36 Chinese counterfeit Gibson, Fender, Martin and PRS guitars involved

One of the biggest risks for inexperienced users when buying second-hand guitars is counterfeits. Either a cheaper model modified to make it look more expensive, in the case of the Squiers converted into Fender (Micky Vega published a very useful report on the subject), or directly copies made in countries like China to make them look like originals. This is the case of the famous Chibson of which there are several threads in the forum.

This very common practice has had its latest episode in the US, where the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or Office of Customs and Border Protection, recently seized 36 counterfeit guitars at the Washington-Dulles International Airport from from China, which always according to this body, if they had been authentic would have had a retail price suggested by the manufacturer of $158,692.

The guitars arrived in 36 different shipments from China on December 15, with final destinations at 21 addresses in various US states and Australia. Customs officers suspected the guitars were fake and held them for further investigation with the help of experts from the counterfeit brands (Gibson, Fender, Martin and PRS), who confirmed they were not authentic.

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— Carla Giampaglia Tue Oct 15 03:44:22 +0000 2019

The most striking thing about this seizure of counterfeit guitars, of which there are 27 Gibson, 6 Fender, 2 Martin acoustics and one PRS, is that the vast majority are signature models. This includes a Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster and SRV, several Les Paul Slash AFDs, a Zakk Wylde Flying V model, a Les Paul Ace Frehley, an SG Angus Young, an Alvin Lee ES-335 '69 Festival' like the one used by the musician at Woodstock , or a Jimmy Page double-neck EDS-1275.

CBP encourages consumers to protect themselves and their families by always buying safe and authentic products from reputable sellers, as they say they are often built in unregulated facilities with potentially harmful materials that could endanger the health of the public. buyers' health, adding: "Transnational criminal organizations counterfeit anything that generates illicit revenue, and unscrupulous sellers line their pockets by taking advantage of unsuspecting consumers."

More information | Customs and Border Protection