counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

[TattooedCarrot]

So I bought a set of Gibson 57 Classics from a guy on ebay, he has 100% positive feedback, but after purchasing a started to wonder, are they real Gibson pickups?

Now first off, I'm not alleging they are fake, nor do I have any indication they are not real. But the fact he's been selling dozens of sets, advertised as brand new, with spare pickup rings, but without any packaging makes me wonder - where does he obtain all these? The set I have are both dated a mere 4 days before I purchased them in the ebay auction. How hard would it be to import Chinese copies with a sticker on them?

Not trying to stir the pot, just looking for an explanation as to how a seller can score all these new unpackaged Gibson pups lightening fast too as mine were only 4 days out of the factory when I bought them on ebay, according to the stickers.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250568174669

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...sspagename=VIP:feedback&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

That is odd...

 

[Ayrton]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

The seller is listed right outside Nashville, so I bet he has a factory "hook up" and then sells them on the bay.

It is a theory at least...

 

[BloodRose]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

Probably authentic. Pulled out of one of those Gipsons! Id be real curious. Its sad that the visual quality of the knockoff stuff is getting good and hard to tell. All I can say is if you have a set you know are real, compare them side by side and more importantly, sound test em.. Keep me posted!

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

I don't have another 57 currently to compare them to, but I've owned them before and they do look correct. Its just the odd circumstance combined with the large number of these he's been selling consistently over the past few months that started me thinking.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

If those are photos of the actual p'ups, they look legit to me... up to the toolmarks on the baseplate legs.

He sells new Gibson stuff too... I don't see why he can't get a price break from Gibson sub-pair packaged stuff, specially if he sells a lot.

In this particular case, I wouldn't worry.

HTH,

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

Cool, thanks for the input.

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

pic added

 

[Stratman]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

I guess that that /10 means 2010

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

Possibility #1 - The eBay vendor is legitimately buying brand new, never installed Gibson pickups direct from the factory.
Possibility #2 - Somebody at the factory is "backdooring" pickups to the eBay vendor.

After as many sales as this guy appears to have made, you would have thought that any form of employee smuggling/theft would have been detected.

Install them and rock, bro.

 

[creeping malaise]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

The most likely scenario is that Gibson has excess inventory and they are offloading wholesale to this seller outside the normal distribution process. This happens in any manufacturing industry. Generally all parties will be tightlipped about it at the manufacturer's request, since the manufacturer is allowing this seller to undercut the dealer network drastically and any MAP rules. Typically the seller will not mention being a dealer, will not be able to order you anything specific, and will only give very basic answers, if any, about where they get the stuff.

 

[placeboeffect]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

One possibility to consider is that they may not meet QA standards for some reason (cosmetic, construction, used for testing, etc.). I work in engineering and have seen many companies where someone in QA takes home pieces that should be destroyed at the factory and sells them on the side. Downside is that there may be something fundamentally different about the pickup than a standard factory issue. But if it sounds good and the price is right, who's to argue?

 

[glassman]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

Another possibility:

They could be R&D pickups. I worked for the magnet wire company that made the wire that went into Gibson pickups. The facility that made the wire closed last summer. The insulation was a propriatary formula that was reverse engineered from a sample that we pulled from old piping in the facility and matched the original in every aspect. The old black (or plain) enamel differed greatly from modern enamels and wouldn't have a modern equilelent. I imagine that when Gibson had to find a new source for wire, they had to make some changes to make a pickup wound with modern enameled wire sound like it's vintage predecessor. Of course, this is only speculation as I have no facts to present other than the fact that the source had to change last summer.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

I think you guys are reading what's not there...

'57 Classics were never made with vintage PE... they've been polysol from day one, following the original Tom Holmes design. He was asked to reproduce a PAF sound with modern materials (read lower cost).

Of course, afterwards they were made with whatever wire they had... just to keep with "tradition". :naughty:

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

The most likely scenario is that Gibson has excess inventory and they are offloading wholesale to this seller outside the normal distribution process. This happens in any manufacturing industry. Generally all parties will be tightlipped about it at the manufacturer's request, since the manufacturer is allowing this seller to undercut the dealer network drastically and any MAP rules. Typically the seller will not mention being a dealer, will not be able to order you anything specific, and will only give very basic answers, if any, about where they get the stuff.

Excellent response, thanks. I also notice the guy is in TN not too far from the Gibson factory....hhmmmm

 

[uOpt]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

Looks legit to me.

They obviously come out or were intended for sale in guitars. It's probably excess stock (not selling enough guitars that use 57 classics right now).

 

[JOLLY]

Re: counterfeit guitars, fine....but what about counterfeit pickups?

He lives in Mt. Juliet. That's only about 15 miles from where Gibson is. I'd say he's getting them from them.