Fake Chibson vs Real Gibson (Can You Tell The Difference Between These Two Les Paul Guitars?)

Is there a difference between a fake “Chibson” and a real Gibson? During a conversation with a friend of mine about Gibson guitars, I found out that he was ripped off a few years ago and unknowingly bought a fake Gibson Les Paul Custom, also known as a Chibson. These are fake Gibsons manufactured in china to look like the real thing. In this video I compare the fake Chibson Les Paul Custom guitar with a real Gibson Les Paul Standard Guitar. I will show a couple of ways to spot a fake, so you don’t get ripped off to and buy a fake. There are things to look for in the headstock, tuners, frets, pickups, bridge, serial number and more. At the end of the video, I do a sound comparison of the fake Chibson Custom Les Paul to the Real Gibson Standard Les Paul using my Fender Bassman 20. Can you tell the difference?

[@SheepWaveMeByeBye]

#1. The paintjob looks better so it must be the fake. Sad but true.

[@acespades8747]

Yeah the gibson quality its crapppier that the chinese.Sad but true.

[@rixxortiz8744]

its just the contrast of the colors they used on the chibson, not exactly the quality of the paint

[@juliusnisonen2431]

@@acespades8747 Gibson has done some of the most incredible looking tops

[@joshuapitz4906]

Chibson is fukn trash

[@williambrown4230]

Sad but true 😢

[@NibiruGates]

Some guy in a Chinese factory is taking notes right now lol, hmmmm Fake Chelton has good points, we fix now

[@JohnHartmanMortalDecay]

LOL 😂

[@Mr.Steve-O]

LMAO !!!

[@marvinrivera7947]

Exactly Better not to tell what wasn’t right so they don’t correct

[@gerasimger15]

LOL

[@vaughanmacegan4012]

You know when they start making these Chibsons so the headstocks break it going to be damn near impossible to tell them apart.

[@jeffplunkett7994]

I purchased one on AliExpress $230 only upgraded the tuners Saddle bridge, and new strings. I can’t believe how beautiful and well-made it is and it sounds beautiful.

[@PorkChop71912]

Same here, I updated the turners with locking tuners. What bridge did you use?

[@rickrevoir1683]

It's still Chinese crap . Wood , craftsmanship sound tone Chinese slave labor. You're just to cheap to buy a real Gibson. Despicable.

[@user-nu7kk4uw6k]

I did so too with a Gretsch.

[@canaanndaba133]

Oh I just remembered I bought a Cort guitar and within six months it was beginning to get loose on the tuners and as I speak the third tuner has been loose, falling loose, the other challenge is of knowing the original manufacturer so as to compare with the fake, but thanx at least there is someone on you tube who is opening our eyes even more about guitars, thanx

[@KaosII1968]

Cort is one of the largest guitar manufacturers in Korea I believe ... I remember reading over 65% of Korean guitars come out of the Cort factory...4 of my ibanez's are cort made. It all depends on who contracting them and what they spec out.

[@evilboxevil]

All of this video is good, but there is a two second way to know which is the copy... let each guitar fall over off the guitar stand... the one where the neck breaks is the real Gibson.

[@vojislavgojkovic]

ahahaah so true

[@montydaniels1054]

Our dog knocked two of my Les Paul's off of the stands last month.... The first this I thought was, ''Damn, did the Headstock's crack''..... Got lucky with both........

[@Dontwantahandle111]

scott bird 😂😂😂😂

[@evilstalkerhorne]

@Nintariz how many people do you know that own one? They complain trust me. I met an old guy driving an F1 a few years ago and asked if he would race me on my Ninja... he laughed and said he NEVER races because he cannot afford to fix it when it breaks. A bright red convertible F1 with the top down that won't race?!?!?!?! Why would you own one then? Get a damn Rolls or something.

[@evilstalkerhorne]

We all think that way! I even check them before buying for being repaired and hairline ones you cannot see. For the ones you cannot see play it for about 2 min. If it goes notoriously out of tune it is most likely new stings that are not stretched or an inside hairline crack. The crack sometimes will make little pop like noises when you apply more tension on the strings (this method may snap the headstock off though)

[@laartwork]

I recognize the fake Blake Shelton. Called Fake Chelton

[@bazookahorse]

HAH

[@thatmoparguy9837]

I’m dead😂😂😂😂😂

[@angrybirds230]

hahaha

[@MrJackrockerman]

Lol 😆😆

[@bradadrianwilliams9399]

Savage

[@wasp4eva1]

I think this is the most informative clip re Gibsons v Chibsons. I wish I'd seen it prior to buying a fake Firebird.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks for the info and comparisons! I definitely learned something.

[@joejackson9426]

The Chibson sounds slightly out of tune

[@muratarslan2776]

both are not in tune!

[@Low_Zones]

So that means it’s a Gibson

[@auskip07]

noticed that too. hard to compare when thats the case also the setup could be different. professionally set up these both can be very good players.

[@Comakino]

The difference is like night and day. Those pickups sound weak. Maybe fixable with a set-up or change them out.

[@Geetarman69420]

@@Comakino i mean it’s a nice Seymour Duncan, idk if you’d want to really change that out. Maybe the top one though

[@thehomefront1905]

Three years ago I bought my dream guitar, A gibson R8, two years later two of the fretboard inlays fell out and anther couple were loose, had to get them glued back in, the guy who done it for me at the shop said it was common, then I noticed all the binding on the neck had started cracking and I can actually feel it on my thumb when playing, then the volume broke and needed replacing, but apart from all that it's a great guitar, as long as you retune it after every song, the G string goes out after the first couple of bends, Can't expect to much, it only cost £5,000

[@wyattdoodat]

Are you sure it's not a Chibson? Dealers get fooled too, y'know.

[@Jockeylotforfun]

That's awful! I'm sorry that you got a lemon, it happens to all of us sometimes. I still don't have a Gibson Les paul, but, I just bought a Gretsch g5120, and I absolutely adore it. Go trade that mean brute in!

[@thehomefront1905]

@@Jockeylotforfun Yes a buddy of mine has the g5120 in orange colour , he absolutely loves it, great looking guitar too, good luck with it.

[@KaosII1968]

I have 3 LP's and they all have issues.. I guess that's just part of the Gibson experience. Only one was purchased new and that was the most flawed one. As far as staying in tune ... all of mine go out if I just look at them funny. The weirdest thing about Gibson is every time they try to address the problems the purists freak out and demand they change it back. One of mine has the neck volute .. smartest thing they ever did. But that didn't last either.

[@christineblack4654]

holy hell that is just crazy. you would think they would make them better at that price I would be so pist off wow

[@guitartim2128]

I have a CORT CR300,a Les Paul copy with same LP body thickness,a slim taper neck, weighs 8 lbs and has a solid 1/2" maple top for $649 ( I got a great deal at $575. Better than the Epis or others that just have veneer tops. Using quality mahogany reduces weight--there is no chambering or weight relief. After a fret level it plays like a great guitar should. I installed locking tuners which were a direct replacement, Tone Pros locking tom bridge and locking stop bar. I took out the Fishman alnico II style humbuckers and put in a set of Duncan 59s. I've had it for 3 years now and love it. This one is a keeper.🎸👍

[@Notyours.com124]

I’m with ya, I would be furious if I got ripped off. I appreciate your passion for guitars.

[@kickpublishing]

Question is, if you can’t hardly tell the difference, then just who is ripping you off? China at 200usd or Gibson at 3000 usd

[@rexbesana499]

Big sound difference! It's the sound of $4,500 savings in my bank account!

[@doosworld1901]

Lol; you can pick up a Les Paul standard for just over a third of that price; and it's worth every penny.

[@Arnd2it]

Cha-ching!

[@steveharrigan7811]

@@doosworld1901 You can pick up a Chibson that will blow a Les Paul Standard into the weeds, for much cheaper. And I guarantee, the Chibson is the higher quality guitar. And now they are putting Grovers on them and good pickups. Gibson is doomed.

[@doosworld1901]

@@steveharrigan7811 Lol, and where are you getting your information from? I hope you're being sarcastic!

[@steveharrigan7811]

@@doosworld1901 Comments like that wont save your low standard company. Let me guess: you either work for Gibson, or at a high end guitar store. Let me tell you something buddy, no guitar ever made is worth more than $500.00 Basic woodworking skills, and 1950's technology electrics, will never be worth $3000.00 I have 2 Gibson guitars, and 5 "Chibsons" I threw about $350.00 into them in upgrades, and still came out with a fantastic playing and sounding guitar for under $700.00 The Chibsons are played regularly. The Gibson's haven't been out of their cases in years.(and the availability of custom finishes, and attention to detail is literally stunning. Gibson "fit and finish" is regrettable at best, and sometimes outright embarrassing.) Good luck with your delusions

[@xXDannySilvaXx]

The fake sounds like it needs a good tuning

[@ianbartle456]

And here's the thing - maybe this guy's tried his damnedest to tune it well but it resisted his concentrated effort. A bad guitar is one that doesn't play in tune, not just along the neck but with different chord shapes. That's regardless of what the logo might or might not say. Any true player would have to agree - posers might demurr.

[@colinfreeman7461]

Sounds like the intonation needs adjustment on the fake

[@brettgill6065]

Colin Freeman you’re very much correct

[@jaydiemband8305]

Put real Grover's on it and fix the neck issues and intonation.

[@stevejohnson4562]

I figured the in tune one was fake. My genuine Gibson Les Paul goes out of tune every other song.

[@Ronsonic]

The chrome plating on the fake Custom gave that away the moment I saw it.

[@rogerrussian9750]

Great video as usual Kennis ! In answer to your question, no, why buy a known fake ? Much better value in Epiphone, Tokai, Eastman, Burny etc, there's lots of others, sure Gibson have better resale value, one would hope so after the initial outlay is a lot more than the others.

[@drdobbs007]

Well “played”, K. Russell. Thanks for the education. This led me to believe that I have a Chibson after 3 years of playing. The only give-a-ways directly from your list were the almost engraved versus stamped serial number and the fact that it goes out of tune almost right away. It was an impulse buy on a price that was hard to pass up for brand new solid body guitar. I’ll have to just keep on play’n.

[@johnlucier5654]

Replace the tuners and pickups and keep it in the case to avoid sudden changes of temp and humidity and you will be fine. The copies are less selective about raw materials and warp easier as they age. Or just get so damn good nobody cares what you play or they just give you guitars.

[@josephcebula2983]

If it sounds good who cares?

[@CRAZYCANUCKTV]

My Les Paul from 1992 is a 1960s reissue, it has the ink stamp, no USA, which is exactly the appointments it should meet, just depends on the model, one good way of being able to distinguish, is the truss rod. Chibson has the Alan Key adjustment, Gibson uses wrench style truss rod adjustment. Also the stamping on the back is not deep on a Gibson, Chibson is almost carved into the back of headstock, very deep compared to Gibson

[@CRAZYCANUCKTV]

Also look at the shape of the horns, huge difference, knob placements, Gibson uses 2 screw truss cover, Chibson uses the Epiphone standard 3 screw truss covers

[@michaelcapanelli9233]

My tell was the flame top. A real AA 0r AAA flame top will appear plain on camera until the light hits it at the right angle, while a fake Lam or photo-flame top will have a consistent flame no matter the lighting angle. Also the truss rod cover wasn't bound and looked cheap.

[@RobCabreraCh]

I spotted that Chibson the second I looked at that headstock. It was so off! Also that finish looks like it's poly instead of lacquer, they have different shines. Still, it can sure fool a lot of people.

[@PinchTune]

First issue was the open book headstock wasn't quite right (I design for a living so I can easily see difference in very similar shapes), the neck binding is below the frets, toggle switch ring isn't right... This is all from the first few minutes of the video.

[@Ponskippa]

The Seymour Duncan gave it away. Mostly because I figured the pickup was replaced due to the fact that most Chinese clone guitars come with unpotted pickups.

[@landonbailey]

I really have no clue, but I'm saying #1. The inlays seemed off for a Custom

[@markdignam3525]

There are several aspects that say the first guitar is a Chibson (fake Gibson) as I now live in Asia and there are plenty of them here. The dead giveaway is that the Gibson has two thin wooden pieces attached to the headstock. The inlays on the Chibson are poor and wrongly shaped, the metal work (bridge, etc) are not Gibson and the colour of the selector switch is wrong on the first guitar. Also the vol and tone switches are not correctly located.

[@markdignam3525]

One more issue. When I (later) heard you play the Chibson, I think there may be a wiring fault as when you play in the middle position, there is a slight out of phase sound that I have heard before with them. The internal wiring can often be junk and it is not uncommon to find them for sale with only one pickup actually working when they are shipped. The cost in Asia for these Chibsons (when ordered directly from online merchants) is about $US150 to $200. Although they are cheap new, they are totally worthless second hand and you'd be better off buying something else. A fake Stratocaster here is even cheaper - about $US120 to $150.

[@jamesincharlotte]

Exactly!!

[@pitmezzari2873]

Mark Dignam but players modify the wiring on their real Gibsons 'cause that out-of-phase sound is quite sought after. The easiest way to tell them apart is lookin' at the trussrod cover.

[@greganwintour3367]

I agree Its the inlays seeming wrong

[@jiffymcguy5803]

12:42 love that contemporary majestic sound

[@tacoconch7678]

@9:53 Where is he finding these amazing deals on Gibson Les Paul customs?! hahahaha

[@martymcmannis9121]

Thanks for the video, No one likes to be lied to. We have the government for that.

[@j.d.schultzsr.9215]

Marty Mcmannis, Yeah, whenever I feel the need to be lied to, I just turn on faux"news".

[@robertmamarella1952]

Marty, Yes! We sure do. Like Universel Guitar lessons for all. LOL

[@arniec66]

what if the guy told you it was a chibson , you play it and it is good and he is asking 300 bucks or whatever do you buy it?

[@scottzuccone3023]

Axe handlers that have been riffing -n- shredding for yrs SHOULD know the difference.

[@PinkFloydsfan]

Ok. Wait for 4 more years of lying..

[@jonperry1524]

I always look at the pot placement. The neck volume pot in the fake is almost in line with the bridge whereas the real Gibson is slightly pulled back from that datum. Both sound good, by the way.

[@divebomb99]

I agree 100% not only with the facts you pointed out, but your opinion on every single thing as well. Good job. Too bad Gibson doesn't microchip each guitar they make like Carvin did for a while, at least the higher end ones like LP's. There is so much wood on a LP that someone would have to nearly destroy it to remove the chip. Sure, not every dealer or shop would have the scanning equipment to read it, and there are decades of LPs already made, but over time I would think it would help curb the fakes.

[@ericdpeerik3928]

Hey, every vetinary doctor has a chip reader. So it's not that big a stretch. You should patent the idea and sell it to Gibson

[@llengford]

Most people I know that own Gibson are no better players than people with cheaper guitars, as a matter of fact, some of the people I know that play cheaper guitar sound better than the people that play Gibson... A lot of people think they have to have the best of everything just because they think that way.....

[@samxday]

Good idea

[@TheYjmfan]

I always notice straight away on a chibson, the distance between where the strings are threaded through and the bridge is far greater similar to the epiphone version.

[@brewmusic58]

Great video! The Chinese are getting better at producing more accurate fakes, but I noticed a huge difference in the sound/tone in several pick-up selections. The real Les Paul is warmer and more powerful in the neck and combo positions and crisp with that wonderful Gibson “bite” from the bridge pick-up. The Chibson just did not have the tonal variation nor the quality sound. Also, and thus may not be a quality issue, but the Chibson was slightly out of tune. The G string sounded a bit flat.

[@timpage9195]

You covered it all, was gonna comment the same thing

[@DaveSS-xi4pn]

Upgrading pickups is an easy solution, and you don't have to spend a fortune!

[@juiellineau]

I would buy a fake mercedes for 10.000. if the only difference was that I knew the fake was not real.

[@raindel420]

One thing I noticed was the dot in the “i” on the logo. The real one has it more close to the top.

[@We_are_the_light]

I bought a 59 copy for the body only. I put top end everything in it. New Grovers, new Bare Knuckle pickups, obsidian wiring harness, new Nut , new saddle.. all told I spent 800 bucks. It plays like a custom shop Bloomfield.. its killer. Get one but hot rod it. You'll love it. I wish they would just put CHIBSON on the headstock

[@pcbullets8726]

The bottom volume control on guitar one is not centered with the other knobs, looks a little funky

[@pcbullets8726]

The Harley Bentons are a nice cheap alternative to buying a fake Gibson. They play well and have a good price point.

[@davidburke2132]

pcbullets Agreed. The alignment of the knobs is another major sign on Chibsons and when viewed side by side with a real Gibson guitar number one does look a bit wrong. Also, the stopbar is too far away from the bridge on the fake... that’s another warning side and it means it lines up wrong with the neck pickup volume control... another “tell”. There are quite a few little things that give it away.

[@BoudreauGuitars]

Custom is fake, could tell in 1.2 seconds

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

Headstock is way off !

[@Topper285]

Boudreau Guitars it should have an ebony board not rosewood. Plus the head stock looks too wide!

[@hannuhanhi183]

1.5 seconds .. haha ... fret nibs, position of tailpiece, logo G in wrong angle ... lots of stuff not correct

[@chrismontgomery8278]

Boudreau Guitars same

[@kotymccallister5150]

whitey 1 I'm here to tell you, I noticed. The little roundish parts in the middle don't go up as high. It's wider, too

[@furrymonkeything]

Lmao 😃 I'm glad he admitted he was playing the "fake" out of tune. Cos duh it was obvious. We'll just have to accept that it wasn't intentional and that he didn't give his Gibson prize the special pedal effects😁

[@marcmurphy8674]

No.2 Binding over fret edges. The dot on the "I" The back of the headstock 2 edges that they glue on "not 1 piece" like the fakes.

[@tonybugs135]

Also if the Ghibson is supposed to be a custom ,,,,, where's the ebony fret board 🤔

[@cnilecnile6748]

I currently have 3 fake Les Pauls. I have had many real ones over the years(9 or 10, since the mid-70's), and every real one save for one(a 1991 Celebrity Classic Tuxedo), had serious issues-bridge in wrong place, inlays falling out, on one, the fingerboard wood had fuzz coming out of it everywhere on another, frets popping loose on another, etc. My first fake LP was nitro laquered, came with 57 Classic pickups, and Epi wiring/guts. I swapped the pickups out with old, used Duncan SH2's put CTS pots and Russian PIO caps in it, Tusq nut, and it's probably the best of my 30+ guitars. I got another one from a different seller, and the quality wasn't as good-bridge posts not all the way in, bindings not properly scraped, but about an hour messing with it and it was fine. Six weeks later, they sent me another one-FOR FREE. THAT one was perfect. The main thing with these is you have to change out the wiring and pickups. I think if you are willing to spend an afternoon doing some very minor work, at the least you are getting a terrific gig guitar so you can leave the overpriced one at home, so it doesn't fall apart on you at a gig.

[@ghosthead2008]

Whatever you have to tell yourself. Counterfeits are junk. Period.

[@ghosthead2008]

@Dylan Gruenloh Yes, because it's true. Counterfeit guitars are literally made from junk materials. And, I'm not defending Gibson, even though I've spent the better part of my life playing them (mostly vintage). Just saying, that there are a lot of legit copies out there, that are a million times better, than this crap. Some of them less expensive, as well. Btw, if people are so concerned about bashing Gibson for their "quality" issues, why are they going out and buying junky, Chinese-made crap, with "Gibson" on the headstock? Kind of redundant, don't you think?

[@mrbrownstone79]

Dennis Thompson you are a guitar hypebeast

[@ghosthead2008]

@@mrbrownstone79 Thanks...I guess?

[@joshfaye3300]

Dylan Gruenloh even if they both played identical , knowing that you bought a guitar that was not made by Gibson is enough to piss me off

[@papakoho8184]

I'm guessing number 1. It looks "Too" good!

[@perrry100]

My guess was #1 as well it just didn't look right seemed off. Sometimes if you look at the bridge it should line up with the center screw in the middle of the guitar where it's put together also the tone controls are out of line by that I mean the front two are spaced different then the rear ones and yeah the tuners are crooked I didn't no about the serial number being stamped

[@oao9946]

true!

[@jackmiddlemiss237]

Too good? I instantly thought it looks terrible. Tuners are off, custom shop logo is done really badly. Or was the 'too' meant to be ironic 😂

[@billymillz1367]

I have both he and I used my chibsons primarily reworked with heavy mods for gigs & road work after losing a couple of expensive Les Paul's to theft.

[@smokintee117]

The giveaway for me is the inlay on the first fret. The only Les Pauls that have first inlays are a few Supremes.

[@fezmey6117]

Having had experience with a few fakes, I can say that even when they look the part, they are super hit or miss with the quality and playability. Be aware of what you are getting. Some fakes can be amazing, but don't be fooled into paying full price for what could be better used as firewood. Don't let the love/hate for certain brands make you a victim of paying $$$$ for junk. If you know you are buying a fake, I would recommend not buying online, as you won't be able to return it or get a refund from most sellers. I have heard of a few online merchants that have done an exchange/refund when they knew that the customer was a notable KZbinr that already had a video made showing that what they paid for and what they got were not even close. Buy what makes you happy, but don't get ripped off.

[@DVineMe]

For me it was the fretboard inlays, at least the first few appear to be off center and the first one is ever so slightly tilted even. I'd assume Gibson would do a better job at placing these.

[@carpetpro9903]

Well said Kennis , good job!

[@Ockhamcool]

They must be getting better...it took me almost 3 seconds at the beginning of the video to call the left one fake. 😂

[@FranciscoGarcia-hi3zx]

My first guess was the second until I really looked at it.

[@aaronc5384]

I could see which one was fake from the fretwork and the style and tuners on the headstock

[@depecheddurand]

Can you make a video on studio less pauls as they don`t come up with sidewinders.How to recognize them?

[@davidclark3603]

Its like the fake "Rolex" of guitars! That was really good that. Thanks for the advice.

[@chriss2452]

I would never buy a Gibson, real or fake. With the quality you can get today with so many fantastic brands from Asia there really is no reason to buy the overly priced big brands.

[@Whiteyy191]

Meanwhile my Ibanez Pia has the worst paint job I’ve ever seen 😂

[@r.f.lab-renefilho1453]

"Chibson" Was great !!

[@DaveSS-xi4pn]

Love my chibson sg !!!! A few simple upgrades was all it took. Would do it again in a heartbeat!!!

[@heatgrimm8664]

Poor. Sad and laughable

[@davidclark3603]

Rolex have the same problem. With a Rolex, don't look at the face. Turn it over and feel for sharp edges. Rolex pride themselves on smooth edges. The pretend fakes also have loose floppy strap links. Like anything, you're only kidding yourself with a pretend fake! That was an excellent video!

[@kingofspades8856]

The "Cheapson" 😂 well looking and sounding guitar for its price though.

[@johnmontague69]

I spotted it right away just by looking at them sat there before you even started. Gibson Les Paul horn has more curve and the 4 controls are evenly spaced. The scratch plate on the fake is a dead give a away, it's almost nearing the body perimeters edge, the horn isn't curved like a Gibson and the 4 controls are not evenly spaced. Did you forget mention this or not notice? I wouldn't pay more than 200 for either of them, Gibson have ripped people off for years.

[@markmoody1954]

Knob placement is a giveaway as is where the binding meets the neck in the cutaway.

[@ericnickel3280]

Holy cow @ 5:18 the shape of the top of head stock is totally different too.

[@PinchTune]

Funny that I spotted the fake one WITHIN the intro clip.

[@jtcontardo712]

Me 2

[@markgodleman7709]

No wonder Gibson is dying, these fakes are getting better and better the fact that they have a Made in USA stamp on the headstock and not get in trouble as a forgery is Crazy

[@Colhogan06]

Gibson isn't dying because of their Guitars. In fact their Guitar market is safe and is what is going to keep them going. Gibson is in trouble because of all of the other companies they bought trying to gain the upper hand on the entire music market. They bought Teac, Onkyo, and Royal Phillips entertainment systems. The Royal Phillips deal is what put them in trouble. It has absolutely nothing to do with their Guitars. The guitars as I mentioned before are going to be what keeps them going. Gibson Guitars are the epitome of what an electric guitar should be. The sound you get from them is absolutely beautiful. If you take a moment and read about how for example the Les Paul was designed it will make you understand why buying a Chibson is just wrong. It's really not as simple as them making a guitar and then slapping Les Paul's name on it. Les Paul had a lot of influence on how that guitar would be made. That means a lot because you take all of the history out of the guitar when you buy a fake. It would be like buying a BMW only to find out you only got a reproduced body that looked like a BMW but was slapped on a cheap Chrysler K-car frame and motor. I know that probably isn't a possible scenario , I'm just using it to compare what it would feel like. You get in something that looks cool then punch it to see what it has under the hood and it just sort of goes.

[@Colhogan06]

One thing is for sure. The quality built into a Gibson is bar none. My father played in bands for most of his adult life at least while he was able. He was given a 1958 Gibson ES 350 back in something like 1961 or 62', from my Uncle. As the story goes my dad was needing a guitar and my Uncle (his older Brother) bought this guitar off of a bar tender that was in need if some quick cash. Knowing a good deal when he saw one he bought it for my dad. This guitar lasted until he sold it back in the 1990's. I was heartbroken when I found out he sold it. That was really the only thing I ever wished to inherit someday. Money wasn't it for me, it was that guitar and the history behind it. I suppose every man has a price. I know my dad was in desperate need of a new amp/speaker setup and he wanted a more traditional electric acoustic guitar. He mainly played rhythm and sometimes bass. So he sold it and was able to get pretty much everything he needed buy selling that one guitar. I think he got something like 8k to 10k for it. I was never able to pin him down on what he actually got but based on what he bought and then what he said he banked after buying what he needed, I'm guessing it was in that range. Which from my understanding was a decent price range based on the condition. It still hurts when I think of it being gone. It was such a beautiful guitar with a Sunburst finish. Just gorgeous. I remember just sitting there admiring it when I was a little boy. That being said, if that guitar would have been a Chibson he wouldn't have gotten anything for it and he would have probably had to replace it 20 years earlier so you can look at buying a real Gibson as an investment. I would be curious about how much it would be worth today with another 20 years of history behind it. It was very well taken care of so I'm confident it would still be in excellent condition. At least it would have been had my dad kept it. I am betting it's probably worth upwards close to 15k by now.

[@Phaseband]

Gibson is dying because you pay 3 thousand and never stay in tune!

[@MrChris-bx7ss]

They do it with Fender as well. Is Fender dying?

[@jimherleva4541]

@@Phaseband Sounds like a "you" problem as opposed to a Gibson problem. I have 5 and no tuning issues at all.

[@MrPhins]

All you really need to see is the bridge. On every Chibson the bridge adjustment screws face toward the pickups. Even to this day they're still manufactured that way. You can go into greater detail but that's a good way to tell just by looking at an ebay or Reverb ad photo and not even needing to inspect it in person.

[@austinknowlton1783]

#2 is real. Biggest giveaway was the inlays and fret nibs. Saw a fake L-5 not long ago, being sold as a fake. It obviously wasn't real to anyone who knew, but the fit and finish were skillfully executed, frets were level, and it played pretty friggin well. It's scary how good some of the Chibsons are getting. Lol, why is it always a fake Custom vs. a Standard? Wouldn't it be more accurate to compare it to another USA Custom?

[@SquirrelDarling1]

Doesn’t matter what you compare it to because the cheapest Les Paul would still blow the fakes out of the water. The counterfeits always will have to have a lot of work done to them before they play half way decently. If you want something worth something and can’t afford a real one because of your lack of financial ability to save, buy an Epiphone. At least with an Epiphone you get a decent guitar that is playable out of box without major repairs and actually worth something. Quality control is key and being able to send it back to manufacturer if it’s messed up. Good luck trying to send it back with a chibson.

[@geusseppegonzalezcardenas5782]

The moment you realize a fake looks better than a real one... Maybe that's why they're on such decline?

[@bob733333]

Geusseppe González Cárdenas Yeah, those Chibsons are highly sought.

[@davidburke2132]

Geusseppe González Cárdenas It doesn’t look better!! Maybe you prefer the looks of a Custom... if that’s the case then that’s fine but this Chibson doesn’t look better than a real Les Paul Custom. And it sounds horrible. Like it’s permanently out of tune, even on open chords. The video poster commented on it himself. It sounds awful.

[@silverbloodvain8879]

They tried to copy the look of a 25th 50th anniversary les paul. Since i owned one i was able to tell pretty quick.

[@austinbertholds3094]

The real one looks like it is missing the flame maple for some reason.

[@MaxMiller614]

Geusseppe González Cárdenas I hope the Gibson ceo takes a fucking hike. They need someone who cares about the employees. That’s why the price is stupidly high and they’re on the fence from going belly up

[@milhouse777]

The chibson can be visually spotted almost instantly to me, the details always is kinda wonky, the chosen color of the parts/pieces usually don't match looking like an amateur work, they never do the typos and logos perfectly also, I don't know why but is a fact. But needs some meticulous attention, the majority of people don't do it

[@50mmnikonainikkor55]

I couldn't afford a 60's slim Gibson Les Paul and it was my dream guitar and so I got a replica used Spear RD 150 Les Paul instead. I hope I can get hold of one someday.Point is most people who get a fake one is actually on the route to getting an original someday in future.

[@willashfordpayne8354]

I own a Tobacco burst epiphone piphone Les Paul that I had for Christmas. Its a Awsome Sound on it.

[@criptofone667]

Meus parabéns pelo excelente conteúdo e trabalho! Este vídeo irá ajudar muitas pessoas, igualmente a mim! Muito obrigado e um forte abraço 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@frogworth1622]

"Fake" is now called "enhanced". Applies to pairs too.

[@cringemaster105]

I have a les paul where a lot of it's parts were replaced and it looks very old and has no serial number on the headstock and it had a neck repair. It sounds great but i'm no sure if it's a chibson or a gibson

[@rnichol22]

As soon as I saw the fret comparison boom

[@Mynistrh3ll]

Nice video thank you! :) Is it just me or the Chibson sounds a bit out of tune? My question would be: are you sure that your amp is a real Fender? 🤔😅

[@bradrogers3033]

#2 is the real one.

[@tsmerk]

I love the Aria Pro 2 guitars!

[@pedrolarenas]

good video now i know was is the best for me is fender stratocaster

[@section1595]

One thing I always noticed when it comes to the headstock the Chibson’s always tend to have a “big mustache” whereas the Gibson has the “pencil thin mustache” Also, placement of the volume/tone knobs. It’s easier to tell when you’ve a side by side comparison.

[@upcycleelectra8311]

Those are the early ones there were knocking out from the chinese epiphone factory.. i think you will find the replicas from china are of superior build quality now.. Real Gibson killers.. & built to order.. custom shop style to your own prefrence, specs & choice

[@rbae]

​@@upcycleelectra8311are you one of the sellers 😅

[@chadbaker2224]

Legit not a huge difference for 3k. The real Gibson does sound brighter though.

[@jackclark2787]

Chad Baker tone deaf loser haha

[@codythedoggo7671]

Easily noticable difference

[@stephenstrang590]

Oh wow the sound difference is huge!

[@stephenstrang590]

Less bite like significantly less! Also feels a little thin.

[@EternityMediaGroup]

1: , the fact that only the front cover is painted properly. the rectangular inlays, and that random Seymour-Duncan pickup as opposed to the Gibson PAF give me my determination of the first one being a fake

[@joydeepbhattacharjee2559]

Lol in my country we have Givson 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@doug2190]

"If you want a Gibson, buy a Gibson" I wish I was born in US just to say this

[@wiimusictheme6593]

estamos no mesmo barco.

[@doug2190]

@@wiimusictheme6593 foda né mano, queria poder dizer isso algum dia, mas no Brasil é difícil

[@mattroush7364]

As a US citizen, you completely made my day with this comment. 😂🤣

[@wiimusictheme6593]

@@doug2190 tem que trabalhar por pelo menos 10 meses pra conseguir comprar uma Gibson, pqp

[@doug2190]

@@wiimusictheme6593 10 meses? dependo do trabalho ou dependendo da gibson que tu quer são 10 anos

[@calt2161]

The saddle posts are the quickest to spot on most fake Gibson's but as is the case with this one, they can be changed. The single most surefire way to pick out a fake Gibson is the binding nibs. For some reason chibsons never replicate that. Probably because it takes too much time.

[@dtna]

The serial # on the 1st one looks funky. If you get any guitar set-up by the right person, it will play and sound better. My opinion.

[@adriangtrz1213]

#1, the tailpiece is too low and the toggle switch seems off

[@mrwdpkr5851]

thats what she said

[@stephenfeldman8104]

I'm guessing #1 is the forgery. LP Customs have ebony fingerboards, this one looked like rosewood.

[@raytorvalds3699]

Number is 1 the fake indeed, but not all real Customs have ebony boards (while they should, but that is another conversation).

[@marions.120]

Uh, back in the day when I was managing in the car business with FORD, Jaguars were actually Taurus’ with a Jag shell!

[@baksagimm5890]

I noticed right away. Gibson only do custom double binding on black finished lespaul. And The knob placement on the fake is all over the place.

[@ryanmaxted3849]

i think its no 1 because of the inlays

[@haroldbentley1529]

Number 2

[@okbouncer24]

I would love to do an experiment! I would love to fool someone by actually sending them a real Gibson %100 REAL packaged up just like how the Chinese do and then have them do a review on it. NOW THAT would be a great video. It would be so awesome to see how the brain really fools a person. I'm sure they would find all kinds of problems with the real thing. I'm telling you it needs to be done.

[@jackclark2787]

Danny Lee: Learning Guitar with Rocksmith. Butt hurt you can’t get a real one. Old saying, don’t touch what you can’t afford. Loser haha

[@d24isDURIAN]

Sure, send me the guitar!

[@vaniobonato3582]

You're right: it would be a test to do ...

[@montydaniels1054]

Send it to me & I'll even post the video on KZbin.

[@bibana06]

I agree. And the opposite (Sending a fake Gibson making the guy think it's a real one) should be done as well.

[@randyracos198]

Kenneth u r correct!!! It really worries me when im shopping for a Gibson and there is so many fakes out there. If i paid 1600.00 for a chibson ' oh yea' p.od for sure! Thanks for the vid!

[@johndeer4250]

I purchased a chipson before but it wasn’t advertised as a Gibson after 2 days I sold it because it didn’t feel right yesterday I purchase my first Gibson and Im supper happy I don’t condemn the ones that buy fakes but please don’t resell them as original Im glad in today’s technology we research videos like this to spot fakes

[@tuco8734]

I like the looks of the fake one but I could hear a significant difference between them . I’d rather have the real one even thought they do have an irritating tuning problem , gotta love those Les Pauls

[@paulmenkens5997]

The sound of the fake is nowhere near as full as the Les Paul. I have several real ones (including 2 Epis and 3 Gibsons) and I picked out the fake before he said a word, the shape isn't quite right, especially the point on the cutaway, but the binding on the neck proved it.

[@GS-kx8wc]

Video didn't help when you intentionally play the same tune terrible on the guitar that you know isn't the Gibson. Lol talk about being impartial.

[@EdwardT9]

most fakes play terribly. Bad frets, frets in the wrong place, nut in the wrong place, bridge misplaced. They have no incentive to bother getting any of that right. You pay your $400 and they’re done with you. Doesn’t play well...too bad for you because you’ll never see that seller again.

[@richg1221]

My thoughts exactly. Average player never know the difference playing or the sound.

[@totte638]

The one to the left. It had no fret binding and back of the headstock wings was not glued. Also the bridge had i screwdriver

[@cugir321]

The biggest thing is are the frets level and how do the pick ups sound....is the nut cut well. You can see on #1 the nut is plastic. Intonation is a biggy for a chibson....a lot will have a bridge installed wrong. Sometimes can be corrected with a Wilkinson type lp roller bridge (or chinese copy of it....only chinese lp bridge worth buying...it looks clunky but is relatively good.)..... or can intonate the nut if not off by more then 1/4".

[@luisdeleon2142]

I like more the sound of the fake. Maybe the chibson needs a bridge calibration and a change of tuners. I like the chibson. It's not bad at all.

[@adambreska4490]

The real one actually sounded a lot clearer. The fake one sounded a lot fuzzier.

[@adambreska4490]

You're probably more of a fan of a warmer tone, but that was a slightly fuzzy warmer tone. The real one actually sounded better in my opinion, of course.

[@pentachronic]

Chibaon was way too toppy.

[@jasonlagud3483]

Troll

[@killacoiler1707]

that is probably due to an American made Seymor Duncan bridge pickup, they are far brighter than a stock Gibson Pickup, also the woods used are different densities so the fake had a tighter more strat like response where the authentic has a creamier, fuller, and richer sound.

[@flaviolsouza]

Chibson is a great guitar to destroy on stage, and you can say that you broke a real one!

[@ImFastrnU]

The volume and tone knobs also come straight out of the body on the fake. On the Gibson they come out at the angle of the body.

[@makemoneyrelax]

Thank you for tips, we improve next batch...you picka or deliva..no problem....love you long time

[@jeepthingsoutdoors1973]

I play an Epiphone Les Paul but I did guess correctly! I love my Epiphone!

[@glenngardin3561]

Don't buy fakes. Like Kennis said, there are many great guitars in the same price range that are not stealing from an established brand. Epiphone makes great guitars.

[@johnlucier5654]

Do you really believe gibson which prices their lp customs with fake patina and lab analyzed plastics at gulp ahem $11,000 is not stealing from its customers? My buddys $200 lp custom chibson is virtually indistinguishable from the real one which starts at $4500 discounted online and could go 2-3 times that with their foo foo limited editions. That is 22.5 to 60x the cost. No sorry there is no justification. Let the chibsons flow in. Gibson can step up their game or die in the marketplace like the overbloated greedy corporate dinosaurs theyve become. The fakes are a viable option for young players. You go tell a kid making 15 an hour he should spend $550/mo making payments on a gibson so they can build a factory with a vanity performance venue they sell at a fire sale a decade later due to overextending with irresponsible acquisitions. Idiots bought pioneer electronics prolly gonna run it into the ground too.

[@squirtlesquirtle94]

Chibson are better and cheeper... :p

[@Burnningsoul]

Yep and Epiphones are made in China also in fact I would bet they are made in the some of the same factory by the same people that make the Chinese Gibson replicas they just put in cheaper hardware sometimes. I have seen Chibsons with some Epiphone hardware a piece here and there.

[@awol.oper8r]

Just buy a Gretsch ffs

[@Braglemaster123]

Glenn Gardin Eppiphone’s are incredible

[@MrAshe68]

The split diamond logo on the custom was too small, that gave it away instantly.

[@blowgrab]

without watching past the initial inspection, 1 is the fake (the custom), i spotted several discrepancies, mainly the crappy looking fret ends and wrong fretboard wood