Went to GC to check out a Les Paul that turned out to be fake

[Marshall Stack]

It was listed on their website

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Gibson/Les-Paul-Standard-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar-117647127.gc

When I got there someone called for them to take a closer look and they just removed it from the wall. They let me see it. There were dowels where the bridge went in to the guitar and the serial number was painted over the serial number.

 

[Marshall Stack]

 

[Marshall Stack]

 

[Marshall Stack]

 

[Marshall Stack]

They know who the guy that brought it in but all they are going to do is not let him in the store again. GC paid $1,600 for it. It was listed for $1,996.

 

[Crikey]

That would be a chargeable offence, obtaining money by false pretenses

 

[StrummerJoe]

That is a possible fraud or theft. Maybe the seller had been taken themselves though and didn't know. Thay should be afforded the opportunity to defend themselves and maybe return the money. They ashould only be required to return the money if it can be proven that they knew the guitar was fake. Still, nobody forced GC to buy it.

Proving the seller knowingly sold a fake to a DEALER who SHOULD know the difference might be as hard as it sounds.

I know what we all think of the average GC employee, but it is the company's business. It's in the name.

 

[Marshall Stack]

That is a possible fraud or theft. Maybe the seller had been taken themselves though and didn't know. Thay should be afforded the opportunity to defend themselves and maybe return the money. They ashould only be required to return the money if it can be proven that they knew the guitar was fake. Still, nobody forced GC to buy it.

Proving the seller knowingly sold a fake to a DEALER who SHOULD know the difference might be as hard as it sounds.

I know what we all think of the average GC employee, but it is the company's business. It's in the name.

The sales guy said it was a new sales associate that bought it and he said they should have known better. I guess it would be hard to prove he knew it.

 

[Sapient]

Seller to GC did nothing wrong if he never said it was actually real. Implication can be a real friend in the seller's case though.

That pickguard screw sure is one big nipple. Among a million other things wrong.

 

[axe4me]

It's good that you did your homework.

 

[El Gringo]

The dreaded Chibson which is a FAKA aka fake as in a forgery . Try tuning that sucker and keeping it in tune , much less getting a working tone from it . Probably an alder body with a maple vener top and who knows what the neck and fingerboard is made out of .

 

[Red Solo Cup]

They know who the guy that brought it in but all they are going to do is not let him in the store again. GC paid $1,600 for it. It was listed for $1,996.

Nice of them to leave it listed with no mention of it being fake or possibly "less than authentic."

 

[Sapient]

It's good that you did your homework.

You could go to school drunk, get an A, and avoid homework on that day. Lol.

 

[scozz]

Really bad reproduction, one glance is all you need to see that!

 

[lespaul339]

Yeah, there's lots of things wrong with that one.

 

[Gunner64]

Are there L.P. standards with gold logos?

 

[El Gringo]

They know who the guy that brought it in but all they are going to do is not let him in the store again. GC paid $1,600 for it. It was listed for $1,996.

Damn GC got taken as well !

 

[Marshall Stack]

It's good that you did your homework.

I didn't do any homework as they already determined it as fake just before I got there. I'm not sure if I would have known as it has been a long time since I had a Les Paul.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

One quick way you can spot a fake Les Paul is to look at the location of the neck volume control in relation to the stop tailpiece: from the front view, like in this photo, the top of the knob should line up evenly with the top of the tailpiece. In this case the knob is too far toward the headstock. The second you see that you know it's fake. The truss rod cover, logo, inlays, fretboard color, finish and plastic all look hideously cheap. Still, if it played good, sounded good and didn't look like it was going to fall apart, I might be inclined to hit it for under $300, but not a penny more.

I'll bet it weighs at least 11 lbs.
.

 

[ibmorjamn]

I think that I might have spotted a fake guitar center add on Facebook. Selling all Jackson at $68?