Has anyone here ever bought a "Chibson"?

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soulgeezer

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And, if so, what was your experience?

Looking around online, it seems that there are a number of opinions regarding this question: Those who believe that knockoff Chibson guitars are the work of the devil and only evil, irredeemable, reprehensible people buy or own them; those who think they're OK, so long as you understand that they're low quality and you don't have high expectations about what you're buying; those who see them as OK, especially as a basis for an upgrade project; and, those who think that they're just fine to buy, so long as they're not misrepresented as the real thing in any kind of subsequent sale.

My question does not go to the first or last of those opinions. I am more interested in the items themselves. They look good and many folks seem to think the quality has improved over the last few years. Some even suggest that they're good enough that the manufacturers should start putting a brand on them and selling them under their own name.

Have you ever played, bought, or owned one of these? If so, what did/do you think about it?

Again, I hope this doesn't become a discussion of the evils of counterfeiting. Clearly, counterfeiting and stealing another company's trademarks and designs is wrong. That is not what I'm asking about here.

I'm asking about the items themselves. Are they any good? Or, are they more akin to art that you hang on the wall, because they're awful and they'll never be playable, at least not unless you put the cost of a real one into it to make it better?

And, this question isn't limited to fake Gibsons. Those sellers offer pretty much every brand and model imaginable. I assume that the quality is fairly consistent, whether for good or ill. Is this correct, as well?

(The reason for this thread: I find myself being drawn to a Chinese EB-3 knockoff. I want a short scale EB-3, but I don't really need it and it's not going to get a lot of use. I just want it. So, over a grand for Gibson is silly. But, $200 bucks for a fake? It might scratch the itch, if you know what I mean.)
 
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drf64

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I've never bought a Chibson, but I have desired affordable hollow body 24.75" scale guitars and found that Ibanez more than fit that description for a ES-175 type of experience. I'm not speaking of the japanese made guitars. I've never played one of those.
 
warrent

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It would be cheaper here in Canada just to buy an epi used but here's an interesting thread for you:
soulgeezer said:
And, if so, what was your experience?

Looking around online, it seems that there are a number of opinions regarding this question: Those who believe that knockoff guitars are the work of the devil and only evil, irredeemable, reprehensible people buy or own them; those who think they're OK, so long as you understand that they're low quality and you don't have high expectations about what you're buying; those who see them as OK, especially as a basis for an upgrade project; and, those who think that they're just fine to buy, so long as they're not misrepresented as the real thing in any kind of subsequent sale.

My question does not go to the first or last of those opinions. I am more interested in the items themselves. They look good and many folks seem to think the quality has improved over the last few years. Some even suggest that they're good enough that the manufacturers should start putting a brand on them and selling them under their own name.

Have you ever played, bought, or owned one of these? If so, what did/do you think about it?

Again, I hope this doesn't become a discussion of the evils of counterfeiting. Clearly, counterfeiting and stealing another company's trademarks and designs is wrong. That is not what I'm asking about here.

I'm asking about the items themselves. Are they any good? Or, are they more akin to art that you hang on the wall, because they're awful and they'll never be playable, at least not unless you put the cost of a real one into it to make it better?

And, this question isn't limited to fake Gibsons. Those sellers offer pretty much every brand and model imaginable. I assume that the quality is fairly consistent, whether for good or ill. Is this correct, as well?

(The reason for this thread: I find myself being drawn to a Chinese EB-3 knockoff. I want a short scale EB-3, but I don't really need it and it's not going to get a lot of use. I just want it. So, over a grand for Gibson is silly. But, $200 bucks for a fake? It might scratch the itch, if you know what I mean.)
Click to expand...
It would be cheaper here in Canada just to buy an epi used but here's an interesting thread for you:
http://www.tdpri.com/threads/jazzbird-in-flight.781790/
 
nojazzhere

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soulgeezer said:
And, if so, what was your experience?

Looking around online, it seems that there are a number of opinions regarding this question: Those who believe that knockoff guitars are the work of the devil and only evil, irredeemable, reprehensible people buy or own them; those who think they're OK, so long as you understand that they're low quality and you don't have high expectations about what you're buying; those who see them as OK, especially as a basis for an upgrade project; and, those who think that they're just fine to buy, so long as they're not misrepresented as the real thing in any kind of subsequent sale.

My question does not go to the first or last of those opinions. I am more interested in the items themselves. They look good and many folks seem to think the quality has improved over the last few years. Some even suggest that they're good enough that the manufacturers should start putting a brand on them and selling them under their own name.

Have you ever played, bought, or owned one of these? If so, what did/do you think about it?

Again, I hope this doesn't become a discussion of the evils of counterfeiting. Clearly, counterfeiting and stealing another company's trademarks and designs is wrong. That is not what I'm asking about here.

I'm asking about the items themselves. Are they any good? Or, are they more akin to art that you hang on the wall, because they're awful and they'll never be playable, at least not unless you put the cost of a real one into it to make it better?

And, this question isn't limited to fake Gibsons. Those sellers offer pretty much every brand and model imaginable. I assume that the quality is fairly consistent, whether for good or ill. Is this correct, as well?

(The reason for this thread: I find myself being drawn to a Chinese EB-3 knockoff. I want a short scale EB-3, but I don't really need it and it's not going to get a lot of use. I just want it. So, over a grand for Gibson is silly. But, $200 bucks for a fake? It might scratch the itch, if you know what I mean.)
Click to expand...
A better question would be, "Have you ever bought a Chibson, not knowing it was a Chibson, and how did you find out?"....and then the, "and what was your experience?"
OR....Have you ever bought a Chibson, thinking it was legitimate, and never realized it was a fake?...;)
 
kelnet

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Can you explain Chibson? Is that a counterfeit guitar with a Gibson decal, or is it one of the many copies, such as Agile, Harmony, Mann, etc.?
 
soulgeezer

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kelnet said:
Thanks. It seems like I would have to go out of my way to get one of these.
Click to expand...

Really not so much. It's just like any other Web site. You go, find what you want to buy, enter your info, and wait for DHL. The only difference between this and Amazon or eBay is that the stuff is coming directly from China. And, sometimes, even that's not any different than Amazon or eBay.
 
deytookerjaabs

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I did, well, sorta, some fretwork to one once a couple years back and there was also a shop that was moving them "secretly" back in Chicago where I saw a few.


The one that came into the shop was a "Gibson Custom Wes Montgomery L5"

Okay, it wasn't an L5 on analysis. Wrong scale length, laminates, wrong headstock angle, faux strange ebony-ish board, and a host of other non-L5 details. It also had about the worse neck join hump I'd ever seen in a new guitar so the owner declined a fret job because we'd have needed to sand the board down true and, even then, who knows what's under there. It would have possibly been a real mess. The guy paid $375 iirc, would have been a million times better off with a used Epi IMO.


I've read the posts full of hyperbole by the people who claim they're top shelf guitars, I've never seen a top shelf one in person. Just poly coated spliced up veneered super cheap hardware poorly functioning/sounding electronics universal nut etc etc bottom dollar import kind of stuff..only..with no warranty.


I'd advise against the magic beans, plenty of the same exact guitars out there at the same prices with actual branding behind them.


In fact, IMO, that's the very definition of a "headstock snob"...wanting the bottom dollar import but requiring it to say "Gibson."
 
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soulgeezer

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deytookerjaabs said:
In fact, IMO, that's the very definition of a "headstock snob"...wanting the bottom dollar import but requiring it to say "Gibson."
Click to expand...

Really not this, in my case. Like I said, I want a short scale EB-3. Epiphone hasn't made one in a while and the ones that are available used are around $600. Even the Japanese EB-3 copies from the 80s are over six bills. That's as much as a low-end SG bass and more than I want to spend for a novelty item.
 
deytookerjaabs

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soulgeezer said:
Really not this, in my case. Like I said, I want a short scale EB-3. Epiphone hasn't made one in a while and the ones that are available used are around $600. Even the Japanese EB-3 copies from the 80s are over six bills. That's as much as a low-end SG bass and more than I want to spend for a novelty item.
Click to expand...


The fella who "custom ordered" his L-5 said he got to spec it directly with the representative in China who assured him it was 25.5" scale length (and a solid top!).

.....It was 24.75"

Buyer beware
 
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kelnet said:
Thanks. It seems like I would have to go out of my way to get one of these.
Click to expand...
not reeallythe price point and the shipping are reasonable, delivery is fast , but what I dont get is , if the gibson logo is important or not , the makers of these guitars will put anything on the headstock you want including your own name , when I got mine I asked for the logo so I could see the direct differences between the real thing and the chibson , I have no intention to sell mine and I have been honest about it and straight up , plus I now can spot a fake from a million miles away.

soulgeezer said:
And, if so, what was your experience?

Looking around online, it seems that there are a number of opinions regarding this question: Those who believe that knockoff guitars are the work of the devil and only evil, irredeemable, reprehensible people buy or own them; those who think they're OK, so long as you understand that they're low quality and you don't have high expectations about what you're buying; those who see them as OK, especially as a basis for an upgrade project; and, those who think that they're just fine to buy, so long as they're not misrepresented as the real thing in any kind of subsequent sale.

My question does not go to the first or last of those opinions. I am more interested in the items themselves. They look good and many folks seem to think the quality has improved over the last few years. Some even suggest that they're good enough that the manufacturers should start putting a brand on them and selling them under their own name.

Have you ever played, bought, or owned one of these? If so, what did/do you think about it?

Again, I hope this doesn't become a discussion of the evils of counterfeiting. Clearly, counterfeiting and stealing another company's trademarks and designs is wrong. That is not what I'm asking about here.

I'm asking about the items themselves. Are they any good? Or, are they more akin to art that you hang on the wall, because they're awful and they'll never be playable, at least not unless you put the cost of a real one into it to make it better?

And, this question isn't limited to fake Gibsons. Those sellers offer pretty much every brand and model imaginable. I assume that the quality is fairly consistent, whether for good or ill. Is this correct, as well?

(The reason for this thread: I find myself being drawn to a Chinese EB-3 knockoff. I want a short scale EB-3, but I don't really need it and it's not going to get a lot of use. I just want it. So, over a grand for Gibson is silly. But, $200 bucks for a fake? It might scratch the itch, if you know what I mean.)
Click to expand...


I have a LP Chibson, electronics were 5-10 ( comparable to Jay turser, pickups were Epiphone) fit and finish 8-10 (its not the real thing and fine inspection shows that ) hardware 6-10 ( knock off gibby tulip tuners -crap) 17 th fret lifted -easy fix

I looked on kijiji here in town and found all of the parts from a les paul ,490,498 pickups , gibson CTS pots , caps , I had the switchcraft reed switch ,and a full set of reel green tulip tuners all for about 100.00 can

I did take it to Long & Mcquade before the mods and it took them 45 min to determine it to be a fake , the tell was the bridge , not an ABR 1 as all gibbies have

Now I went extreme , I just did not get a Les Paul copy , I got an Ultima tree of life so it would stand out , overall it plays fine and sounds great and its killer to look at

But it is not nor ever will be a gibson! so if you do decide, expect the imperfections , know how to fix them and make it your own , but unless you need to have the logo personalized.JMHO


ultima 1.JPG
 
soulgeezer

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