Fake 59 Gibson
- Thread starter solspirit
- Start date
i mean, its illegal isnt it? ive seen guys do it but they made notes inside the control cavity so you could easily tell it wasnt a gibson or vintage if you opened it up. anyone who knows anything will be able to spot a fake '59 before they drop stupid money on it. a custom build 59 lp copy for $5k is fine, if someone is trying to pawn it off as a real one then they should be set alight with their guitar
Spirit of 76
New member
Not only is it shady, it is a violation of the 1976 Copyright Act (infringing on Gibson's name brand and intellectual property - the Gibson Name) and the person making it, along with anyone possessing it, would be sued by Gibson if their lawyers ever found out.
It would be cheaper to buy 3 of Gibson's most expensive guitars than to pay that lawsuit out. lol
It would be cheaper to buy 3 of Gibson's most expensive guitars than to pay that lawsuit out. lol
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Like Gil Yaron?
it’s so funny how irrational humans are. If a luthier could guarantee an exact copy of a 1959 Les Paul, made with lumber from the era, pickups and electronics from a gibson of that era and the exact glues, dyes and finishes.... but the headstock had to look like an Epiphone and the body had a slight tweak at the cutaway, more players than not would pass in favor of the one that says Gibson and has the exact shapes. I mean, I do it with Strats.... Suhrs are amazing guitars but that beak headstock would make me think twice if I was ever going to drop $3500 on a Strat.
solspirit
Ultimate Post Liker
Gil Yaron is one of them, Steve Hague is another.
Some people get a thrill out of lying.
The guy who commisions a guitar like that, was bragging to his buddy that he has one of those, probably a unique/rare variant. His buddy says, "nah man, there were only 50 of those made."
To which the guy calls the builder and has him build one of those with Gibson on the headstock, just so he can prove his buddy wrong.
I have seen people spend thousands of dollars just to prove a point and win a "bet". There are some phenomenally defective people in the world.
Spirit of 76
New member
Not to mention that a legit Gibson would have both a Serial Number and Factory Order Number, so a little detective work will quickly flush out the fakes from the real deals.
3'scompany
New member
I feel you. Sometimes I think that we guitar players get a little too hung up on aesthetics, but then I think about how if I'm going to be dropping a lot of cash on a guitar, it better damned well tick all the boxes, both sonically and aesthetically.
I'm in the camp that thinks too much stock is put into voodoo and other minute specs and peculiarities (or maybe my ears have just been walloped enough from playing live that I can't tell) - i.e., good (not necessarily great) pickups in a decent guitar that plays well, plugged into a good amp is 99.9% of your tone - and that a good portion of what you're paying for is craftsmanship, playability and aesthetics, so I say looks are pretty important if you're dropping over $1,000 on a guitar.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
I dunno . . . Slash did OK playing his knock-off Gibson in Guns N'Roses.
If you make a guitar as a complete clone merely as an exercise in seeing if you can do it - the physical accomplishment of making something so accurate that even an expert would be in doubt, then I have no issue with it. Copyright and trademark laws only actually apply to something that has been bought or sold so technically making a clone 59 Gibson that is never sold and is in the possession of the builder for its life breaks no laws.
Of course as soon as you go about making for sale, then thats where the distinction lies for me.
But this is still a level above the Chibson. If you were to buy a luthier made clone you'll be getting something way 'better' just as a musical instrument, or more accurate, or with much higher QC and fit/finish than what even Tom Murphy will do.
Of course as soon as you go about making for sale, then thats where the distinction lies for me.
But this is still a level above the Chibson. If you were to buy a luthier made clone you'll be getting something way 'better' just as a musical instrument, or more accurate, or with much higher QC and fit/finish than what even Tom Murphy will do.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
There's a forum somewhere with middle-aged men still ragging on the quality of them cheap Chinese Stradivarious violins
Sure, people can do OK with a good guitar. I am all for people playing good music on good guitars. I don't like counterfeiting someone else's work.
Leon Of Late
New member
I think this. As long as it’s disclosed as a Gibson copy, I don’t care what it says on the headstock. There are some great Gibson copies out there that I would love to own.
