- This topic has 18 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 4 months ago by
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Hi all, I am new here.
I have a bit of a strange request. Would it be possible for any owners of Epiphone Les Pauls (or even better, Les Paul Customs, or even better, Alpine White Les Paul Customs) to take a picture of the internals of their guitar with the big backplate off? Closeups preferred.
If anyone has any pictures from the internet that would do, I would be grateful for those too.
I am trying to tell if I have a Chinese fake in my posession or the real deal.
Thanks all.
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[quote=”Rampant_Mouflon”]Well, I sent it back to the seller but it got lost in the post and I claimed my money back from Royal Mail. Never did find out if it was a bootleg or not, but if you bought it “from the factory” or brand new at a ridiculously low price, chances are it’s a chinese fake.
Can you take some pictures of it like the ones I took? That would help.[/quote]
I haven’t actually received the guitar yet. The seller assures me they are genuine, however he said he will take it back and refund me if I am not happy with it. It wasn’t rediculously cheap – it was cheaper than buying one new from a UK shop, but more expensive than buying a second hand one so I am not sure… My gut is telling me it’s fake though 🙁
It is getting close to Christmas now and this was supposed to be a present. So when (if?) it does turn up I will probably end up getting one from a shop anyway.Andy
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Well, I sent it back to the seller but it got lost in the post and I claimed my money back from Royal Mail. Never did find out if it was a bootleg or not, but if you bought it “from the factory” or brand new at a ridiculously low price, chances are it’s a chinese fake.
Can you take some pictures of it like the ones I took? That would help.
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Did you manage to find out if the guitar was counterfeit? I think I might have been ‘suckered’ as well…. 🙁 The seller assures me the guitar is – quote ‘100% genuine’, however I have my doubts. He has agreed to take it back if I have any issues with it (plus I used PayPal so should be covered?).
Cheers, Andy
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Here’s a quick post with a few pics:
Headstock:
[URL=http://imageshack.us]
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4839/image069cfx1.jpg%5B/URL%5D
Blurred logo:
[URL=http://imageshack.us]
Wood/Internals – looks kind of cheap:
[URL=http://imageshack.us]
Cheap looking inlays:
[URL=http://imageshack.us]
Dodgy binding:
[URL=http://imageshack.us]
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😆
Not really any mods on this one, just repairs after previous owners ‘creativity’
Anyway, just for you Lee, here’s a ‘reclining on the couch’ shot:
Repairs included major body repairs so a respray was required – black sanded back to original cherry on edges then satin varnish.
Back on subject, it has ‘MADE IN KOREA’ etched on the neckplate under the serial number. The grain of the wood is perfectly visible inside and the laquer inside is the same as the original external finish (but messier).
Sorry couldn’t be more help, someone must have a Les Paul!
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[quote=”Tim”]No worries, although I must add this SG was a victim of Grunge (courtesy of other people, not me!) and I see now why only one Pup works!
It’s Korean BTW:
Thats typical of you Tim, don’t tease us with a few ‘case slightly open, ooh whats inside!!’ shots, then maybe a shot of the neck then one of the body, no not you, you go straight in for the ‘Blanking plates off, internal shots’ Disgusting!! how about a nice full lenght picture of her? im sure she is worth it, and does she have any mods? 😆
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Thanks Tim, what colour is the guitar?
There are many other factors that made me suspicious:
“Made in Korea” sticker on back of headstock when guitar was shipped “new” from China (Direct from the factory was mentioned in eay listing).
Slightly Blurred “Les Paul” logo on truss rod cover.
Misaligned screw/hole on truss rod cover.
Les Paul Custom logo on headstock seems too small compared to Epiphone model which reaches E tuners.
Material used for inlays looks wrong/suspicious.
Tuners seem cheap (Once again, like the tuners on my previous Gibson bootleg).Plus there is the inside. It is a white Les Paul Custom and when I take the backplates off the wood seems cheap looking. That’s what I want to confirm.
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No worries, although I must add this SG was a victim of Grunge (courtesy of other people, not me!) and I see now why only one Pup works!
It’s Korean BTW:
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While my other post is awaiting moderation I’ll just say that what I suspect it is is an *unauthorised* copy (The serial starts with I but it came from China? Seems….wrong) like an increasing amount of the ones listed on ebay. There are many things that have led me to suspect that and the internals/wood are pretty much the last thing to confirm.
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Real Deal Epiphones have been made in Gibson’s Chinese factory, QingDao, for quite a few years now. The serial number on your Epi should give you info on its provenance. I found this piece on Wikipedia:
[quote]An “I” at the beginning means manufactured by Sae In (Korea); “U” means by Unsung (Korea); “P” means Peerless (Korea); “S” means Samick (Korea);
“R” is manufactured by “Peerless Guitars” of Korea.(guitardaterproject.org)
DW = DeaWon (China); EA = Gibson/QingDao (China); EE = Gibson/QingDao (China); MC = Muse (China); SJ = SaeJung (China); BW = China
“B” (found on some Korina G-400 is Bohêmia Musico-Delicia (Czech Republic);
SI = Samick Indonesia
F = Fujigen (Japan)
Example: U8034853 U= Unsung 8= 1998 03 = March 4853= manufacturing number
[/quote]
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