Can You Make A FAKE Gibson As Good As The Real Deal? Ali Express CHIBSON!

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[@holstorrsceadus1990]

The real question is can Gibson match the build quality of a $200 Chibson

[@manson9083]

Bet you can't afford either.

[@holstorrsceadus1990]

@@manson9083 I blew like $800k last year on houses and other stuff so no, I couldn't afford a new Chibson at the moment. Luckily I build better guitars anyway and have supplies stocked up so I'm good. I also enjoy the benefits of not being hard pressed to tell between my wife and the family dog who has the more attractive face. Maybe realize you have videos up where I can see your situation before trying to clown people. IDK whether that wildebeest is you or your wife but I'd rather stick my dick in an electrical outlet. Thanks for playing.

[@MarkRigler]

😂

[@benburnett8109]

Yes. For $50,000 you can buy a replica of Greenie. At that price; even if the guitar wont play well, you can afford to have it setup. Gibson matches qualtiy at a rate of 1,000 to 1. So a Chibson that cost 200.00 means a Gibson would cost $200,000 to match the quality level. But it would be "authentic' Gibson sucks.

[@benburnett8109]

@@manson9083 He most certainly can. He is an amazing guy. Has an excellent job. AND he has the common sense not to spend $4500.00 on a Gibson that will have finish flaws, won't stay in tune and will have substandard construction. Chibson is a far better investment for the authentic guitar player. At least with Chibson you get a guitar that stays in tune, has great resale value and was not built by a bunch of progressive liberals who are more interested in the alphabet politics than building quality instruments. But, Gibson does make a hell-uva Tshirt. 100% cotton. Logo quaranteed not to fade for at least 3 washes. That's lifestyle worthy quality. And authentic.

[@Ausf.D.A.K.]

Gibsons are not that even great to begin with, especially for the price. They can't even stay in tune. Slash used a fake Gibson when recording Appetite for Destruction and I bet it was better than the "real" one.

[@trevor4533]

Slash used a Kris Derrig Les Paul replica. He paid something like $2500 for it in 1986, that's around $7k today. That thing is about as close to a $500,000 '59 Les Paul you can get. You can't even compare the two lol.

[@gregputman]

@@Ausf.D.A.K. That's a poor justification for buying a fake

[@gregputman]

@@trevor4533 No doubt man. That guitar that Slash had was a very expensive absolute top-notch premium guitar. Not some cheap made in China counterfeit. Night and day

[@DaveDurango]

Dude, that's just a built in ring-modulator! Please do more of these videos. Really fun

[@winstonsmith8240]

😂

[@stuartcarter7053]

I've never understood the point of a ring-modulator. Just sounds absolutely awful

[@mvyper]

But... If you are into amateur liuthering and fancy a challenge, you could have a lot of fun putting your hands on one and modding it just like you want it. And have the satisfaction of making it playable.

[@TempoDrift1480]

I spent $199 for a Gold Top about 4 years ago, did the standard fretwork and equipment swaps and its absolutely magical. Not even gonna lie. I don't give a fuck what anyone says.

[@bobibobik5903]

@@kgtrains But what is a good deal? To spent on a copy of European classical guitar made from solid wood with 1 cut 10 000 $? Fender also copied look from Bigsby, they on the other hand copied European mandolins' headstock and body look from Croatia-Hungary-Serbia but i didn't saw that anyone cares about it.

[@The..Butterfly..Effect]

I checked - CHIBSON gold top $230 + shipping ($70) = $ 300 (tax not included).... epi will cost you $600-$700 tax not included) + case - And you know what you're getting, and you can sell it and you can buy use epi for $500 ---> and this is for the gold top. + case

[@646627jd]

Right on!!!!! This guy is a MORON.

[@jimmyanderson4865]

its 99% the player not the guitar .

[@LukaCuturic]

@@jimmyanderson4865when the fretwork is so shoddy it mutes every note, the scale length doens't match and the wood is so dried out and sift the entire guitar is unbalanced no virtuoso player can save that

[@Lonnie91a]

I swear all the guitar stores on AliExpress are the same store. They respond when you first contact them and then ghost you after you pay. Then it takes a month to ship even though they say yes it’s in stock. I ordered two from two different stores and didn’t get either one. Both were refunded after filing a complaint.

[@Juno58]

I recently bought a Chibson LP Custom at Ali for just 200 € payed with Pay Pal. The seller was very friendly, answered all my questions, send photos of the guitar. Original price was 220 €, he lowered the price to 200 € because i have to pay import fee for Germany! About 4 weeks later the guitar arrived, the manufacturing quality of the woods is equal to a 600 € Epiphone. Ok, hardware and the PUs are not the best, but everything easy to change. I've changed the hardware to Epiphone parts and '57 probuckers. Now i own a nice looking Custom Les Paul at Epi Level without the ugly Epi headstock but with the sound of my friends 600 € Les Paul Koa.

[@chrisgeo1642]

I am a competent guitar tech, so in terms of the fret work, nut cut and set up that’s nothing but my time. The problem with the fakes that I see when people have brought them to me is the cheap parts, it’s going to cost to upgrade even to the point of “ok” and to get to premium the investment is just not worth it. The biggest problem which you won’t notice for a while is the wood itself. It’s not cured properly the wood is going to twist and shift and eventually the neck is going to be a roller coaster or question mark. The frets are garbage as well three or four crownings away from needing to be replaced. There are inexpensive guitars from good factories to be had for $700 bucks, good out of the box just a set up required and ready to go. If you really want to honor another player by playing their “signature” buy a completely usable guitar for $700 then pay someone to do finish work, don’t copy but pick a theme that matches and spend a few hundred on that.

[@trevor4533]

Exactly. IF you really need the headstock shape, $700 gets you into an Edwards LP style guitar with Duncans already in it. On a good day probably some older Burnys and Grecos too. The only reason why these dweebs want these dumpster fire guitars is for the name on the headstock. Plain and simple.

[@ScottHughesgtr]

Fun watch! I did a similar experiment a decade or so ago ($350 black Les Paul custom) and the results were identical. Managed to sell it shortly after and my monetary losses were minimal 😂

[@FrankCastleThePunisher666]

I’ve just got the Chibson Greeny off of Ebay. Arrived in 8 days to the UK which was a shock. It was fully playable straight from the box. It just needed some fret polishing. The frets themselves were smooth at the edges. I myself bought this for a project in order to practise wiring, and pickup replacements without doing it on a 5k guitar. So with this one I am going to replace the tailpiece, bridge, pickups and electronics. I am also going to fully relic it and remove the “Gibson” logo.

[@raoulduke344]

I got curious a few months ago and bought a Jimmy Page LP Chibson, for £250. The flame maple itself looks good, but the colour and paint is a bit disappointing. There is no fret binding either. I asked them to leave "Gibson" off the headstock but they didn't, so I slashed out the "made in USA" and cut "in China" into the back of the headstock. As for the sound, it's surprisingly really, really good. I don't think they're wax potted, but I have no issues with microphonics. There are no screws in the humbuckers themselves, and the screws on the pickup covers are only decorative. The Grover tuners are decent on mine, too, but it probably varies from guitar to guitar. I had intended to swap all the electronics and pickups out, and replace them with Seymour Duncans, and better wiring but, to be honest, it sounds really good as it is. People are very surprised when I tell them it's a fake. I don't think there's anything wrong with buying one as long as it's not to be used to con people. The only issue I really have is the name "Gibson" on it. If they were made without that, they would be really popular budget guitars, rather than knock offs. It even came properly intonated. Mine came with a truss rod (that needed a slight adjustment) but apparently this can be an issue as some won't even have one.

[@ziptidy]

A great way to get an amazing guitar (and learn a bit about how guitars go together) is to build your own parts-caster. I've made 2 really nice instruments using Warmoth parts. Start with a Tele style guitar though ;). TheTele I put together is my current favourite guitar and was assembled in an afternoon with very few tools. Probably equally good as my Tom Anderson Tele

[@winstonsmith8240]

If you've got a neck you love, just bung in your favourite pickups. Jobs a good 'un.

[@chrispickett3092]

I bought a Jimi Page number 2 cause I wanted a wall hanger and didn't want to spend 40 gs for a Gibby JP2. What I ended up with is a phenomenal playing instrument, thT only required a little amount of time and some new hardware, which I had on hand. Fret work was excellent fit and finish was as good as most Gibbs I seen these days. Nuff Said

[@MaximusBakerGuitar]

The reality of Gibson is their $5000 les Paul’s play just like chibsons when they are finished building. The only thing different is Gibson has a extreme luthier’s section where they spend a lot of time setting up the guitar and frets, and they already put good pickups in them. That’s it, there are a few quality fails chibsons have however, like their routing job is sloppy and their hardware is ass, but no one is gonna see the inside and you should replace the hardware.

[@jmhatutube]

I love and am thankful for honest individuals like you who take the time and money to help inform others about the trappings of going the super-cheap route. Also, it seems your tech's recommendation of just getting an Epiphone and not worrying about the hassle of getting a Chibson playable was an honest and helpful tip. Thank you so much. I think I'm going to get your book too.

[@LeviClay]

You’re very welcome! Have to make the stuff you’d want to see!

[@bobibobik5903]

@jmhatutube Epiphones are great nowadays no matter were they made them not just electric but acustic Jumbo models are honestly sounding good as Gibi's when i tried 10 years ago made in Indonesia models, so i took one for myself. It was better guitar them Ovation, Takamine etc in that shop. *Spear* is a brand name that have some models good as you got a HQ custom guitars. I saw some dirty cheep on UK market, they are old around 10 years like NOS stock but guitars are wow. Locking tuners, 1st class wood, finish, pickups are great and you can find 'em for 200-300$. Honestly it blow out of the water Gibi, PRS, Knags, Schecter, ESP etc and x other fancy names.

[@martin-1965]

Hi Levi, first video of yours I've come across and nicely produced and good to see another British voice in the guitar world online :) You're 100% correct about NOT buying these knock offs, as cute as they might look hanging on the wall, they are a ton of work to make usable. I'm a big fan of the Vintage/JHS range of guitars and have picked up some lovely fully-legit "copies" of Strats/Les Pauls over the years, some that needed a bit of work (but not much) and some that were great straight out of the box. I also love Squiers and Epiphones (especially the old Korean ones) which I've picked up for anything between £80 for Squiers to £250 for a fantastic Epiphone Lemon Burst. Right now, if I had £500-£600 to spend, I'd go straight for one of the Yamaha Revstar range as they are knocking it out of the park with build quality, sound and style. In summary then, Chibsons are a lot of stress and potentially wasted money. I see people trying to sell them on Facebook - usually being 100% honest about being a copy - but they'd struggle to get £200 for one, and most hang around for ages unsold. The Chinese make some great guitars as does Indonesia. Forget what's on the headstock, especially if it's fake as fook - get a guitar that you can play out of the box from a reputable store in your own country and enjoy a grief free experience 👍

[@FranciscoHernandez-xp9yi]

Sounds like a absolute nightmare to go through all that. I’d rather go for a Sire or Epiphone for that price. If you ever get the chance to play a Tokai or Greco, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on that.

[@patrickshannon4516]

Yeah it's a real pain in the ass what you have to go through with those guys over there and you only have about a 50 percent chance of getting something playable. I'll tell you what if you buy any schecter guitar's even their lower cost one's you will be amazed how good they are.

[@bobibobik5903]

@FranciscoHernandez-xp9yi Tokai were making arguably the best guitars at one point, so i like them. even new ones that came from China, Korea are amazing. Sire is also great. Greco is part of MIJ legend, i like old ones especially when i find em for small amounts and dirty or if they need some work, then i get em for pinouts. With a little work i get in the end guitars that is hard to beat.

[@bobibobik5903]

@@patrickshannon4516 How you cam with that % mate? Honestly even a Gibi or far more expensive fancy brands can be unplayable after they travel to another climate region, or when they sit for a few months in box in some shop.

[@patrickshannon4516]

@@bobibobik5903 Because they have people working at their factory that aren't that skilled and it's a big gamble buying something from China been hearing a lot of people disappointed with their building quality. I've ordered from AliExpress a few times it's a big gamble when you buy a two hundred dollar guitar from them that's exactly what you get you don't get anything spectacular. Ordered guitars from zzounds didn't have any issues.

[@errorsofnovember6068]

if you spend $600+ you should buy the Epiphone Custom Ebony it cost $700+ it was good as the Gibson custom

[@trevor4533]

Honestly, if Epiphone brought back the open book headstock like they had on their MIJ ones back in the day, they would fly off the shelves...

[@64mattard]

Great watch dude. I dont know if you remember my "Vintage" as in the brand Greeny LP knock off complete with out of phase PAF pickups, it was by far one of the best necks/guitars for me with beautiful lemon burst & the weight you'd expect but it still cant hold a candle next to the best guitar ive ever owned.... my genuine early 80s Gibson Explorer 2 (the guitar that got away, that makes me cry as i write this) ......So however good the LP was it wasnt a Gibson so i sold it to my brother. I wouldn't get a copy from Ali Express, my first wife bought a wedding dress from there and we'd divorced long before it turned up 😂

[@CodyJungGuitar]

I really enjoyed this entire video. I never knew how importing the fake stuff worked, and seeing the process in your video was fascinating. Thanks for doing this so the rest of us do not have to!

[@LeviClay]

Glad I spent £1000(!!!!) so you don't have to hahahah

[@CodyJungGuitar]

@@LeviClay But the good news is that you will likely make tens of dollars back on the ad revenue from this video!

[@raygonzalez1281]

It is 1000 times better to buy another brand than getting a chibson. I haven't seen any chibson which looks like an original Gibson. The mother pearl absence on chibsons and the logos sizes on the headstock always speak louder... I don't understand why people think that can look like a Gibson There's nothing worst than trying to be something you're not... There are other brands better than Gibson today ... Why would you like to be related to a brand that gives nothing and wants a lot of money for your purchase? Look for other brands instead of getting a chibson

[@MrBallsOfficial]

Just acquired a “Greeny” Chibson Les Paul this week. I got it as a project guitar to upgrade. It came in way better than I expected. It even has fret nibs. Playability is great. Only thing is the fretboard has NO SIDE DOTS 😂. No biggie tho. It’s a project. But it’ll be dope when it’s finished.

[@steviesynapse]

I bought a Greeny, it arrived with the neck snapped in two. AliExpress won’t refund, the seller won’t refund, PayPal have bailed and ‘closed’ the dispute I raised despite twice submitting extensive photos and descriptions via the PayPal app. The quality of the guitar is so bad I wouldn’t waste my time doing a neck repair. It’s now the hands of my credit card company! AliExpress are shockingly bad, probably the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. BUYER BEWARE!

[@jscordoba3]

I was looking into a custom build from the Gibson Custom Shop. I'm a big fan of ES140s and wondered about getting a new one built. The ES Les Pauls are already almost there, so asked about doing one of those with the 22.75" scale like the 140. Get the quote.... $20-25k. NOPE. So as an experiment I ordered a chibson and asked about short scale. "Tony" said he could do it. I didnt have high hopes, but lo and behold he nailed it. I did swap hardware and frets. Did the hardware and electronics myself, and a trusted luthier did the fretjob. All in I was just under $800. Its one of my main road guitars.

[@stevepelham9010]

Yeah they usualy are unplayable if one demands a bit more. "Playable" that is an very tutchy subject as one can play them fresh out of the box, well something. Gibsons are well made thru and thru as Chibsons only what one can see and not always even that. There is a mess inside the neck with an cheap kind of trussrod so that the guitar will never stay put it will shift over and over again where dead notes comes and goes. Inside an affordable guitar there is often an nightmare as one works with them all kind of wierd stuff poops out the most unspected one was an ortopedic footplaster. Today again i was adjusting an problematic neck, its truss and all the sudden one bit of some plastic crap pooped out and finaly i was able in fine tuning that relife. I doubt that one will encounter problems as such with an Gibson.

[@marcuslewitzki4610]

I don't understand why anyone buys fake Gibsons when you can simply buy an Epiphone. They are very reasonably priced and very well made. Wy take the chance on some crappy stuff from Ali Express?

[@chrispickett3092]

Wall hangers doosh. Nuff Said

[@Wylde5150]

I must’ve really lucked out then because I got the black and white bull’s-eye with active pick ups looks and plays great I also bought the EVH Franken Strat. I had an original $2000 one I had to sell the $200 one that I got off of Ali express plays and looks 100% better even has the reflectors and blue paint the only complaint is the whammy bar is ridiculously high, easy fix ordered one off of Amazon for $16 all in all both play great…. not to mention I got them within seven days seven days to be exact. I looked for the same thing you did a response of seller and also one that had a reasonable shipping time my 2 shiped with sf express

[@davidmoss7245]

Great video thanks for putting it out. What if someone wants maybe a black Chibson LP (no awful graphics etc) changed the pickups yourself to quality used items and set it up yourself ? This way there is little dead money and in the future possibly sold obviously as a fake item for what was paid for it originally? Win win??

[@LeviClay]

Where’s the win? Customs my seize and destroy it. It’s really hard selling them because people don’t want to touch them. You won’t get the cost of the parts back, and how much can you set up? Mine needed frets glued in, then a complete fret dress. You set up to do that?

[@Hankboomer]

i had to try 3 of these : THEY SOUNDED GREAT .. better than epiphone. so let's assume you chose the very bad one 🙂

[@JuddLofthouse]

I’ve been subbed to your channel a couple of years I rang the bell and this is the first notification I got through ? Is it just me I don’t know but am glad now I’ve got a lot of catching up to do .great post 👌👍

[@f3uibeghardt522]

"It's like they (the Chinese craftsmen) are making these with their eyes closed." Hmmm, hahahahaha.

[@OkieOrganix]

I bought one in 2023. The quality was poor on all components and had pretty bad visual imperfections in the finish. The nut was cut too low and the 12th fret was installed crooked then over filed so it played like total trash. However, I replaced the nut, pulled and replaced the frets and replaced everything else with real brand components. Now the guitar plays like a dream but it ended up costing about the same as a Gibson once you buy replacement parts, tools to do the jobs right, shipping on everything, time invested learning how to fix the problems, etc. Would I do it again? I dunno it was hell but I do now have all the tools and a new skill. 😂

[@ozzy844]

If i dont have the logo on it will it be fine to go through customs?

[@LeviClay]

It should be

[@stevehaye]

i have 4 chibsons and with some work i am quite happy with them. i also have gibsons and epiphones. find the right builder. be prepared to change electronics and do some fret filing. change the nut. do a nice setup and you have a good playing guitar. that said yours has arrived in worse condition than any of the ones i bought

[@aleczandermott8071]

can you point in the direction of a good seller please ?

[@CRAZYCANUCKTV]

Its very possible to fix but would take alot of sanding

[@tem_anu]

Fret work. New pickups. Long as tpu get decent pots and wiring and tuners. Really can get good pickups sometimes. Honestly gibson custom shops have no wax potted pick ups. So food for thought. Def fret work tho

[@rayadray9279]

I purchased a off brand guitar and all I can say it was amazing when I got it totally amazing

[@claudehopper9813]

That's the biggest problem with the Chinese knock-offs ..unscruplist (sp) sellers will sell them as the real thing ..and that sucks ! You're honest review was very refreshing .

[@stringedaz]

I used to be a major cork-sniffer about gear: ONLY USA Gibsons and Fenders and all others are inferior. In recent years, however, I've found that the Chinese, Indonesians, and other foreign countries who make import "low end" guitars can make a LOT of instrument for not much money. More recently, I've been buying cheap Chinese necks online and just doing all the fret and finishing work myself with fantastic results. You can build an instrument that punches way above its weight class in terms of features and quality for under 500 bucks using Chinese parts and a little elbow grease.

[@stephensdygert7600]

Chinese Ace Frehely model is a excellent product. I've owned the 1997 Korean model for 25 years. Just as good if not better. The Korean model has Demarzio pickups, I don't know the brand of Humbucker the Chinese use, however their hot and articulate. Clean or distorted. The neck on the Chinese is styled like the American Ace model 1959. The Epiphone is a thinner neck.

[@TheStratfanatic]

I bought one in a burst and stripped it to the wood. Replaced everything. Even the Gibson logo is going. Ebay shopping was the saver. Burstbucker 1&2 pups, bone nut. Grover vintage tuners. New Aluminum stop tail piece and roller bridge. Redid the frets ends and leveled a, crowned and polished the fret. oiled the bone dry fingerboard. All the pots and switch were replaced with the Original equivilent Bourne pots, braided wire and paper and oil tone caps. Many hours of work(I;M retired, so). It came out good. Isn't painted right but I'm not going there. For a bedroom guitar or maybe a loaner to the Grandkids Meh...850.00 bucks into it.

[@Cr16604]

I have 2 Chibsons. A LP that is about 14 years old, and a DG 335 that’s about 12 years old. It has nothing to do with not being able to afford a real Gibson, I just haven’t really ever liked Gibson compared to stat style guitars. Aside from looking really good, they’re heavy and uncomfortable. All my other guitars aren’t fake. They’re the real deal. I could afford a $5000 les Paul, but I never liked them enough to justify paying that much for a guitar just because it’s trendy. The LP Chibson I bought was from a guy locally, and it’s just as good as a Gibson as far as I’m Concerned. Aside from Not having a nitro finish you can’t really tell the difference. I upgraded everything on it except the stop tail piece. Correct 50’s wiring with the right type of wire, paper in oil caps, ect. It was done right. It’s never been my favorite guitar, but no one has ever questioned it for it’s looks or sound. The dg-335 was impossible to get new in the pellam blue color, and the used market prices skyrocketed almost immediately. Again, I could afford a real one easily new, but I wasn’t about to pay 10-15k for a guitar on the used market. Especially one I’ve never played or even held in person. So I got a Chibson one from a site that doesn’t even exist anymore. All they sold was that guitar and you basically had the choice to how it was made. So I got the nitro finish, and the thin bridge posts that were drilled into the guitar like a real one. Didn’t even have the electronics put in it because I knew I’d change them. At the time the aliexpress ones had binding in the diamond holes and the fret markers were to small. This site was doing them right. So for $450 I figured, what the hell? When it came It looked perfect, especially the finish. The color was the exact Pelham Blue. It even has the orange sticker in the diamond hole that was correct. I got all the right hardware and electronics again and real Grover tuners. That guitar was the biggest pain in the ass to wire I’ve ever done. I bitched and cussed a lot and almost threw it at the wall, but I finally got it done. So I had 2 Fake Gibson, woohoo. About 5 years ago guitar center had a really good sale on a Les Paul standard so i bought it, and I took it back 3 days later because I liked the Chibson better. It sounded better and played better, even the flame and burst blend was better. And one day the volume Pot on the dg335 started shorting out. I wired it, so it was my fault. I didn’t have the patience to figure out what the problem was so I took it to one of the last independent music stores in my area that was supposed to have a great tech. He’s worked there for 40 years, and it completely fooled him. He thought it was real, saying never to get rid of it because it will probably be like the 59 Les Pauls are price wise in the future. I laughed and told Him it wasn’t real. The look on his face was priceless. He though I was joking, and when I assured him it was fake He looked it over for a few minutes and his amazement changed to being pissed off. He said he’d have never repaired it if he had known. It was just a lose solder joint on the switch, so it wasn’t like he restored a counterfeit guitar. He lectured me about the moral aspects of it and all that. I told him I had no intentions of selling it, but he didn’t care. He was still pissed. He said he would have stamped it as a fake if he had known. It was to late by then, I already had the guitar in my hands and in the case, but we didn’t part on good terms. I’m probably black listed there now. I haven’t been back since so I don’t really know. I think he was more upset with himself for not knowing it was fake. He’s probably never seen a real one before so he had nothing to compare it too. But they can’t be that much different than An ES-335. Either way he treated me like I was trying to rip them off when it was just a simple repair. So long Story short, Yes, you can get a Chibson that is comparable to a Gibson if you go through the right seller. All guitars are CNC now unless it comes from A boutique builder. It’s not like the old days when they were truly hand made and each one was different depending on who the person was that built it. Theoretically guitars should be cheaper now because of the CNC manufacturing. That’s why you can get a lesser known brand that can rival the big names. Half the price is probably in the name, and not the quality. There’s a video on KZbin of a guy in a band that I can’t remember the name of, be he had a private stock prs that the neck broke off on stage. He made a video of him shredding on a $100 Amazon guitar and amp package and he could play it just as good as a private stock prs. He didn’t say it was just a good as the prs, but the point was you don’t need an expensive guitar to be a good player. I call It headstock syndrome, which I admit to having. Fender and Gibson headstocks just look right for some reason. Even Suhr guitars that are supposed to be good guitars, maybe even better than fender just don’t look right because of the headstock. Oh, and the site I got the dg335 from even included the coa book with the picture in it and fake Dave Grohl signed paperwork. I don’t know if that’s still a thing or not. I never plan on selling it, but for some reason I did I’d make it very clear it’s a replica. I don’t think they’re bad guitars for the money or a project. It’s the people that rip off people that don’t know any better that give the guitars a bad reputation.

[@ricdale7813]

I went this route around 2014. Bought 2 Chibsons for less than $450 shipped. One was a Orange burst Page replica, One was a Liefson Axcess copy. Fret work was garbage. Electronics were un labeled cheapies and all the hardware was pot metal junk. Mini cheap pots, hide glue all over the bodies under the finish. But from 10 feet away they looked the part. No mater how much you spend though in upgrades they will never play like Gibson does. They are literally props imo.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

The Gibson on the headstock is the problem, I wasn't expecting that. Nowhere in the ads for Les Pauls I've seen on Aliexpress does it say 'Gibson', but they don't show the headstock in the ads. I love Aliexpress, I've bought something most fortnights for about 5 years, and I spent $500 on a saxophone that was a great buy a couple of years ago, so I've been eyeing those Les Pauls off for a while now! I can't afford to have it destroyed though!

[@davidledford3522]

One of the best players i ever heard swore by agile guitars you can get them used cheaper than a epiphone and way way way better

[@MegaRomans01]

Man i just bought a iyv guitar it was awesome 7 peice neck through for 210 bucks swapped electronics no setup and its a straight killer. My opinion is very different.

[@LeviClay]

your *experience is different

[@paulbateman81]

I got a £200 chibson secondhand and stripped all the upgraded parts from previous owner. Emg81/85 solderless pots etc, locking tuners by sperzel and sold all the bits and almost had a free unloaded guitar. Upgraded with irongear parts and Wilkinson hardware and made it to a Jimmy page copy. Looked good and played amazing. Could I sell it? No I couldn’t. Absolute nightmare! Got removed from every sale sight for being a replica or fake. It was listed as a replica and I also scraped fake into the back of headstock. Ended up trading it for another guitar. Wouldn’t try and do it again

[@Somenite]

Great video. The story on these guitars always seems the same. People buy them and have to do a bunch of fretwork, change all the electronics, pickups and often tuners and bridge. That is if they made it through customs and showed up undamaged in shipping to begin with. By this time, they have often spent enough to buy a real used Studio or Jr/Special or a very good new Epiphone. A few months back I was in a shop that carries a lot of used and they had a Studio on consignment that had the best top I've ever seen on a Studio and it was priced about $800. I can't imagine rolling the dice on a fake when I could get something like that guitar which not only looks better but is legal to sell and will likely hold its value. Just have to be patient and look around.

[@RoeyHaviv]

Good video. As someone who besides nice guitars also has a great upgraded Chinese 10s (LP copy) and an Epiphone, the Epiphone QC is so good now there’s no reason to buy a copy.

[@theobserver86]

I just saw a website saying 90% off Selling "gabzon" sgs and flying Vs oh and IBENEZ Jem's Not Ibanez all for under 25$ I wanna buy one but I don't trust it

[@maxmustardman298]

yeah people tend to forget that you might not even get the guitar at all...bc customs does their job properly for once..so did you get the bullseye version after all ?

[@balderfanini]

It Is pot luck. I bought a gold top for £156 delivered and the workmanship was flawless. I've upgraded some hardware for about £100 and it's really great. Going to gig It hard.

[@inkedvillan80]

last couple ive bought have been great out of the box, on par with the legit gibsons ive owned. Changing the pickups makes it beven better

[@pa4tim]

The builder could have made guitars without faking the brand-name. They are just trying to con guitarplayers. The danger is a criminal customer can also buy them to con people by offering them for like 1000 dollar or more. This already happened. And if you do not have a big budget you can buy plenty of cheap guitars that are not faking the brand name. I know 2 people who stopped playing after a few months because it was to hard on a very cheap guitar, until they tried one of my decent guitars. And they did not have the knowledge to set it up better or a teacher to tell them it is the guitar that is just to hard to play for a beginner.

[@weightoawesome3455]

Lol feb 20 I went on a binge and ordered 5. Now I’m really nervous. Only one was a try chibson in the sense it had “gibson” on the headstock. The others I had customized to say my and my daughters name. Hopefully they get here.

[@nickphillips1721]

The way I build them, just order a husk with pilot holes for the bridge and tail piece. Then you can use a real nash or abr bridge.I ordered stainless steel frets with nibs and the exact finishes I want. The cnc work is perfect and their paint is at least as good as Gibson. Under 300.00. Amazing! I have a couple that could almost fool Trogly! LOL!

[@J.C...]

Trogly lol. For the longest time, he went to actual experts for help identifying stuff. Don't let him fool you. He's a self-proclaimed expert. He asks other people about the guitars and then acts like he did it all himself. People being the actual experts.

[@sampettit1172]

Thanks for your video I was considering doing just that like you did and upgrading everything..like you say cheaper to just buy actual Gibson at the end of the day.

[@DJCJ999]

I fancy an Ali-Goldtop but fk Horder Force busting me!! Hitting Ebay I can get a Burney GT with a 15mm maple top and Mahogany everything else for sub 300 kingheads and it doesn't have slot headed tunomatic bridge (always loads cheap asf).. Has an open book headstock too and you can buy Gibson decals so overall a better bet.. I think... that said I need to check them out on youtube first.

[@scottkellogg8145]

US customs really are stickers also I have to work with customs all the time every day actually I work for ups store here in the states

[@tommyibanez3958]

I wanted 2 artist models made to 24 fret and AANJ , basically Ibanez platforms with the Kamikaze and Crossed Swords graphics. A million messages later it all fell apart, likely thankfully. The sticking point? They couldn't guarantee that they WOULDN'T put brand logos on them. You'd think that was the easiest part- they save labor and customs aggravation and I get what I want. Nope, they wouldn't NOT commit that part of the fraud.

[@kaygsucks]

I have a chibson with all custom internals. Sounds amazing

[@MajorTomgames]

tip for chibson buyers: get a revstar

[@zedkent4287]

What about Aliexpress brands trying to make their own brand like nk guitars or Goc?

[@laztavus]

I’ve ordered 3 guitars from AliExpress, first guitar arrived with neck snapped off, the other 2 weren’t damaged at all and the one I wanted most was perfect, pickups sucked

[@pentatonicpaddy]

whats to stop them putting a fake unbranded veneer on ther headstock with the gibson one underneath would it then get through/ is it just the gibson logo thats why they stopped it ? or is it the whole les paul shape . How far do customs go to fins out its fake ? take for instance the buckethead les paul would they even know those arent even sold by gibson anymore and stop it or do they do a minimal check and just check the headstock ? either way this is a problem just buy an authentic guitar for 500 quid you would be much better off with a 500 quid fender epiphone shecter etc than one of these knock offs unless its just wanted for an art piece .

[@kkbandchannel]

Love the Scottish accent !!!

[@zsaxeshed5743]

Dang,i want one ! I love my Firefly V

[@stephensdygert7600]

Gibson will probably be a Chinese company, in the not too distant future.

[@wolfgangwylde5889]

The incorrect bullseye pattern most every seller offers has that lame center spot under the bridge pickup.. Why they cannot seem to realize such an obvious error in the bullseye pattern just blows my mind and telling them about it, doesn't seem to clue everyone in to stop making them than way , not to .mention the goofy gold stamped standard Gibson 8 digit serial number and gold Zakk pic Hello it's a ZW serial number inked in black and Zakk is in black not gold . 🤨

[@jimmylepog5133]

I really don't care about the finish or other details but, my question... can it play decently?

[@bobmanners8624]

What language is your tech speaking!?

[@GuitarDaze2023]

I could see from a majority of comments that a lot of these, buy an epiphone or just buy a squire people don’t really work on guitars or like to mod, most of them are afraid to use a soldering iron,or fix anything on a guitar ,let alone buy something they think is inferior to made, in USA products,there’s no pride left in American manufacturing, If china can take that much pride to make a fake guitar,imagine how good a 3000 dollar guitar would be from over there,I see absolutely nothing wrong with buying a chibson better quality than an epiphone I have both.

[@jonasirw1]

If it’s illegal to make a guitar look like a Les Paul - at least shape wise, why are there so many non-Gibson Les Paul’s from other major guitar brands hanging in the same stores where authentic Les Paul’s hang? Did they pay to license the shape and general design?

[@LeviClay]

Good question! Well if you look at the news for the last year, Gibson have been cracking down on that, and there are now authorised les Paul shape guitars made by people other than Gibson. The other thing is that those les Paul lookalikes aren’t actually the same shape, they’re just similar. So that protects them. But you’ll notice none of them have that headstock… which is also trademarked

[@prelovedguitarsni1436]

I have bought 10 "tributes" from Ali & DH Gate & generally they have been very good quality, 3 are actually exceptional quality, a Firebird, one of the Les Pauls & a 335. The only down side is, as pointed out here, you need to be REALLY patient.I have never recieved one as bad as yours, all mine have been at least playable. I have to say, the guitar being held by customs is entirely on you, not the seller, they completed their part of the contract, supplying & shipping a guitar to your address, you knowingly bought a guitar that infringed Gibsons, copyright, so unfortunately will just have to take it on the chin.

[@ArnoVdVelde]

Funnily enough, because of the shoddy and sloppy visuals... these kind of don't pass the mustard on just a fun prop to hang on the wall

[@jeffamerican5628]

I bought a licensed Evh 5150 for $1700 and I hate it, does that mean I’m cool now?

[@christian_p]

This is such a great video mate. I’ve been watching your transcription stuff for ages trying to learn little bits of wisdom from you here & there- this is a welcome change of pace, love your insight

[@polnoeceloe]

The main thing in a guitar is wood and a beautiful shape, everything else can be replaced, so Chinese guitars are a great option for poor players who don't mind a little refinement of their instrument. You can refine it in stages, the main thing is that the guitar is there and it works, the rest you can do step by step

[@siknessgaming7305]

Would be better off buying a Firefly LPS and making the mods yourself.

[@w1zard0f0h]

But you can buy the parts when you have the money. Whereas, if you buy a gibson you have to have all the cash up front. This you can upgrade over time.

[@VirtualRobotsRevolt]

I wish they still made these epiphones and gibsons. If they did I wouldn’t even think about getting a knock off.

[@bearj.4363]

My favorite is if it weren't for off centered graphics, these chibsons have the EXACT SAME quality control isssues with real gibsons. I paid $2600 for a real Gibson and had to send it back TWICE for awful paint issues, shoddy fret work, and weird screw hole cuts.

[@LeviClay]

I’ve never played a Gibson with fretwork as bad as what showed up. I’ve never played ANY guitar with fretwork that bad 😂

[@anunexpectedfire4062]

I almost impulse bought a ES-125TDC knockoff just last night and so glad I didn’t. Your video was exactly the scenario I had going through my mind. Thanks for confirming that I probably made a good decision.

[@Billy_345]

Helpful video as always, possibly interesting point, I bought a Harley Benton ( which could be considered a knock off i suppose)during covid for £135. ( think it’s about £150 now) So I like a bargain, but didn’t have all the pissing about you’ve demonstrated you have to go through. Plays good enough for me ( for context I’m shite and no one’s listening anyway 😁) but upgrades are always possible. Good on you for highlighting this, it seems an easy trap to be tempted into falling for.

[@patrickshannon4516]

Harley Benton I been hearing that name a lot seems like they are really getting their shit together and building nice quality instruments. I almost bought me one but something to do with my credit card wouldn't let me make an international purchase from Thoman the manufacturer of Harley Benton.

[@MattsGAP]

I came across a bullseye chibson years ago and it was absolutely terrible. I didn't know much about chibsons back then but it was immediately obvious that it was a rip off Gibson. The truth is that someone buying these, is either trying to get a great looking guitar on the cheap or to scam someone else looking for the real thing. Pointless when you can get a great (real) guitar for £250

[@ListenHereOldMan]

man, it's really ignorant to say "if you're obsessed w the idea of brands" as if that's the only reason anyone would ever wanna pick up a chibson. before i go on, i JUST BOUGHT a brand new H-150 Custom Core. it was on sale, but it was still $3000... that was the 29th of Dec, and then i saw ppl talking up the quality of the chibsons they'd received from a certain company, that isn't on Ali.. so i put in an order for 2 nitro finished relics, one of which is a greeny, bc i couldn't care less about Hammett, or the fact that Moore or Peter Green owned the gd thing, i just like the look of the guitar, and i don't usually like flame. i don't care if it says gibson on it, tbh i'd prefer one that didn't have it on there so i wouldn't feel too self-conscious to play it out. but they can serve as the best bang for your buck platform if the neck's decent. if i'm gonna buy an Epi or a similar budget brand, and try to make it a player's guitar, i'm gonna pull out all that bs anyway, so idg ppl slaggin it off, particularly when Gibson's been so awful re QC. and i don't like many body styles! so i don't have a ton of guitars to choose from. i like Les pauls, tele's, jazzmasters and 335's... that's it. 100% it. i won't buy anything else. at all. so it presents me w an issue when i'm looking for Les Paul styles. bc i DON'T care AT ALL about brand, i'm looking at the top-end FGN LS-30, bc it's a natural finish i love. and the Tokai line... plan on buying from each of those if work keeps going well, but they're still not cheap. i've got no desire to buy their budget lines. i paid $275 shipped/ea for a couple nitro relics that claim to have abr-1 bridges and bone nuts. unless the neck's warped i don't see myself caring if they even put hardware on the gd thing. really can just do the bare min to string it so it doesn't warp. if you're buying randomly off Ali then a far better analogue would be randomly turning to a page in musician's friend (or w/e they have in the Land of Bad Teeth) and ordering w/e... at that point you're likely to get a hunk of shjt too

[@andrewenglish3810]

It's not really a "fake" it's a replica. In order to become a replica its measurements need to be off vs the real deal which Chibson's are, it's only a fake if it matches the same measurement specs as the real gituar.

[@LeviClay]

No… that’s not how that works at ALL 😂 If it uses registered and protected trademarks… guess what? It’s a fake. It’s really as simple as that. That’s literally the whole point of a trademark. You can’t make a Chanel handbag and it be 2mm smaller and then just say “well technically it’s a little smaller so it’s not fake”

[@nieko3038]

Chances that customs take the guitar and destroy it makes it a no go for me.

[@gregputman]

Thank you. Finally a level-headed opinion

[@captainkirk70]

Newer Chibsons are great. You do know they sell them on eBay too right?? A Chibson is a far better guitar than any Epiphone.

[@LeviClay]

Did you even see what showed up in the video? 🤡

[@TomsGreenMind]

"This has no resale value" Yes! You wouldn't believe how many Chibsons are on FB marketplace and being sold as a fake and sellers still expecting reasonable money for it. It's only worth the cost of the wood at most.

[@erickaufmancustomguitars1351]

I'd point out that the cost of the wood comment is a really terrible thing to say. What do you like to do for free? And, what cost? Cost of desired wood or rejected wood ? Whose standards? Basswood blank from a reputable shop 1 piece plank 50 - 70 bucks 2 piece blank 53-75$ 7' plank 6.75" x 2" 38$ Whose cutting it ? no money for you Whose plain to put it thru- that's free too No need to sharpen blades, theres no money in it Electricity....free Fuel to deliver it to you? No need to cover that cost either. I guess I could build you a custom neck thru Rhodes with premium wood and components for about.... let's see...the cost of the wood. How about the cost of a seed? You plant it for free. We'll wait for the tree to grow. The sun shines for free. See..your on you way.

[@TomsGreenMind]

@@erickaufmancustomguitars1351 I understand the cost and labour that goes into building a guitar. But as soon as you willingly infringe on copyright to make money, it loses its value. It's a counterfeit and a fake and always will be. That massively damages the value of something.

[@Randomnessaralus]

You went with the wrong seller obviously! I've got 2 chibsons a firebird and a 59lp...both came w nitro finish bone nut and stainless steel frets, mahogany bodies. After minor setups and putting in pickups they are fantastic instruments!!

[@jonathansnow8222]

To play devils advocate for a second, with regards to the Zak wilde LP, and to use your example of a drug transaction, if you're giving money to someone for an illegal product, knowing full well that your buying something that is illegal, why should you get your money back? You specifically ordered a guitar that you knew was counterfeit, and entered into an agreement where he would build and ship something to you. The guy spent money for the raw materials, parts and his labor, In a country that has different laws about IP, and he shipped it to you thus completing his obligation to you in the agreement. You know the laws in your country and thus have to assume the risk of the illegal item being seized at customs. So really you aren't entitled for a refund when you knowingly and willingly tired to import an illegal item. Just like the guy who gave his drug dealer money for drugs isn't entitled to get his money back if the drug dealer gets busted and the drugs are confiscated.

[@LeviClay]

That would be true if the website (not the person selling on the website) didn’t have company headquarters in the UK where they’re registered for receiving payments and this are subject to the laws of the country they are in when they do transactions. In the UK, if I make a purchase, I’m protected to receive the product. If the company doing business doesn’t like the protections offered to consumers in the country they do business in… they should police what they’re selling more effectively.

[@jonathansnow8222]

@LeviClay I didn't know that... its a good thing I was only playing the devils advocate and not his full time representation. Have you ever come across any of the counterfeit fender custom shops? I've seen some for sale in my area ( southern ontario, canada) but I've never held or seen one in person. I feel like those would be easier to counterfeit. Also, your video on the comfortably numb solo has been a big help for nailing down the few sections I was struggling with.

[@LeviClay]

@@jonathansnow8222 I can’t say I have, though you’re probably right about them being easier to fake. Bolt ons are easy, though the setup of a two point trem isn’t too easy. Why does the second hand market have to be such a minefield? 😂

[@jonathansnow8222]

@@LeviClay I know right! The biggest issue I've seen lately is the insane markups on older strats. Late 90s to early 2000s MIMs are being listed between $800 - $1000 CAD. Double what they cost brand new. It's ridiculous.

[@LeviClay]

@@jonathansnow8222 I actually like the idea of a nice custom shop strat, but they’re upwards of £5000 here 😂

[@hippiebiker3399]

I’ve purchased several types of Chibsons over the years. Never received one that was this bad. In fact, I’ve been extremely pleased. I do change the electronics, tuners, pickups and hardware. Most play as well or even better than even my high end Gibsons or Fenders. You asked… Is it worth it? Absolutely! BUT you have to find a seller that communicates. Plus, I give a list of things they have to guarantee for me before I commit to buying it: 1. Neck is straight 2. Frets are level 3. No sharp fret ends 4. Bone, tusq or graphite nut ~ not plastic 5. Bridge and tailpiece are in alignment 6. No paint flaws 7. I must have pictures of “MY” particular guitar before approval and shipping. This might seem impossible, but if they want your business then they will comply. Sometimes I received the plastic nut but overlooked it because everything else was done right. Don’t feel like you’re at their mercy because you’re the one who can shop around. I have 2 on the way now… a SRV strat and a Flying V. I received pictures and gave approval before shipping. Communication is the KEY!

[@Wylde5150]

The white is a sticker

[@kadourimdou43]

What a headache! Not the video, the ordering and guitar quality. If you ever order a custom guitar from scratch I hope you do a video for comparison. Is it worth spending the extra money, instead of getting a normal good quality model.

[@philippehendrickx1109]

I shouldnt be, but i still shocked to see how many people, looking at the comments, dont seem to have a problem with buying illegal fake stuff. Its not only sad but also just very wrong. As this video proved, it makes a lot more sence to buy a legit, maybe second hand ephiphone or squire if you are on a budget.

[@EdSki1970]

Slash played a counterfeit Gibson

[@vincentrandles8105]

What the hell is your tech saying mate? He's too quiet + e's Scottish, so....yeah undecernable!

[@scottdunn3489]

Now do this with a Harley Benton

[@FilipSoldan1]

If they would give him this guitar in gibson after all the work, he wouldn't notice a thing😂 when he first started playing it It sounded like 90% of gibsons from guitar center😢

[@guitarstorms]

I'd buy it still looks cool