Beware of the forgery

[Dave W]

About 5 years ago a member of another forum was proudly showing off the Gibson and Fender counterfeits he was making from low end guitars and basses. I objected then and wondered when they would show up used, and now they have.

This one is listed on Reverb under Gibson basses. In fact, it's a cheapo Hamer Slammer that he capped and added a Gibson headstock overlay and logo.  At the time he named it the "Gibson EB Classic."  To be fair, he's now added in the body of the listing that it's not a Gibson. Likewise with his other listings. But how much do you want to bet that these will be listed as the real thing in the future? I can see it now: rare! custom order! one of a kind! prototype!

[Nocturnal]

I'm sure there are already quite a few fakes that have been sold as the real deal. Sadly this situation will happen by people that are very aware of what they are doing, and then others that won't have a clue.

[Highlander]

Caveat Emptor is significantly more important when buying from afar...

I guess a request for a pot picture and the serial number would help...?

Was it Scott that commented that one or more of his Bach's are better than some of his original NR's...

It's a harsh world...

Has Uwe ever been stung by a ho masquerading as the real thing...? Anyone else going to come out here...?

[gearHed289]

Well, there's THIS guy...

[gearHed289]

And the "Gibson Discoverer". 

[Dave W]

Caveat Emptor is significantly more important when buying from afar...

I guess a request for a pot picture and the serial number would help...?

Was it Scott that commented that one or more of his Bach's are better than some of his original NR's...

It's a harsh world...

Has Uwe ever been stung by a ho masquerading as the real thing...? Anyone else going to come out here...?

It's not a matter of how good it is (like the Bachs -- although a lot of guys did change the pickups), it's about the lack of disclosure. This guy knows exactly what he has --  in this case, a modified $150 Hamer Slammer. His other items for sale are also real cheapos. Yet the most he's done is to amend the copy in the body of the ad to say it's not really a Gibson or Fender. He won't disclose what they actually are and he still has them listed under Gibson and Fender.

Uwe did buy a couple of "Gibson customs" that were actually made by Roger Giffen using some Gibson parts, long after Roger had left Gibson. But we're trainspotters. We were suspicious and figured out and he chose to buy anyway.

[Dave W]

Well, there's THIS guy...

And the "Gibson Discoverer". 

I don't understand. I'm not criticizing anyone for modifying a bass. Were either of these misrepresented by a seller?

[66Atlas]

IIRC didnt Entwistle buy the Discoverer thinking it was real? Had it even been appraised as real Gibson or something and later turned out to be a forgery?

I recall hearing about a guy in Asia making Moderne fakes and passing them off as the real deal years ago.  No idea what happened to that guy...

[uwe]

Uwe did buy a couple of "Gibson customs" that were actually made by Roger Giffen using some Gibson parts, long after Roger had left Gibson. But we're trainspotters. We were suspicious and figured out and he chose to buy anyway.

I bought just one because it was a fake! I wanted one good fake in my collection. Every good collection of anything has at least one forgery, just look at art museums!

My two other fake Gibsons are homemade fantasy Gibsons built by Bill (an LP Bass from Gibson parts) and John's Blueshawk (with a Ripper neck and G-3 pups) - again full disclosure and I cherish them for what they are, I have my own custom shop luthiers working abroad!

Some fakes are great in their own right. So this here is no longer deemed a Rembrandt, but why they have stopped displaying it even though it is from the same era, from one of his associated painters and so well painted is beyond me:



As for the guy who had Dave start this thread I'd say that he barely gets away by saying that it is "Gibson style" only. Doesn't justify if he has been more deceptive in the past. What is disturbing is this inset here though, which gives conflicting and plain untruthful information:

"Product Specs

Condition: Very good

Make: Gibson

Model: EB Mahogany

Categories: 4-String, Short Scale

Made In: United States"

Don't know whether he was responsible for filling in that information or whether that was done automatically by Reverb, but it is his bass and ad and he should have seen it corrected.

[Basvarken]

I'm still waiting for a G4 to appear on Ebay 

[Highlander]

What's the story on that V ... ?

Looks like some EB3 parts; an early version ... ?

[uwe]

I'm still waiting for a G4 to appear on Ebay 

That was priceless. 

[gearHed289]

I don't understand. I'm not criticizing anyone for modifying a bass. Were either of these misrepresented by a seller?

He said he bought them thinking they were real Gibsons, but neither one is. I think the V might be a tweaked Ibanez. The "Discoverer" looks to be made from EB-1 parts.

[gweimer]

He said he bought them thinking they were real Gibsons, but neither one is. I think the V might be a tweaked Ibanez. The "Discoverer" looks to be made from EB-1 parts.

I've made the comment in the past, that given our nearly exclusive knowledge of the BaCH TH basses, a heavily modified piece, over a number of ownership changes, would likely lose the history and provenance, resulting in an unknowing seller buying one as a Gibson (and overpriced), then try to sell it as one.

[Basvarken]

The control cavity would always be a dead giveaway.