After US Border Protection officers reported the biggest counterfeit instrument bust on record when it seized $18 million of fake Gibson guitars late last year, it’s fair to say that the issue of fraudulent electric guitars is becoming ever more problematic.
With seemingly more and more fake instruments making their way into the market, it’s become more important than ever to be able to tell what’s genuine from what isn’t – and while most of us would like to think we’d be able to do just that, that might not always be the case.
As such, YouTuber Robert Baker recently assembled an all-star cast of guitar experts that included Gibson’s Tom Murphy and Joe Bonamassa to appraise a counterfeit Gibson Les Paul, and highlight the tell-tale signs of what to look for when inspecting a potential fake.
The fake Les Paul in question belongs to Baker himself, who in turn purchased it from a friend who was getting rid of it.
“A lot of us have friends who have unfortunately purchased some of these thinking they were real,” Baker explains, “and it’s just heartbreaking to see someone spend so much money on something that is fake.”
“I wanted to make you a video showcasing all the little, subtle things that are wrong with these that can help people hopefully not buy these fake Les Pauls.”
Joining Bonamassa and Murphy in the comprehensive 44-minute guide are Tom Bukovac, Joe Glaser, Phil Jones, and more, and as soon as the fake Gibson is unveiled, it’s not long before the tech specialists start pointing out issues.
Naturally, each brand has its own quirks and niches, but in the case of Gibsons and Les Pauls, the immediate red flags for the crew include the headstock shape and logo – which is decal, not silk screen – and the vibrant white binding, which as Murphy notes, “I don’t know of any Gibson guitars that possess that”.
During the initial appraisal, there is also cause for concern with the finish, veneer quality, crude truss rod cover and cavity, tuner machine spacing, smaller-than-usual fretboard side dots, pickguard shape, height and angle of the nut, and the position and shape of control knobs, which are also unlike any Gibson uses for its genuine instruments.
The team also end up slicing a chunk of the body off and scraping the top with a razor blade – something that the majority of guitar hunters probably wouldn’t be able to do – but their findings are insightful nonetheless.
Everything from the depth of the veneer and the quality of the finish to the anatomy of the wood can be used as indicators of the fake instrument.
“I think it’s extremely wrong to put, ‘Gibson, Made in the U.S.A.,’ on the headstock of a guitar that is not either of those things,” Baker concludes. “I hope this stops people getting these thinking they’re real.”
Visit Robert Baker's YouTube channel to watch the whole video.
