Fake Epiphone Les Paul Zakk Wylde on eBay?
Discussion
Anyone want to grab a coffee and play spot-the-difference?
So, my GAS has been bad for the past month and I've been looking at the Epi Zakk Wylde LPs. Lots of tales of fakes around the forums, and a few kind people have written up how to spot them.
Now, I think one of these is counterfeit... anyone concur?
Epi LP A :-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401407388526
Epi LP B :-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zakk-wylde-epiphone-/182...
scroll down for this one, as the listing's ended
I can see about 7 differences between them - what do we reckon?
A - Fake or Real?
B - Fake or Real?
So, my GAS has been bad for the past month and I've been looking at the Epi Zakk Wylde LPs. Lots of tales of fakes around the forums, and a few kind people have written up how to spot them.
Now, I think one of these is counterfeit... anyone concur?
Epi LP A :-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401407388526
Epi LP B :-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zakk-wylde-epiphone-/182...
scroll down for this one, as the listing's ended
I can see about 7 differences between them - what do we reckon?
A - Fake or Real?
B - Fake or Real?
A is the fake. If the serial number has the first 2 letters at different heights it's fake or at least it was a few years back when I bought my LP custom.
This site can be used to authenticate a genuine one although guitar A is showing as legit so could be a duplicate number. As said, the big letters are usually the giveaway.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&a...
Also have a look here,
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&a...
This site can be used to authenticate a genuine one although guitar A is showing as legit so could be a duplicate number. As said, the big letters are usually the giveaway.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&a...
Also have a look here,
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&a...
Edited by kuro on Wednesday 20th September 00:43
dojo said:
Why would anyone go to the bother of making a fake a epi? Surely you'd change the headstock and go for a Gibson version?
Because (most) people don't expect Epiphones to be fake, whereas pretty much everyone knows there are fake Gibsons.Many Epi buyers will be buying their first or second guitars and won't have any idea they should be wary, but someone about to drop a few grand on a Gibson is (hopefully) going to be far more careful. So if you're a **** making a fake guitar, an Epi is a lot less effort to be convincing and much more likely to sell.
The link kuro kindly provided - http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/the-fake-epiphone... has 800 pages discussing and outing fake Epiphones. There are lots around, and particularly copied are the signature editions like the Zakk Wylde as a quick paint job lets you scam people for more cash.
And, yes, A looks odd ... check the pickups, knobs, position of the knobs, the serial number, position of the Epi logo, the neck/body joint, etc.
Edited by Dave2P on Friday 22 September 07:16
Dave2P said:
Because (most) people don't expect Epiphones to be fake, whereas pretty much everyone knows there are fake Gibsons.
Many Epi buyers will be buying their first or second guitars and won't have any idea they should be wary, but someone about to drop a few grand on a Gibson is (hopefully) going to be far more careful. So if you're a **** making a fake guitar, an Epi is a lot less effort to be convincing and much more likely to sell.
The link kuro kindly provided - http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/the-fake-epiphone... has 800 pages discussing and outing fake Epiphones. There are lots around, and particularly copied are the signature editions like the Zakk Wylde as a quick paint job lets you scam people for more cash.
And, yes, A is the fake ... check the pickups, knobs, position of the knobs, the serial number, position of the Epi logo, the neck/body joint, etc.
Fair enough, just can't see the margin been there to make the effort in producing a fake epi but whatever floats your boat I suppose! Many Epi buyers will be buying their first or second guitars and won't have any idea they should be wary, but someone about to drop a few grand on a Gibson is (hopefully) going to be far more careful. So if you're a **** making a fake guitar, an Epi is a lot less effort to be convincing and much more likely to sell.
The link kuro kindly provided - http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/the-fake-epiphone... has 800 pages discussing and outing fake Epiphones. There are lots around, and particularly copied are the signature editions like the Zakk Wylde as a quick paint job lets you scam people for more cash.
And, yes, A is the fake ... check the pickups, knobs, position of the knobs, the serial number, position of the Epi logo, the neck/body joint, etc.
dojo said:
Dave2P said:
Because (most) people don't expect Epiphones to be fake, whereas pretty much everyone knows there are fake Gibsons.
Many Epi buyers will be buying their first or second guitars and won't have any idea they should be wary, but someone about to drop a few grand on a Gibson is (hopefully) going to be far more careful. So if you're a **** making a fake guitar, an Epi is a lot less effort to be convincing and much more likely to sell.
The link kuro kindly provided - http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/the-fake-epiphone... has 800 pages discussing and outing fake Epiphones. There are lots around, and particularly copied are the signature editions like the Zakk Wylde as a quick paint job lets you scam people for more cash.
And, yes, A is the fake ... check the pickups, knobs, position of the knobs, the serial number, position of the Epi logo, the neck/body joint, etc.
Fair enough, just can't see the margin been there to make the effort in producing a fake epi but whatever floats your boat I suppose! Many Epi buyers will be buying their first or second guitars and won't have any idea they should be wary, but someone about to drop a few grand on a Gibson is (hopefully) going to be far more careful. So if you're a **** making a fake guitar, an Epi is a lot less effort to be convincing and much more likely to sell.
The link kuro kindly provided - http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/the-fake-epiphone... has 800 pages discussing and outing fake Epiphones. There are lots around, and particularly copied are the signature editions like the Zakk Wylde as a quick paint job lets you scam people for more cash.
And, yes, A is the fake ... check the pickups, knobs, position of the knobs, the serial number, position of the Epi logo, the neck/body joint, etc.
Hi all, thought I'd give you a bit of update, seems I might be a little more qualified to comment since I bought guitar a (questionable fake).
So I own a few guitars and in a hope not to get scammed by a fake Gibson custom shop at several £000,s of pounds and even having played for some 20+ yrs I didn't consider myself educated enough to buy a second hand one so I just went and bought one for a reputable dealer((guitar village, Farnham)couldn't praise them enough)).
However guitar a, was local. I got the chance to check the condition before I bid on it and the guy seemed nice enough.
Obviously none of this can verify the authenticity.
So after spending quite some time looking at whether it is real or fake I will write what I have found and you can call it how you see it.
serial number is for a 2008 epiphone custom shop.
I know zakk Wylde has been a Gibson artist pre 2000 although I can't find anything specific when the first signature models were released although I have seen serial numbers pre 2005, on the epiphone website the only information I can gain regarding earlier models is that they changed the pick ups from standard humbuckers to emgs in 2011. Suggesting that there were earlier models(with normal humbuckers consistent with guitar a). The Pick ups. Stamped with epiphone on the back, epiphone on the back of the headstock, front of headstock, of course it's easy to fake all of this.
The logo on all of them is different to the logo that you see now, however the logo has changed slightly from decade to decade, and seems consistent with others of the same year.
The knobs are different to the black ones, however I have seen reviews on YouTube with others that have the gold knobs the same as guitar a.
Generally none of the hardware, knobs, switch caps etc seems consistent with any of the epiphone signature models. Until the later years.
The truss rod cover doesn't look too nice. Looks like a blank that has been engraved but no others of this age I can find pictures to compare against.
Now this is the bit that I have based my conclusion on. It has been said why fake a £350 guitar.
On the back of the headstock there was a quality control sticker that suggest it was made in China, shipped to us for checking before sold.(consistent with the year and model)
I removed the sticker and put it on the back of the control cavity cover.
In removing you can see where the sticker has marked the lacquer(which is why I remove stickers) this is an aged process. And am not sure how you can fake this.
So why would you, in building a fake guitar, that your only going to make a small profit on, go to the trouble of making it consistent with all the points I have made, yet fail on a few that would cost you nothing to correct( Ie: putting black speed knobs on)?
And why fake the aged process on the neck where the sticker was or the sticker itself.
it's a nice enough guitar. It set up well and plays well enough with a minor bit of fret buzz on the 19th,top e. I'll likely sort it out at some point.
Will probably sell it in the middle of 2018 along with a whole bunch of others as I have eyes on something that else
Interested to see if this changes any of your points of view.
I guess unless you work for epiphone directly there will be no way to confirm 100 % either way
If you want anymore info let me know.
Apologies for any typos, fed up with correcting iPad
So I own a few guitars and in a hope not to get scammed by a fake Gibson custom shop at several £000,s of pounds and even having played for some 20+ yrs I didn't consider myself educated enough to buy a second hand one so I just went and bought one for a reputable dealer((guitar village, Farnham)couldn't praise them enough)).
However guitar a, was local. I got the chance to check the condition before I bid on it and the guy seemed nice enough.
Obviously none of this can verify the authenticity.
So after spending quite some time looking at whether it is real or fake I will write what I have found and you can call it how you see it.
serial number is for a 2008 epiphone custom shop.
I know zakk Wylde has been a Gibson artist pre 2000 although I can't find anything specific when the first signature models were released although I have seen serial numbers pre 2005, on the epiphone website the only information I can gain regarding earlier models is that they changed the pick ups from standard humbuckers to emgs in 2011. Suggesting that there were earlier models(with normal humbuckers consistent with guitar a). The Pick ups. Stamped with epiphone on the back, epiphone on the back of the headstock, front of headstock, of course it's easy to fake all of this.
The logo on all of them is different to the logo that you see now, however the logo has changed slightly from decade to decade, and seems consistent with others of the same year.
The knobs are different to the black ones, however I have seen reviews on YouTube with others that have the gold knobs the same as guitar a.
Generally none of the hardware, knobs, switch caps etc seems consistent with any of the epiphone signature models. Until the later years.
The truss rod cover doesn't look too nice. Looks like a blank that has been engraved but no others of this age I can find pictures to compare against.
Now this is the bit that I have based my conclusion on. It has been said why fake a £350 guitar.
On the back of the headstock there was a quality control sticker that suggest it was made in China, shipped to us for checking before sold.(consistent with the year and model)
I removed the sticker and put it on the back of the control cavity cover.
In removing you can see where the sticker has marked the lacquer(which is why I remove stickers) this is an aged process. And am not sure how you can fake this.
So why would you, in building a fake guitar, that your only going to make a small profit on, go to the trouble of making it consistent with all the points I have made, yet fail on a few that would cost you nothing to correct( Ie: putting black speed knobs on)?
And why fake the aged process on the neck where the sticker was or the sticker itself.
it's a nice enough guitar. It set up well and plays well enough with a minor bit of fret buzz on the 19th,top e. I'll likely sort it out at some point.
Will probably sell it in the middle of 2018 along with a whole bunch of others as I have eyes on something that else
Interested to see if this changes any of your points of view.
I guess unless you work for epiphone directly there will be no way to confirm 100 % either way
If you want anymore info let me know.
Apologies for any typos, fed up with correcting iPad
WhoKnows said:
I guess unless you work for epiphone directly there will be no way to confirm 100 % either way
Hi - I started this thread, as I'd been looking for a nice Bullseye for a few months.You can get an opinion on your guitar directly from Epiphone/Gibson customer services by email at Service.Europe@gibson.com ; they should respond within a few days and I've found them very helpful.
Sorry that this is not what you want to hear, but this is what they wrote to me about Guitar A at the time :-
Gibson/Epiphone said:
This does not appear to be a genuine Epiphone guitar. We cannot go into details on why the guitar appears to be fake
It was also called out as "300% fake" on the MyLesPaul forum linked earlier in the thread.I contacted the seller at the time, but he was rude and claimed to have a "letter of authenticity" so I left it at that... and bought Guitar B ...
which is lovely to play (although the passive EMG PUPs are a bit "thin" sounding for my preferences, but I digress...).If you like the way your guitar plays and sounds then keep it, or even re-paint it, but selling it on as genuine (unless Gibson change their mind) would suck... don't do that.
WhoKnows said:
I have seen serial numbers pre 2005, on the epiphone website the only information I can gain regarding earlier models is that they changed the pick ups from standard humbuckers to emgs in 2011. Suggesting that there were earlier models(with normal humbuckers consistent with guitar a).
Sorry, forgot to note this... mine dates from 2003 and has EMG-HZ (passive) pickups. I guess the change in 2011 you refer to was when they started using the EMG actives on the Bullseye? As far as I'm aware, ALL the Zakk Wylde models came with EMG pickups - but happy to be corrected if anyone knows different?Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff