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

[@robertscottpurse1]

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

[@NickintheStates]

Of course there is!

[@kevinpaul1719]

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

[@jasonlaiola3874]

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

[@kickpublishing]

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

[@boboutelama5748]

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

[@strokex1]

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

[@kitchan787]

jack g u

[@dannyh7557]

What difference does it make at this point.

[@owenduffy5948]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@mikehawk9861]

If it stays in tune, its fake

[@NickintheStates]

LOL YES! HAHAHA

[@barrysoetoro1543]

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

[@matsp888]

If the headstock breaks, it's real ;)

[@pimtool9351]

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

[@syrsknight]

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

[@ecsrvjh]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@dannytetreault]

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

[@budandbean1]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@nicholascremato]

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

[@scod3908]

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

[@alabamalowlife]

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

[@NickintheStates]

Sweet man, I'm happy to have helped!

[@jakebronson1096]

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

[@richiebeard994]

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

[@gregs3173]

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

[@Colhogan06]

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

[@mykuntstynx9463]

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

[@tubefixxer]

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

[@johnt.campbell316]

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

[@ziggyfreecloud3346]

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

[@maramoretti2655]

John T. Campbell LOL.....

[@TheDirtyyoungman1]

Fineese perhaps?

[@ericarndt7137]

John T. Campbell

[@matsp888]

@David Wang Bad analogy.

[@rodbelding9523]

I almost aced the quiz, but the last one got me. I didn't even take a guess on the last one, I honestly just had no clue. It simultaneously looked real and fake.

[@icemanseries7827]

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

[@marcgerb]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@ajlmirrormist]

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

[@Khosumi]

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

[@DarthEcoli]

I'm working on a Chibson project right now, but anyone that sees it will immediately know without any uncertainty that it'll be a Chibson. In fact, I intend for the logo to read as CHIBSON LOS PAUL. Fing is, I'm working on it as a guitar I fully intend to keep, wanna do it nice, but have a sense of humour and not take it too seriously. I could never 'sell' one off as a real Gibson even if it is just my own guitar.

[@georgelindsey7258]

I spotted a Gibson Les Paul standard on Craigslist for a great price of 1000.00, I was suspicious.... I was not sure I could identify a fake, I was doing some research and came across your Video and watched taking notes... I went to look at the guitar, before taking it out of the case I found 2 problems, when I took it out of the case I found a 3rd problem. I put it back in the case and told the owner I will have to pass... Thanks so much for making this video....

[@vinlander8484]

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

[@johnfkiii]

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

[@jeffvader9960]

another good way to spot a fake is to look at the binding where the neck and body meet as some of the chibsons have a small gap between where the bindings should meet

[@NickintheStates]

Yup, great point!

[@krustbag1039]

Thats how I decided that the last one was fake. everything else looked pretty decent, but you where moving it really fast, actually had to pause to get a good look, haha

[@Squazzoo68]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@Squazzoo68]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@OddTimeMan]

The stop tail placement has to do with the headstock angle. Gibson's severe 17 degree angle is matched by a severe string angle over the bridge. Back during the Norlin years, Gibson switched to a less-severe 14 degree angle. Those guitars had the tailpiece moved back to lessen that string angle. Epiphones and these fakes have a less-severe angle too.

[@NickintheStates]

This makes a lot of sense. They also opened up the cutaway a bit, at least on the Deluxes for a few years. I think the Chibsons may have copied this as well!

[@recycledcitizen]

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

[@CloisterBell75]

A few other tell-tale signs of a Chibson that I have seen are PUPs, electronic cavity and the maple cap. All of these "giveaways" require you to loosen a few screws, but worth the trouble. Chibson PUPs are stamped Epiphone on the back. Chibson electronics cavity looks like it has been chiseled out rather than precision cut. Chibson maple caps are a very thin veneer, as opposed to a thick cap. You'll notice this when inspecting the back of your PUPs.

[@NickintheStates]

Great additional points as well. Thanks man!

[@EduardoVelezIII]

These days you see real caps on the Chibsons.

[@NickintheStates]

+EduardoVelezIII I know! It's crazy... although the flame tops seem to be all veneers again.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

I'm in Beijing. There is a musical instrument vendors street. Chibsons can be found but not a plentiful as one may think. Many replica Les Pauls without Gibson on the headstock. But there are a few shops that do have the Chibsons. After watching a few of these vids, it was easy to spot them. Besides the price tag being at around $350 for a "new" Les Paul Standard. That price would be negotiated of course, I imagine one could bargain it down to close to half that. But I'm not going to buy one. I've got too many guitars already. And I'm not in the import/export business either so don't bother asking.

[@josephkemler6166]

5 seconds 2 spot one😇 a bit Longer 4 fake musos!

[@thekitowl]

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

[@NickintheStates]

Thanks man! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@scottrushton453]

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

[@GraemeSPa]

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

[@almfoto]

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

[@NickintheStates]

+Adrian Massi LOL thanks man!

[@hotrodjones74]

You're telling me $2,500 Les Paul guitars don't have a dual action truss rod? Damn! They should join the 21st century...

[@TheZooman22]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@NHfiddle]

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

[@luclego2442]

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

[@stephencox4509]

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

[@cjjaxxon]

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

[@randyfox8484]

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

[@ChfHappySack]

I changed the headstock logo to my name wgen I bought mine. I bought it instead of an epiphone because for $300 you can't get that finish of a guitar with epiphone. sure it might need some work but I like working on my guitars. Totally worth it in my opinion. I could care less if anyone claims its fake as long as it looks amazing and sounds fantastic

[@NickintheStates]

it's great for exactly what you said. You can get it in the finish you want and then set it up as you see fit. Rock out man!

[@commissioner1969]

The stop tail is purposely farther back in order to attain a better angle on the strings thus relieving binding in order to stay in tune better.

[@scod3908]

Epiphone also have less headstock angle and a joint, so they can potentially stay in tune better than a real gibson.

[@huskvarsm]

one reason for changing fret ends is because on some guitars there was a gap between the binding and fret and string benders found the high E would disappear in the gap and thats a real pain in the middle of a killer solo.

[@NickintheStates]

Yeah man, I've seen that myself. I do find it funny that Gibson always claimed the fret end dressing was part of a premium offering compared to their competitors. During the roll out of the more typical fret ends they product manager they interviewed said that doing it the new way is actually more time consuming. That's a little weird, right? Either way doesn't make the biggest difference to me either way. As long at they're setup well and don't tear my fingers to shreds I'm pretty happy.

[@sammyp1971]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@johnelrick8945]

Also note the position of the strap button on the neck end of the body. The Chinese always put it noticeably closer to the neck.

[@DenverStarkey]

the neck binding issue and why they likely stopped having the binding cover the fret end is because when you replace the frets that binding has to be broken which will ruin the guitar's looks and feel if you have to break that binding to replace them. alternately with out covering the fret ends you can replace the frets with out screwing up that binding.

[@johnroberts838]

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

[@BrandonWendt2]

I'm worried the people who make the knockoffs will just watch videos like this and make a few spacing adjustments. I'm still glad you shared this info

[@RorysIrishTour]

Theres still alot of features left to distinguish a real from a copy besides the spacing

[@randyjones7818]

Best300$ dollar guitar I have ever.bought...love the guitar.

[@commissioner1969]

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

[@davidguthrie3739]

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

[@claudehopper9813]

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

[@jbbeaudry]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@MrJommins]

Thank you for posting this! I can't stand the fact that these fake guitars exist! As if I didn't have enough to worry about when I buy a used guitar!

[@utooberblooper]

unless you're going to buy a $2000-$5000 guitar,if you do buy it from a reputable person and look at real Gibson's first.its all about educating yourself with the most accurate information available,that's right from the Gibson website.also,if you are going to view an instrument take someone with you that knows guitars or offer to meet them at a local music store to buy the guitar from them and you can have it verified right there.if a seller refuses,you know there is a problem

[@sgnt9337]

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

[@draganm7823]

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

[@saelaird]

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

[@Terry3Gs]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@SGonUTube]

...its a Chibby...! I almost went the Chibby route, and even placed the order, only to find that they would not make the body and neck one piece, nor lefty, as their ad stated. I got my money back and waited, and I'm really glad I did. Personally, I believe the value is in the used and discontinued markets. About 3 weeks later, Manchester Music Mill was offering some 60's & 70's Tribute Les Paul's. These guitars had previously been clearanced from the Gibson factory because the LP's with Magi-tune automatic tuners were not selling. MMM just changed out the Magi-tune for Grovers, which is much preferred anyway. $599 for a new guitar, never played. Why buy several of these Chinese made guitars, when you run the risk of confiscation, issues with the fret board and frets, changing out the pickups and electronics, tuners, when you really wanted a LP anyway? It pays to shop around. You don't have to compromise if you have patience.

[@joeltowle2737]

Even for a fake that first one was beautiful!

[@wickedninja8599]

Another thing I was looking at was the nut. The fakes seem to have the strings going deep in the nut; and this is almost always consistent.

[@NickintheStates]

+wickedninja8599 You're right on that for sure!

[@toneyisaiah408]

Hank Garland Billy Byrd Gibson named it Byrdland. Toney Tillery Isaiah.

[@ryderjones794]

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

[@Fafafohi]

The real ones look more compact in the placement of the components, if that makes any sense. Great video! Ironically enough, I want a Chibson model for some reason.

[@NickintheStates]

+Gabriel Moran haha there's nothing wrong with that in my book. They're an intriguing thing... I love mine.

[@sansebastian1972]

college level course on spotting a Chibson, fantastic

[@MotoGreciaMarios]

The fact that the sound or playbility is not something to discern the guitars apart tells volumes about the nature of big brands and the money they want to sell you one of their products.

[@hansakesson8876]

good video, but actuall the slotted bridge is on some models from Gibson

[@NickintheStates]

Good point... but pretty rare, right?

[@americanjoe5486]

@@NickintheStates the nashville.t.o.m not thar rare!

[@derin111]

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

[@NickintheStates]

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

[@bullspit9952]

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

[@petergolding2591]

BullSpit i

[@imaseeker100]

a scarf joint

[@capth00k]

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

[@guitardudeguy3139]

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

[@riloh58]

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

[@Drpiwi]

You did not mention one of the biggest give a ways; the scarf jointed head stock. Ironically the scarf joint is actually better than the Gibson one-piece as the grain is running inline with the headstock in the scarf joint, which is stronger and eliminates one of the most known and feared problems of a Gibson; the snapped head stock.

[@NickintheStates]

+Erwin Baeyens This is true... except both of mine have 1 piece necks. Was hard to show and it's an easy thing to have upgraded during purchase process. Thanks though, it is another thing to look for!

[@HankCScorpio]

I just wanted to add, that a lower tailpiece is not necessarily a sign of a fake. Look up Gibson Les Pauls from the early 80's. The tailpiece is lower. I guess the Norlin years for gibson were not the best, but lower bridge may mean Norlin and not chibson

[@NickintheStates]

If we prevent both Chibson and Norlin purchases, that's not a good thing? LOL! Ok, all joking aside that's interesting. I just did a Google Images lookup and I see what you mean. They're not as far back as a Chibson but still pretty far back. I'd say the center post of tailpiece to center post of knob is dead even. This is good to know! You learn something knew every day. Thanks Hank! We need to add an asterisk to the tailpiece rule. Flip it over and make sure it doesn't have a volute and an inked serial number/model name. If it does it may be a late 70's or early 80's Gibson. If not follow the normal rules!

[@mr.nobody68]

Might not be a real Gibson but, it *is* a real Chibson 👌🏻

[@jonathananthony1901]

The thing that really sucks is that all these fake ones floating around make it harder for someone to sell a real Gibson these days. A few years ago I was selling a Gibson Les Paul standard that I bought brand new and had all the paperwork, documentation, and the receipt. And some joker on craigslist contacted me ranting and raving that I was selling a fake Gibson! I think in the long run he was just trying to get me to sell it super cheap. I kept asking him what on Earth made him think it was a fake, and he wouldn't really give me an answer. Just kept saying he was going to "report" me. I finally just laughed told him to go ahead, and he never bothered me again! 🤣

[@dirkbonesteel]

The wood grain on 2 of the fakes including last one looks like it's printed. Done on furniture and doors more then you think has a 2D look to it but can be very relistic

[@capth00k]

Thanks for the knowledge... also, the dot of the "i" in the gibson logo can be off at times (not in the right place) . Another thing to note is the angle of the headstock ; a real gibson tends to be angled more whilst a fake will not be. Visually it's acutally a big difference. Another note is i've seen a lot of fakes with 3 screws in the truss rod cover, instead of 2 , as well as the wrong truss rod cover / engraving for that model guitar. By the way, nice collection of gibbies man!!

[@NickintheStates]

All great suggestions. Thanks man!

[@jakefromstatefarm9721]

Also the fake les Pauls serial numbers are normally cnc’d or routed and the real les Paul’s are stamped in. You can tell the real numbers are more rounded and fakes are more sharp and squared off.

[@LuigiTuazon]

Thank you for this very beautiful demonstration! :)

[@NickintheStates]

Any time Francis!

[@Rickholly74]

Nick, really good video. Like you I don't want anyone to get ripped off by somebody trying to pass off a Chibson as the real thing. I'll never sell my Chibson's and I enjoy having them. Nice job.

[@NickintheStates]

Thanks man! Great videos by the way, I think I've watched all of yours! The Chibsons are a lot of fun as long as people are realistic about what to expect and also that people know they're buying one! Hopefully this video helps balance out my karma ;)

[@craiggerard]

Thanks Nick! Very informative and helpful. Cheers, TC

[@TheYjmfan]

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

[@NickintheStates]

Congrats man!

[@rodbrown8306]

Hope they keep making them, who can afford a real Gibson anyway, why bat up for Gibson?

[@danohawk1]

Great video and information... but all I found myself thinking about the whole video was how jealous I am! lol

[@NickintheStates]

Dan Hawk LOL well thanks for checking it out. I'm lucky to have a very understanding wife!

[@IsaacArbec]

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

[@icenesiswayons9962]

The last Les Paul had thinner binding in the cutaway area, only place on a Gibson body that binding is that wide almost "1/2 inch"

[@larseikind666]

If you want the Gibson sound without breaking the bank, get an Epiphone. Don't take the chance on a Chibson. They might be okay, but they might also be absolute rubbish. In fact, if you WANT a Gibson, buy an Epiphone. The quality of the Gibson guitars have fallen waaaaay under what I can recommend. You can always fiddle around a bit on a $400 Epiphone and try to fix things yourself, but hardly anybody would do that to a $4000 Gibson no matter how crap the setup is. I mean, there are a lot of used Gibsons out there on the market. But I have noticed that MOST of them (not all) are "modded" with new pickups and whatnot. So there's the thing. Gibsons are not worth the money. You STILL have to put in money for new hardware and setup. Buy a goddamn Harley Benton and switch out ALL the hardware, and you'll still be saving money...

[@jonnybeck6723]

Thanks man... I really appreciate this. cheers

[@NickintheStates]

Glad it was useful!

[@kita17n]

thanks nick !!! you saved me 1500 bucks !!! I owe you a beer or 40

[@elcapitan83]

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

[@elcapitan83]

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

[@bwyou812]

Les Paul logo in fake is more bright yellow than gold color. But it is 2019 now, and china are making these with most of those changes now. Keep getting better.

[@bessiebraveheart]

Hi from England, I have real gibsons, and a chibson. The build quality of the chibson is far better that the gibson. I bought a gibson 339 supposed to have been made in the nashville custom shop. It was a disgrace. The factories in China wouldn't have let that guitar go out of the door. I call gibsons, "gibshit"" now.

[@Rammstein45]

One of the best moment of my life was watching the temper tantrum of the Friend of a Friend when I told him his supposedly "$1200" Les Paul was a cheap Chinese knock off.

[@craigfish7890]

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

[@NickintheStates]

+Craig Fish Any time man!

[@mcanderson3511]

Very informative video on the subject. I knew most, but not all of those. On the other hand, my 78 Greco (Japan) meets all 6 of the criteria for a real Les Paul, except that the Headstock (pre-lawsuit) says Greco. It even has the wings. If not for the "Greco", you'd have to pull out the pickups to see the laminated top. Now the Chibson I just ordered has the slotted bridge poles, but it does have the correct tailpiece position.

[@NickintheStates]

Man those late 70s Grecos are awesome. I just missed out on one a couple of weeks ago. Kicking myself for not buying it sooner! The Chibsons are getting better but they're actually making the shape play little off on purpose to save from lawsuits in China proper. Good to hear they've fixed the tailpiece location. Helps if you ever put a Vibramate and Bigsby on it. Let me know how your Chibson comes out!

[@mcanderson3511]

+Nick in the States There is a seller from Japan who has a few 70's through 80's Grecos on Ebay. Seems to me however, that the language barrier is even thicker there, compared to many Chinese sellers, unfortunately. I actually found mine here locally while I was looking for an Orville by Gibson.

[@NickintheStates]

I believe the seller you're speaking of is the one I was watching. Always around $600 shipped. I was hunting for a 3 pickup black beauty and they had one with some nice honest wear on it. Should have grabbed it but funds were tight at that time. So instead I bought a real 70's Gibson for way too much money because I obviously have issues lol.

[@mcanderson3511]

+Nick in the States Well, the shipping was actually pretty fast, but unfortunately they delivered my Les Paul Supreme to somebody in Visalia California. I was ecstatic to see that it had cleared customs in only one day....only to be shipped to the wrong address, which is 2000 miles away from me! Dispute in progress....

[@parkerevans1356]

I got 100% on the quiz at the end.

[@user-cw6xy3ny4d]

Slash has a Les Paul made by Kris Derrig in California, not Gibson, and was used on Appetite LP.

[@georgemarcos8688]

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

[@DesrochersBob]

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

[@NickintheStates]

+Robert L Desrochers Thanks Robert!

[@Chris741113]

Also, the fakes will probably stay in tune better, have the tuning pegs lined up straight and the scale length will probably actually be 24.75 and not off by a bit as on almost every real LP. There is probably also not a hump in the fretboard around the 20th fret

[@NickintheStates]

+christian larsson LOL you are probably correct there. Gibson does have certain "character traits" that can be problematic at time. I love them but they're not perfect!

[@christianlarsson2038]

+Nick in the States Yeah..Gibsons usually sound really good though. Regardless of the imperfections you quite often see.

[@NickintheStates]

For sure man. I love my Gibsons as they have tone to spare and are really well built. It's just the details that get you some times.

[@capth00k]

I have had 2 out of 3 Chinese gibbies that were on par... a great deal for the cash -. and yeah, I have a $4k black beauty, a wes m. l5, strats galore... the build quality is better on the real deal. A real gibson with '57 classic pickups ... just magic man. I dunno. Maybe i'm just a spoiled SOB , or maybe I ate top ramen for months and sacrificed to get the real thing ( and I still think it was TOTALLY worth it, instead of the new iPhone, my 5 works fine beotch)

[@smittenthekitteninmittens2679]

more often than not the pickups are epiphone ones too...also the bridge is on backwards for ALL 3 fakes you showed :D..