smit0910

Well,

I have got to say, a lot of you are a *little* bit biased here...

First off, nowadays, there are barely, if at all, any guitar sellers on TradeTang OR DHgate that claim that they are selling the legitimate item. Not only that, but most sellers would gladly change the guitars in any way you ask, free of charge, in order to make you, the customer happy. You cannot say the same thing about any guitar company around here.

Second, I cracked and purchased a 12 string Rickenbacker-like copy off of dhgate... great decision. Why? Because all of the electric 12 string guitars sold in North America are way to friggen expensive to justify buying a guitar for just one or two songs. And guess what? The quality was really good, in fact it was far better quality than one would expect after paying $275 cdn (always free shipping btw). The guitar DID have a crappy replicated "R" on the tailpiece, which I asked them to remove... AND they did. Everything was wired nicely, there were no imperfections and the craftsmanship was amazing. The pickups weren't GREAT but I'd have definitely played live with them had I not replaced them with better ones.

Thirdly, I understand there is "Intellectual property" involved with Rickenbacker (and other) copies, I hesitate to give a crap when: a) they aren't claiming the guitars to be what they're not. b) I took the risk of buying a guitar from a chinese manufacturer despite all the unwarranted chinese guitar haters on these guitar forums, my risk, my accountability. c) They sell good product that DO stand up to the original. d) It's not illegal for these sellers to make whatever guitars they wish in their country nor is it illegal for me to buy them. AND e) The guitar companies in North America make high-end or specialty guitars unattainable for people who could never afford them.

So far in this "stickied" thread, I have seen a lot of whining and complaining, but hardly anyone has said they've tried the guitars or were able to judge the quality. I, on the other hand, put up my own cash, took a risk and got a high quality item. I even bought another guitar from the same seller, and guess what? Great quality once again.

What I want to get across here is that all this whining and assuming is unfair to people who have every right to make guitars for a living. Yes, sure, maybe some of them are crooks, but just be vigilant and smart, that's what feedback is for. I encourage buying guitars from China, I also encourage local purchases, it's your choice. Just don't judge until you've tried, especially you OP!

Robbgnarly

Obviously you don't get it. Like you said the companys will change or add names so they are still telling you they will make a counterfeit guitar

__________________
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197? Sanox Sound Creator LP clone (GFS Fat Pat)
2009 Epiphone G-400 (SH-4)
Marshall JCM2000 DSL100
Krank 1980 Jr 20watt
Krank Rev 4x12 (eminence V12)
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MXR Smart Gate

dannyalcatraz

A) if the infringement is substantial enough, the courts won't care what you call it, it could still trigger legal penalties

B) yes, it is your risk and accountability, which- depending on where you live and other details- could include jail time, fines, and confiscation and destruction of the counterfeit goods in question

C) you say that having already replaced the stock pickups, and (presumably- correct me if I am wrong) not done a side-by-side comparison nor having had the guitar long enough to see how well the woods & hardware last over time. (Metal fatigue is a bitch...)

D) actually, it IS illegal to make those guitars in China- I've read the laws, and China is a signatory to numerous international intellectual property treaties, and have even modeled their domestic IP laws after those found in Western countries*- the makers are just enjoying the benefit of selective enforcement.

E) that you cannot afford a product does not entitle you to buy an illegally produced knock-off. And remember, part of why a product made in the USA or Canada may cost more includes not just worker's hourly wages, but also things like anti-pollution laws, product safety laws, workplace safety inspections, etc. It is not an accident that China is currently having some horrific pollution episodes.

For example: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/201...es-media-action









* in part because the Chinese government got pissed off when some Chinese IP thieves started going after the products of Chinese IP holders, wrecking their businesses...

__________________
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Emster 23

Sorry if didn't read all the previous posts, so may be redundant. Over here in Thailand local shop has Gibson Les Pauls with "Made in USA" on back of headstock, for $300. They look nice, like Thai transvestities. When you take them home, you are the one that gets f**ked, in both cases. The shop does say they are made in China and not real, to their credit. That tradetang site has so much bogus junk... you do get what you pay for, usually....

dimesqeals

Nice post! Now we have to be careful when GAS kicks in. hahaha

Well I'm not really a person who needs to have the real/authentic brand to be able to play. As what I see as a musician, what matters most is the preferred setup of the guitar that makes me want to play it.

No matter how many $$$ my guitar costs, if it's not set up to my preference, it will sound bad (for me at least) and I would play bad on it. I did setup one. Bought it cheap and replaced the parts (bridge, pots, pickups, etc), set everything and it was perfect and played beautifully. And is still with me today. Total amount spent = half of branded ones.

Anyway, this is a great post. It's not just the guitar counterfeits that we have to worry, we also have to look out for the parts and accessories, these are important.

Off topic: By the way, I read a lot of comments about items being listed in ebay. There are a lot of counterfeits in eBay. Be careful!

Rules to follow in ebay:

-Read the title
-Read the description(Yes read it from start to finish, you have to.)
-Look at the pictures closely (bad quality pics? contact the seller and ask for good pics)
-Take note that they can sell fakes as long as they indicate that it's a "strat copy" or a "les paul copy" again read the title.

Back on topic: Nice thread! Maybe I'll post a picture of an item I'm doubting. Not really familiar with other brands, I still need professional eyes.

RedJamaX

This is another vote for the cheapies... honestly, the best piece of advise was already given... 1. Stick with foriegn auction sites that are estabished.
2. Stick with sellers that have high ratings.

My personal reccomendation, just get the "look-a-like" that you want based on looks and construction... so what if it doesn;t actually have "Gibson" written at the top, you know it's not a Gibson anyway, and you would only fool those who are ignorant to the difference and don;t care either. Spend $300 on the guitar with the body and finish you want, drop another $200 to $300 on orignal parts (pups and pots for sure), and set it up the way you want it.

Once you get good pickups, a decent setup, and at worst, a fret dressing... You will mosty likely have a killer guitar for 1/4 the amount you'd have paid at a guitar shop for basically the same thing without the brand name. I've had one of these fakes that I ordered and setup for a buddy of mine, it was a LP fake, no branding on the head. After a decent setup it felt really good, much better than some of the less expensive Gibby's and Epi's I've played. Then we swapped the puups and put in real gibson 490r/496t combo and it sounded amazing.

Still not feeling good about it... Get the budget brand from the maker you want, then spend the extra dough on the pickups you want... at least then you still save about 1/2.

its_minchew

I've actually played quite a few chinese "Gibsons" that were nice instruments. almost bought a copy of a LP Supreme from a friend because it was cheap and sturdy. I used it live for about 3 months with no problems