March 16th, 2010
I have never seen a Custom Shop guitar flaunt it’s credentials so blatantly by displaying it’s origin on the headstock…
This one comes from Ewout in The Netherlands.
“I came accross your website when I googled ‘fake gibson’. The reason I did this was because I spotted a to-good-to-be-true-cheap-ass Gibson (€350) on a dutch classified ads site yesterday. I contacted the seller and asked if I could come around to see and play the guitar. The guy was kind enough to ensure me (over the phone) this guitar is not a real Gibson, but that it sounds and plays really well.”
Judging by the headstock alone, with it’s audacious proclamation of Custom Shopery but dodgy looking Gibson logo, incorrect tuners and truss rod cover, I don’t think we need to be ensured it’s a fake, but still, a bit of honesty from the seller, (when pushed) is a good thing.
Add to that the bad pot placement and Rosewood fingerboard on a Les Paul “Custom” this guitars Gibson authenticity is pretty much on the rocks. Thanks to Ewout for the email and pictures.
Posted in Custom, Custom Shop, Les Paul | Comments Off
September 5th, 2009
Sometimes it feels like I should call this website fibs-zakkwyldecustom-ons.com due to the huge amount of fake Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom guitars I get told of and see online. It’s got to be at no. 3 in my chart of things I think are being faked the most, (2 being the Les Paul Supreme and 1 being my wife’s interest as I ramble on about that vintage Les Paul Jr I just have to have).
Anyhoo, bear with me while I plough/plow through this once again.
The knobs should be speed dials, not top hats with silver inserts, I suspect the EMG’s are fake but anyway there should not be a pick up selector switch surround, (the plastic circle with Rhythm and Lead on it), the fretboard should be ebony, not what appears to be rosewood. Looking at the back we see the “Gibson” decal on the pots cavity cover, this may as well say, “This is a counterfeit Gibson guitar, bad luck, you’ve been had, don’t you feel a goose”. Why? Because a real Gibson guitar does not have that sticker on it, but most of the fakes do.
Looking at the front of the headstock; The Gibson logo is in the wrong font and at the wrong angle, the split diamond inlay looks like it was done in fourth grade shop, the tuners are fake and the truss rod cover is too close to the nut. Over on the back we see that it has a fake serial number and has Made In USA imprinted into it, (it should not), Zakk’s Silhouette isn’t quite right and the shape of the headstock is incorrect. The truss rod cover is also a giveaway as the fonts are wrong and the words on it are wrong.
Check out more Zakk Wylde fakes on Fibsons.com by visiting the Zakk Wylde category, (link at the top of the page at the bottom right of the banner).
Posted in Custom Shop, Les Paul, Les Paul Custom, Zakk Wylde | Comments Off
