Blatant Counterfeights!

[Ydna]

I doubt the workers know they're making counterfeights. They're probably just trying to make enough money to get by.

[JimiJames]

....nice thought, anyway..

[NY Chief]

+1

[zaphod777]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFFvrHHct70

Mass-manufactured....... crap

[ezs]

The begining of the end, its everything, motor vehicles, tools, cloths, musical instruments, electronics, appliances, etc.

[JeffG.]

I live in Beijing about half the year. The fake Les Pauls are incredibly detailed, including hang tags, the clear logo'd protective plastic over the pickups etc. Even the Gibson factory paperwork is reproduced.

A taxi driver makes about $70 a month, so that gives you some idea what those factory workers are being paid. The people profiting off of this are a) the guy(s) who own the factory, and the guy who brought it into the US. A lot of people want to blame that guy buffing out the guitar or sanding the neck, but reality is he has parents with no SS or Medicare, living in a tiny apartment usually with him, his wife and their child. He just wants to buy noodles.

Decent quality control used to be an issue, and it still is to some degree. But depending on the factory, the owners, and the product, that problem can be overcome. The issue for China now, in terms of this type of manufacturing, is wage demands in the larger cities, particularly coastal. Everything is being shifted farther inland now, and some of the low skill stuff is moving out to Vietnam and other countries.

Fake goods are a huge problem for the Chinese as well. The booze is even fake, and if you go to the wrong bar, or buy from the wrong store (even a Walmart), it can cause you some serious harm. I learned that the hard way. But if I could turn back the clock and be 25, single and carefree... my God..... some serious fun to be had.

[Janglin_Jack]

If they can make a good one, I'll buy it over some hyped $4K reissue this or that that Gibson is making. I go into my local guitar shop and they have a vintage room with tons of vintage and custom shop stuff. I don't know how many $4-7K relic Custom Shop Les Pauls are in there, but please. Not saying a fake is the way to go, but I don't know what gigging musician is paying $5K for some custom shop Les Paul to go play at the local bar gig. Guitars used to be in the hands of players, (not collectors). This stuff is more like baseball cards and beanie babies than tools for musicians. Rant over.

Mike

[NY Chief]

I live in Beijing about half the year. The fake Les Pauls are incredibly detailed, including hang tags, the clear logo'd protective plastic over the pickups etc. Even the Gibson factory paperwork is reproduced.

A taxi driver makes about $70 a month, so that gives you some idea what those factory workers are being paid. The people profiting off of this are a) the guy(s) who own the factory, and the guy who brought it into the US. A lot of people want to blame that guy buffing out the guitar or sanding the neck, but reality is he has parents with no SS or Medicare, living in a tiny apartment usually with him, his wife and their child. He just wants to buy noodles.

Decent quality control used to be an issue, and it still is to some degree. But depending on the factory, the owners, and the product, that problem can be overcome. The issue for China now, in terms of this type of manufacturing, is wage demands in the larger cities, particularly coastal. Everything is being shifted farther inland now, and some of the low skill stuff is moving out to Vietnam and other countries.

Fake goods are a huge problem for the Chinese as well. The booze is even fake, and if you go to the wrong bar, or buy from the wrong store (even a Walmart), it can cause you some serious harm. I learned that the hard way. But if I could turn back the clock and be 25, single and carefree... my God..... some serious fun to be had.

Don't disagree but don't call it Gibson either...at least "Gib-san"...

[leadguy]

Don't disagree but don't call it Gibson either...at least "Gib-san"...

+1

[JeffG.]

Don't disagree but don't call it Gibson either...at least "Gib-san"...

Totally agree. Its sad how the IP isn't protected there, not even for Chinese products. There are many sides to the problem and why they won't enforce the laws. Some of it is bribery and a corrupt system, but the majority of it is they can't close that factory down without throwing 30+ people out of work.

Same thing for the pollution. It is freaking horrifying. I have pics showing the air quality, and some days it looks like you are on Mars. But if they shut down all the illegal coal plants in the suburbs of Beijing, you would have scores of people without a job.

[leadguy]

Fender and Gibson may have some problems and may have changed ownership a few times but they are cornerstone brands that are USA companies.

For someone like me growing up in Australia, USA brands like these were it and getting a Fender or a Gibson back in the 70s was a big deal.

If Gibson and Fender didn't have a well earned reputation then no one would be faking them.

To see fakes denigrating these brands by illegally using their logos just doesn't seem right somehow.

If there were was never a Fender or a Gibson the whole music scene would have been worse off.

The fakes are made from crap anyway.
Unfortunately I've seen some gut shots.
Basswood Agathis and whatever pieces just glued together in odd shapes and covered over.

A genuine well made Chinese guitar without the illegal Fender or Gibson logo is way better than a backyard Chinese fake anyway.
I've got a Chinese Squier that is a good guitar and it's got a Squier logo and I'm happy with that.
I'd rather have this then a fake Fender logo anyday.
Some Squiers were made from crap like plywood bodies but a lot are not.
George Harrison had a Squier (Japanese) for what it's worth.

[demonufo]

I just wonder how we're all going to suffer when they realise how much they could make by flooding the market with well faked strings.
I'm real fussy about my brand of strings, and that IS something I buy regularly (Whereas I could happily go on forever with the guitars I have, although I still want an Explorer), and really is a very easily tapped market for someone who could produce convincing fakes at large quantities. Hell, even the distributors could be easily duped. !

I hope them sumbitches that own the companies read this post.