I want to get a chibson

Tex Mexico

That's a weird one - I've seen guys spend thousands on period-accurate Gibson replicas, there's a video somewhere of a guy building a completely faithful '59 RI, closer than the actual CS Gibsons, and it cost a real fortune to make and it was amazing, and all I could think was what a shame the luthier isn't putting his own name on the headstock. But then I suppose it's still cheaper than a real '59 burst.

But on the subject of rebadging cheap copies, or getting a fake from China, I'd just feel wrong about owning a fake, the same as fake Nikes or fake Ray-Bans or whatever. And those ebay specials where they're obvious fakes even moreso, I can't see the appeal of owning a fake Gibson that even an amateur would know was a fake right away. That just makes you look weird. I'd rather then own a Greco or Tokai or Edwards, brands that you know are able to produce the models they produce because of different copyright laws in the Far East, but still have their own name on the headstock because they're proud of their product.

underdog

Surely if you want something to mod and it's an off the shelf style, looking at the Harley Benton guitars on thomann is they way to go, decent guitars, great price and they cover pretty much every model.

digitalscream

Tex Mexico said:

Just wondering if anyone here has an objection in principle to Chibsons, whether it's to do with the copyright infringement, the carbon footprint of shipping over Chinese instruments, the exploitation of Chinese labour or the added downsides of counterfeit items such as dangerous paints and parts that aren't up to code, and production processes that pollute (sometimes illegally, sometimes not)?

I kind of have issues on all of these levels, which is why I wouldn't get a Chibson, added to the issues surrounding the dubious quality of the instruments. And then purely on the quality side there's the fact that these instruments are notoriously patchy as well as unsupported by manufacturer warranty.

For me it's lose-lose and the price point just doesn't justify the risk.

And then you have the fact that you can have a bit of wood with Gibson written on it but that will never make it a real one. For the same reason I wouldn't buy a badged partscaster.

Yeah, I have all these issues - and anybody considering buying one should bear in mind that any attempt to sell them on this forum will result in their threads being deleted (repeated attempts to sell such a thing will probably end up with a ban, based on the fact that it's illegal to sell them in this country even if you tell the buyer that it's a fake).

Counter to that is the fact that I really want one of these:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Suhr-Pro-S4-Root-Beer-Stain-Electric-Guitar-Suhr-Pro-Series-Free-Shipping/1666074610.html

Not because it says "Suhr" on the headstock, but because I'm a sucker for a rosewood neck and it's a silly price for what might be a good guitar. If I was to get one, I'd probably get someone to remove the veneer on the headstock (and sand off the writing on the back) then refinish it. 

axisus

I have to admit that my desire for a Chibson wasn't in getting a 'fake' Gibson, it was in getting a starting point for something I wanted to mod a lot. I'd prefer one without Gibson written on it, and I'd be more than happy to remove the name.

Forge

axisus said:

Having knocked up a few partsocasters, I put my own logo on them. It's vaguely Fenderish. Actually I have a pic:

Same here, and I refuse to give credit to Fender for my hard work:

Philly_Q

So there's a place that sells fake Suhrs?  I'm not saying I'd have been fooled (even on a tiny picture the cheap bridge is a dead giveaway), I just had no idea they existed.  They do look alright, I must say.

ThePrettyDamned

Philly_Q said:

So there's a place that sells fake Suhrs?  I'm not saying I'd have been fooled (even on a tiny picture the cheap bridge is a dead giveaway), I just had no idea they existed.  They do look alright, I must say.

The rosewood neck looks like it's been finished...

Surely the best part of a RW neck (or similar) is the lack of finish required?

Forge

ThePrettyDamned said:

Philly_Q said:

So there's a place that sells fake Suhrs?  I'm not saying I'd have been fooled (even on a tiny picture the cheap bridge is a dead giveaway), I just had no idea they existed.  They do look alright, I must say.

The rosewood neck looks like it's been finished...

Surely the best part of a RW neck (or similar) is the lack of finish required?

Clever ad, they specify the fingerboard wood but not the neck, be aware what you get is not what is picture even if the seller confirms it. See Chibson Firebird thread on this forum. Basically if it arrives with a maple neck there is nothing you can do.

ThePrettyDamned

Forge;320708" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:



Philly_Q said:

So there's a place that sells fake Suhrs?  I'm not saying I'd have been fooled (even on a tiny picture the cheap bridge is a dead giveaway), I just had no idea they existed.  They do look alright, I must say.





The rosewood neck looks like it's been finished...

Surely the best part of a RW neck (or similar) is the lack of finish required?







Clever ad, they specify the fingerboard wood but not the neck, be aware what you get is not what is picture even if the seller confirms it. See Chibson Firebird thread on this forum. Basically if it arrives with a maple neck there is nothing you can do.

Good point mate.

Tbh I see them as a cheap custom shop (that might not deliver what you want) - design your own logo! That's way fucking cool, your own sig guitar.

Loobs

guitargeek62 said:

Define "decent".

From what I've seen they look pretty substandard. People seem bowled over by the fact that they're getting a functioning guitar for £200-300...

The hardware seems to be dross, the finishing also generally pretty sub-par.