those chinese gibsons....

[NoSleepTilSleep]

I don't know, I think Eastwood has some validity in its existence. Say if you wanted an Ovation GP, QOTSA fanboys* have those things on lock... $3000+, the Eastwood is like what, $600 for a perfectly playable instrument. Eastwood fills that niche for junk-y hipster guitars without the pawnshop hustle.



*I'm aware of the vicious paradox that if you want a GP, you're probably a QOTSA fanboy.

[LogicalFrank]

Eastwood is in an entirely different class than these Fibsons. Eastwood guitars might be fakes but they are honest fakes.

[Metal and Beer]

(no moral quandary here either)

Again, there's a difference betwixt (I like typing that word) legit companies intending to make guitars to compete with the big fuckos, and counterfeit forgeries made solely to wrangle dollars out yo' wallet. I certainly don't begrudge anyone for trying to get a guit-fiddle for cheap, hell naw, and frankly modern-day Gibson can suck it.

Assessing a guitar as "perfectly playable" by .jpegs alone is a talent I wish I possessed.

[LogicalFrank]

I couldn't buy a Fibson because it would be admitting to myself that I cared what name was on the headstock. I mean, I do... I just don't wanna admit it.

[the diddler]

My 2 cents: I've bought 4 new gibsons in the past 5 years and all have been awesome guitars- with the exception of the melody maker reissue I got that was, still, totally acceptable for a $300 guitar but just not what I wanted to put the effort into making playable (by my standards).  I believe there have to be some quality issues just from the sheer amount of chatter you hear about it, but I don't spend a lot of time in guitar center or wherever trying out all their shit- a good portion of which I assume would be shit as they are a huge volume dealer, and their stock must be "Stairway-ed" to death by every mulleted 13 year old within range of the nearest bus route. 

I've wanted SGs, LPs, Firebirds, etc since I was old enough to know better and now that I'm a decrepit old fuck with enough disposable income, I get 'em and the ones I've got have all worked out just fine.  Got some older gibbys too and honestly don't see/feel/hear a whole lot that differentiates old from new- the 96 LP std I have is, to my ears, the best sounding of the bunch, but I haven't a/b'd it with the latest SG yet.  New SG could be the new #1 as it just feels great and sounds about perfect.  But I digress.....

I certainly don't hold Gibson in a particularly high regard- I'll play whatever sound and feels right.  Had a couple nice Japanese copies over the years and would love to get my hands on an Ibanez Rocket Roll. I can see dudes getting the chinaclones to fuck around with and as a test to see if you can make shit into shinola, but myself- I wouldn't bother. I'm lazy.  Sure- 300 bucks for the fake, plus 300-500 in parts, plus whatever you want to value your own time at probably equals out to fuck of a lot less than you'd pay for a new gibson- but it'll still be pretending to be be something it just isn't, for whatever that's worth.  I guess maybe I've got lucky with the guitars I've bought and just haven't had a reason to try and polish the turd that most of the chinese gibsuns are reported to be.  In any case, as long as whatever you're playing works for you on whatever level- tone feel, headstock decal- go for it.
       

[Mr Neutron]

foto flame, veneer...whatever, this is killer LOOKING.

http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/Wholesale-1993-98-R8-MURPHY-AGED-KILLER-REISSUE-Free-shipping/127868-2600819.html

[Baltar]

I really, really, like my Eastwood Corona.  I've got the neck lightly sanded down with a high grit, so it's like motor oil on glass.  After all said and done, it ended up in the $700 range.  I grew up 30 mins. away from Kzoo so getting rid of my Les in favor of a knock-off was almost illegal.  But my poor sk8r lower back just couldn't take all that mahogany.  The Eastwoods are a pretty decent buy, if you wanna drop some money on after-market pups and tuners.  I'm sure the quality varies from model to model. 

It looks like they're trying to liquidate their stock, and they might end up being collectable in a few years.
They've stopped making the Corona SG, and I can't find any on Ebay.

[Jake]

 

[Metal and Beer]

I'm glad it was salvagable brutha.   \m/

[VOLVO)))]

Swank tits.

[Jor el]

Redonk

[arturin]

[arturin]

foto flame, veneer...whatever, this is killer LOOKING.

http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/Wholesale-1993-98-R8-MURPHY-AGED-KILLER-REISSUE-Free-shipping/127868-2600819.html

No photo flame at all...

[Jake]

Jeez. That second one isn't even shaped right.

[VOLVO)))]

Still looks rad for a surprome.

[grimniggzy]

Want this \/
http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/GTRs/P-90Special/P-90Special_frm.htm

Also been itching for a semi-hollow even though my strat has been getting it done for me as my only guitar vs. a ton of basses. I'm thinkin' an artcore?
Suggestions?

[VOLVO)))]

Pass on the Artcore... get one of the semi hollows off GFS. They look stellar...

[grimniggzy]

Woah, looks like they have some clearance blowout goin down.
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Jays-CRAZY-Blem-Xaviere-CLEARANCE-SALE_c_185.html

[Instant Dan]

On a somewhat related note, I was actually suprised by the Epiphone '61 Casino in a store last weekend. It said made in China but played like one out of the Samick factory. Couldn't justify the eight benjamin price tag. Rather just get a used MiK Casino/Sheraton for around $400-$500.

[lamster]

Hi this my first post hi everyone. There I had to join to post this!
I have read all the stuff about chinese fake guitars being made of ply wood or having 29 piece bodies glued up with all the bits of wood that were not good enough to make packing crates from. and how the fretwork is so bad that you can use the edge of the neck as a saw and so on.
Then I saw some you-tube videos where the guys seem to be suggesting these copies fakes whatever you want to call em are actually not bad and are a good basis for a rework/upgrade they even suggest the best site and seller to buy from! So anyway mine arrived earlier this week. All I can say is ok its not a Gibson but then I never expected it to be for $340 inc case "(which actually isn't bad either)" and shipping. But what it is, is mahogany body with bookmatched flamed maple cap a real one not a photo flame. A one piece maple neck not a scarfed one as some are. Ok I could have if i'd known payed $25-30 more and got nibbed binding on the neck and ebony fret board instead of rosewood oh well live and learn. I recently faked an old korean epiphone into a gibbo LP custom not the usual way by recutting the epi head stock because this one was totally dead I had the head stock repaired but it wasn't done right so it broke again. Only when it did it shattered and looked like the end of a bum cigar from a loony toons cartoon. I repaced all the wood from about the 4th fret and recut a new headstock then got these ultra thin restoration logos and buried them under about 12 coats of laquer.
Took weeks to do, but I looked at and read a lot about gibsons and how to spot fakes to get mine about right. It wasn't perfect but from a couple of feet it did the job. Anyway one of my friends begged me for it so I sold it to him for what i'd spent on it.
So this chinese Fake is the replacement.Ok it looks pretty good and I got to choose the finish I wanted too. I havn't looked but a lot of these have epiphone pickups in havn't looked at mine yet and can't comment about the sound as the old one was upgraded with zebras anyway. I was going to buy a second hand epiphone or a Vintage until I checked them out in my local music store I also looked at burndy, indie and some make called Rally.The Rally looked better made than the vintage but not as good as the burndy or the indie although it was the heaviest of the lot. Chinese said the shop owner but £100 or$160 more than a fake gibson so in the end it was a no brainer.You get what you pay for the guitar body/neck is pretty solid and not bad at least as good as an epi. Goes without saying strings are crap, the hardware is gold plated knock off copies the tuners say grover but they ain't the bridge and tail piece will do for now the pickups will have to go and so will the pots and the switch. there are other things like 2 screw truss rod cover is correct but screwed on by a blind man pissed as a rat.gigson logo looks a bit small as does the split diamond also a possible alignment issue oh well. The fretwork isn't the best but isn't the worst i've seen at this price. a decent level and redressing would sort that out. so if i throw $200 £150 at this guitar it with be a very good guitar. it wont be as good as a gibson but it will have cost me $450 or £350. The same thing from gibson would cost me £3500 It would however not be 10x as good and I would not be able to justify £3000 difference in price. If a gibson was twice as much as the fake It would be resonable but it would have to be twice as good and I don't think it would be. On a final note guy at work decided to blow £1000 on a new gibbo LP studio last weekend Its nice but it ain't £800 better than my fake. I could have got a second hand LP studio off ebay for what I will end up spending on mine but I would have had to spend all the money at once and I couldn't be sure that it wasn't related to the one I just brought from china. They are getting better and are more difficult to spot mine is given away by the fret binding or lack of it and the careless fitting of trussrod cover and cheapo screws. Things like the neck angle and the way it curves on a real one are spot on. I suspect if I'd have gone for the one with the fret nibs and the ebony board it would have been almost un detecable unless you started taking bits off it to look at things like wiring and pickup routes.
I wonder what all the fuss is about really If you buy it as a fake and pay very little for great. If you brought an expensive Made in USA copy or was sold one of these as one of those expensive US copies then you have a right to be upset £3500 is a lot of money for a couple of pieces of wood especially if you drop it Then thats what you'll have.

[VOLVO)))]

They're great for those of us who can do the work on 'em ourselves.

Also pretty great for anyone on this forum, as I offer everything the option to send everything to me, for me to work on!

[lamster]

Good Point Sunno
I guess if you took one of these to you local guitar shop or luthier You'd end up with a big bill to get it to a good playable spec. I'm actually quite lucky I am able to set a guitar up far better than I can play one if you can call that lucky. When I was a kid I used to watch the guy in the local guitar shop repairing and setting up guitars. I've ruined many a cheap axe trying to set the thing up or customise it.
The point most people miss is that all the great guitarists have their great guitars and an army of guitar techs to set them up for them. A stock Fender, PRS or Gibson whilst very playable won't suit there style off the shelf as it were. (Well the PRS might as they are better than the other two IMO) A cheap guitar well set up can be an enjoyable instrument. Where as a badly set up expesive guitar can be a nightmere and an embarressment. "Christ that guys got a really Nice Gibson, its a shame he can't plat it" Unless your really something special or think you are most people only dream of owning a top branded guitar but can't justify the expence of getting one. With these Chinese Fakes people can get a guitar that looks like their dream guitar ( they do quite a good Ibanez gem, Fenders and PRS too) and depending on what they want from it can upgrade it as they want. I dare say that you could get really stung buying one of these guitars there obviously is some real crap out there with Gibson logos on, but it aint all from China. If you intend buying one of these check out youtube for fake chinse gibson and see for youself. You will also discover where and who to buy from. Also bear in mind that while china allows these things to be made and exported they are counterfiet items and will be siezed buy customs in most countries if they are discovered. Yep heart stopping moment when your traking online says "handed to customs".

[jibberish]

 gibson isnt just sitting still and dying. they have been upgrading their manufacturing technology. i have more confidence in gibson today than before. 

the jibby digs the gibby,

but i'm a happy agile customer too .....

[VOLVO)))]

Does "upgrading" mean "ripping off customers by charging premium prices for substandard shit?"

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[Jake]