"This was embarrassing, and I guess I was a chump"

[Willie G. Moseley]

No, the title wasn't inspired by my first marriage. 

Per a March 6th thread here called "Pawn Shop Revenge" I jumped on what appeared to be a Gibson Dave Grohl DG-335. Turns out it's a "Chibson" but it's fine instrument---plays well, sounds good, is well made, balance nicely.And it's in mint condition.

I acted quickly because I simply didn't it to let it get away.

The Gibson authority I contacted afterwards (and sent jpegs to) cited the following "telltale signs": (1) The bridge has large-diameter height adjustment posts with a slotted screwdriver head, (2) the frets are over the binding (without nibs), (3) the tuners don't say "Grover" on them, and  they look like Grover copies.

I suppose it could hang onto it for personal use but this episode feels "tainted" for lack of a  better term. 

Donate it to a charity?  It would be hard to establish the tax write-off amount.

Any other suggestions? Anybody else ever been thru a situation like this?

Edited Friday at 12:55 AM by Willie G. Moseley

[cmatthes]

A total knucklehead got banned from here for trying to pass one of those off as the real thing when he 100% knew better.  That was the last straw after he had proven himself to be a bit of a scammer and just overall weirdness.

[JohnZ]

Brand it on the backside somewhere as fake and have fun!

I have a fake Fender Strat Custom Shop Heavy Relic in Seafoam green. Its fun simply looking at it! 

 

Edited Friday at 06:21 AM by JohnZ

[Steve Haynie]

Write an article about fake Gibsons for Vintage Guitar.  Use a photo of your Chibson.  Then advertise the guitar for sale as "featured in Vintage Guitar Magazine."  You might even make a profit.

[hamerhead]

F**kin' Steve - you nailed it, buddy. 

Definitely mark it somehow, in some permanent fashion. Otherwise the next 'knucklehead'......

[Dutchman]

It's almost frightening buying a high end guitar these day's. Everything has been copied. I recently bought a Novo Mira J, after gathering the info from the buyer I checked everything out. Retail store with buyers name associated to the serial number and Novo's association with the retail store per S/N ID.

I have seen novo fakes that from pictures are pretty realistic as well as Les Pauls and 339's. They're dang good a copying stuff!!! That goes for pedals and such too. If people put as much work into being honest vs crooked it sure would be a safer more pleasant world. 

I don't remember anything like this happening when I was a younger man. You bought a guitar and it was the real deal. I sure wish I had a couple of those back!!!

Edited Saturday at 03:09 PM by Dutchman

[django49]

Back when, the real deal instruments were not as numerous as today, but were available, used, at big discounts from the even inflation adjusted list prices (which were mostly "fair traded" and not discounted) if you looked for them. I could go on and on about buying great guitars for under $200, sometimes under $100. Including Gibson archtops. Many that I used to own would be worth well into 4 figures, some 5 figures today. If I had only known....As in late 60s, early 70s.

To be fair, in the late 60s, I was a student and bringing home $35 a week from part-time work. Fortunately, I was living at home and had few expenses! If I had deeper pockets AND could see the future, I'd be more well off today. (Cue Norm's Rare Guitars!)

Even in the 80s, you could pretty easily pick up a Les Paul, Strat, 335, 347, ES 175 for that cliche $350 around Los Angeles. I kick myself for not having picked up an original late 50s 335 (blonde!) for the $1000 asking price, that being from a dealer.

Anyway, there was little incentive to build a fake and copies were generally clearly inferior. But now that the real deals have become collector's items.....

[Willie G. Moseley]

I think maybe I'll grab a Sharpie, write "COPY" on the back of the headstock, and donate it to a thrift store. Would that be acceptable?

[Steve Haynie]

No.  Write "counterfeit - not a real Gibson" on it.  Even then some people will not get it.  Put a label inside the body with a detailed explanation that the guitar is a Chinese copy.

[mrjamiam]

Is Sharpie permanent enough?  There are pens that write with oil paint.

[Willie G. Moseley]

Maybe I could send it to Gibson and let them run a steamroller over it. Hasn't that been a publicized event for the company in times past?

Edited Sunday at 06:33 PM by Willie G. Moseley

[Steve Haynie]

Gibson would want it destroyed, but not at their expense.  

Create a warning label and glue it inside one of the not-f holes.

[alantig]

You could go all Woody Guthrie and write "This guitar kills your faith that it's not a counterfeit" on it.

[cornjulio]

On 5/1/2026 at 2:54 AM, Willie G. Moseley said:

I find it hard to believe that this is all there is in terms of differences between the original and this fake.

 

"The Gibson authority I contacted afterwards (and sent jpegs to) cited the following "telltale signs": (1) The bridge has large-diameter height adjustment posts with a slotted screwdriver head, (2) the frets are over the binding (without nibs), (3) the tuners don't say "Grover" on them, and  they look like Grover copies."

What about the paint, PUs, potis/ electronics, wood being used? I mean, it's scary to think that fakes are that good. I guess it always good if there is paperwork, certificates, some kind of history. Otherwise I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference. 

 

 

Edited Sunday at 07:19 PM by cornjulio
typos

[Saul Goodman]

How does it play and sound? There are a lot of cheap Chinese/Indo guitars out there now that play and sound great. Probably play better than they sound but with a few pickups laying around doing nothin' to swap out, what the hay. Keep it and play or send it to a kid who needs it. Thrift stores are a scam. Better one on one. @Ranger knows how to set up a giveaway. Maybe a church could use it, you're a preacher. There are lots of ways to unload this thing if you're embarrassed by it.

[DaveH]

5 hours ago, mrjamiam said:

Is Sharpie permanent enough?  There are pens that write with oil paint.

I wouldn't write it... I'd stamp it.

[ARM OF HAMER]

On 4/30/2026 at 11:49 PM, cmatthes said:

A total knucklehead got banned from here for trying to pass one of those off as the real thing when he 100% knew better.  That was the last straw after he had proven himself to be a bit of a scammer and just overall weirdness.

                               Give me a minute..............it won't take that long, and I could say who that is. But................ I won't waste your time or mine in doing so. Somethings are better left unsaid.

[ARM OF HAMER]

                                    I saw a Tony Iommi SG being offered at a guitar show here several weeks back, the asking price was the clear giveaway before anything else that it was not what it appeared to be. One guy had his money out ready to buy until someone fortunately told him it was not the real thing.......................unfortunately it was not the seller. If it's too good to be true it probably is just that. I have to eat my own words here also....................I bought an "ALL original" 1969 Fender Stratocaster. Back in the day I thought it was a great deal, and I paid some good $$$$ for it. Turns out it wasn't either a good deal or all original, still like your Grohl I liked the guitar just for what it was...........or what it wasn't as it played and sound great and I kept it for many years.

Edited 2 hours ago by ARM OF HAMER

[bruce919]

Visited a local pawn shop a few years back and saw a Flame Top Les Paul Custom. it took about two seconds to realize it was a Chibson.  I think there was asking $2k for it. I told them you know that not a real Gibson. They kept it at the price for another month or so then knocked the price way down. The finish and case were all wrong. It even has the three screws in the truss rod cover. The Gold on the hardware was off as well. 

 

Ya never know these days. Buyer beware. 

 

[Willie G. Moseley]

Maybe I oughta blow it away with a shotgun, on camera like Ted Nugent done to that Casio keyboard back in the '90s (somebody ought to post the link to that episode). 

Seriously. This thing feels "tainted" and I can rationalize the $ amount as "lesson learned."

[Steve Haynie]

 

[specialk]

On 5/3/2026 at 3:05 PM, Saul Goodman said:

send it to a kid who needs it.

Winner!

[Saul Goodman]

1 hour ago, specialk said:

Winner!

Where's my chicken dinner?

[velorush]

16 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

Where's my chicken dinner?