Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

[Brow]

Hey guys.

I'm thinking about buying a guitar as a present to myself for my 30th birthday, a bit sad I know, and I've come across 1 I quite like the look of.

On 1st appearances it all looks ok to me, not that I'm an expert on the minute details, but the serial number checks out and it also has 1 of the official cases with it, could also be faked I guess. A few things are giving me bad impressions though:

It's starting at a really low price for what it's being sold as. The seller has said in the auction that he bought it cheap himself, so that MAY have something to do with the start price. Or he may not know it's possibly a fake. It also has a 3 screw truss rod cover, which I know is usually a sign of it being a fake on Gibson style guitars.

Just wondered if anyone had any pointers for me as to other things I could look out for to possibly help me work out if it's real or not? The price tells me it's fake, but I do want to give the guy some benefit of the doubt.

Here's a few pics pics if it helps:

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Craig

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Pic of teh bridge studs?

& what's under the Truss Rod cover?
Should be something there for a screw,at least...

I'd be wary...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Maybe not always but in this case it is a fake...I see too many issues for it to be real.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

"Too good to be true"...

Shouldn't the board be Ebony,as well...

 

[trevorus]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

The head stock binding looks to be an off colour from the rest, the serial number looks like it was stamped after finishing.

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[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

If you could get a better pick of the split diamond inlay on the headstock, that would be great. From the pick up above, it looks a little off, but it could just be the angle.

 

[Securb]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

The controls seem a little too spread out, kind of like the Neil Schon model. I am looking at my Traditional and your pic and my controls are not that close to the edge of the body and my neck volume looks to be further back.

Also this is right off the Gibson homepage

How to spot a fake gibson

To ensure the authenticity of a Gibson, consumers can check any of the references below when examining a guitar:

Measure the guitar to check that it’s not undersized. Correct measurements can be found on www.Gibson.com.
Examine headstock and headstock logo to determine that they match those of authentic Gibson guitars.
Check to see that all pearl is inlaid.
Check that Les Paul model script is always in cursive.
*Verify that there’s not a three-screw truss rod cover.
Check the control and pickup cavities for sloppy routing or wiring.
Make sure the pickup cavity is not painted black inside.
Always ask for the Gibson Owner’s Manual and Gibson Warranty Inspection card.
Check the wiring. If it’s plastic it isn’t a true Gibson.
When all else fails, contact Gibson Customer Service at
1-800-4GIBSON.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

The "moustache" or "open book" lines of the end of the headstock are not swoopy enough. The serial number and Made In USA stamps appear to be into the finish rather than the finish having gone into the indentations. The inlays are only appropriate for Gibson 25/50th Anniversary models.

I call Chinese. A friend of mine from the Midlands had a phase of collecting these Fibsons. He told me that they were nice enough guitars but not of the same quality as either the real thing or the better Epiphone models.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Without a doubt fake. It should never have a 3-screw truss rod cover, a custom without an ebony board is a no-no, the binding is discolored in different places with no consistency, the diamond headstock inlay is too small, the headstock shape is not correct, and the fretboard inlays are wrong for the model/specs.

Completely fake.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Fake

Diamond logo
Bridge/tailpiece
Serial number
nibs
fretboard material
tuner placement
knob placement
Inlays

etc

I feel like I'm on MLP

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

That's an easy fake for all kinds of reasons, even from just those few pics.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Give him tree-fiddy for it.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Fake fakety fake fake.

The truss rod cover is one thing, but the inlays are even worse. An LP Custom has blocks. Not split blocks.

And yeah, the case is a fake too. No Gibson shroud, for starters.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Yeah looking at the logo, it's off.
The split diamond is definitely wrong (looks kind of crooked and the space between two of the triangles is too small).
There's no Rhythm/ Lead pickup switch labels.
Les Paul's sig is wrong.
Ebony is standard for a Custom.
Even if Gibson did use three screws on a truss rod cover, there's no way they would put something that ****ty looking on there.
The fretboard inlays are wrong.
The TOM bridge looks waaaaay too angled.

I would seriously think about reporting this guy to the authorities. If this is not a major seller, then they can track this guitar down and shut down the operation. We need to get these POS guitars off the streets.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

I bet that the Fibson case does not smell right either!

Tree fiddy US Dollars approximates to around two fiddy Pounds Sterling. i.e. Pre-owned Epiphone money.

 

[Brow]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Thanks for the posts guys.

I'm not overly up on all of the details of what makes it a fake, luckilly you guys are!

The inlays also threw me off a little bit, but after some Googling I did come across some genuine Gibson LP Customs that had those inlays so that 1 didn't flag up.

It is on Ebay so I may contact the seller and tell him it's fake incase he doesn't know.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

In cases like this you need better photos. As you found out, this inlay style was used at some point.

A good indicator is the bridge, as Chinese fakes tend to deliberately use metric Nashvilles so that they don't get too close, and in a slightly higher resolution photo you can easily tell.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

The inlays are only appropriate for Gibson 25/50th Anniversary models.

Also on Les Paul Supremes. But I've never seen them on a regular LP Custom with the split diamond headstock inlay.

Here's an LP Supreme (which are also counterfeited a lot):

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Also, genuine Gibson's frets don't extend onto/over the binding.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Does a 3 screw truss rod cover always = FAKE GUITAR?

Also, genuine Gibson's frets don't extend onto/over the binding.

This is a little more fuzzy if the frets have been replaced on an older one, as not a lot of luthiers will restore the frets to factory spec, but will run then to the edge, taking off the nubs of the binding. This particular guitar has a lot of details that point at a fake.

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