Members 4thought Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Wondering if someone who knows can help me out. I bought an Epi Frehley about 6 years ago and I'm wondering if its fake. The serial is I00071926 which I gather means it was supposed to be made in Korea in 2000. Things that have me wondering are that Ace's outline on the headstock is not continuous - there are two breaks. Someone told me the outline is too close to the left side of the headstock as well. Some of the binding is not perfect. Someone also questioned whether the pups are real DiMarzios. See the link for a bunch of close up pictures. I can post more if you want to see anything else.https://plus.google.com/photos/11439...01844774923377 Thanks very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lonnie99 Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 The Dimarzios are real, can't speak to the rest of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lonnie99 Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 The Dimarzios are real, can't speak to the rest of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 I have no idea, but faking an Epiphone doesn't make sense when it's just as easy to fake a Gibson and sell it for 5 times the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 I have no idea, but faking an Epiphone doesn't make sense when it's just as easy to fake a Gibson and sell it for 5 times the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Do you like the guitar? Does it play well and sound good? How important is it to you for the guitar to be "real?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Do you like the guitar? Does it play well and sound good? How important is it to you for the guitar to be "real?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 4thought Posted January 6, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by onelife Do you like the guitar?Does it play well and sound good?How important is it to you for the guitar to be "real?" I like it and it plays and sounds good. I'm curious since a couple of people seem to think it's fake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 4thought Posted January 6, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by onelife Do you like the guitar?Does it play well and sound good?How important is it to you for the guitar to be "real?" I like it and it plays and sounds good. I'm curious since a couple of people seem to think it's fake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikesr1963 Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Where did you buy it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikesr1963 Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Where did you buy it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 It's a fake. The real one was a Gibson owned by that dude in Kiss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 It's a fake. The real one was a Gibson owned by that dude in Kiss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bjcarl Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by docjeffrey It's a fake. The real one was a Gibson owned by that dude in Kiss. This is a great point. I also think it was made in Budokan, not Korea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bjcarl Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by docjeffrey It's a fake. The real one was a Gibson owned by that dude in Kiss. This is a great point. I also think it was made in Budokan, not Korea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BrammyH Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Easiest thing to do is call Gibson and have them confirm the serial number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BrammyH Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Easiest thing to do is call Gibson and have them confirm the serial number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashtray Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Plenty of fake Epi's out there. Why? B/c new price on some are $700-900, and you could build a lower quality fake for $200 or less (probably $100 with enough volume production). Is yours fake? I'm no expert, so I won't judge. If you bought it with proper documentation or confirmed with Epiphone that the serial number is one for an Ace, then you're probably ok. I've heard stories of GC taking in fakes on trade without knowing they were fake, and then selling to the public. Best you can do, with instrument in hand, is take it apart. Check the pickups, see what kind of wood is in the pickup cavity. (if it's painted in a shielding paint, see if that's normal - usually a good way to hide that it's not a full maple top or they used plywood for the body). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashtray Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Plenty of fake Epi's out there. Why? B/c new price on some are $700-900, and you could build a lower quality fake for $200 or less (probably $100 with enough volume production). Is yours fake? I'm no expert, so I won't judge. If you bought it with proper documentation or confirmed with Epiphone that the serial number is one for an Ace, then you're probably ok. I've heard stories of GC taking in fakes on trade without knowing they were fake, and then selling to the public. Best you can do, with instrument in hand, is take it apart. Check the pickups, see what kind of wood is in the pickup cavity. (if it's painted in a shielding paint, see if that's normal - usually a good way to hide that it's not a full maple top or they used plywood for the body). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by ashtray Plenty of fake Epi's out there. Why? B/c new price on some are $700-900, and you could build a lower quality fake for $200 or less (probably $100 with enough volume production). Is yours fake? I'm no expert, so I won't judge. If you bought it with proper documentation or confirmed with Epiphone that the serial number is one for an Ace, then you're probably ok. I've heard stories of GC taking in fakes on trade without knowing they were fake, and then selling to the public. Best you can do, with instrument in hand, is take it apart. Check the pickups, see what kind of wood is in the pickup cavity. (if it's painted in a shielding paint, see if that's normal - usually a good way to hide that it's not a full maple top or they used plywood for the body). you think epips cost $200 for them to make? I bet it's more like $75 on the boat, if that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bjcarl Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by DaleH you think epips cost $200 for them to make? I bet it's more like $75 on the boat, if that. Considering the cost of labor where they're made, I'm thinking less than 25 North American $'s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 ^^^ could be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TeleFromHelly Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Looks fine to me. They weren't as good at replicas 13 years ago and the new ones are still pretty easy to spot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 4thought Posted January 7, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Good idea to check the serial, but I've also heard the forgers use real serials. I bought it used off an HC ad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HanSolo Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by 4thought Good idea to check the serial, but I've also heard the forgers use real serials.I bought it used off an HC ad. I had a fake LP Supreme. Serial number was the same as the real deal. Back of the pickups were even stamped Gibson USA like the real thing. Even had the right bridge posts and 2 screw engraved truss rod cover. Looking inside the body at the woods used and the wiring were dead giveaways though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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