Great video I enjoyed it..... I have owned many cheap and expensive guitars since 1973....It doesn't matter what guitar you have....If you set any guitar up properly to your personal preference ..... It not only is better to play but, they sound better. I have a 1959 Les Paul Artist brand it plays n sounds just as good as any other guitar I've owned bar 1..... The 1979 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.....NORLIN era very special guitar. These Chinese manufacturers are getting better n better......Don't knock them until you have owned and played them.....Reality is.... A good guitarist can make any guitar sound good 👍 ...... 100%.
my buddy bought a Chibson Slash model from a pawn shop knowing it was fake, for $200 with a hard case. He loves it and the shop didn't misrepresent it. As good as any Epi, especially for what he paid.
@@JC-gd3cc Chibson is not a company So you can get a guitar that is firewood or an excellent guitar. - You can get lead in your guitar You can get wet wood . If I were to buy a Chinese guitar I would buy a Firefly From the official store (not AliExpress)
China will soon lead the world in guitars.......They are improving and are 1/10 of the price of an overpriced brand name........I have purchased a few and they are going to shake up the snobs with deep pockets......Mark my words.
FYI, the new CorTek Smart factory makes nearly EVERY PART of each guitar with CNC machines and operator finishing. In fact, CorTek makes nearly one million guitars per year between their acoustic/electric divisions. Apparently, 2/3 of their products are now made for major American OEM manufacturers. So, yeah, YOU are more than correct: China NOW leads the world in guitar production. And, frankly, much of their newer product excels in ways many manufacturers canNOT match due to a lack of modern equipment and worker skills. Fwiw, RU-vid has a recent video on the CorTek Smart factory. It's amazing, imo.
Have a bunch of LP Gibsons. So thought I would try a Chibson. A really nice LP style guitar with flawless paint and nice frets. Play great. $200 free shipping.
The real question is this: Are Gibsons worth approximately 10x as much? Edit: For the record, lest folks think I'm a knowledge-free bomb-throwing troll, I actually have a Gibson SG.
that depends are where you are in your playing journey. i can tell you that all my Gibsons will always be worth at least what paid for them. some of them are worth much more. if you buy a 200 dollar Chibson to day you will get nothin g for tomorrow. and thats if it actually works when you get it.
I had a Gibby standard 2016, sold it. The chibson silverburst I have now, needed a lot of work out of the box. I leveled the frets and polished them. Changed all Hardware. Installed a bone nut and Grover tuners. Removed the Gibson Les Paul standard decals etc. I keep all the original electronics and PUPS. The craftmanship is perfect. The wood and binding and paint job! It can now outshine any Gibson I owned in the past
I coughed up the four figures it takes to get the brand new genuine article a few years ago. I was so looking forward to owning and playing a "real" Gibson Les Paul. My experience was a) tuners were the vintage style green and would not hold tune, so I had to replace with tuners that actually worked b) pickups were shrill and unmusical, a version of the Burst or Pro Bucker I believe but I could be wrong, so I had to replace with a pair of SD humbuckers and tone is good now c) frets were truly horrible, I had to take to a professional shop that had the PLEK system to level and dress the frets and now they are good d) even though this Les Paul is only one of many guitars I have played regularly, it is the only one I have where the finish has worn through to the bare mahogany wood just through normal use, unbelievable but true. So this was and is the last genuine Gibson I will fork over large money for, and no it was not a bottom-of-the-line model or a knock off. So, I guess my point is, if you are going to spend so much time and money making a very expensive guitar decent, I am not sure it is always really worth it .... maybe a less expensive upgrade project is a better way to go, at a small fraction of the price?
I have real ones and fake ones. I upgraded the fake ones and if I was to blindfold myself, I couldn’t tell them apart from the real ones. As long as it has a good piece of wood to work with, I can have them playing just as good as a Gibson.
Absolutely agree. People who own real Gibsons, myself Included, are often swapping out pickups etc. I bought a Chibson and am shocked at the finish, flawless.
i am 58 years old. i have been playing over 4 decades. i have never received a bad Gibson. IDK anyone personally who has. I hear all kinds of people online yell about it though?
I had one, (Trad Pro) that never really exited me. It wasn't flawed, but I never felt it was a go to. It sat in the closet until I sold it. I commissioned a '59 replica that is amazing. I think some Gibson's have it, and some are average.
@@qua7771 with all due respect that was just you not bonding with a guitar. It happens all the time. You yourself said there was nothing wrong with the guitar.
@@richardclark. There were several things. I'm not a fan of Gibson pickups, and I didn't want to hurt the resale value. Resale is not something I normally think about, but in this case, I didn't see the cost, vs benefit in keeping it. Though it didn't have physical flaws, I wasn't particularly impressed by it, despite the LP design being my guitar of choice. I have copies that play better.
I had a 2016 Gibson Les Paul traditional plus.....when I got it (Used) I opened the case and the smell was amazing. When I got my custom built Chibson Les Paul relic , I opened the styrofoam coffin......it was odorless. Chibsons are cheap but you get what you pay for and most importantly- you don't get what you don't pay for. If you like working on guitars Chibsons are perfect- you need to do a lot of work to them to get them playable and reliable. Its a matter of opinion whether all that work is worth it.
No but they can be as good or better than Epiphone. I got one last year and after I stripped the hardware and electronics, it’s a fantastic guitar. Really fun and great to learn about maintenance of guitars.
You are forgetting one thing, a Gibson is like 10 times the price of a Chibson. Or course it’s going to be better! I’m not going to spend thousands more just to experience that “smell” lol. I’ve owned Gibsons, Epiphones, Harley Benton’s & Chibsons, & I get that Christmas feeling when I unbox any of them. But, you’re correct; nitro does smell pretty awesome. Also, yeah, the parts can be crap, but most people don’t realize a good seller will wax pot the pickups, give you a well cut bone nut, & a US style Nashville bridge instead of an Epiphone style one for little to no extra. Yes, the pots/caps/switch/Jack & wiring are chinsey & cheap, but they work & can be easily & cheaply changed out. Tuners are hit & miss. As far as the wood not being seasoned, I’ve purchase probably about 10 Chibsons over the years & only one had a neck that twisted, & that happens to Gibsons too. If you can buy a Gibson over a Chibson every day of the week, you must be very wealthy. I personally like Epiphones & Harley Benton’s out of all of them. Gibsons just cost too damn much, & yes they are “better” than Epiphones too, but again, not thousands of dollars better. What I really like to do when ordering Chibsons, is find a seller who will build a custom order & have him put my own logo on it. I’ve done that with my last 3 & they came out great. I think the problem is that we live in such a brand driven society where everyone wants to keep up with the Jones’s. There’s a lot of “brand shaming” that goes on among players, even against Epiphones vs Gibsons. Gibsons have become more of a status symbol, like a Rolex watch or Mercedes Benz rather than a musical instrument. That’s is why there’s such a market for Chibsons in the first place. It’s really a personal choice to buy Chibsons, cuz it’s not illegal to buy or own them. I’ve only had 2 that were kinda crappy out of the 10 I’ve bought, & with a good setup, fretjob & a few upgrades, you’ll have a guitar that looks, plays & sounds similar for a fraction of the price of a real Gibson. Personally I think Gibsons, while great & iconic, are overpriced & overrated. Even with legit brands & how great the Asian guitars have become, there really is no reason to spend thousands of dollars on a guitar, unless you really can afford it.
Are Chibsons better than Gibsons ? Quality-wise, of course not, but for the difference in what you pay they easily ARE - the quality difference is MINIMAL. I've purchased 4 Chibsons so far, and each of them play great and needed very little set up. The worst that can be said about them is they have stock pickups in them. For my money, I'd rather have a Chibson - the difference in quality isn't THAT noticeable, but the price is. Don't listen to the guy in the video, pay attention to the comments about Chibsons below - most of them are POSITIVE.
If you don't think the major manufacturers are shipping as many processes over to China as possible, I think you're not being realistic. Most of the manufacturing is automated, so they can't really justify the ridiculous prices by pointing to labor rates in the U.S. Wouldn't be shocked to find out that the Chibsons are being made in the same factories on the same machines as the Epiphones. It's high time that the "mystique" and ridiculous $$$ around U.S. made guitars come to an end.
I recently purchased a chibson Ace Frehley blue burst directly from China . It’s a good guitar , plays well and sounds good. Seems pretty solid but it did need some fret work . With shipping it cost $300 and I put $160 into it for fret leveling . For $460 I’d say my chibson is better than an Epiphone but not as good as my real Gibson ,it’s pretty close though . For the money it’s a good guitar and maybe I was lucky that there aren’t any other issues with it . This was my only chibson experience and I’m pleased with my purchase . Don’t know if I’d do it again though .
I have my eye on a Dave Grohl 335 from an Ali Express shop called Dream Hign(High?) guitars. I have a question for the seller but see no indication of how to message them. Anyone got a clue?
I have a 2007 Gibson LP studio its all mahogany no maple top. I put a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and JB in the neck and I love it. I haven't had any issues with it like ppl say Gibsons have, I love it
My chibson sg has a one piece mahogany body (easy to see when taking pickguard off) and a one piece neck with an EBONY fretboard. They are not as bad as this guy is making out
Not sure what you mean by "good quality" wood, people pay 5000+ for spalted maple, which is essentially dead diseased wood. Looks fantastic, but nothing good quality about that. Chibson's may be laughed at but I have owned and cut up many Epiphones Les Pauls where the top is not Maple, it's fibre board. The last one I took apart had a 3mm gap in between the neck pocket!
I love my chibson explorer. Needed a bit of a setup. I own a Gibson lp tribute and I would say the quality is similar. Maybe I just got lucky with my chibson.
I have a chibson SG 1 piece body, stainless steel frets and a bone nut!! Pickups are decent (non microphonic) paint is flawless. its better than any Epiphone I've played and with the new pickups I put in (emg) it sounds as good as any gibson if not better. Paid $349 free shipping
I have a Firefly that is well made and plays and built better than a lot of the Gibson's out there today....these are the same people that are making the Chibson's btw
Own both and the Gibson obviously is way way better and love the smell on Nitro. The Chibson is a cool wall hanger yet has that cheap Chinese ass smell and you get what you pay for.
If a guitar is not made by "Gibson/Epiphone" but it says "Gibson" on the headstock, then it is a "Chibson".. If a gutiar is a singlecut, but doesn't say "Gibson" then it is not a knockoff, its is competition, and it is not a "Chibson".... In order to be a "Chibson" it must be a guitar not made by "Gibson/Epiphone" but it has "Gibson/Epiphone" on the headstock.. As a example, my Mitchell MS470 is not a "Chibson" and it plays and sounds great to my ear. It was not built by "Gibson" or even in the United States, yet its a great guitar and its not a "Chibson".. I kind of dislike that "Chibson" is a nickname for a knockoff guitar that is a knockoff of "Gibson" at all.. We should just call knockoffs what they are, knockoffs.
We buy budget guitars because we are trying to get as close to the iconic guitar we really want,the one it's trying to copy,chibson fills that niche,and is better than any of the other budget LPs I own,sorry but the logo says it all,regarding how good they play and feel in your hands,your not going to find a better budget guitars for the price,no matter what logo is on the headstock.
I have some china guitars, I have a chibson, I have a gibson Les Paul, They are not the same quality. they are not the same materials. they were made by people who HAD to instead of ,They WANTED to, It's like cooking when your mad, it won't be as GOOD. They Made 2.50 an hour if they are good at it.
$5000 for the smell of a new guitar. No thanks. I have the Chindoval Randy Rhoads polka dot flying v, and with new pickups and tuners, it's as badass as any of my expensive guitars .
They share more similarities to Epiphone. By the time you replace electronics, and hardware, you have made a substantual investment. Get the thing you want, and be done.
It's actually not that hard. I use fishing line and go in to the pot holes from the outside, get it out of the f hole, bind the pots to it and pull it back. Only soldering on the guitar where you could damage the finish if you don't take care or get really unlucky is a bit annoying.
I bought many Chibsons. I rented a real Les Paul from GC and compared it to my stock Chibson. I could not hear much of a difference. Tone wood is a myth. The wood China uses is fine. A guitar is piece of wood with wires on it. Don't believe the hype from the expensive guitar manufactures. When you buy a real Gibson most of the money is for the Name. If you do want something that real, buy the new $499 PRS.
Lets be truthful, there is namebrands and there is groupies, I'm sorry but you fit into both. Second, most guitars are modified after purchase, rarly people keep the orginal pickups, strings. Remember most famous artist started on crappy guitars and made them the signatues they are today. Fender and Gibson, today renowned names in the guitar industry, were not always as famous as they are now. Both companies started small and grew in reputation over time. Fender, founded in the 1940s, and Gibson, established in the late 19th century, initially catered to a limited market. Their rise in popularity coincided with the growth of modern music genres like rock and roll, where their instruments became iconic thanks to the musicians who used them. The fact is that most musical instruments and gear are outdated and overpriced. Companies living off famous artist that they pay to use their brand. Modern engineering advancements have indeed made it possible to create guitars that can replicate a wide range of sounds and playing feels. With sophisticated electronics, customizable hardware, and advanced manufacturing techniques, modern guitars can emulate the tones and characteristics of various classic and contemporary instruments.
Lol Dip Shit, haven't heard that for a while, I've got a Gold Top Chibson Les Paul, and yeah it has a few minor finishing issues and I had to level & crown the frets, upgraded the machine heads for some gotoh relic keystone and even purchased the snide epiphone probuckers from aliexpress (and I must say those pickups sound exactly the same as authentic probuckers) a guy on RU-vid compares them and he even thinks they are legit probuckers and for the £24 I think I paid they are well worth it....I'm not one of these guys that got a Chibson and swapped every part for legit Gibson parts, I honestly don't see the point in that but the Chibsons do require upgrades to get the best out of them ....added a Bone nut and for all in about £250 it's a decent guitar that plays well....I've seen ppl get stinkers but with a bit of research and luck they're worth a shot for the money...I don't think I would buy another though, the only reason I got mine was RU-vid was full of folk saying they're as good if not better than the big G
That made me laugh Dave .you really summed up the whole experience. The polystyrene coffin and yellow tape had me pissing my sides. Ive bought a reliced fraudcaster. Tbf the paintjob was good .the body n neck ok .but the harware was bobbins .i own genuine gibsons and fenders. It was a whim. But that gibson smell cant be reproduced. Crystal meth for a guitar addict. Play authentic my new favorite phrase .😂
Chibsons are just planks to put good hardware into. I`ve had good luck with mine after putting in some Duncans, Gotohs and tuneomatic gear I`ve had laying around. Chibsons are not for the tardathon of snobs or eunuchs who don`t know how to deal with stuff. Gibsons have been hit or miss, prefer the plank type ones, I own a V and SG and have had Lp custom in the past which was a total abortion. Fender USA, Japan or Mexico..... never an issue.
If you know how to set up guitars put pickups in them add pots don't give a s*** what you think you can make it sound just like a Gibson what's 1/3 of the price you'd have to be an idiot to spend two three grand on a guitar that you can do for $600 300 for the guitar 300 hours of pickups a little setup if needed done pickups make the guitar
Let's not be delusional. A Chibson is a cheap piece of Chinese junk and will never be anywhere close to a USA made Gibson. Do yourself a favor and buy a real guitar...a USA made Gibson Les Paul.
LOUIS VITTON AND GUCCI ARE MADE IN CHINA FOR ABOUT 20 BUCKS OR LESS. THERES NO DIFFERENCE. OH IT HAS AN AUTHENTICITY TAG DOES IT. THAT OIECE OF CARDBOARD ON A STRING? OK
Dollar for dollar? Chibson wins hands down. Sure, you have to replace a lot of stuff-but when you do, itll play and sound every bit as good. Is it a Gibson? No. But for under $1,000 invested, you can get a guitar that by comparison will cost you $4,000 at least. Gibson priced themselves out of the players market. Thats what a company does when they are almost insolvent-and heavily in debt as Gibson is. I like to refer to the as Gypsem! I paid $11,000 for my Gibson 2009 R9 VOS. I paid $258 for the Chibson version and spent $600 in PAFs,PIO pots and caps, tuners, and plug and switch. Is the headstock off? yeah. Ist the angle off? yeah. Ist the cutaway off? yeah. Do I GAF? HELL NO!
You're deluded if you think 'it'll play and sound as good'. I bought a Chibson as an experiment and project guitar to muck about with because I don't care if I trash it. And even if I replaced all the things I need to replace to make me want to play it (pots, pups, nut, tuners, plus fret dress), it will not match even my lowliest Les Paul Special, let alone my 2014 R9, it's never going to happen. I have 19 Les Pauls from all eras and, whilst I can definitely make a Chibson playable and stay in tune etc., it's never going to match up to even my humblest Norlin LP in terms of fun to play and general levels of 'stuff I can rely on'. On top of that, you can't ever sell a Chibson on, they have zero residuals, but Gibson, no matter how flawed some eras may be, will always retain a large part of their value. It's like buying a Maserati vs a Porsche. It can look nice, even sound nice, it can turn uneducated heads. But it's going to need constant work and after a few years use it'll depreciate to precisely £0.00!
@@KillerKev1961Nice car, I have a 1973 big block Vette, Bloomington Gold awarded, probably the one car out of my collection I'd never sell! But on the guitars; I am not splitting hairs. You said a Chibby would play and sound as good as an R9 - that's not a hair being split, that's a massive great matted lump of fur requiring untangling!
Good for you. Im happy with a fake and a real Gibson. The Chib sounds fantastic for a fraction of the $11k R9 Gibson. Both serve their own purpose. I play the Chib more than the R9. And at a tenth of the price of the the real Gibson, that makes me quite happy. Your mileage is different. To each his or her own.@@squicker
Well, if there were just one "chibson" producer, it could be fairly compared to any other individual brand. However, that's not the case. Simply being Chinese-made is way too vague. I have no problem with knock-offs, there's a market for that and people collect knock-offs simply because that's what they are. The world is large, it'll be fine. However, I've only had one, and it is a complete piece of sh!t. Luckily, I didn't buy it to play it. It's just a copy of an Ace Frehley guitar that was actually never in production, so it's not even a knock-off, really. Anyway, the fit and finish on this thing is pure dogsh!t, but it will serve as just a piece of Ace memorabilia. That being said, I would certainly, depending on the seller, try an actual knock-off.
I get the Gibson hate because they are overpriced. But the fact of the matter is, they're running a business and people are paying those prices in the current market. Who are paying those prices? Boomers, who are retiring in mass. They have plenty of money and are looking to capture some scrap of their youth. Gibsons will come down in price drastically when Boomers die off.
HERES WHAT YOU DIDNT KNOW GIBSON BOUGHT A SMALL FAILING COUNTRY, SET UP SHOP THERE AND CHANGED THE COUNTRY NAME TO Usa [ oosa] but just use the cap font USA
