6 Easy Ways to Spot a Fake Chinese Les Paul - Chibson Repellant!

6 simple tells so you don't get fooled into buying a counterfeit Gibson Les Paul (Fibson). Consider this a public service message! Included at the end is a group of 6 Les Pauls for you to guess if they're fake or not!
Here's the PDF of the screens for comparisons sake. Hopefully this helps someone not get screwed over!
drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw97...

[@mikehawk9861]

If it stays in tune, its fake

[@NickintheStates]

LOL YES! HAHAHA

[@barrysoetoro1543]

If the frets have sharp edges... its real! LOL

[@matsp888]

If the headstock breaks, it's real ;)

[@pimtool9351]

All of the above true. I'm buying a chibsons because they are better. Flat out.

[@syrsknight]

Lol i have two real les paul guitars and none of your comments are true lol .. but hey not saying it couldn't happen...lmao

[@robertscottpurse1]

They're watching this video right now, to figure out where they have to make changes to fool us next time 😳

[@NickintheStates]

Of course there is!

[@kevinpaul1719]

Very good Nick in the States. Some of those I never heard of.

[@jasonlaiola3874]

@@NickintheStates I can't afford a Gibson so what guitar do you suggest

[@kickpublishing]

Video should be called "Guitarists teach Chibson sweatshops to make us better fakes"

[@boboutelama5748]

It's not exactly true. They know perfectly how to make good fakes, as we had very splendid well made fakes coming it at the border. But it's simply too much of a bother. The point of the fakes is to trow on the market a very cheap guitar and to cash in on this instrument. So they will tend to sell you their 39$ to 90$ usual crappy instrument, made by inexperienced workers grabbed from the street. They can't do better, even if they wanted to.

[@strokex1]

one of the best videos showing the differences between a fake and the real thing.

[@kitchan787]

jack g u

[@dannyh7557]

What difference does it make at this point.

[@owenduffy5948]

I don't know if anyone else was enjoying the "Real or Fake" quiz as much as i was but i found myself smiling stupidly to myself as i recognized the points you mentioned.

[@NickintheStates]

+Owen Duffy Hehe, well done! Glad you enjoyed it man.

[@ecsrvjh]

I got chibson custom for $300 at a flea market and absolutely love it! I had it completely gutted and replaced everything with Gibson parts I had Seymor Duncan Alnoco II Pros Slash Signature pickups installed it's a real beauty. I replaced the black knobs with the gold Gibsons. The neck and frets are great and no problems whatsoever with the performance. I guess I was lucky whoever put it together took a lot of care into it.

[@NickintheStates]

+ecsrvjh Awesome man, sounds like you have a killer axe there now! Well done! I love those Slash pickups. I'm thinking of putting them into a very AFD looking guitar that I have. Why go half fanboy when I can go full on, right? Off to price a used set now. Thanks for popping by man!

[@dannytetreault]

This is by far THE BEST AND THE GREATEST video comparing 6 basic ways to spot a fake Chinese Les Paul (aka the "Chibson") versus the real Epiphone or Gibson Les Paul! I loved the ending where you test the audiences comprehension by asking us if the guitar presented before us was a real or fake Les Paul. I got em all right but was confused by the last one. Thanks.

[@tubefixxer]

Best video I’ve seen on YT for spotting fakes. thanks for going the extra mile for the PDF.

[@luclego2442]

Thank you man. The quiz was a great idea. You rock

[@johnt.campbell316]

lol... A "fake Chibson"?! Wouldn't _that_ be an *actual* Gibson?

[@ziggyfreecloud3346]

John T. Campbell Nope. A Fibson is a knock off Chibson

[@maramoretti2655]

John T. Campbell LOL.....

[@TheDirtyyoungman1]

Fineese perhaps?

[@ericarndt7137]

John T. Campbell

[@matsp888]

@David Wang Bad analogy.

[@commissioner1969]

I played a really nice fake one today for an hour. Fucker stayed in tune and had a nice feel to it. It was actually lighter and had good resonance and sustain. It was fun to play.

[@budandbean1]

Love the "Real or Fake"... wish we could do this all day.

[@NickintheStates]

Awesome man, glad you enjoyed it. I have another one coming soon. I have a rather substantial amount of Les Pauls or LP copies at the house right now under a bunch of brands. Keep an eye out!

[@ryderjones794]

This is a fantastic video! Great and very detailed explanation! Fun game at the end too!

[@recycledcitizen]

Great vid! Shopping for my first LP (I've been a Fender guy) and this was very helpful. You have some great axes.

[@johnfkiii]

Thanks! One of the best videos on KZbin about spotting fakes.

[@davidguthrie3739]

Great information that probably saved me from making a costly mistake. Thanks for posting!

[@randyfox8484]

Excellent guide, especially for those of us new to Les Pauls! Awesome!

[@riloh58]

Hey Nick. Thanks for sharing. That was a very informative video. I'm looking at 2nd hand GIbsons at the moment and that was very helpful. Cheers.

[@gregs3173]

This was super helpful. I ran into a fake SG a few months back. One of the giveaways I noticed right away was that the inlays were cut really sloppily and the back plastic pickup cover was too thin and didn't seem to fit flush.

[@alabamalowlife]

Just wanted to thank you for this video. It helped my son and I to identify a fake Gibson Les Paul Custom. You video is the ONLY place I've seen point out the incorrect location of the tail piece. Thank you so much!

[@NickintheStates]

Sweet man, I'm happy to have helped!

[@vinlander8484]

Thanks for this video. Ive learned a few things that no one else taught me! Going to buy a used studio today!

[@icemanseries7827]

This is great learning tool and video, I will show my co workers this, got 5 out of 6'👏 Missed the last one!

[@sgnt9337]

The quiz is a great idea. Great video, thanks for posting.

[@craiggerard]

Thanks Nick! Very informative and helpful. Cheers, TC

[@richiebeard994]

According to all of your points of reference my dear sir I have a real deal, Les Paul Standard. Thank you for the class brother. You are a natural teacher and the proof is that I passed your quiz with a 100%. A long healthy and happy life to you sir.

[@craigfish7890]

Thank you for posting this. Great information to get out there.

[@NickintheStates]

+Craig Fish Any time man!

[@claudehopper9813]

I've been thinking about getting a Les Paul ..this certainly helps Thanks !

[@marcgerb]

Thanks for this video. I bought a LP on ebay 10 years ago and never even suspected it could be fake until recently. With your help I'm fairly certain it's the real deal!

[@NickintheStates]

marcgerb That's good news man! Now play the hell out of it :)

[@tk4x431]

Yay I got them all right! I will surely look out for those!

[@TheYjmfan]

Thanks a lot that was really informative I'm in the process of getting a chibson more for curiosity than anything else great video !

[@NickintheStates]

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

[@nicholascremato]

The fake ones look so much nicer!!!! I am in love with the first guitar you showed!!!

[@scod3908]

Nice veneers are an order or magnitude cheaper than a nice full cap.

[@DesrochersBob]

Nicely done Nick. A good lesson on what to look for.

[@NickintheStates]

+Robert L Desrochers Thanks Robert!

[@draganm7823]

I know its an old video, I've seen recent ones but I learned quite a bit from this one and had to subscribe.

[@LuigiTuazon]

Thank you for this very beautiful demonstration! :)

[@NickintheStates]

Any time Francis!

[@nicholascremato]

Thanks nick, we needed this video.

[@charlieisamonster]

Very informative . Thank you for posting this.

[@NickintheStates]

Thanks for swinging by man. I'm happy you found it helpful!

[@scottrushton453]

2014 gibsons also have frets that sit "on top" of the binding; I have a genuine Gibson LP Classic finished this way. I bought it used, and initially balked on this usually blatant tell, until I did a bit of research. Great video! The more people know these things, the fewer will be ripped off!

[@cjjaxxon]

Good video. ALSO I've noticed when I bought my "Chibson" Les Paul Standard and somebody pointed this out that the angle of the headstock is slightly tilted back further than an American Gibson Les Paul. I bought a Chibson SG as well and noticed that the headstock looks a little longer at the top as well.

[@Kwaizecker]

SO helpful, thank you!

[@bunakkaptan]

Great show but the last one fooled me .Thanks for the very useful info.

[@Terry3Gs]

nice video nick .... btw funny that at the 11:42 mark the genuine 60's trib goldtop actualy has/shows a multi piece back !!! lol

[@NickintheStates]

It does! Those tributes (and the LPJ/SGJ models) have 1, 2 or 3 piece backs. Even the big "G" knows a thing or two about cost savings! Thanks for checking out the vid!

[@ashjonpol3743]

Thank you for this great information

[@reneorfanidis789]

Thank you very much for this great video and explanation. I´ll be checking the next Gibsons with a different eye. ;-)

[@NickintheStates]

+Rene Orfanidis Gad you liked it Rene!

[@Into_The_Mystery_13]

Great run down! Thanks!

[@livewire6925]

Thanks Nick. Good Info.

[@IsaacArbec]

thank you so much man; this is now my pawn shop video

[@taokichavez9319]

Really Nice video man! Thanks

[@thekitowl]

Great video. After your excellent description of the differences , I was able to spot the fake les Paul's . This is invaluable info if you don't Have the real thing to compare with. 👍

[@NickintheStates]

Thanks man! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@harrisonandrew]

Nice video - I found that so useful.

[@46ace]

Outstanding, helpful video! Thanks( I need to know this)..

[@aa64912]

Very good info, thank you

[@joemeyer6876]

Very Helpful ! Thanks

[@EvgenF]

Thank you! Very good video.

[@WoodesosGuitarMods]

This just came up in my suggestions. Good vid!

[@tk4x431]

Hi im a fan lol

[@beachgum1001]

You are a Great Teacher 👍

[@derin111]

This is such a good video! I came upon it after looking at a guitar on Ebay here in the UK purporting to be a Gibson.After watching this video I can see that it fails on just about every single aspect that you've mentioned and is a complete fake.Thanks for posting !

[@MrYatesj1]

Great info , thanks for the break down!!

[@NickintheStates]

Glad you liked it Jess!

[@terrenceholmes2450]

Thank you!very informative and quite entertaining!

[@NickintheStates]

+Terrence Holmes Thanks Terence, glad you enjoyed it!

[@wcountyrednecks]

Very good video, I firmly believe I can spot a fake after this class you've put on. Thanks buddy

[@NickintheStates]

Thanks Johnny, happy to be of use!

[@mikebottiaux5850]

Very helpful, Thanks!

[@joeventura1]

VERY EDUCATIONAL!!! Thanks!!

[@NickintheStates]

+joeventura1 Any time man, thanks for stopping by!

[@bilhanbel7591]

Dude, when you first were saying bout exam it made me like whatta heck ? but it's pretty effective.. did great job i think ! gratz

[@derweasel]

Great video -- thank you!

[@MrPlanefreak]

This was excellent info,, Cool video thank you :-)

[@NHfiddle]

Hello,, watching approximately 5 years later. My 2016 LP Trad has the fret nubs on it. This particular model was fashioned(sort of)after a 1958 standard. This is the year they went back to basics. I bought it in 2015 and never looked back. Gotta be the best Gibson Les Paul I've ever owned in a lot of years, that includes anything from the beginning. I've had 3 of them...a 1068 Deluxe gold top...1971 triple pick up(turned it into a Pater Frampton clone)and a 1976 Deluxe with the mini buckers in it. The '16 blows them all out of the water.

[@sammyp1971]

great points! Fantastic actually! There first thing i would check is the truss rod ...that's the deal breaker!

[@NickintheStates]

Sam Patterson It's one of the fastest ways for sure. Although I did see a knockoff the other day with a Gibson style one. I was surprised!

[@ajlmirrormist]

I knew nothing about Gibson or Chibson before watching this video... got them all right so now I'm an expert haha. thanks for the education

[@Colhogan06]

In future setups like this, give us a shot of the back of the headstock when having us do the initial inspection. It doesn't do us any good if we cannot look for ourselves to see if the "wings" are there. Telling us in a way after the fact that there are no wings is good but we never got a chance to look for ourselves and make a decision based on all available information.

[@mykuntstynx9463]

Future guy here to tell you that after three years, someone finally showed up to let you know that we've been waiting for three years for your video....

[@frosteyghost2717]

thanks for the video, I'm looking into buying a Les Paul and this will really help

[@NickintheStates]

fiction is reality Happy to be of assistance! Good luck!

[@pimtool9351]

Do yourself a favor and buy a chibson.

[@Squazzoo68]

Great job Nick! I can tell by just looking at a pic if they're fake or not. 2 years ago before I got into this I couldn't. The body shape on Stan Lee is the closest I've ever seen. All of mine have the lazy cutaway and longer top arch. Also, the stamped lettering on the back is different & usually filled with white out. I catch guys selling these on EBay every month. Us Chibson enthusiasts need to stand up & make people realize we are against passing these off as real, & are against people being duped. Gotta watch for fake Rics & Gretsches too! Awesome buddy!

[@NickintheStates]

Thanks man. I can tell now as well super quick. It's been hard earned knowledge! Stan Lee does have just a great shape that I didn't appreciate at first how rare it was that way. Hopefully more will show up that accurate after the holiday rush is over. There are quite a few more tells, from the pickup cavities, wiring color and type, the writing like you said, the inlays on the neck routes, etc. But it takes some knowledge to catch these. A lot of people who get stuck with a fake is because they had a quick opportunity to buy a real LP for 800 or 900 bucks. Poor bastards. Hopefully this one help! I agree on Gretsch and Rics as well. Those I can usually spot quick, but your Ric is better than most. You did a really good job pointing out the differences. Hopefully we can help someone!

[@Squazzoo68]

The one thing I don't understand is, if they can fake the logos and everything else, why are there always subtle differences like the body shape, binding/plastic color & so on? Probably good thing they still have those flaws, otherwise no one would be able to tell!

[@NickintheStates]

Squazzoo68 I think its so that they have plausible deniability. Chinese courts do have a small amount of respectability. If they continue to have these small things wrong they can't be sued successfully. That's my current theory but more and more things are adding up to this being true. And you're right, these things definitely keep people from being fooled.

[@jbbeaudry]

Thanks The last one was hard. I'm glad you managed to get one that is closer to what a real Gibson looks like, because such fakes will be definitely harder to spot.

[@NickintheStates]

+jbbeaudry this is true. The good thing is that lately they've been making ones just a little bit off... the cutaway is a dead giveaway on these one.

[@georgemarcos8688]

Thanks You know, I've been searching the KZbin for a video about how to differentiate between fake and original fender. I wish if you can shoot a video about this cause in my country slot fender from different regions and manufacturers

[@TheYjmfan]

Got it today it was nice except closer inspection reviealed the the tail stop and bridge fixing posts pulled straight out of the holes 😟😳 apart from a few other minor issues it played and sounded fantastic, thanks for your reply!

[@NickintheStates]

Congrats man!

[@duckdevin9623]

Thank you very much for making this video.

[@NickintheStates]

路远戴 You're welcome!

[@stephencox4509]

Nice excuse to show off all your sweet guitars! Lol. The kit at the end is really nice looking. Good job

[@almfoto]

That last one, is the one where discussion begins among the class and the teacher gets pissed cause we saw some of the BS tip offs combined with some legit markers. Cool Video, thanks!

[@NickintheStates]

+Adrian Massi LOL thanks man!

[@jonnybeck6723]

Thanks man... I really appreciate this. cheers

[@NickintheStates]

Glad it was useful!

[@seanhammond4034]

I’m glad after watching the video for the main points, that I got the quiz right, the las one was a bit harder, but taking in what you said, I got it, 😎👍🏻

[@GraemeSPa]

I've just been on the Aliexpress site looking at Les Pauls - they have changed the tailpiece position and the headstock wings.

[@johnroberts838]

Thank you, excellent video, I am selling a REAL Gibson 2004 Les Paul, with a slim 60's Neck, looking for a Fetter Neck Les Paul, this has been a great help thanks. Australia.

[@rareform6747]

Great Job , very original ...

[@NickintheStates]

Thanks man! Happy New Year!

[@elcapitan83]

That Inverness green is gorgeous! Reminds me of Pelham blue, a bit

[@elcapitan83]

Another tell, if present, the toggle switch ring has a different font/overall diameter on the Chibsons vs. real Gibbys. Nice collection, man!

[@donniesavage2051]

Thanks I learned a lot

[@saelaird]

Great video. The last one nearly got me... but I didn't like those frets or the angle on the 'G'.

[@Khosumi]

You can also tell a chibson apart from a gibson if you look at the serial markings at the back of the headstock, real gibsons' markings tend to be a shallow cut whereas the chibson ones have a deeper cut to them. It should also be noted that if the indent at the top of the headstock appears crooked or lopsided, it's most likely a fake. Chibson's tross rod cover also sometime come with 3 screws in them.

[@kieranoconnor333]

6/6 awwhhh yeee! Will be checking to make sure the my first gibson les paul tomorow isn't a fake... Thanks!

[@NickintheStates]

Any time! Welcome to the world of les Paul ownership!

[@toddinho0225]

Great vid! But I couldn’t really follow or see the headstock “wing” difference. What exactly do we look for there?

[@NickintheStates]

sakamuras s You sound like my wife! So the reason I THINK is that I have some that are investments that I play from time to time but live in their cases safe and sound most of the time. The others (fakes mostly) are out in my family room subject to the risks of my 2 and 4 year old hellions. They're pretty to look at and fun to play but not as much of a risk. The one I built was really just for personal enjoyment (and frustrations!) of going through the process to build a LP with great parts. My seconds Chibson was to spec one out in my favorite finish. The real reason is probably more that I'm a little compulsive with collecting stuff and I've now focused solely on guitars! So different wood combinations, pickups, even colors all seem like MUST HAVE items. Chibsons offer instant-ish gratification while maintaining the ability to pay my mortgage. I'm rapidly approaching 30 total guitars. A little over half are investment pieces to at least tie some money up with while the others are more fun toys. Don't drink, smoke or do drugs any more so this is where the money goes now :)

[@bullspit9952]

You can also look on the back of the neck and see if the headstock is glued to the neck. Not all chi sons have that cut but it's something to look for

[@petergolding2591]

BullSpit i

[@imaseeker100]

a scarf joint

[@capth00k]

yeah. lol. scarf joint is correct. You can only see it if you neck has a natural finish. A good guitar is a good guitar, whether or not it's built in china or not. "who" built it matters more than "where" it was built :) just food for thought.

[@guitardudeguy3139]

Nick in the States I Have 69 guitars..been stuck on 69 for awhile now. Most of my guitars are under 1000.00..but all are stage ready..some I don't play live because of collectability..(64 Fender Music Master) for example . But my one rule is..if I can't play it on stage , I don't buy it. I plan to stop at 70. Then if I want something else, I'd have to trade or sell one of the herd. I love guitars period. I do love rotating them around. I get inspired all over again everytime I open a case. I do have my workhorses , since I still tour in the Summer and locally on weekends during the off season. I have GAS but I don't care.

[@crosszeero]

Hi there nick..thanks for the video, i can be extra careful when buying gibson..but i dont understand about the wing you showing at the headstock..can you explain a bit?. :)

[@Patsik]

One day my LP needs refretting. Are they able to keep the fret end binding original? Looks like it can snap off any minute. Thanks for the great video.

[@carpetpro9903]

Is this primarily Lps , or can it be SG,s 335,s ? Also a situation with guitar center's or well known on line distributors? Thanks

[@patrickmoe]

Very informative. thanks.

[@NickintheStates]

Happy you enjoyed it Patrick!

[@Chris_R_]

PDA? "Welcome to 1994" - that was AWESOME! lol

[@johnscottreardon]

Great video.

[@rickygarner7719]

Thanks man you saved a lot of folks from being burned 👍🏻💪🏻

[@NickintheStates]

Happy to be of service!

[@RolandNelson]

great vid !! Cheers !

[@NickintheStates]

+Roland Nelson Thanks Roland!

[@michaelm7534]

Great video! Very informative. Unfortunately this means my genuine LP studio came from the factory with a non-functioning volume pot. Sigh.......

[@jakebronson1096]

You just saved me an hour drive and a boat load of cash. The G was tilted wrong, no wings. Thank you!

[@sansebastian1972]

college level course on spotting a Chibson, fantastic

[@TheZooman22]

Nice one Nick. I saw one the other day in a pawn shop, they thought they had a real Gibson Les Paul.

[@NickintheStates]

+TheZooman22 I saw a vintage gibson a few months ago that had a Japanesew body on an american neck. Sad.

[@parkerevans1356]

I got 100% on the quiz at the end.