The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

[Masta' C]

As a poor sample, here's a close-up on some recent fake Duncans:

These have a few obvious discrepancies to those who know what to look for, such as the rounded corners on the mounting tabs, tapered ends on the pole pieces, and the silver colored baseplate mounting screws. Not that the average player/consumer would ever be able to tell at a glance.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM...counterfeiters are also making even more realistic versions with the correct looking squared mounting tabs, standard screw poles, and brass baseplate screws!

The traditional SD retail boxes are now being copied, as well, at least that I can find for the SH-1/SH-2/SH-4 models:

Heck, they're even making SD-stamped "Trembucker" style baseplates!

It's getting harder to distinguish fake from real. If I were SD, I'd switch things up a bit (packaging, stampings/markings, maybe use a holographic sticker, etc) and post an advisory with picture examples of counterfeit pickups on their website!

 

[Sirion]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

This is good info, and I completely agree. I for one would not have recognized these as fakes in a million years.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Wow...

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Holy crap! I wouldn't be able to tell that was fake.

 

[Mincer]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Do you have a link where you bought these?

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Are you sure those are actual fakes? A lot of counterfeiters use images of real products. Unless you actually have those pickups in your posession?

Are these crooks knocking off other brands as well, or just SD?

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

If I suspected I had a set of fake Duncans, could Seymour & Company eyeball them and make a determination?

 

[superpete]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Do you have a link where you bought these?

found these:

https://www.dhgate.com/product/original-pickups-made-in-america-seymour/416594583.html#seo=WAP

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20200106222907&SearchText=sh1n

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

The urine yellow bobbins on the zebras sure give something away.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Consider the source! The sellers are from China. Is Seymour Duncan in China? No. FAKE.

 

[BeKindRewind]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

The urine yellow bobbins on the zebras sure give something away.

Doesn't dimarzio hold the patent on urine yellow

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

 

[BeKindRewind]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Are you sure those are actual fakes? A lot of counterfeiters use images of real products. Unless you actually have those pickups in your posession?

Are these crooks knocking off other brands as well, or just SD?

If you look close enough you can spot that they're fakes .just very close.

The logo doesn't look right (too thick too white) the matte black bobbins and sharp edges, the slugs look weird, round mounting tabs, wrong color screws on the bottom. But they're very close

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

 

[orpheo]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

 

[ToneFiddler]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

It's getting harder to distinguish fake from real. If I were SD, I'd switch things up a bit (packaging, stampings/markings, maybe use a holographic sticker, etc) and post an advisory with picture examples of counterfeit pickups on their website!

I don't know if this is such a bad thing for the duncan company.
The customers will have to buy new from verified sources if they want to be sure it's the real deal. So just the used market will take a hit when the fakes get more authentic, which means more sales for SD

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Consider the source! The sellers are from China. Is Seymour Duncan in China? No. FAKE.

That all works well and fine until someone in North America buys 10 sets and starts selling 'em on craigslist.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

I don't know if this is such a bad thing for the duncan company.
The customers will have to buy new from verified sources if they want to be sure it's the real deal. So just the used market will take a hit when the fakes get more authentic, which means more sales for SD

A lot of us buy used pickups to try them out. If someone tried out a pickup they thought was from SD and it sucked or was unreliable they would probably post this pretty regularly . . . which isn't good for the brand image.

 

[Mincer]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Even a small amount trickling into the West isn't a good thing. I can see how this can cause some problems, especially if they come here or call Duncan for help with their fake pickups that don't work right.

 

[ErikH]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

Time for the legal dogs to sniff those out and shut them down. Has anybody at the SD office been notified of this? I certainly would not want to end up with a fake SD pickup.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

I've sent SD fraudulent seller links a number of times. Haven't seen anything happen and never received a reply.

EMG is readily aware of the growing number of believable counterfeits and have acted on some, though they are up against a counterfeiting army, which makes it hard.

I have also been in touch with DiMarzio several times, but their frontline staff are clueless. Took a call and 3 emails with pictures each time to get them to realize they are being counterfeited. They simply don't want to believe it.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: The Counterfeiters are Getting Better!

I don't know if this is such a bad thing for the duncan company.
The customers will have to buy new from verified sources if they want to be sure it's the real deal. So just the used market will take a hit when the fakes get more authentic, which means more sales for SD

That's not how it works. First, most buyers won't know they are fake, so they won't think they have to go through "verified sources", especially when it comes to secondhand items. You'll have sellers undercutting real SD dealers with similar looking stock, but not offering warranties or exchange privileges, leading to serious supply control issues.

You'll have people coming here saying that their "JB" or "Jazz" or "59" or "Full Shred" doesn't work well or doesn't sound right without any of us here, including the purchaser, knowing they're dealing with knock-offs and not the real thing. People will get what they think are real Duncans and be turned off from the company because they don't sound any better than the cheap Chinese crap that came in their guitars in the first place.

I see this affecting the secondhand market more than primary retail, but these new products pose a threat to both spaces