactly what I'm doing with an older Chickenbacker. When it shakes out, it's a good bit of wood and typically able hands can get it to be a great player that'll go for years.
I have a relic-ed silverburst (Adam jones clone). Came with a Seymour Duncan sh-6, Grover tuners, and a tune-o-matic bridge surprisingly enough for 300 bucks brand new. Best playing guitar I own and looks like it’s been around since 1979 haha
Exactly! It's a guitar to enjoy and that's alright. ✊️
I have many of them . Some are good and some are dead on but if you can't communicate with the seller you will get whatever. I bought most of mine when there was no name 'Chibson".
Nice playing
I really appreciate this video as I’ve neither handled a Chibson nor a Gibson. All of my Les Pauls are Epiphones; I have yet to hold a guitar with a nitrocellulose finish. I want a Les Paul that looks like that one but with the “yellow” binding and “gold” pearl inlays brought about by the aging of the nitrocellulose clear coat, but bring myself to pay $6k to $7k for a Murphy Lab Ebony Custom.
Cheers Joe! I feel the same. Love those old units but for us working cats we need something comfy in a bar brawl.
I swapped out everything and its killer. I installed a 50s 60s switchable Obsidian harness and 59 pickups. New grocers. I'll put this up against any les paul and it likely barks better than any Gibson could. I've got a 59 Bloomfield burst for about 800 bucks all told . It's a 8 thousand dollar savings .
You had me at Bloomfield.
Lol right. I gotta call BS when I see it. Your shitty, inferior quality wood guitar, with a fucked up neck angle and botched scale length is better than any Gibson? Get real dude. According to you Jimmy page would gladly trade you his burst for your chibson because as you said “it barks better than any Gibson could”. Are you high? So out of the millions of Les Paul’s ever made none of them stack up to your inferior Chinese counterfeit you paid $300 for on aliexpress? I’ve seen these guitars in person and played them and they are NOT better than a Gibson Les Paul- and I’ve played some absolutely shitty Gibson’s in my day. But none were anything close to the level of garbage these Chinese counterfeits are.
Nahhh a Gibson sounds wayyy better my friend, if you do the. Comparison between them, you will hear the difference, I did! And I can tell you there's big differences. yes chibsons are great guitars for their money, and with some mods they can be great instruments, but to compare. Them with Gibson....nahhh not even close
@@QuantumGamingUploads I totally agree. yes chibsons are great value for money, to play at home, or if you upgrade it, it would defently sound great for a gig or something, but to compare a Gibson with a chibson... no. Way, night and day differences!!! from the. Woods, from the. Electronics, from the pickups, and generally from the whole construction of the instrument there is no match. at all!!! sorry my friends but that's the true, as I have said before, if you are in love with les Paul's like I am.. keep. your money a little more make some more savings, and find a used studio or a tribute like I. Did, there are many of them outside if you do a research, believe me it's worth it!!!
@@QuantumGamingUploads I have a 1994 studio, it is beaten up from the previews owner, but plays very well, with ebony fretboard, and gold hardware, amazing sound, it is my baby!!! If I only had a band... 😅😅😅
Well i'm thinking of buying one but that's purely because i just cannot afford the 5000$ it would take to get the Gibson i really want. I'd rather spend 300 bucks and slowly over time mod the Chibson up to spec. I don't care if the flamed maple is veneer or a full top, if it looks the part it looks the part. Just hoping i get a decent copy that's worth upgrading.
Totally! It does the job and is fun to play with some light lifting. And to be honest, I remember when people said the Japanese imports would never be more than garbage. They were wrong. Very wrong.
In the end, it's a guitar.
What could be better than that?
Dude this is 2 years ago and the diamond and the g in Gibson is close to the d peg like it's supposed to be amazing. That may be the closest I've seen yet 😮
That one was a pretty solid example!
How does the feel and sound of this compare to a real Gibson LP custom? Does it feel and sound close, or are the differences obvious? I was thinking about getting a made in Japan Burny from the 80s as I hear they're better than real Gibsons, but they're still over $1000. Just want to get a decent guitar without breaking the banks.
The Chibson lacks something. The frets will be sharp and uneven. And when you hold into it, there's some sort of resonance disconnect.
A Burny, Greco, tokai, Ibanez... all excellent instruments. I have a lower level Ariel (aria, motsumoku) and it absolutely stands shoulder to shoulder with my Les Paul Standard.
It lacks the grace, but it does everything just as good. I've got Gibsons. I want vintage Greco. Their SGs in the 70s? Omg.
@@breilly66 Cool, thanks for the info. I think I'll look for something other than a Chibson.
@@mountainpeakcloud8442 Happy to help MPC. Good luck on your hunt!
Dig it a cool review... I'm tempted to get one..
Cheers Andrew! Glad it lent insight! 🙏
I've heard you can request they either do not put Gibson on the headstock or even a custom label, they can even put Chibson on the headstock.
They can and will if specified. Admittedly, I am starting to see alot of fakes now. Not too good!
You can request they don't put Gibson on the headstock. The company may or may not do it though. Returning them is often a hassle so the company can do whatever they want.
I just checked out one from Aliexpress something.. 😆
Gibby LP custom is my Dream guitar but couldn't afford the real one.. yet.
Liking the "yet" part!
And also..... if it plays good and you like it, who cares where's it from. It's a guitar and that's all that matters. ✊️
Hi sir i'm interested to buy it.where are you fined this guitar.if you don't mine give me the link.tq
310998947 NO.2 Store
a.aliexpress.com/_mtzvtJ4
Tq sir.
@@nazrulhafiznordin8533 Yessir. Happy to help.
I have one of these, its supposed to be a "Custom" --I bought it off a guy who put grover lucking tuners on it, and Seymour Duncan pickups in it. It plays great. It fools people who know nothing about guitars, but many can tell. Not that I'm passing it off or anything. BUT-- it DOES NOT have an Ebony board or real Mother of Pearl
You can smash it at the end of your bands last set and watch people's jaws drop or they will cheer you on..
Depending on how many drinks they had.
@@pandaman1968 I don't get why people have an issue with them existing, as long as you own it morally and never try to scam someone, no one's fault what someone else chooses to do.
What's the best place to buy one of these? I need one in Alpine White
310998947 NO.2 Store
a.aliexpress.com/_mNpp4S2
Those gold pickup rings screws are a dead giveaway. Gibson uses black pickup ring screws with black pickup rings. Also, that trussrod cover is poorly cut and it should be engraved, not silk-screened.
Agreed. The truss cover is a dead giveaway. The bevel is too upright. Not enough angle in it.
Another detail often missed, the Epiphone/Chinese plastic pickup mounting rings are larger than real Gibson pieces. So much so that if you try to mount the Gibson pickup rings on a fake the previous mounting screw holes from the Epiphone/fake rings will show on the guitar's top right on the outside edge of the Gibson pickup rings. It is a small detail however once you see it you can't unsee it.
Epiphone's pickup mounting rings look unnecessarily large when viewed next to a real Gibson.
Because a Gibson owner couldn't possibly want gold screws and replace them? Unoriginal hardware is really no indicator of inauthentic guitars, neither is original hardware an indicator of authenticity.
@@hkguitar1984 Yeah the chibsons are made on CNC routers using epiphone files obtained by the chinese when Gibson moved Epiphone to China and retained by them when epiphone moved to korea.
@@snap-off5383 You have that backwards. Gibson moved Epiphone production from Korea to China decades ago.
Educated honest review Sir..is the fret board engineered wood or real?
Thank you Sir! By the looks of it, appears to be pao Ferro. However, the finish on the board is a bit loose and looks like they could have focused on the texture with some finer sanding.
@@breilly66 Than you for your reply. I've worked on these budget knock offs for a few years. I've actually seen particle board fret boards. The little concave depressions in the finish that you pointed out is called fish eye.. and you're exactly right. It's caused from not evacuating moisture in the air line or not using an inline filter to remove moisture. Great Observation.
now chibson getting better and better , in2023 they got fret nips ,o tune matic style bridge and nitro finish too, only one thing i never see on chibson is the brass nut truss rod, chibson always use allen key style rod, so brass nut truss rod is real gibson, so for some not very familiar gibson guitar ,thats the safe way to tell is gibson or not , of course you need take the truss rod cover off to check , i heard some very very rare gibson not use brass nut truss rod .
Besides the tuners replace that crappy way to deep cut plastic nut..
Another thing not mentioned is that Binding at head stock angle bunched
up like mountain climbers waiting to get to the peak of Everest at 6:11.
Real LP Custom stays thin and smoothly continues to flow into the edge
of the head stock.
I welcome these and all guitars that are affordable. I own high end end guitars and have been playing a long time. Fuck the haters people and enjoy what you can afford. Later you can upgrade.
But saying that comes with a warning !Some of these guitars from China need big time setups. That will cost you extra if you can't do it yourself.
Truth!
Seems to me that the biggest giveaway that it's fake is the glaring fact that the headstock and logo on the back say, "GIBSUN"!!!
PLEASE tell me you noticed that!!!
Personally, I went with an "Inspired by Gibson" Epiphone '59 Les Paul.
My conscience is clear, I have a great guitar and I saved almost two grand compared to a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard.
ive done a bit of research and some sellers i suspect will make a guitar to a customers specs as i ran across one a while back that tempted me to get one kinda. it came with with a one peace long tenon neck no veneers a solid 2 peace cap on a one peace back. and the fret board binding had fret nibs! and was finished with nitro. the posts for the bridge wer screwed directly into the top. it was missing the usual suspects that point to it being fake. the electronics we epiphone still. their wer some other giveaways but they wer hard to spot in a hurry you had to look close and know a thing or two about real Gibson.
Totally, I've seen a few really good ones lately. They've put more into quality finishes vs furniture finishes. The neck shapes are improving rapidly as well.
who did you buy from?
@@Pragtical bought it locally.
I always wondered… is it nitro?
It is poly! Another clue to its distant origins!
People would stop hating on Chibsons if people got them without the Gibson logo.
Agreed. I don't see people bagging on Epis like they used to. They are accepted freely. These things are equitable to the epis (sometines) but there's some real hatred there.
no, people would stop criticizing all low-end knockoff guitars if they simply stopped pretending to provide something they don't. Epi doesn't have that problem, because they never pretended to be anything more than what they actually are. They have always had certain lines of excellent guitars, like
Riviera & Casino
@@rodnyg7952 True. The Casino still stands as one of the more underrated cheap guitars on the market. Imo.
How do I get to playing like this?
That's the best part. It just takes playing guitar! Do that and youll be playing better than me easy. Kind words btw! 🙏
They do Look worth it But you gotta be careful getting it through customs and also it’s a hit or miss
Yup. Have heard of quite a few people who ran into issues with them.
@@breilly66 I have one of Jimmy page signature but I don’t know if I want to get another one I wanted to get a zak wylde copy
@@bluephoenix3865 I'd bet the Zak would be down to a T at this point. They've been revising alot. Popular model. And they've stepped up the binding.
The ones I've spotted and been tempted by would be the les paul custom with p90s. Like Garcia's when the Dead played that massive street fest on the Haight.
Are you playing through a katana air?
If memory serves I was going through a hardwired Bonser. But it's been a year!
@@breilly66 sorry, thought that was the boss wireless receiver hanging out of the chibson input jack that I saw. Cool.
All good, that's the transmitter for my line 6g10 wireless
Gibson made a production model of the ace frehley I have oneand I have one of the 300 the aceface and lightning bolt are exactly the same I also have a chibson ace it's totally different chibson also has a website license by gibson
That doesn't make sense
@@timgoetz9166 what doesn't make sense
@@tjp1432 the website license by Gibson,,,,why would they,,,mine was confiscated at LaGuardia airport by us customs,
Nit sure I guess so they can get some of the royalties don't know I went to it bout 8 months says on front pages chibson guitars licensed by gibson
No you dont
Where can I buy 1 ?
Ali Express. It's like Ebay in China. You can download the app and shop.
@@breilly66 thanks any tips when buying 1?
Steer clear of the p90 models as the pickups can be unbearable in their weakness. And be very specific! Think of AliExpress as a genie who grants wishes but periodically looks for ways to leave things out.
Is it nitro finished?
Nope. Definitely a thin poly.
The thing I think is cool af with Chibsons or guitars coming out from China in general, you can get those guys to build you whatever you want.
That being said, I'm not sure if the efforts to go through that is entirely worth it, and it's also quite a gamble on if you get something playable.
Well said!
I'm a Gibson white knight and I'm here to get you in the name of Mark Agnesi!!! Charge!!! 🥴🛡🍴
Noooo! Not the Agnesi! Lol, thanks for tuning in MD!
Wonder if he ever thinks of going back to Norman's.
I got 3 and great for just the basement player. Not everyone can afford thousands.
Amen to that.
I think if you can save your money and buy the real thing would be best but if money is an issue you can always find other legitimate les paul so maniy other guitar makers make them and the quality is outstanding and they are not that expensive because it doesn't say Gibson on the headstock doesn't mean it's not a good guitar.
you understand that the only thing that differentiates a chibson from an epiphone is just on the headstock right? i have a real gibson sg, i have an epiphone custom shop 59 les paul standard, and i have a chibson les paul. i paid 1800 brand new from the gibson site for the sg, it’s an amazing guitar, i paid 1000 brand new from the epiphone site for the epiphone 59 it’s fine, i paid 200 for the chibson, i paid about 350 for tuners, sd paf, and a pro setup, and what i have concluded is that…. the chibson plays the same as the epiphone, sounds better than it, has a true 1 piece mahogany body, true 1 piece mahogany neck, true rosewood fretboard, true nitro finish, a gibson headstock (which looks much better than the epiphone headstock imo) and i spent about 400 less on it than i did with the epiphone. a chinese made epiphone is the same exact thing as a chibson, but chibsons are so much cheaper and look better out of the box, spend a few hundred bucks and now they sound better and play better than the epiphone, and after all of the money you spent on parts and a setup, it’s still marginally less than an epiphone. slash’s afd guitar was a gibson copy bro.
Thanks for the input.@@popsiclelanding
Wouldn't the right thing be to just remove the logo? I mean it's not a Gibson is it?
Yup. Or do like I did (stamp China into the serial area)
@@breilly66 or a "Chineez" label in Gibson font to cover the logo would also suffice.
@@duncanb1981 lol, absolutely.
I just left Guitar Center I had $3,500 in my pocket and after playing 3 Gibson guitars I still have $3,500 in my pocket 🤦🏻♂️ no way I’m letting go of $2,999 for a Gibson Guitar ever 😂
Why do those guy never get the Gibson logo inlay on the headstock right, they never get it right and yours also has the n sloping. First thing I look for when I'm looking for a fake.
I think from a manufacturing standpoint they kind of hit the "good enough for who it's for" moment. A business philosophy first told to me at a show in Philadelphia.
I'm assuming but I'd bet the builders haven't even held a Gibson with their own hands. Let alone know the intricacies.
@@breilly66 Why doesnt Gibson just allow Epiphone to use the open book headstock, it would make everyone happy and kill off Chibsons in a heartbeat.
Personally I feel that Gibson is one of the few manufacturers that are still holding out for a return to an isolated commerce economic model. I'd want that too but it won't happen in a country that can't afford its own products anymore.
So we're globalized and Gibson is still badge engineering guitars and holding out for a Gibson entry market. Their entry offerings are great but their deliberate "hobbling" of Epiphone is absurd.
The Epi line isn't so far off in a quality sense that Gibson should feel that only their models are "worthy" of the open book. Imo anyhow.
Well There are different ways to see it. Is a Chibson worth the $300-$500 price point? Yeah id say it does. If someone was to sell it for $1k to $1.5k absolutely not. Same as an actual Gibson, is it worth the $2500-$4000 price range? Hell no. I’d say $1500-$2200 would be about right for a made in the USA Gibson, anything more than that would be a ripoff.
I build guitars, I have yet to see one that justifies a 2k price tag. ( Besides heavy custom stuff)
@@elymolloy8333 my point exactly and I totally agree with the custom range, that’s different.
@@elymolloy8333 Exactly.
Gibsons are cheap when it comes to american made guitars. The cheapest gibson is 999 whereas the cheapest american made prs is 2000 and the cheapest american made musicman is 2600. Also the cheapest american fender is 1500.
@@ashleyjohansson230 i was talking about a les paul custom SG which goes for $6,699 or a Gibson les Paul standard which goes for about $2699. Now, fender also has $800 Stratocasters and that’s a good price but let’s face it, Gibson isn’t exactly known as an affordable brand. It’s for a reason that most comments on a Gibson video begin with ¨wish i could buy it but i can’t afford it¨
Che you telo me the link of the shop? Or the name?
You mean like where are these being sold?
Since they destroyed Firebird X steppin over them with an excavator I only buy and trade Chibson!
The angle of the logo on the headstock is way off. The left edge of the G isnt parallel with the side of the fretboard.
The cant of the logo varies within authentic gibsons.
yeah the angle of the logo really changes the "tone" of that guitar.
I saved my money,did. A research and finded a used Gibson studio, with a. Fixed headstock, no big deal, I owned an epi les paul, standard...there is no comparison not a chance!! I also own a tokai les Paul, the tokai is much better from the epi, but not from the Gibson, you can hear the difference from the first notes, I can hear the difference without even plugged in... If you know what I mean, Gibson it's ringing!!! Day and night difference from both of my others les Paul's, yes tokai plays great but not like the Gibson. So in my opinion if you are a guy like me with no big budget but loves les Paul, there is hope!!!! A used studio or a tribute les Paul, you will thank me later!!!!
Agree! A good studio is just as tonally significant. And with the right setup, is a beaut!
Your tone is killer. I've got one of those in gold top for 4 years now. It got all new parts and fret leveled when I got it and it's an absolute monster of a guitar. The neck is totally stable, it stays well in tune, the intonation is perfect and it's just an absolutely fantastic guitar. The way I see it is this. I paid an excellent price for an excellent instrument. I don't give a shit where it came from or who made it. Long as it's not stolen. I think people and their "morals" need to go get fucked. There's no difference in using a Chinese guitar vs a Chinese amplifier. Also, these guitars are not for the man buns who can't use tools. They will need lots of finish and setup work and they will need lots of replacement parts. The people who bitch about these are one of two, or both. They are trying to project some self righteousness that doesn't really exisit, and/or the aren't capable of changing their own strings without a disaster.
This is literally the clearest argument for the simple pursuit of the instrument/tone on this yet.
Completely agree. And in addition, I find it odd when people are so offended but then buy an Epi for 300 dollars more that is likely made on the same assembly line.
And thank you!
Isn't stealing or theft a moral issue ?
When last I checked, it is indeed.
Very well put bro. I have 5 Chibsons. One is a Martin style d45 and I love it. Try to buy a real one if you can spring for a 50 grand guitar.
Good job and objective. I have 3 chibsons and I have one more coming in. And one of them is my go to guitar and i like it better than my more expensive ones. The one issue with it is the wiring does need to be replaced it crackles a little. But great job man, I just subscribed
Cheers GR! Glad you enjoyed 🙏
@@PaoloRS1 no it is illegal to sell one. Try again kiddo
@@PaoloRS1 you do realize I have a law degree right? You will never ever find anyone in jail for purchasing a replica but you will find a bunch of those whom sell them. Is slash in jail?
@@PaoloRS1 I’m sorry kiddo the law doesn’t change based upon your feelings. When it comes to the law yeah, I think someone with a law degree knows a little more when it comes to law kiddo
@@PaoloRS1 maybe I need to type slower….it….is….not….illegal…..to…..purchase……it…..is….illegal…..to……sell…. This is why I need to stick to my IQ prerequisite for those I respond to. And again it is not what I “think” you nincompoop it is what the law it. I don’t get to make up laws like you think you can snowflake
They are not counterfeits. They don't meet the definition. There are enough differences in them to make them replicas & not counterfeits.
One thing we should remember to justify buying one of these …. The genuine Gibson products have also degraded and some are downright garbage and not to mention the outrageous prices they charge….Gibson deserves everything coming to them…..
Yea. The play authentic thing really put me off as well.
Courage u have!
Is this stock pickups?
Yup. Bone stock.
Plus beware, many really bad people re selling them as the real deal. sometimes hard to tell from pics unless u know what to look for.
So much misinformation and half-truths on these. Thanks for keeping it real.
Yessir. Appreciated 🙏
Is this stock or did you replace the electronics?? The tone....sucks!! So, I'm assuming stock in the video!
It's stock. As was mentioned. Thanks for watching though.
@@breilly66 Absolutely. Thanks for taking the time to make it!
Everyone knows, Chibsons need COMPLETE Electronics replacement with good pickups, fretboard setup and fret leveling and nut replacement. Then comes the bridge is going to ABR-1 or Nashville, and tuners. But once done can have an excellent guitar for $600-750 that if purchasing from Gibson would be $2-3,000 or $10,000+ for some models! Soo, to get one is a no-brainer (unfortunately), but you have to spend as much money as it cost initially and the above MUST be replaced, but then will be a very good guitar!
@@RozsaAmplificationLLC Exactly how I feel about it. Once the husk gets a more intentional set of electrics and the frets are properly dressed, it starts to wake up.
And you are very welcome Sir. 😊
@@breilly66 ...and this is coming from someone who own TWO original vintage 1972 Gibson Les Paul Customs, a limited edition Gibson 1967 SG reissue, a PRS Hollowbody II "10" piezo ($6,000 guitar alone)....so, I have very high dollar instruments and just not a Gibson Poser kissing the tip. It is what it is. If you have the money and want an original instrument and support the home team...absolutely, do it. But they are overpriced today and if you want to get out cheap and still have an amazing playing instrument that looks great and is a clone of the original....get a Chibson (unfortunately). It is what it is.
@@RozsaAmplificationLLC Same opinion. Though I only own a measly '93 Les Paul studio, I know what is really good about a gibson and what isn't. I think the thing that we need to warn people who want to buy one against is the "dollar signs for eyeballs" problem when you see you can get a signature SG that would cost $4k from Gibson for $250 and know you can get the hardware upgraded and fix anything but neck twist (wood problems) you impulse buy rather than fully exploring the full options of Chibson. What are the odds that YOUR signature guitar is the exact same guitar as Angus Young or Tony Iommi? That's THEIR signature guitar. Chibson will build you YOUR signature guitar. You want an SG with the special diablo body with a left handed tony iommi signature fretboard on a right handed guitar? Gibson won't even entertain the idea, Chibson would be happy to make it for you. That's really my regret is that I now know what I SHOULD have ordered, so I'm going to get another one and give this "Phony Iommi" to my Black Sabbath worshipping friend to hang on his wall as art. (another advantage of chibson, is you're not out much money to convert them to art or Guinea pig projects.)
I got one, upgraded it, plays good ,sounds good, but doesn't compare to my real 1
That's how I feel about it. Good for around the house though.
Ahhh…that’s the answer I was looking for. I have a 2002 Heritage H-150CM and hangs in with every LP I’ve ever shot it out with, including early 2K VOS and NOS.
Good job, I bought a good one as well, in Jan 2020, two weeks to deliver, 248$! It was a good one, and I gave it to a buddy. He loves it and re rods with it. I’m retired LAPD, so when I heard all of the rumors, I decided to find out the legalese. I like to compare the illegality with buying a knockoff Gucci bag for 100$.
Interestingly, a couple months ago, that same friend decided to order one himself and got a cease and desist letter! He was kinda freaked, but I explained it had no real teeth at this point. Some people say you can lose your money on the website. I find DHgate to be safe, and I’ve had money returned the same day.
I still look at what they are making and if they ever put a legit one way truss rod, and start using nitrocellulose, I might get another. However, I’ve got the Gibson bug, and I’m up to 3. Had to have each one lol.
I’d like to see a movement of finding pre 1958 Les Pauls, and doing burst conversions.
Good luck, good video, and good night. Steve
I know how you feel. I've been jonesing for a p90 paul for a year solid and this one scratched the itch while hunting. Thanks for watching Brother! Cheers!
You buy counterfeit guitars to pretend you have something you don't want to spring for. Look at the inlays, binding, tuners, hardware, pick ups, frets, serial number, the entire guitar is off to someone who works on them. Burn them before some kid who spent all his graduation money or wife brings it in for a setup as a gift for her husband and they get embarrassed and hurt because nobody will touch the guitar because it's an illegal item. Happens way more than you know.
No matter what you do, as people are curious, and that’s why I bought one. You might get a cease and desist letter, or a good guitar. Do no pass it off as a real Gibson, that’s where the trouble begins and is deserved
@@dingusfuzzklonnkt2755 as long as no one is passing it off as real, it’s not a problem and it was fun seeing what showed up. Absolutely, the problem is someone trying to pass it off as a real Gibson. I come from law enforcement, where the entire system is broken. There is nothing that says you can’t buy one of these from China, or nothing that is enforceable from customs, other than confiscation and a cease and desist letter.
So, you are right in one respect, and hopefully scammers will get caught. But as I said, law enforcement is a broken system holding on to old ideas of drug criminality, which should be a medical issue. However, I digress.
From what I hear, China is getting better, but they still don’t know what a Gibson truss rod is.
Let’s be honest, most young players today don’t have the scratch for a real Gibson. If chibsons were available when I was 15, I would have been happy.
I understand your concerns.
well I bought a 59 reissue from "Custom Shop" on DH gate and I'm happy to tell you it's fucking killer.Nitro finish and no real issues except one tuner with slight play .But unlike any of the real Gibson LPs Ive had (5)...this chibson stays in tune ,sounds great and looks fabulous and for only $265....oh I did replace the nut with a brass one but other than that it's killer.Don't bother ordering a case as you may not get one .
My thing.. some people can barely afford rent or food or an oil change. They are not going to spend 3k or 5k to support gibson. A knock off may be their only hope to ever have a guitar like that. And even the 300 bucks for it is a lot to them. So in those cases gibson didn't actually lose a sale.
Truth. They weren't getting that buyer anyway.
And honestly.... I love guitars... but I love knowing that people short of money still have access to gear that will get them playing put and writing more. The company will survive.
We've got music to make.
@breilly66 yeah I agree. I truly will make every attempt to support the original company but I'm an example that if I want a gibson les paul custom my only options are chibsons or maybe an epiphone. I'd go epiphone next. But sometimes you just want another inexpensive guitar to screw around with and these are perfect for that too.
@AtotheC_1776 Absolutely agree.
We buy budget guitars so we can have something that feels ,and looks like the real thing,I have plenty of other brands of LPs ,and none feel or look as good as my chibson does,the guitar these copy ,are no longer affordable as a working mans guitar,I know I don’t want to take a $3000 guitar to a bar gig ,to get it all beat up,many musicians use chibsons instead.
Yep. You got some truth there
Why do you think Epiphones exist? Gibson's first step in moving production to China. "Chibsons" and Epiphones are likely made in the same factory on the same machines.
Most modern production methods are automated, so charging $1,500 - $5,000 for a "real" Les Paul is mostly huge profit margins.
Everyone is complaining about these "fake" guitars, but we're just cutting out the middleman and the fat profits for Gibson.
Not really sure the opening line was merited. Since your perspective is the same as mine. But yep.
Don't have one , don't want one, somebody brings one to me I won't work on it. Knowingly buying something stolen or with a stolen trade mark is the same as stealing it yourself.I've heard every justification in the book and just can't condone them. I just saved and got a real LP. Got it used got a pretty good price on a 2007 plain top custom shop 58, (R8). 9th one made that year. Didn't do it to be a snob, just can't get into stealing. I don't know too many people that wouldn't be pissed if they got something stolen. Kinda the old do unto others.
You can do a lot of fixing on a Chibson Custom for $5,000.00 Just sayin.
As long as your not trying to sell it as the real deal and you just want to own what to you looks like a Gibson. Have at ! :-) I can see the fear of these getting into the wrong peoples hands, but i think karma will solve that in the end. But some of these ive seen have been so close, some are literally there. Its shocking. But not all of these places build good models and there can be a lot of issues with these. But if you get a decently built one and do some work on it, for cheap you gotta decent guitar that looks the part.
Totally. And funny enough you say that as a friend from the east coast had me check a nice SG for a good price. And it was totally a fake. :/
That was literally yesterday and I'm seeing alot getting posted now.
We catch so much crap from Gibson snobs. We buy and appreciate Chibson for what they are, what they can be, and value for our $$. Snobs??? Ha!! Blo me.....
It looks like a Gibson that’s all I care about
As long as the Gibson name is present anywhere near the product, then there’s no good reason what so ever to feel good about spending money on it.
You can never come up with an argument to even remotely defend that purchase as long as there’s traces of the Gibson name and «made in USA». Never.
Ive bought 2 of them. They are more resonant than my $3200 real one. Frets needed some minor work, swapped electronics, my tuners all worked fine, overall completion created something I like better than the real thing, they got thicker necks, nice wood, face it.... wood is wood.. whether Gibson makes the mahogany body or china... its the same. My real les paul from Gibson isnt perfect, had inlays lifting up, machine marks on the fretboard, so ... chibsons no different once you reman it with good parts. Face it... if you buy a R8 or R9... those are clones.. not real. Slash's LP was fake and Gibson made a copy of the fake and made it a Gibson..lol.. so none of them are "real". The Gibson lacquer is more softer and acts a damper making them less resonant, that is why they say Gibsons tone gets better with age, it takes that long for the paint to dry.. The poly finish on chibsons is rock hard, they ring like a bell. Im happy with mine, still giggle how mice they are for how cheap.. one was 100 and the other was 128. Almost considering selling my real one as its less desirable to me now. These chibsons are great.
When it all shakes out, they're made by people same as anywhere else.
And I've got to believe that some of the folks on the line would rather make a thing worthwhile than just make something.
When it comes down to it, an instrument is as good as what we make with it. :)
Id buy a chibson if they wrote chibson on the headstock and made in china on the back. I hate fakes but an omage, oy i could do that 😅
They are not counterfeit...counterfeit implies you are trying to pass them off as the real thing..like counterfeit money...It's obvious by the price and purchase understanding that no one is buying these expecting its a REAL Gibson. Fake, knockoff, and the like are more correct terms. I wouldn't call them a copy either as they are not using genuine hardware, fretwork, and quality control etc.
Agreed!
If you hate it that much, I will give you $50 for it!!!!!!
Lol, sold many moons ago!
I remember when people where happy to just have a electric.guitar and crank it up / i dont recall anybody talking about how the serial number was done😅 And the finish??? Is it tripple A top???? WTF. It is getting sooooo ridiculous/ seems like everybody going deep diving into micro bits and pieces/ Slash did the first album on a copycat ??? So what is this insanity 👊
Like I have said before most of you guys that have your morals in place are mostly NOT (A) working musician! Go out a work your butt off like me for next to little pay, while hoping on and off planes, trains, euro buses and have YOUR killer AXXE thrown around like bad luggage and you’ll appreciate taking one of these guitars, and fixing them up to be playable so that if one does get busted…. It’s no big deal!
Try this 😮with YOUR Three to Six Thousand dollar minted Gibson Les Paul and see how YOU feel then about having a “Chibson” in your arsenal!
Oh! BTW I don’t see an AMERICAN TELEVISION in the background? Let’s talk about that shall we? And… Yes I do own A 1983 Gibson Cherry Burst Standard Les Paul. Which stays here in America!!!!
Well put!
Yeah, but you can own a real Gibson, and just make this a practice guitar. Take out the good one when there is minimum chance of dings.
Can you sell me this one?
Would if I could but it got sold. I'm sorry. However, these do cross my path from time to time and if I see a good one, I'll post it here. :)
@@breilly66 Oh I see . Yes sir I appreciate that if you come across one definitely post it . I have one more question. Could you tell me where your friend got it from? Does he know the exact seller?
@TheEvdavis7 Regrettably no. That online vendor shut their account since.
The thing is.... all these sellers.... they aren't silo'd. They're all in one spot. The seller isn't a shop. It's a salesperson. They middle between a few large facilities and connect orders.
The best sellers are those who have shipped many, translate well or just speak English really well, they know the customs details, they have a good familiarity with the product, players are best, they know the newest options and they deliver on all agreements regarding build quality and adherence to spec.
With them, the factory will build you a beast. With a bad seller?
Guitar shows up the wrong color and doesn't work.
You gotta check recent feedback. Look at negative feedback. Check to see if it resolved well or they argued.
The seller is only as solid as the last deal or delivery. So that is what you look at first. Then work back and look for consistancies.
@@breilly66 I got you! Really appreciate it!
Happy to help!
The truth is there is no real reason to buy a new GIBSON LP unless you absolutely need to have one. The Epiphone line is almost and in some cases better than the stuff made here. It’s all an image thing that we guitar players have in our heads. I have a 72’ burst and a Chibson only because I was curious to see if I could make the China fake anywhere close to my 72’. Well it cost a bit to get there but I did. Now I was lucky in the fact that got I good one, but as you well know that is not always the case. So to all you young players out there in the most general of terms the guitar is only as good as the player handling it. 😂
This is something I was talking to a friend about. The fact that the Fender and gibson headstock/logo association has become part of the inherent asthetic. We're so conditioned to associate the Origin brand as a sign of legitimacy to the musician.
Like a form of brand totality. Xerox in the 80s, i everything in the 2000s.
what you’re saying is true…….now. there was a time when guitars built overseas were inferior. in the past 10 years manufacturing has advanced significantly. even a hobbyist like myself can make some pretty amazing gear using my high end cnc machine, 3d printer and laser cutter/engraver. we’re at a point in time where guitars made in Korea, China, Mexico and sometimes Indonesia are as good as any US made instrument. we just have to view things with the right historical context to fully appreciate and understand why we sometimes look at things the way we do.
@@BigIronTexas Nailed it.
Play inauthentic.... buy chinese(counterfeit)... I need a can of gas and a book of matches
Why? Did you buy a Chibson just to burn it?
You need a microphone.
Got one. An Sm57. About 15 videos back. This is an old video.
As usual headstock open book is completely wrong.
How does that make it sound different?
"Worth the Money"?
You're playing aren't you?
Oh Well!!!
My problem with Chibson guitars are the fuckfaces who try to pass them off as the real thing in resale
Of which I am seeing a lot more of lately. :/
How did Chibson save Gibson? Ask Slash..😅
Crazy story right? Lol
Sand the logo off or burn it. I don't understand why people do not order them without the logos. Some kid or women trying to surprise their husband ends up with these and will have a distaste for guitars for life. If people put their dog or nickname on the logo it's fair game. People that order the special models do it for one of two reasons; to rip someone off or pretend they have something they can't afford.
That's what I'm seeing alot of. Literally today spotted a chibson going as gibson for 999 on offer up.
If I let this one go (pretty sure I'm keeping it. Long story) I'm going to stamp the back of the headstock. Cause you're right. I'm seeing alot of these lately. And not with full disclosure.
It sounds like many DO order without the logo, and they show up with it anyway. Its hilarious to see people speculate as to the reasonings. More realistic and cited reasons include:
"I can't order the gibson with the features I want from gibson they said "no!", and chibson said "yes!". (just look at the variety of options on Ali express vs Gibson themselves, ali has a much wider selection of options which will appeal to more buyers. You want a diablo body with a left handed tony iommi signature fretboard on a right handed guitar? Gibson won't even entertain the idea, Chibson would be happy to make it for you."
"Gibsons aren't worth what they're asking, but they are worth what Chibson is asking".
"I'll never buy another gibson after they CRUSHED 350+ firebird X's rather than doing the right thing and doing just about anything else with them"
"I want to learn how to work on guitars like doing fret changes, pickup wiring, nuts etc but I don't want to learn on my $1500 guitar, how better to learn than to order a very cheap one that NEEDS those things fixed?"
I see the same stupidity in the tool world where snap-on afficiandos try to put down people making intelligent tool for dollar choices with "you just can't afford" aspersions. The response of "you're right, I can't afford to be ripped off that bad" is appropriate.
I bought a chibson Les Paul and ask for the headstock to be blank
"distaste for guitars for life" can come from paying thousands for a gibson that isn't worth $600 too!
Anyone who wants a Gibson Les Paul and has $2000-$3000 to spend, would not be fooled by a chibson. Ever. Even a dumb ass noobie..would not be stupid enough to give someone $3000 cash for a fake. I just dont buy it.
Chinese fire wood. Bonus: case candy = corona.
I think the word your'e looking for is fake.
Damn it sounds garbage
I'm sure you can't tell in a blind test.
You're just biased and hateful because it's a chinese made guitar.
China is awesome!!!
They should not be allowed in this country what happened to copy right laws anyway should never be sold with a bogus gibson emblem if you want a cheap import go buy one but not a chibson screw that bs
Unfortunately it’s not against the law, but to pass it off, that’s the real crime that should be pursued. But having been in law enforcement, it’s a joke, and entirely broken. Sure, it might get confiscated or you might get a letter, but that’s it.
For me, I was curious and I got a decent guitar for 248$, delivered. I gave it away to a friend who loves it.
Gonna cry?
Under no circumstances would I buy a Chinese knockoff. Blatant ripoff of Gibson is unacceptable.
The Gibson price point of $2500 and upwards is also a ripoff cos no guitar should be worth that much especially Gibsons, unless it was custom made.
@@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020 yeah with everyone wanting to make $40+ an hour but not wanting to buy products that make those jobs possible is why we have a flood of Chineseium junque.
@@MrSparks54 that is exactly why i said Gibson guitars that are priced that high are a ripoff especially with all the QC issues that you find in them.
Gibson is making plenty of money on replacement parts
I just got mine. I just changed the strings, and bridge. Salvatore Daniele Chinese Gibson
Chineseguitarseptic..( CGS)