How to NOT get Ripped Off Buying A Chinese Copy Les Paul Guitar | Counterfeit Guitar | Tony Mckenzie 

Oh Roy, I am sorry to hear that. I know exactly how you feel and it does tend to make you have loss of faith in the stuff. The HB guitar I bought was terrible. I know that is different, but the result is about the same. You know what Roy, there will be many other guys that have travelled a similar route. I am grateful that you have highlighted the problems you have had because it will undoubtedly help other guys. There is so much said on the internet about the quality of those guitars being 'great' but that is not always the case by any means. You have commented and that helps other people. Remember this, there are guys out there that have been down a similar route but for some obscure reason still insist that the C guitars are wonderful and better than brand X of many times the price. But you have told it the way it was for you... and I commend that. Thanks. And thanks for watching.

+Randy Woolum If the headstock says Gibson and the guitar is not Gibson they ARE made to mislead you.

If you go to for example aliexpress, you can never find a gibson logo on the headstock. You'll have to ask for pictures to get that logo.

you're correct these can be bought for £199.00 from China anyone buying one of these and thinking its a Gibson is a fool, A friend of mine bought one of these and it sounds pretty good, much much better than a generic LP copy.

Maybe you don't care? Thanks for watching.

It's not that you didn't make a video on an interesting topic. It's just that this could have been covered in 15-30 minutes.

Problem is, everyone that watches are not all 'experts' and know everything. You should consider that these video's are for all levels of viewer... even guys who have no knowledge of the subject. They are out there for sure. Thanks.

That's not what he meant. I found the topic incredibly interesting too, don't get me wrong, but I thought exactly the same as Mark - and I guess I am one of those guys with not much knowledge of the subject. Maybe some heavier editing would do? Anyway, thanks for the insight!

No problem... Honestly I see this video at 56,085 views as I write and these two comments are just about the two to date that have remarked in this way. I always relate to what people say, but I suspect you're not an 11 year old and in the case of someone that old then they might have a different view re the length and what is covered and how its covered etc. Making ANY video shorter also makes what is communicated maybe less understandable and may in some cases actually deter from what the actual message of this video is... and that was exactly 'How to NOT get Ripped Off Buying A Chinese Copy Les Paul Guitar'. The owner of this guitar was actually ripped off! And he IS a reasonable guy I can vouch for him - and he was sold this junk by a priest! Hence my annoyance about these sort of things. Like I said it's easy to say the video needs 'hacking' shorter, but remember that there are guys that know literally nothing about what goes on. Thanks for the comment anyway, I don't really want to deter anyone from making their point if it's reasonable and it was, so please understand my reasoning about the vid and why I won't edit it any shorter. Thanks for watching too.

Thanks Raymond and thank you for watching... I hope it helps.

I'm sure you are right, but check the video and they are worlds apart from the counterfeit guitar for sure.

@@britishboxer6875 Ha what can I say? But I know where you should get them from ;-)

@@britishboxer6875 I'll desist from that line thanks.

@@britishboxer6875 Being rude to me does not work. Banned.

I'm sure there are many other points :) And of course you are right on that - and its an older one where the controls are incorrect for a Les Paul... at least a Gibson one. Thanks for posting this one though - I did not cover it but hard to remember it all. Thanks and stay safe!

Your comments are great - and that is one of the reasons I created this video in the first place. A friend of mine who collected guitars got ripped off by buying on eBay from a Vicar! It turned out not a real guitar... but when they are online sometimes they are close enough (might look that way) and when you receive it bam its a fake. Thanks for the comment and I am glad this video has helped you out. Stay safe.

Of course... thanks.

Anytime... and thanks for watching.

Thanks Ed... and thanks for watching.

Great point and thanks for listing that on here... I never compared the two really. Thanks for watching.

Well I've been there too where the only running thing in my house was rats LOL... trust me I know what you mean and don't just say that. Well personally I did have a Columbus back in the very early 70's (they were about $150 then) but they are long gone of that quality now. The Gibson alternative is their cheaper guitar that they put out ... the Epiphone. While they are not USA at least the quality is overseen by Gibson (they tell us). A second user one can be improved on over time and for the money they are not that bad. Certainly better than what's on this video. Thanks for watching as it does take me a lot of time on them and indeed on all the replies.

Any time Tim...

Thanks.

Highly unlikely... this is a Chines copy - even Harley Benton could not make one this bad... thanks for watching.

+David German Thanks David and thanks for watching - appreciated.

Yes, you CAN get a 'good' 'chibson' for sure, but it's that risk of what you actually receive I think is an issue - some are not easily fixable and then often the money could be lost. Actually this video was warning people about getting ripped off that was the main thing. Thanks for watching.

Any time YJMfan...

The body on this copy was veneered over the back to give the appearance of a one piece body. Many Gibsons have 2 part bodies but this one under the veneer (as seen from the ands of the body) had about eight or more pieces of some sort of wood... but I could not determine exactly which wood it was. The back veneer was mahogany but not so sure of that wood inside... Some Les Pauls have dark or black finish to the back of the body. In that case you would not know exactly which wood it could be. Scary really... I always feel the weight of the guitar but that can also be very misleading as I've had Les Pauls (real ones) that are light or heavy as heck. Thanks for watching.

Ah ok thank you, and yeah. I have a traditional Les Paul and it is a ton weight. I hear a lot of musicians get them hollowed out.

Dylan McGreevy Well usually that's a factory thing... they make hollowed out and non hollowed and the weight think can really hurt if you have a heavy one and use it for 3 hours at a time... ouch...

Well an informed person may well not make the mistakes that my friend did. So I made the video for that reason and you were right in checking your gear... even I check mine :). Thanks fore watching.

I think it's variable. So variable like playing R*****n Rou****e - you might be lucky of course, but the ones I have had never did come near to the Gibsons. Nearest? That is one of these: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bg4buTRVaYw.html Thanks for watching.

Agreed... and thanks for watching.

+alwaysopen I don't have one - I remember them of course - they were out there in force at the time... those are built differently than the sort of stuff coming out these days.... watch my channel for a new video coming presently where you would not believe how bad some of it actually is. I have an example that will bother many people. Thanks for watching.

***** Tony, I have a friend in Virginia - USA - who has enlightened me to lots of horrible aspects of the guitar making business. He is a luthier who can build anything but specializes in Fender style guitars. Did you know the bore at the input jack originally went through to the pup selector switch? My Norlin model is typical of how they pieced together a bunch of chunks of wood leaving a lot of valleys for routing wiring. Love your channel.

+alwaysopen Really. Sounds terrible and I have seen bodies made of chunks of wood and wood sandwiched over the top and bottom like you describe. One brand used to stand out a bit in the early 70's was 'Columbus'... a far eastern guitar (not sure where it was made though) and my recollection of the early 70's one was it was just like a Les Paul in many respects. Can you remember those. Thanks for the info.

+R Shay Anytime Sir..

Thanks...appreciated. And thanks for watching.

+jordan Embleton Some are fitted the other way around... I guess is the answer ...

+William Taylor Thanks... and thanks for watching.

Thanks for the info... and for watching too.

Correct... it was an omission on my part. Well pointed out... and thanks for watching.

+jerohuu My opinion is that the Chinese ones I am talking about are plain and simple rip off guitars that are made without any reference to quality whatsoever. In the case of Epiphone (some complain some don't) I do think they are made up to a standard because the main difference is they are authorised and quality controlled by Gibson. That makes a difference IMO. Also bear in mind that the maker is standing by a good warranty in the case of the Epiphone. The Chibson stuff and warranty don't typically exist together. Thanks for watching.

***** thanks you for respomding, it is a special II les paul, also it came in a perfomance pack, they are low gama, but they have not these flaws like the chibsons, eventhough somo aspects are not included like in a standard les paul :)

+jerohuu Yes but the important bit really is that you have a guitar that you can build on without fear of trouble that can't be fixed on some of those Chibsons. Its a better choice. And if you ever upgrade you can sell it! That's an easily forgotten point that does not matter until you want to upgrade.. as inevitably we all do.

***** thanks for your dedication! greetings from argentina !!

Good point... But I think those 'outboard pieces' as I call them might get added at some stage. Thanks and well spotted.

+Dre Gramlich Clearly they are different. Often the 'kits' use screw on necks where the real deals are glued, but some kits do have the glue in type too. I don't have a kit to make one but its an interesting consideration. Thanks for watching.

+May Flyer You will know what it takes to improve it. Some guys think these are Gibson replacements out of the box but I don't think so. Thanks for the info.

+tonymckenziecom I agree with you. The work I did on it was just to make it playable, but there's no chance it will ever be near a genuine Gibson; not even by changing the pick-ups and electronics, as some people do. These will always be cheap replicas.

+Brice M Yep, that's life... and that's how some of us learn.

Thanks.

Well I did see other sort of videos on here... and I certainly did not get every single point of the differences, but hopefully it helps guys not to end up paying for something that on the face of it looks great, but in reality is, (when all is said and done) just a cheap copy guitar. Thanks for those kind words... appreciated.

Thanks for those kind words... it was a pity my friend lost money on this guitar. But thanks for watching.

Good point... but bear in mind that the Tokai love rock has an exact match bridge ;-) but you are of course exactly right about these cheap guitars. Thanks for posting and for watching.

+msapostle Thanks.

The buyer of this at the time did not know all the pointers and was sadly sold it by a vicar on eBay! Thanks for the info and for watching.

@@tonymckenziecom I bought a EpiPHONY from an unscrupulous pawn shop guy. It just didnt look right. Should have known with the $300 price tag. Live and learn.

:( Sadly its sometimes the way of the world these days and is likely to get worse with the economy bombing a bit. My friend learned too. I did feel sorry for him actually. When he bought it around, he said 'I think I made a mistake' and he had. It was nice looking stepped back but as soon as you got remotely near (the lid open on the case!) it was noticeably not what they said it was. Thanks..

Good to hear you Bud... well I guess if you are in front of one its relatively easy especially if you are informed which is why I made the video. But buying on the internet... ouch.. it could be a painful deal... they even used a genuine serial number so if you checked online it matched. Plain and simple - misleading counterfeit to get your money. Some guys think that I should have played the guitar, but I think not. Nothing was as it seemed. Thanks for watching and indeed for the support.

Epiphone is a brand they 'brought back' IMO and used to make a cheap brand to combat the Chinese and other Far East guitars. The Epiphones I have seen close up have slightly better hardware than the Chinese stuff I have seen but even the top ones it is not hard to tell where and how they were made and of what composition. Very similar to some other Chinese stuff but they don't try and rip customers off by being a 'Gibson'... as in the case on this video. Thanks for watching.

+Christian Giroux Hi Christian... its true I could have done that, but the original idea of the video was purely to show the hardware differences. It was not my guitar so I did not compare it. But good point. Thanks for watching.

+Kilgore Trout Strange... I just reviewed a Les Paul 'All Wood' that has no scarf joint or volute, and am about to review a LP Custom Shop Quilt that also has no scarf joint or volute? Maybe they do that on some of the lower models? BTW my 1971 SG had a volute when I bought it back then. Thanks for watching.

i cannot be sure what their policy is across the models, but i have seen it in many YT videos, as a way to address the breaking headstock, along with the Volute. i will have to see if i can find the sources i found this on. i watch so many Guitar videos, it may take while. Take Care. Curious, why would 'All Wood' be in quote marks?

+Kilgore Trout Because some of them use 'richlite' which is not quite the same.

Same. Actually you missed the point! The secret to this video is not related to how good or bad the guitar under question is. It's related to this 'How to NOT get Ripped Off Buying A Chinese Copy Les Paul Guitar' and shows what to look for from a typically not that well made far eastern guitar being offered for sale as a genuine Gibson and how to spot that over the internet so you don't get ripped off. Thanks for watching.

tonymckenziecom I'm just fooling with you man it's a good info video for folks who don't know

:)

Yes there are many obvious issues of course. This video was made because I know a guy who bought one on eBay :( and he lost a pile of money. The seller was a priest! Should have been trustworthy, but maybe the priest went to the 'other side'? When it's on eBay and places like that (especially a few years ago when this video was made) it was less obvious... he was just a collector and not a player :( In any case thanks for that info... and stay safe.

@@tonymckenziecom These things are actually illegal, by the way. In his shoes, I'd have got my money back and then shopped the priest to Plod.

JH Scofield Hi JH... I would not say 'always' :) but its another good point to check thanks for posting it because these are the things that help guys to check.

Hi Rob, the clue with this video is in the title! I'm not 'going after' anyone? This video was developed to educate potential guitarists from making a bad mistake of buying a copy instead of the real deal. Thanks for watching.

Yes these counterfeit ones are not in reality very cool as a guitar. And even less cool as a copy. The fact is, that uninformed guys WILL buy these copies, and regret it later. Try and check one out on the internet and the problem becomes bad x 10 so I thought I would make this video to help others to try and be objective rather than judging the guitar by just how it looks. Tanks for watching.

Problem is, that the quality is very variable and if you get a bad one... it will stay that way because reshipping to China would cost you more than the guitar :). Thanks for watching.

The one you wanted was a 'Columbus' of about 72. It was a long time ago but the Columbus I thought was the best of them. I distinctly remember those and they seemed to be (in my uninformed mind then) a direct replica (but no Gibson on the headstock and a slightly different headstock end). I've seen newer 'Columbus' guitars that are NOT at all like that one from the early 70's (or even the end of the 60's) and were/are far inferior. I did NOT set this counterfeit guitar up or play it and did not want to. My way of thinking was to show the differences between a real Gibson and the counterfeit. Looking at the loose string tailpiece, bridge and nut should really tell you everything about playing this one so I wasted no more time on it. I guess it could be made to be 'reasonable' but like I said to Ariel below, playing is a little like promoting it, and could add coffers to their stash which they will use that money to make more... not really what I wanted to do. Rather educational all round, including the comments from different viewers - all valid I might add. Unfortunately the buyer wanted a Les Paul and thought he had bought one.... alas he ended up with this. I just hate to see people getting ripped off in that way. BTW the Explorers were too heavy :) OK when you're 18 (which I was in 68ish) but at 60 there's no chance LOL.

Some of them are OK of curse... but it's the bad ones that this video is all about... oh and of course the counterfeit ones. Thanks for watching.

Not buy an epiphone thats genuine?

Nothing wrong with the genuine Epiphone as I have showed on a number of occasions. Thanks for watching.

Thanks Jeremy for watching.

Very good point and thanks for sharing it. Thanks for watching.

Well pretty soon they are going to see exactly how the Chibsons are. I have one coming that will undoubtedly shed light on all of that... but without the bull that many of the Chibson reviewers seem to extol on those guitars. Thanks.

This guitar was never on the internet before I put it there except for the original sale to the owner so it is not the same (I have not even seen the one you mention as I know for a fact where this one has been). In any case the more that people show the reality of the equipment (I have never found ANY copy including Ibanez copy of the 7VWH to be anything but plain and simply bad) the better. It helps to stop guys from getting ripped off and that can only be a good thing. One guy who I worked with bought a Chinese rip off of an Apple iPhone and he was ecstatic... showing it around etc. well he was, but it lasted a week... then he went quiet. It was cr*p.

You clearly had a good time with buying that. People send me images that you would not believe how bad they can be. But the video is not really about buying a Chinese guitar from people that sell them in China and similar countries. But rather how to spot if you're being set up to pay for something that it clearly is not. Thanks for the info.

Yes,you are right of course..I have heard so many horror stories and maybe I was just lucky with mine..I enjoy your videos and will continue watching..Keep up the good work.

I agree with that... they ARE too expensive, but it's not just limited to Gibson... think PRS, Fender, Ibanez, Martin, Taylor, the list is endless. The top end stuff is way over priced for sure.

I personally think prs Se series is nicer than the high end prs and peavey and godin make guitars that are just as good for considerably less.

Thomas R. Bowen The SE is not bad... but it's controlled by PRS for the quality they say (? maybe so) but the SE prices are climbing too these days. Seems everything is creeping up much faster than the inflation figure to be honest. I did not try the others so can't really say anything about them... but I'm sure those two brands 'should' come up with the goods if they don't know how to by now its time to give up.

***** pice of everything is going up for sho

Among all my guitars I have Epiphone LP that sounds totaly like Gibson, but for almost ten times lower price. Also have some expensive guitars but there is not always difference in sound. Maybe some other things

That is true of course but the guy selling it was a priest? Would you trust his word? That is the real question. Me? I liken them to a really famous track called 'don't believe a word' :) True you could hang them for decoration though... but don't give it a friend else he may not be for long :) Thanks for watching.

Thanks for that info... always appreciated... and thanks for watching.

That is true if you get what you should. The problem is that often its a 'hit or miss' affair re the quality - once it's here it's an awful long and expensive way to send back. You are right though on this video, it was made to show how someone could mistake the guitar for genuine over the internet. Thanks for watching.

Careful Corey someone just might believe you LOL. They file them as I can clearly see in the Gibson's I own and have ever owned.

Great and very useful extra info for sure and thanks for that - I'm sure that will help many not to get 'taken for a ride' as sometimes guys do. Thanks for watching also.

Maybe they started to 'roll' the numbers... I would not be surprised at any of it.

Oh I agree... however, I bought a number of Chinese guitars that turned out to be total junk (the videos are on my channel if you want to see them) and worthless. One I ended up sawing in half and the other one I gave away. Thanks for watching.

I know of lipstick on pigs :) but I can't name them :) or they may never talk to me again LOL (I'm just joking of course). Clearly you know the difference between that cheapo counterfeit guitar and a Gibson Les Paul. As you might read below... I've had guys saying.. 'go on play it' etc... which I will not because I think it gives the counterfeit guitar 'some' credibility... but others that propose those cheapo guitars often don't care and (it seems to me) that they wilfully push that stuff... indeed as I type there are many guys showing the 'chibson' as they call them with complete disregard to the fact that often those guitars are completely illegal. It does not seem to bother them... but I guess that you can tell a lot about someone's outlook on life by their actions. So thanks for watching this video and for your comments which do go some way to confirm the true position... a Gibson Les Paul is exactly that... and a cheap piece of sh*t is just that.

***** I agree with you on not playing the "thing", Tony. No reason to give them any more due then they deserve. There is a video from a person, (again not going to give him any due by mentioning his name), where he states how great they are right out of the box and how great they sound...Now this person states he builds guitars, so he knows what he's talking about. All I can say is if he thinks these rip offs are great I'd certainly never want him building anything for me! And if they are so great, why the hell don't these scumbags put their own name on the headstock? My only conclusion is, because they aren't!!! And are made specifically to burn people. Anyhow thanks again for all your video's and Happy New Year!

MrNitrocat I've seen those videos... (I think it's him - he did a PRS Counterfeit last). Well, I put here what I put on his video... (I'm sure you know about this but many do not). If you import counterfeit goods (either personally or for resale) then you can (and will if they catch you) be dragged through the courts big time. You will have to pay for your attorney (if you dare to try and contest it) and when you lose (you will) then they can either give you massive fines and/or a prison sentence and even seize your assets.. I guess it's a bit like trafficking drugs. Now let's face it, the absolute best way of letting the government know that you have done any of that is to firstly import one, secondly make a video saying how great they are (and telling others where the counterfeits come from and then making another video (often) about how they play and again (just for good measure) telling the world where to go and break the law! Clearly these people don't always think right do they. My guy who bought this counterfeit on this video was sold it as genuine! and he has paid the price... he is so annoyed at himself, but in reality it is not he that should carry the can is it? It's the slime ball that probably imported it and then 'passed it off' as a genuine Gibson Les Paul. My friend is NOT a player, he simply collects guitars that look nice. BTW In fact some of them DO put their own name (or 'nickname' on the headstock... it makes no difference because most guitars are copyrighted by the headstock shape and body shape... so even with a different name added (usually where it would be Les Paul) they are just as counterfeit. I have not seen ONE comment anywhere except which I have made regarding the legality of it all and the consequences of importing counterfeit goods. The scary thing for those guys is that ANYONE could report them for importing counterfeit goods and I'm absolutely sure that then they might start to dislike the thing they bought. Happy new year to you too...

MrNitrocat their not made to burn people their made for people to burn lol

Tubman55 That's not a fair rendition of how things work. I have bought loads of gear off eBay without being taken for a ride. Buyers don't 'deserve' to be ripped off by scum. I would generally agree though that to support your local dealer is a really good thing. I often support my local dealer and in fact just spent near enough £1700 or $1500 so I guess I'm one of the good guys? But come on... no one DESERVES to be ripped off.

Notice the question mark at the end of my opening sentence? Didn't state that he deserved to be ripped off,,,I'm sure he didn't,just seems silly to me to make an expensive third party purchase w/o some due diligence which really isn't possible on ebay..just sayin

Tubman55 I understand. BTW I have bought some very expensive guitars off eBay without issue. Let me point out about that seller who sold this guitar on eBay... he was a priest. Now I guess you might trust him a little more right? as indeed many would. The point is, it's not eBay that make the problems of buying a guitar... its the crooks and charlatans and they are there no matter what.

Thanks for watching.

Cousin Figel Thanks for watching - appreciated.

+Dre Gramlich You can use walnut for the body or indeed any wood really (but not balsa :) but the sound will change a little. That is the main reason for those woods.

I will make 2 of these and if you want to, come on over to my house and bring your Gibson Les Paul and we can see how they get on.

I would like to hear them compared to a real Les Paul. I may buy a Les Paul for my band or I may use the ones I makes.

As always, Mahalo.

+Dre Gramlich You just might be too far away :)

I do make typing errors then fail to see them until its too late :( but that's OK I guess. Thanks for watching... it is always appreciated from EVERY single viewer.

Honest, I knew what to look for, it was just a really enjoyable hour ! Thanks

Joseph Arksey:)

You took the video as intended... to help guys NOT to get ripped off as my friend did. Knowledge really is power and thanks for watching.

Well thank you for your kind words. Stay safe!

Hi Ronald... If you check this video it is all about counterfeit guitars made by the very people you mention. Counterfeit is counterfeit whatever name you apply to it.. but just as an aside, the nasty copies I have seen have been so far removed from the real deal it would not really be productive to promote them to people that trust my opinion. Thanks for watching.

Maybe that's Gibson in Chinese :)... just kidding. Thanks for watching.

tonymckenziecom now that was funny...lol

:)

They are 'reasonable' but from when I did a lot of research about 9 months ago there was an awful lot of things on the Epi (particularly the Les Paul Versions) that were not really what they seemed. For about 600 I preferred the Studio from Gibson which did deliver for me. Thanks for the input Garry and for watching.

I ended up buying a used Gibson Les Paul Std, 2014, but to this day I always check out the Epiphones because they look so close in quality. I think that the pickups are excellent on the Gibson's.

Yes Epiphone do look 'close' as you say... and in my shop review I posted today I showed some Epiphone's with my friend Kane. They look great. Careful analysis does show the Epiphone to be reasonable. But it's not all good. Having said that, the guitar is being made down to a price and there is only so much they can do within the sell price. Question is what is reasonable? That varies for different guys. The Gibson pickups are great for sure and the original 490 and 498 pickups give that great Gibson tone we have all heard for years. They might be in your Les Paul too... or you might have the 'burst buckers'. In either case they are pretty cool pickups. Better choice with the Standard over an Epi, but it's often the budget that determines where we all end up. Thanks for watching Gary and the update.

Hi Dennis... well the answer to that question is really in the title of the video: "How to NOT get Ripped Off Buying A Chinese Copy Les Paul Guitar ". The video was made because a friend of mine was taken for a ride by a vicar! the vicar was selling a Chinese counterfeit guitar. So that was the real reason why the video was made. There are plenty of better guitars for less than a Gibson Les Paul of course, but Chinese counterfeit guitars are not some of them. Thanks for watching.

Hi thanks for the reply. When I wrote that comment, I was somewhere at the beginning of the video but I watched through the full video and realized after my comment that you were talking about a fake Gibson, since they did even put the brandname on the headstock.

Yes you got it :) and trust me that guitar on there was NOT a very good guitar. Thanks.

+Frank Vella Ha me too - the real deals are completely different. I just bought a 'Harley Benton' V6 series 450 (like a Les Paul in shape) and you would not believe what I found... I won't disclose it until that video appears - but when you see it its likely that NO ONE would buy one at any price - basically unbelievable. It might take a week or two to get that online but honestly... those guys who tell me that cheap Chines guitars are 'great' will have some answering to do... and it came from Thomann... it should have gone immediately back - but I decided to turn it in to a project. It IS scary... watch this space and thanks for watching this video.

Exactly right. My own experience showed a sadder result of the cheap ones I bought. It's a bit like a 'lucky' draw really - you get a reasonable one or you don't. The bad ones are terrible... but thanks for the post and for watching.

Exactly correct Jeb... I tend to put all of that down to the 'emperors new clothes' effect. They see what they want to but many of them have never really played the real deal Gibsons. Others seem to just use videos to promote what are more often than not a (very) poor man's Les Paul. I guess in reality they could afford better. But some guys simply won't spend money on decent gear and they 'glorify' some of the rubbish I have seen in ways that only they could. Then there's the angle of guys getting ripped off for a guitar that 'claims to be' what it clearly is not. The Chibson boys probably don't like this video but to be honest it's aimed at education and you can't educate everyone, some are just not good candidates. It is a pity that China cannot develop a guitar (of the cheap counterfeit types) of its own design that is a 'winner' and they then would not have to attach such rubbish building guitar lookalikes to such an incredible real deal. The Gibson Studio I reviewed here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PcMoczyGBGY.html eats these Chinese things for breakfast. Thanks for that input and of course for watching.

Seems like you are the lucky one! I have bought in total three Chinese guitars (this was not one of them - this was owned by someone who got ripped off) and each and every one of them has been very bad in many ways. In fact the third one (bought from eBay and shipped from China just a few weeks ago is about to be reviewed on my channel and I can confirm that it is nothing like your experience. When you see it then it will be self explanatory (from the included story when I bought it) that the seller intended to mislead the buyer. Unfortunately he got me as a buyer and I intend to show and name and shame him and I have absolutely no hesitation in doing so. To mislead buyers knowingly is not acceptable and as I said every guitar I have bought from China appears to do that. Won't be long before you can see the video and make up your own mind from what I show. I can agree that for the money you paid (if it worked) then that was a reasonable deal. But thanks for your experience with that gear and for watching.

+Andrew Butcher Sorry I did mean Greco. I liked Tokai too which always looked great for the dough.

+tonymckenziecom What I am really enjoying now Tony is the two Fret King guitars I bought recently. Trev Wilkinson's pickups sound really good and you have a wide variety of tones available to you with the Varicoil system. I always used to think it had to be a Gibson or a Fender but I am really happy with my Epiphones and my Fret Kings. There is something iconic though about a Les Paul this colour but maybe made in 1959!

+Andrew Butcher Yes I've seen a few of those fret kings, but not really looked that close so thanks for the recommendation. Its true there are plenty of lower cost guitars around but fret king cost more than the low end stuff. Many guys rave about the 59 LP but I never really did see the 'value' difference between one of those and newer stuff. LP's for me tend to be 'similar' and certainly not worth the difference between 1 million and 1 thousand :)

+tonymckenziecom How about a review of the Fret King Eclat Tony? It would be good to get your views and a comparison with the Les Paul if you can get hold of one.

+Andrew Butcher Not so simple... I have to buy everything I review and/or make and right now I have some pretty heavy costs coming .... new warmoth guitar to build, the Helix from Line 6, and the Roland Blues Cube 'Tour' amp all totalling about £3k ($4500) ouch. Maybe I'll get to one but who knows... its not as simple as just reviewing one for sure and sometimes I wish it was. The costs can be high, but I then don't have to answer to some maker as there are no 'favours' to return... if you get what I mean.

You are correct... but it can be harder over the internet especially if you trust the seller. In this case it was a priest! Personally I don't believe a word they say anyway, but others might hold them in high regard. Thanks for watching.

:)

Yes that's true. Same applies with every brand out there from my experience. Ah the Japanese Les Pauls for example (Tokai) I have one of those and they are great -mine is an older on that these today and I bought that for just £400! ($600) which is crazy. But examples of less than perfect guitars from high end (and low end) makers are there to see so check some... I really don't think any company could consistently never get something wrong occasionally. Point of this video was that I have a friend that bought this guitar... he's not a player and bought from a vicar (yes really) on eBay so he trusted the seller. He was so disappointed and it made me think a little as to how many other guys ended up with that gear... sad really. Thanks.

Andrew Butcher Ah yes I know of the Berny stuff those are cool. A bit like the other one from Japan (I forget the name of it) that they say is the same at least as the real deal, but those fetch about $1200 now... Not sure what the Burny's go for but let me know... thanks for that info.

Thanks for taking the time... appreciated. And thanks for watching.

Some of them are and some of them are not worth the price... the problem is that they are all so variable in quality. This video was about a friend who got ripped off with one... and I wanted to show the common problems on the guitar to check online. Stay safe.

Actually they do. The problem is, that everyone is not like me and you... a friend of mine actually bought this guitar of a vicar! He trusted the vicar and hey presto there goes hundreds of pounds (or $) and he ended up with this guitar. He came around to me later and said he had made a 'mistake'. He really DID make a mistake and I wonder how many other young guys might have believed the vicar (a man of the cloth) and bought it? There's nothing wrong with Epiphones for example (as you mentioned) but there IS plenty wrong with fuelling companies that make junk and this was one of them. BTW we recently bough an Epiphone for less cost than this would have been by a long way and that guitar was near enough perfect... check it out here under review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QV6t9bbZnSQ.html Thanks for the comments and for watching.

Gibson own epiphone why on earth would their fake their own guitars? Epiphone have their own factory they make ONLY EPIPHONE INSTRUMENTS... They wouldn't knock out these second rate chibson turds. It's like saying the Mexican fender factory are making snide American standard strats and selling them for 150quid.

There is no way that this guitar came from Epiphone you are right. This guitar was a Chinese thoroughbred for sure and I know of the history of it. BTW I never owned this guitar under review it was owned by my friend who got taken for a ride actually by a priest! The priest said it was 'genuine' so he paid the money - and this thing arrived :( Some guys make out that this sort of thing never happens, but I can confirm that it does and ultimately its the makers that must carry the responsibility by counterfeiting decent brands so that people do get misled. Thanks for watching.

Ronald Roberson iiQ

Ha maybe you meant to say Incontinence Impact Questionnaire ;-)

Just so you're clear... what you mean is that the parts say 'Epiphone' on them... you cannot prove they are actually Epiphone at all. Those parts maybe as counterfeit as the guitar you own. Just a thought which might not have entered your mind. How can you trust any company that counterfeits by default... answer? you can't! Thanks for watching.

+Keiran Bradley Thanks for watching Kieran... yes I did not mention that well spotted and thanks for those kind words.

***** You're very welcome my friend, BTW did you once own an original Maple-cap Blonde 62 Strat, i don't know if i'm confusing you with someone else, Thanks.

+Keiran Bradley Not original... but I have these: ru-vid.com/group/PLD38427759E821683

Hi Carl, yes I do not always get the words out when I'm recording the video... on the spot so to speak. Yes the scarf joint thing I never saw on any Gibson I ever owned either. Thanks for watching - appreciated.

That's a great point and one I failed to raise... a very valid point indeed. FYI this one had been on eBay and apparently it got thrown off at some stage. And thanks for watching - your comments appreciated...

Derek Charette I would not have used those particular words... but I understand what you mean and I am absolutely sure that as you say Fender and Gibson Et Al will be suffering in a big way because of counterfeit guitars flooding the world. If you can edit this entry above I really would appreciate it... because there are many guys that come on to this channel and some may be offended - its better not to do that really. Also of course there are younger viewers... but thanks for watching Derek its appreciated.

+Derek Charette +tonymckenziecom first lets correct some facts. What do you think Gibson actual owns? There is no intellectual property when it comes to a 60 year old guitar. FACT: Gibson legally owns the trademarks i.e. their logo and perhaps the shape of the truss rod cover - that's it. Gibson owns epiphone. Epiphones are made in China. Many other known companies make les paul copies completely legally. Next - what you say is just an opinion. Those who buy so called counterfeit gibsons have done 1 thing wrong, and 1 other thing wrong potentially. 1 - its illegal to buy something that infriges on the trademark. 2. It's even more illegal to resell it (your local laws may differ), but we can't assume everyone buys to sell or to pass it off as something real. Opinion - these guitars CAN be just as good as an Epiphone in terms of construction.. and just by saying that, it infers that it can be just as good as a Gibson. Period. There is enough opinions on the net that can support that claim. Move on. FACT: People buy these guitars because they are CHEAP. If it's crap, not much is lost. FACT: Gibson and epi's have their own well documented quality control issues. What people do not consider is that a USED Epi can be a better buy than a chinese knock off. But that doesn't deter them mainly because they are simply intrigued by the idea that they can get a guitar that appears to be gibson at a fraction of the price. FACT: This is a competitive world. Gibson will sink or swim with or without counterfeiters. Their attempts in 2015 to innovate and do things differently was a failure. 30% price increase, upgrades that people don't want. Customers are tired of Gibson shenanigans. Company that doesn't survive this will sink or be bought out eventually. FYI - there are forums that discuss the differences in counterfeits, how to upgrade them, pros/cons, etc. This is not new information to most.

+ken masters They own the shape of the headstock as a trade mark, they own the name as a trade mark, likely the exact body shape as a trade mark and numerous patents. Lets add the truss rod because you said it. Epiphone are made under license so nothing applies. Anyone can make them legally if authorised, and illegally if they are not. Glad you agree its illegal. Buy one and keep it forever... especially if its as good as the cr*p I've seen over and over again from Chinese rip off guitar makers. And let's not just make it Chinese... Korean, Indonesia and other areas are all well known for it. Some people DO pass on these guitars for sale (as you said that in itself is illegal). Epiphone make reasonably good guitars without the truss rod problems, without the pickup problems, without breaking the law, without not being able to sell it if you want to legally, without all that other baggage. The used Epiphone is better and that remains a far better choice than any of the Chibsons out there. Exactly... the chibsons 'appear' to be a Gibson 'at a fraction of the price'. And there lies the deceit in it all. It's wholly misleading. FACT: a Chibson, will never be a Gibson, but more importantly now you raised the question... a Chibson will never even be an Epiphone. Sums it all up really. I don't visit forums often as they tend to be somewhat overfull of people that hide behind silly little names. Prices increase from everyone... even from the bread you buy daily? Gibson is not exempt from cost price increases either. I guess as Gibson has been around a while (and the quality of the ones I have just bought show) that they will be there for a long time to come no matter how some people knock them in the way that sometimes directly compares them with Chinese, Indonesian, Indian or other cr*p. As you said, its just my opinion. And what you wrote is just yours. Personally I hate rip off equipment like those people are selling and that is simply because they remain as misleading after your comments as they did before your comments. Nothing changed. In any case thanks for watching and for your comments. I may disagree with some of them but its good to get another opinion.

+tonymckenziecom Yeah i dont' condone the practice. Many feel the same way you do, but yet the sales continues. Nobody intelligent will think a chibson is a gibson. Maybe one day a chibson will be eventually good enough to pass as a gibson. Gibson guitar's unfortunately are not high tech/proprietary and can be easily replicated (unlike advance rolex movements or electronics...). But just a small correction. Epiphone are not made under license. Gibson owns Epiphone. Also, Gibson does not own any patents or trademarks on the body shape. They lost that battle a long time ago. Walk into any guitar store and you'll see many LP look a likes from ESP, Greco, Heritage, PRS... You must have heard of Ibanez lawsuit regarding the headstock design. Funny thing, all the mfg's started to adjust their designs slightly afterwards. Long story short - the Chinese are not the first to replicate gibson designs. If you get a chance, look at your Chibson and you will also notice that the headstock is not the same too. It's slightly smaller.

+creepyguy Sorry buddy I'm arguing against this video in some ways, however, I don't agree with you. Your first sentence is incorrect. A chinese mfg cannot make you a les paul exactly like a Gibson. You may think you getting something better, but you are NOT. Trust me I've tried and I speak their language. Second, you cannot say that someone deserves getting ripped off. If I sold you a fake for $1000 instead of $200 you probably think its real too and don't say you wouldn't - because I've seen much better fakes. Leave this to Gibson and their legal team. Everything else is just opinions and nonsense.