Real or fake? Counterfeits of famous-brand guitars are showing up in shops and the Internet.
Counterfeit brand-name guitars are a growing problem in the market for musical instruments. A 2009 raid of a Chinese counterfeiter yielded more than 1,200 bogus guitars, most of them phony Gibson electric guitars. While many of these counterfeits are sold in shops, the vast majority are sold via the Internet, where buyers have to trust the claims of online vendors, many of whom offer famous guitars at unbelievably low prices. While many counterfeits look just like the real thing, there are some things to look for that can keep you from getting ripped off.
Instructions
1. Go to the website of the manufacturer of the guitar and download detailed photographs and specifications. Unless the counterfeit guitar is very sloppily done, you'll only spot it by comparing small details between it and the real thing.
2. Look at the truss rod cover, which is the plastic or metal plate just over the nut on the headstock. Is it the correct shape? Is it held on with the right number of screws? Does it have printing where there shouldn't be any? For example, Gibson Les Paul truss rod covers are held on with two screws, while counterfeits typically feature three screws, because three-screw covers are easier and cheaper to install.
3. Check out the guitar's logo on the headstock. Is it identical to your photo of the real thing, or is it thinner or thicker? Is it at the right orientation to the top of the headstock, or is it slightly crooked? If it is inlaid, are there errors in workmanship? Famous guitar makers spend a lot of time getting their logo right; if this one is botched, it's a sign you've got a fake.
4. Check around the rim of the sound hole on an acoustic guitar. If you can see layers in the edge of the wood, it's not made of solid wood but with a cheaper laminate. Similarly, check the wood on the underside of the guitar top with a dentist's mirror or hand mirror. If the grain runs opposite to the grain on the top of the guitar, it's a cheap laminate and not genuine solid wood.
5. Check the price. If you're being offered a famous-maker guitar for a tiny fraction of its U.S. market value, the guitar is almost certainly a fake. There is no reason for the Gibsons and Martins of the world to sell a $10,000 guitar to a retailer who's going to offer it for $250. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
6. See if the guitar comes with a case. High-end guitars from famous manufacturers always ship with a case; if the guitar you're considering comes without one, it is probably not genuine.
