How to Spot a FAKE Gibson in Seconds!

[@POOKIE5592]

The direction of the saddle adjustment screws is not an indication of anything. Lots of people turn them around to suit their preference.

[@tharsgaard663]

Plus on an abr 1 bridge, the adjustment screws are actualy that way around as standard

[@MorleyRobertson1975]

100%.

[@snap-off5383]

The screws for the tune bridge aren't an indicator either, they can be swapped out. The good indicators are to see the stamp on the headstock and pull a pickup and look inside for the gibson process stamps.

[@Whodamanimal]

Although they are usually removed during the process of refretting a guitar, a new Gibson Les Paul (that has neck binding) will have fret nibs. The neck binding has a little bump on each end of the fret that blends into the fret ends. It's the first thing I look for when checking out used Gibsons.

[@des565]

I bought a Chinese Gibson Les Paul Replica 1960 RO Heritage Cherry Sunburst from a Seller on Ebay and it is AWESOME! All the details are very accurate from the binding, the headstock shape, the fret inlays, the real flame maple top is 2 piece and nicely matched, the neck shape is right 60's slim taper. All I changed was the Tuning keys to Grover Vintage Deluxe with Keystone aged keys, and I had a complete Epiphone wiring harness installed with Epiphone Alnico Pro Humbuckers and full size pots.( my little secret) and a bone nut. I I could'nt be happier with this guitar. All in at $575 ish dollars. It plays really nice and sounds sweet. I could'nt be happier with this guitar. Very well worth the money I have put into it.

[@Bugster42]

It probably stayed in tune - a dead giveaway

[@fim1344]

lol, Les Paul headstock rant :)

[@mylastconfession1709]

Bugster42 lol

[@vicpnut1]

Roflmao

[@packingten]

Bugster42. I had an 82 LP deluxe BEAUTIFUL.....YOU could NOT keep it in tune period....last gibson I ever bought!!!....your comment...lol

[@MattKittredge2112]

I have an Epiphone Custom LP, and I barely ever have to tune it, lol. I've left it in it's case for about a month, and the next time I decided to play it, I think I only had to *slightly* tune the B string.

[@kamba666]

It is very easy to know real from fake! What you do is pick it up and play it, if it stays in tune that means it is fake

[@TheMoneyMakingMentor]

LOL

[@bryanstaddon5998]

It could also mean it’s set up properly. It’s total BS that Les Pauls don’t stay it tune. It’s easily proven by the millions of people playing them live all night, including me.

[@americanjoe5486]

Not with those kluson deluxe tuners !!!

[@SMart7751]

Mine is a real Gibson LP, it stays in tune beautifully.

[@JokersWild70]

That is one of the worst headstock jobs, especially the very top, that I have ever had the misfortune of seeing. The curves on the top arent even symmetrical! Best thing to do with that guitar is to throw it in a burn barrel.

[@カスカディア国人]

Yeah the only thing this guitar will do is keep you warm in December

[@JokersWild70]

lmao

[@megicappel]

resqfireman1 Not in a barrel! Throw it in the chimney so it can at least warm your flat...

[@brucealcoriza1606]

No, man ! you are wrong ! Most underwears now that can be found in Walmart and other major department stores like TJ Maxx, Ross, Target, Kohls, JC Penney, and countless others are mostly made in China, Mexico, Pakistan, India, or Haiti...Those are the 5 major countries that these American companies deal with. Shoes of all type like Nike, Adidas, Under Armor, Reebok, etc. are the ones that are made in Indonesia, and actually majority of them are still made in China...When it comes to guitars, ESP, Ephiphone, and Fender are the ones that are mostly made in Indonesia...my point here is, get your facts together !

[@stevepratt9639]

Bob Roberts

[@beefsoda1]

I bet the pawn shop is still asking for 1800

[@CamRebires]

Holy shit 1800 to ~300... imagine the poor people, who fall for that stuff :O

[@ayannaenglish7334]

Good human be happy I'm buying a stratocaster at guitar center for like half of 300 (150) so they can do better smh

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

enjoy your squire bullet

[@juanvaldez5422]

Kennis Russell then they probably knew

[@elitesmoke6195]

Should hace dropped it and been like oops

[@obiwanjacobi]

You can flip those bridges and saddles, so that is not a good indicator.

[@Voxboy876]

That guitar is a chibson from quite a few years ago. The newer ones are made better but still shit.

[@whatisthis__95]

What is wrong with what he said?

[@ayrtonoropeza1518]

Hey, it isn't so fucking hard: newer "Chibsons" are better because they do a better job at copying the looks of an actual Gibson, but you can still tell the difference and they're shitty guitars. I don't know how you didn't get that, but anyway you can't go around calling people "fucking retards" so lightly, specially when everybody understood that pretty straight-forward comment.

[@staceymcgrath6971]

Ayrton Oropeza Never heard of a guitar brand called 'Chibson' you knob! You mean cheap Gibson? There's no such thing as a cheap Gibson but there are fakes! Is that what you mean? Another thing...there's no point wasting my time arguing with you guys as clearly you have a lack of knowledge of 'Real Gibson' guitars and it makes me wonder if any of you have ever owned one. To put this into more context I have 'Old' and 'New' and there are subtle differences and they are neither 'better' or 'as good as' each other. And Voxboy you haven't gotta clue what your rambling on about! Fact!

[@jimiaxe]

Chibson means CHinese gIBSON . I just call all fakes Fibsons myself!

[@Voxboy876]

Stacey McGrath LOL.

[@leonbiner5290]

man that's not cool for people who don't know that fake guitars exist

[@linkuzumaki5375]

yeah you're right I didn't see the price its the price of an epiphone, but still if a kid is a fan of Slash and he wants a les paul he can get fucked up by a fake guitar.

[@JoeBaermann]

A kid that is a Slash Fan and lives the US should go for Epiphone's red Slash signature mode,l or if on a budget the cheap AFR which actually is pretty nice too. Even used Gibson LP's better than the red sig. costs more, and with newer models it should definitely be an HP version, but they will still lack the SD Zebra pickups.

[@mitchmitchelson9767]

I work at a pawnshop and I can say that for many high end guitars, we usually recommend them to a professional unless they have the original receipt, since we're not trained in authenticating a guitar most of the time. That being said whoever took in the one in the video is an idiot since something like the tuning pegs is a dead giveaway that it's a fake or had heavy mod work done on it.

[@yaseen_elolemy]

Joerg Baermann well slash's first guitar was a fake les paul

[@rhythmandmoose]

Where's the 400$ pricetag? All I see is 1799$.

[@DavidRFIT]

In the last two years the Chibsons got WAY better. With some of them it's almost impossible to tell if they're fake or not.

[@NeilDjents]

David RF chibson sucks, chibanez sucks, chacksons sucks, Ch-c rich sucks , cender sucks

[@erikabuksirova320]

David RF 666

[@PillsBuryDoughBoy_]

@@NeilDjents dont forget chickenbacker!

[@davesaenz3732]

They look great. Flawless.

[@bradleybrown8399]

Probably because of the proliferation of videos like these.

[@greghilinski6571]

Kennis, kick ass job. Here is my one comment on these types of videos. They are super helpful to the buyer and help them avoid being ripped off for serious coin. At the same time, we have pointed out the fakes and the fakers have improved the fakes! this is one where the fakers realized the logo problems, fixed one of them but introduced another. What is really stupid is why Gibson is fighting the fakes instead of just saying buy our guitars with a warranty. Gibson is creating their own problem here in a major way.

[@dilellamike]

If I am not mistaken, a Les Paul "Custom" has block inlays (like the Epiphone in the video) and also the large decorative inlay (also like the Epiphone.) The fake Les Paul in the video was a copy of a Les Paul Standard with a truss rod cover that says custom.

[@metalblues1370]

Good advice EXCEPT for his comment about the bridge on a fake and a authentic Gibson. He failed to mention that the bridge on a authentic Gibson can be easily put on backwards. My friend Carl recently bought a Gibson LP (1980) from a music store, then came across this video and freaked out really bad because everything checked out except for the bridge. He called me because I own several Gibson and Gibson LP's, to check it out. The previous owner had turned the bridge around backwards on the Gibson guitar. Easily fixed but this video needs a little more info added.

[@bazjones7349]

Metal Blues the height adjustment screws are a dead giveaway

[@tomswift269]

@Metal Blues - I've turned a couple of Tune-o-matics around for one of two reasons. One (at least found) was that I couldn't get the intonation right. I could've just turned the saddles I guess, but it's a lot easier to turn the bridge. The other reason was guitars that had their string size and action changed constantly to switch between tunings, slide, a bow, etc. By turning it around I had much easier access to the intonation screws.

[@celticgibson]

Metal Blues exactly. I have a real ES 335 and the screws on the saddles are facing the pickups. unless that is supposed to be a les Paul only feature, it's not indicative of a fake.

[@tinyb69]

The biggest giveaway, is that there is no such thing as a Goldtop Les Paul Custom.

[@MeuZbago]

ofc there is, many different ones actually, check their website

[@tinyb69]

Wrong. While their are many Custom Les Pauls, there is only one Les Paul Custom. www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-Custom/Les-Paul-Custom.aspx

[@MeuZbago]

well.. the more I know. tks

[@clownpocket]

Les Paul customs don't have trapezoidal fret markers either, they're square. And unless it was refretted the plastic binding covers the fret ends. I never saw an LPC in gold top either.

[@tinyb69]

OneTrickNick scroll up to the name Gibson Les Paul "CLASSIC" Custom. Two totally different guitars. The "Classic" being just another money grabbing imitation of the original. You know, because Henry J need$ to make 200 different variation$ of the $ame fucking guitar that did fine with only 3 or 4 model$ for it$ 64 year$ in exi$tence.

[@kmyers1017]

You mentioned the binding where the neck joins the body. I have seen real Gibson's with very poor finishing around the neck joint. You should also have mentioned the fret binding, Gibson binding covers the end of the frets, but there was nothing to compare it with. Still a good video, and useful in spotting a fake. Thanks

[@brian770]

while i would normally agree, in 2015 they started to make some without the binding covering the frets, its hit or miss on some models.

[@Rich6Brew]

The neck binding doesn't cover the fret ends. It merely meets with them.

[@SxSxG666]

I have seen horrible paint jobs and smeared bindings on real Gibsons. I even own one.

[@oddjob1932]

Cheers for this. I was brought here because of someone selling a Gibson Les Paul Classic 1960s re-issue. His very cheap asking price however, had me doubting whether it was a real gibson or not. Now after watching this, and flicking back and forth between this video and the sellers photos, I can say with some confidence that it is a real gibson that he is selling 👍

[@stankfanger1366]

That Epiphone Custom is a better guitar than that Gibson. Oh, and a little side note, the Chinese are notorious for stealing the serial numbers from real guitars in videos just like this to use on their Chibsons, so blurring out serial numbers, or at least a part of them, is a kindness to the manufacturers that they're ripping off. Good video, sir, subscribed.

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

it could be better,sometimes it is but occasionally it isn't,i own an epi custom and love it. ordering a Gibson however is not a good idea as they usually send the absolute shittiest guitars possible to purge crap inventory.it happened to me and others i know.

[@murfdog19]

Sounds like you've never played a true Gibson.

[@funeralbillii9172]

The hell with Gibson, they deserve to be ripped off after ripping off their customers for so many years. I'm glad to hear they are going bankrupt!!

[@dopeburgermike]

fucking cheaters

[@lingfengwei7290]

circle of fat so true, the quality control of gibson is just, wrost than a 1 dollar toy

[@Sharky2901]

Why do you move the camera so fast ?

[@viddabroun8613]

Quickest way to tell is that the binding on the edges of the fretboard overlays the fret wire ends. This is on all Les Paul models except the cheaper models. The binding is put on over sized then filed down to the fret leaving a little nib on the end of the fret wire.

[@peteharman5009]

He's totally wrong about the bridge. ABR and Nashville bridges differ with respect to the adjustment screws and intonation screws.

[@CaptainHowdy1431]

Also, if no one else mentioned or noticed, a Gibson Les Paul Custom has block neck inlays (see the Epiphone Custom for your example), NOT trapezoid!

[@12breacher82]

Inlays are also not traps for the Customs; they are supposed to be full rectangles. Good video.

[@TheBlyzzrd]

i wonder if you called the people in the Pawn Shop out on it being fake

[@ziggyfreecloud3346]

Kennis Russell Was he pissed?

[@Ticonderous1]

Ziggy Freecloud Thing is they would just say ... well we thought it was a real one , "it looked alright to us" even if they knew it was fake they would just play dumb and act like they got took as well ..

[@Dr2Rock2]

Here is my ? ......Is the pawn shop selling it as a Gibson or a replica as it a fake? If they are still selling it as actual then they are breaking the law.

[@brendaknowlton396]

Dr2Rock2 how do you report the pawn shop and to who. There are a couple of pawn shops near me that are selling fake fenders and one has a fake les Paul for sale. All are priced as if they are usa made. I have mentioned it to them and they were like... oh well.

[@l.skynyrd2863]

That headstock looks like Bart Simpson's hair on Easter Sunday. I hope to God you pointed this out to them, if they sold that to anyone gullible enough they could get in trouble for fraud at those prices. I wouldn't pay $ 200 for that thing.

[@brian770]

i would probably give 200 for it, but not over that, the new "chibsons" are getting harder to tell from the real ones and i have played 2 that sounded and played as good or better than one of my real ones.

[@OrvilleRickenbacker]

@@brian770 story lying to yourself

[@Geetarman69420]

@@OrvilleRickenbacker stop*

[@michaelr.4878]

Yeah..the headstock was the first thing I noticed when the camera first panned onto the guitar. I think a lot of the ppl faking these guitars (especially the bad fakes like this one) are making these guitars from pictures. They probably don't even have a real guitar with the to take measurements. That would explain things like misshapen headstocks and wrong cutaway/horn angles and sizes.

[@gangina4k667]

I know a place that sells fake gibsons which is not the main problem. The main problem is that they claim that they are real gibsons. Where can I report that ?

[@GearZenChannel]

Gangina 4K Call your state attorney general. That is a federal crime. Also, US customs might be interested. A company like Gibson, still producing items in the USA, needs to be protected from this abuse.

[@gangina4k667]

reviewz it's not on my state I saw it while traveling

[@justinuihlein7672]

Informative and fun to watch. Great job, Ken. Thanks!

[@VintageDefectors69]

Most of these examples are obvious, but the neck binding not meeting the body binding I've seen on lots of Gibsons surprisingly. In the last few years every time I've checked, the Gibsons I've tried with binding have had some kind of weirdness whether it be not meeting at all or meeting at the very end. These were all from 2013-2016 models though (I only checked for a short while after I noticed my Epiphone did it perfectly) and I haven't had the luxury of trying a vintage Les Paul nor have I checked on the newest ones.

[@greghilinski6571]

I agree with all of your comments with the exception of the bridge. In some cases, people flip the bridge if the US made guitars have intonation problems and run out of screw travel. Also, take a look the fret ends. The binding should cover the fret ends. The biggest blunder on the one is the logo. It looks as if it was made on a copy machine.

[@chucklee2995]

Not all Gibson's have binding over fret ends, many different models don't have it, Google it,

[@brian770]

i have bought several real les puals new, 2 had the screws on the bridge pointing towards the pickups, 1 was facing away, and all 3 were the real deal and fresh from gibson. that is 100% not a way to tell if it was a fake. also, most owners switch the bridge so the screws are facing away from the pickups when they change strings for the first time.....cause it makes sense to have it that way.

[@jakefromstatefarm9721]

What? It makes sense to adjust the bridge where it’s supposed to be and not care what direction the screws face.

[@MCgamingDutch]

I lol'd when i saw the headstock

[@DenMan24Fan]

The direction of the intonation screws on a Tune-o-matic bridge isn't necessarily a sign a guitar is fake. They come from the factory with the screws facing the neck and are sometimes flipped during a setup to give the saddles more travel space.

[@zackcruise356]

My gibson has 3 screws on the top...... Wait a minute.... Aww crap!

[@magnetacyan5032]

zack cruise might be a custom.

[@poseidonband7848]

Cyan Magneta no real Gibson ever left the factory with 3 screws. All have 2

[@VintageDefectors69]

@@poseidonband7848 supposedly the Sonex had 3 for whatever reason (at least sometimes), but that was limited and only for a couple years

[@notfirstyourlast]

Take it to a pawn shop..i hear they will give you good money for it

[@sheltonwallace]

This is a pawn shop in Houston right?

[@sheltonwallace]

Yup! Im from cypress! Not to far from that shop

[@kirkbolas4985]

I recall that a genuine Gibson Les Paul’s neck binding covers the fret ends. The exception to this would be the Studio model or the unusual models, e.g., the BFG Les Paul from about 10 years ago, with no binding on the guitar body or neck. Since Curle and company rescued Gibson from the Mad King Henry J., that binding over the fret ends may have changed. I mention this as I’ve been told that not all sub models of the Les Paul cover the fret ends with the neck binding, however I’ve not seen any where the fret end was on top of the neck binding.

[@lj444saj3]

Went to a pawn shop in my town this morning. Didn't know to look for the things that you listed here but what I was suspicious of was, though, the SG says made in USA, but it was VERY, VERY LIGHT in weight. I've never picked up an SG before. Are they supposed to be light?

[@runlarryrun77]

No they're not. That sounds like a cheapy with a Gibson logo.

[@lj444saj3]

@@runlarryrun77 Thanks for the info. I went back two days ago and it was gone. I guess someone fell for it.

[@clydebigsby4117]

I think the easiest way to tell is the pickup ring screws. Even Epiphone has regular pickguard screws that you would find on a fender on the pickup rigns. The gibson ones are most of the time black, and the head of the screw is flat. I think thats the fastest way to tell and it is often overlooked.

[@johnnychingas1000]

Forgot to point out that the tip of every fret is suppose to be bounded with the neck binding as well.

[@chucklee2995]

Not all Gibson's had binding on fret ends, there are several models that don't,

[@battleofnerves]

I have a 2009 Les Paul standard, the twin of No.2, proper factory fitted Grovers which were an option, no pick guard, I hate ‘em on LP’s. I spotted the fake straightaway. For me the binding was all wrong, I’ve never seen an LP like that. Don’t forget the binding colour as well. The original binding and pick-up surrounds of Gibsons were slightly pink in colour due to the fact that at the time that was the only colour plastic you could get as it was a new thing. Since then Gibson have faithfully recreated that colour, why I don’t know, other colours would look good too. The inlays were bad I dunno, it just didn’t look right to me. If I saw it in a shop I’d either walk right past it or ask why they stuck £1000 on the price of a £300 guitar.

[@willg4944]

Thanks for the tutorial. It may help me from getting stung.

[@philipconnor3749]

Gibson 'Nashville' T-o-M bridges have the screws facing rearward but Gibson ABR-1 T-o-M bridges - which is the type copied for the counterfeits - have the saddle adjustment screws facing forward.

[@tonyvargas11]

What if the "Standard" plate is blank? It's a 2020 Les Paul Standard with a plain black plate?

[@corn1078]

Good stuff, it's fun being able to reference the fake one to a real one i bought new from guitar center

[@bmwm3cs]

Great info, but the orientation of the bridge has nothing to do with if it's fake or not. Traditionally, ABR-1 Bridges point upward and the Nashville bridges point down.

[@FretFriendGWaL]

First things you should look at are the bridge posts then the position of the control knobs then the truss rod cover...

[@nickgardner1507]

Really enjoyable Kennis, is it too much to ask to cover a few Bass Guitars please?

[@Jag93268]

if someone was to buy a used Gibson what year should they be looking at ? I've heard some people say that the newer Gibson aren't made as well. I have been trying to decide between a high end epiphone LP or a bottom end Gibson. I don't have 2k to spend on a guitar.

[@sito3539]

Jeremiah G You'll be happier with a pretty Epiphone Les Paul for 600$+ They sound good. I have two and a Gibson LP, so I know what I'm saying. But if you want Gibson so bad, look at the 2016 stuff, Gibson got a lot better. Cheers!

[@sito3539]

Jeremiah G You'll be happier with a pretty Epiphone Les Paul for 600$+ They sound good. I have two and a Gibson LP, so I know what I'm saying. But if you want Gibson so bad, look at the 2016 stuff, Gibson got a lot better. Cheers!

[@johnzenger7880]

I liked the video! Thanks man. I noticed the inlays were off in terms of shape as well as the gaps between materials. Very helpful. Keep on rocking man -subscribed!

[@mikeboyd6532]

Also a LP Custom has a pearl inlay at the first fret!

[@jcbak]

A lot of folks will flip the bridges so they can access the adjustment screws to their preference. Of course this requires that the intonation be re-calibrated. So, that may not be the sure sign of a fake in and of itself. Thanks for the video.

[@Rumpl4skinn]

Not only the end users do that, my custom had the bride the other way from the factory. Its that way from the sweetwater pics even.

[@jdhed1]

Couldn't the bridge be turned around and set up tho? because I have a Classic and everything checked out except for the bridge is on backwards.

[@matheusmoreira9951]

Yes, that point was not a valid one. Normally you will see the bridge backwards to compensate for intonation, so you can push the saddles a little more. It's only a giveway that someone didn't measure the scale as well as they should've, but not that it's a fake.

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

If the truss rod cover has only one screw, is it fake?

[@Richaag]

Don’t all Les Paul Custom models have block inlays starting on the first fret as opposed to the trapezoid starting on the third? That caught my eye right away.

[@CaratacusAD]

Why is the dot above the "i' on the red Gibson logo badly misaligned on the real one??? Is that normal???

[@indieingenuity7160]

All GIbson truss rods have a nut on them, not a allen key. That is the fastest way to tell. remove one truss rod cover screw and take a look swinging the cover to one side. If it has an allen key, it's a fake!

[@SDsailor7]

Where do the Gibson Les Paul junior electric guitar have the serial number? does anyone know? Thank you

[@metalblues1370]

One additional note I need to mention, the bridge on a Gibson and Gibson LP can be used with the screws facing either direction. I have. '74 Gibson LP custom which has the correct bridge, with the bridge screws facing the pickups which Kennis says is a sign of a fake. NOT TRUE. I just recently bought a Gibson LP Standard directly from Gibson that has the bridge screws facing the pickups which Kennis says is a sign of a fake.

[@philipottey7723]

What really gets me is that was an obvious fake from the beginning with the notch being cut like shit. Try like a recently made and mid priced($450-$500) Chibson with someone who can make it real with

[@thefuzzyjello]

oh man i really want that voodoo though!!!! is it still in the shop?

[@thefuzzyjello]

Kennis Russell would you be able to put me in touch with the shop. Maybe an email address or something?! I want it!!!!

[@gevansmd1]

I just went to the Guitar Center website. Every Les Paul has trapezoids that look like this fake. The smaller ones near the body have perfect angles but the larger ones curve near the top of the trapezoid just like this one.

[@LRS905]

Great information and interesting subject, would only ask for a less shaky camera movement so details can be more readily appreciated. Thank you Mr. Russell.

[@LRS905]

***** Great! I wish you success on your business.

[@BenAck912]

Would this also work for spotting a fake SG?

[@slapnut825]

I have a 70$ knockoff Les Paul jr. and I have upgraded with a Seymour Duncan new tuners and strap locks it plays great and has been upgraded and is a different guitar in general

[@fieryphoenix586]

As a proud owner of a Gibson Les Paul Classic, I could tell just by looking at the headstock logo.

[@alexxc.1669]

at 0:32 , that blonde looking les paul with black binding and inlays, what model is that?

[@julosx]

Looks like a reissue of the 70s LP Custom. They had a maple fretboards like the Fenders. Very trendy at that time.

[@dontransue9843]

On the headstocks, the Gibson G should be parallel with the nut side imo. Also, the "o" in Gibson of the fakes have an open o that is almost a u sometimes. I noticed the "s" also is tilted on the fake. Another item is the Les Paul signature, on the fake those usually have a uniform thickness all the way around on all letters. Real Gibson Les Pauls don't have uniform font widths. There should be skinny and thicker lines.

[@jackflash5659]

The counterfeiters viewed this video and stepped up their game.

[@NeverGoBack2]

Did you tell the owner that he is selling a fake Gibson or report it to the police?

[@keokiheller4351]

Don't forget the break angle of the headstock! Real Gibson's angle is pretty significant (I forget the actual degree value), but fakes have a very flat headstock to fretboard relation. It's cost more money to mechanically cut this greater angle in the wood and uses much more material which would equal less profit for our Chinese builder friends.

[@j0hnbr0ck]

Keoki Heller 17°, Epiphone is like 14°

[@buzzbomb67]

That's the first thing I noticed lol Gibson is 17 degrees, for sure, which is quite a sharp angle and the source of most complaints about Gibsons, due to the strings binding in the nut because of the angle being too sharp. I read somewhere recently that Epi was13 and changed to 11 to help with the string binding problem. This fake is almost flat, Id say well under 10

[@intrsoul]

Yep - even before he took it off the hanger, I could spot the fake by the headstock angle👎

[@BrandonMartinMusic]

I go to that pawn shop all the time. Nice. Glad to come across some one that lives to close to me.

[@BrandonMartinMusic]

+Kennis Russell No I just play at the house. My neighbor plays bass so we are thinking about starting to jam together. I have been going to that shop for at least 15yrs when it used to be done the road in the same strip center as Circle A. I recently bought a guitar from there that was called RAD but in small letters under that it says Custom Guitars from Sonnys Music in Austin Tx. But since it was a no name they sold it to me $125 and it has a Wilkinson bridge, big steel block, fender noiseless pickups and Kluson deluxe tuners. I haven't taken the pick guard off to check the pots but it plays nice and sounds great. I always stop in there to look for hidden gems.

[@BrandonMartinMusic]

+Kennis Russell was is the sunburst Tele? If so I looked at that one and was going to get it but by the time I went back, it was gone.

[@BrandonMartinMusic]

+Kennis Russell I saw that one and played on it. I almost picked up the white Squier Start but didn't feel the price was justified with the condition all the hardware was in.

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

The open book shape on the headstock looks like it was cut by a blind turkey !

[@BENJIR2D2]

What would you find out if you tried matching the serial number?

[@JenesisGaming]

what pawn shops are you going to that have nice amps? the ones here in utah always have trash 10W solid state amps

[@joshualoveless20]

Thanks for the tips! I own an older Epiphone SG and it seems to be of higher quality of the knock off and the Epiphone in your video.

[@jesterd14]

It's illegal to sell anything that is counterfeit, purses, guitars watches etc. BUT it is not illegal to own something that is, it's hard to charge someone who buys something that is counterfeit with committing a crime since all they have to do is say that they didn't know it was fake when they bought it. So, if you buy one of these, you are stuck with it forever, unless you can get the Gibson name off the headstock permanently.

[@Keeping-It-Real-55]

What did the pawn shop owner say when you were making the video. Did he take the fake off the shelf and cut his losses?

[@henrygarrison1613]

I bought a Gibson les paul in 1980! From a reputable shop? Said it was a 1969? Were copies made back then?

[@3vann5567]

Yes! This means that my dad's Explorer is indeed authentic! Original 1986 white Gibson Explorer, and it has not been refinished. Worth around $1700.

[@PierreGarrabrant]

the binding Isn't crooked and the bridge doesn't cut the strings

[@pointsbeingmade7996]

My 89 Gibson custom cut the strings so not a tell.

[@rickybattle6230]

Thanks for informing everyone, I hate to see people get beat out of their money,if it's fake they should lower the price and sell it as fake,some people would be OK with the fact that it's not real.

[@ledzeppelin5995]

Thx Ken for the great info with the Gibson and Fender guitars, alot of things i did not know, and will help me in the future, great vid,

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

What if the Gibson guitar has a COA and a final inspection checklist, can they fake those as well?

[@chucklee2995]

Absolutely, chibsons now come with coa and Gibson owner manual and a quality control tag,

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

@@chucklee2995 - oh damn, I didn’t know that. Thanks for the info. Guess there’s no sure way to tell them apart anymore.

[@Dav2112]

Fret edge binding is another thing to look for as well, though Gibson are doing some models recently that haven't had the nibs on the fret ends. That headstock though, at least somebody didn't get stung by paying the price that was on it before you noticed this.

[@thedeathreaperofficial8079]

I play a PRS, so I didn't study a lot of other guitar types. I'm looking for a backup guitar just in case a string snaps on my SE 245 before a concert again.

[@MichaelDHockenberry]

I would invest in String-joy strings...

[@AirborneAnt]

So are these differences worth $1000+???

[@mojorisen74]

One thing that is the dead giveaway is the truss rod. The truss rod on the fakes are always the allen wrench type.

[@pukejuicez]

Can you make a video on how to spot a real Dean Dime-bag ML from a fake one?

[@mmg198643]

I'm curious if the pawnbroker knew he got got and was selling it for $1800 to try to make up for his mistake or if he knew it was counterfeit and took it anyway to try and rip some poor sap... either way it'd be illegal

[@jeremymiller6933]

When I lived in Houston, I used to have an Epiphone LP Custom that really, really looked like that one on the video. All the same scratches and oxidation on the gold pieces. It would be funny if it was the same one! Good video.

[@jeremymiller6933]

I got it on ebay back in early 2001 and sold it to a guitar shop at West Rd and Hwy 6 back in late 2006. I bought it as a project and never did anything with it.

[@NB-ph6cv]

God bless you! I was looking in the moment about buying one Gibson that by the stuff you told on video, it has almost everything on it.

[@mukraker1]

Thank you. I learned a lot. I'll keep an eye out for you.

[@whitedo1]

You missed one other obvious mistake. On the fake Gibson, look at 1:13 of your video, the ends of the frets overlap the binding and are beveled and finished in the traditional manner. On Gibsons, the binding has a little "bump" or "tab" that covers the end of the fret wire. As far as I know, Gibson is the only guitar company that does this. Also - the fret finishing doesn't look very good - even for the standard method. Some frets seem to extend a hair past the binding, the beveling of the ends is inconsistent and some look to be bent or smashed down.

[@legentilmiguel3071]

Can you make a video to show a real ibanez jem and a fake jem ?? Can you do it please

[@Star_Sn1per]

It looks almost like a modern Gibson with these inconsistency's.. Damm it's really hard to tell nowadays because Gibson quality control is so bad.

[@csb65536]

Hell, anymore Gibson's are fake Gibson's. They no longer use Ebony for the fretboards, they haven't used real Mother of Pearl inlays for years, and mostly made on CNC machines. I even saw a 59 re-issue add from a dealer that had the inlays listed as "real celluloid", that's good to know that they use real plastic instead of that fake plastic.

[@spydermunkie]

When did they quit using ebony fretboards? I have one from 2005 that is ebony.

[@csb65536]

spydermunkie I'm not sure just when they stopped using ebony. But the Les Paul Custom uses "Richlite" for their finger board. I don't know about you, but I have never seen a Richlite tree. I'm sure it is to wood what celluloid is to Mother of Pearl. My point for point this out is that they continue to cut costs (quality) while raising their prices. There are other choices out there, Heritage guitars comes to mind, and there are others too.

[@l.skynyrd2863]

spydermunkie I think it was around 2009 when they had that big have to do with the government confiscating their fret woods. I'm pretty sure that they just use the Richlite on their LP Custom but still use rosewood on their LP Standard and cheaper versions of the Les Paul. They were using baked maple for a short time when all that BS happened to them. Hey don't knock that Richlite until you try it. I've heard a lot of people think it feels nice and slippery like a good fretboard should and it's pretty strong stuff too. It's made from an epoxy and paper resin but it looks a lot like ebony.

[@csb65536]

Michael Shipman yes, they are. I only have one Gibson guitar left in my collection, it's a 1969 ES-335. I currently have three Heritage guitars, none of which use Richlite for their finger boards. It may feel smooth, but so does plastic, so where do you draw the line on making something that's cheap acceptable? Heritage are still made mostly by hand, with real wood, and real Mother of Pearl.

[@GearZenChannel]

CS B 2017 guitars have real MOP inlays. Not a fan of richlute, but if you want a custom, jusg go vintage.

[@mattiasjp]

The biggest screw up, if they were to claim it's a Les Paul Custom, is that nothing checks out for a custom. No multilayered binding on the body or fingerboard, no diamond-inlay on the headstock and no square fretmarkers. A lot of times you will find the Gibson logo being placed too far down on the headstock, an expensive-looking guitar with a offset-printed logo and the serial number stamped into the back of the head after it was clear coated. Gibsons never have sharp edges on their serial numbers.

[@rhahshah]

Mattias Söderlund The custom shop does more than just the ornamental designs. When they do reissues of old LP standards, they look like standards. www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPR7TVAGNH?adpos=1o3&creative=55280457721&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&product_id=LPR7TVAGNH&gclid=CLKQ--28588CFQERaQodQo8H5g

[@haydendraycott7897]

I apologize if this is a dumb question but in all seriousness, if there are all these obvious flaws in fake models, why don't forgers make sure they're not present in whatever knock off they make? How would one still be able to differentiate a real from a fake if fakes were to get more adequate?

[@DarrellYoung]

Did you inform the pawn shop owner?

[@noonly3444]

Sir iwant to buy telecaster plj suggest me and is it psoble to buy direct from america to india

[@petedogg369]

The truss rod is a good indicator of real vs fake as well. The pots too.

[@fahdchoudry7763]

Epiphone Les Pauls are quite good. Obviously not as good as Gibson but I own one and looks gorgeous (Mahogany/AAA Flame Maple vaneer/Rosewood) and plays really well. If You can't afford a Gibson, take a look at an Epi Les Paul

[@julosx]

Better : buy a used Les Paul. That's what I did (twice). Most of Epiphones have photo flame tops… (that is, except the vintage ones and Elitist series)

[@stinkarely]

I have a Epiphone Les Paul. Its a really good guitar! (btw mine is black with a tint of yellow on the front) :3

[@danedgar1539]

julosx they have a maple vernier