READ THIS EPIPHONE RESPONDS !!!

TMG 03 · Post by **TMG 03** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:18 am

This is the letter from the head of Epip about the pictures in the other thread.
Make sure you are sitting down if you bought an Epip in Korea lately

The image of the guitar in this email is NOT an Epiphone guitar. While it might have "Epiphone" on the headstock, it is a COUNTERFEIT.

Just last week we were notified that Korean police (as they have done in the past) raided the infamous Nakwon Arcade in Seoul, Korea. This musical instrument mall is notorious for purchasing and selling counterfeit as well as OFF-QUALITY or REJECTED guitars produced by factories in Korea. Because they cannot export them into the USA, Europe, Japan, etc., these factories sell them "out the back-door" within Korea and ultimately, to unsuspecting customers.

Epiphone was and is NOT the only brand being illegally made and sold in Korea. There were other famous guitar brand names ceased by the police and facing the same counterfeiting problems.

As a result of this inherit market problem, Epiphone does not currently have nor have we had in the past, an active authorized Korean distributor. We have verified that we have NO RECORD of that guitar with that serial number being sold by our company.

Epiphone does NOT use nor have we EVER used particle board or any other similar materials in our guitars. With 131 years of quality and integrity on the line, there is NO WAY we would put that at risk by using inferior materials.

On several occasions in the past, we have worked closely with the Korean police to locate and identify counterfeiters in Korea. This has led to many guitars being confiscated and in many cases, arrests. While we wish this was not the case and we are doing all we can to stop it, this type of illegal activity is hard to eliminate completely. Therefore, if you do travel to or live in Korea, please understand there is a big risk when purchasing a brand-name guitar or other musical instrument.

If you are purchasing a new Epiphone from an authorized dealer in the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan or other "export" country, rest assured that these are high-quality instruments worthy of the name Epiphone - carrying our limited Lifetime Warranty and backed by the Gibson Musical Instruments.

Thank you and if you have any question or concerns, please email me personally at jim.rosenberg@gibson.com.

Best Regards,

Jim "Epi" Rosenberg

President â€“ Epiphone

Post by Bg » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:08 pm

nice to see them on the ball anyway, inclined to believe them because of that curious 7 digit serial number.

TMG 03 · Post by **TMG 03** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:46 pm

I think that they must have sold a few thousand already. So its all a bit late for some.

Interesting that some one would go to trouble of making a copy of a mid priced guitar. But they all sold pretty quick.

First it was Nike, and Reebok now its Guitars

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:53 pm

This highlights Korean Knockoffs. When I was at Nagwon Market they had rows of Fenders, many of which were indistinguishable from real ones (of course they had plenty of real ones there too).

Like the post referred to here suggests - I used my knowledge of Fender serial numbers to help me in such situations. Hint - look at several in a row and see if two or more have the same ser #...

As it turned out, I chose not to buy a Fender there.
In all transactions in Asia - buyer beware!!

Richy11 · Post by **Richy11** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 1:24 pm

It dosn't matter what it is, someone is going to rip it off at some point. When I was working at the sunglass sale in welly. There were more Oakley rip offs than you could shake a fender at.

Bluesbird · Post by **Bluesbird** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 1:57 pm

I'm not at all surprised - 'counterfeit' was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw those images. Counterfeiting runs rampant in asia, it's unbelievable what they'll copy and how quickly they can do it. I remember watching a documentary on it a while ago, and apparently they even copy cars. One bloke said he'd seen a car with the front-end of a Mercedes-Benz, and the rear of a BMW.

Often the counterfeiters know little about the product they copy. Why you'd copy a Les Paul and put an Epiphone badge on it is beyond me, when they could easily make it a Gibson and make even more money.

Look out for lots of spelling errors or poor grammar, that's about the only thing they seem incapable of copying correctly

And remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true - it probably is

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 4:11 pm

Yes, you have to watch out for any Gilds spelled Guild - they're all counterfeit!!

angry_young_poet · Post by **angry_young_poet** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 4:38 pm

good thing we all have made in the US 'o fackin' A...

hmmm but apparently, Slash bought a les paul and used it for most of his recordings on Appetite for destruction.. it wasn't later til he found out that it was a hand made copy.. and it sounded better than a real one.. so go figure!

B45-12 · Post by **B45-12** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 5:34 pm

Again folks 'use the old ears!' - after all hardboard or plastic can be used to make good guitars and fine maple/rosewood etc can make some real clunkers (some of the older 70's/80's Gibson SG's in my view were terrible - basically the wood semed too wet so there was no 'ring' etc - not all but enough).

Richy11 · Post by **Richy11** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:04 pm

Once again it all comes down to preference. What someone else hates you may love. Maybe someone would like a dull tone with no ring? But I'd call them a retard if they did.

TMG 03 · Post by **TMG 03** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:12 pm

Nothing really wrong with Epips, just don't buy one in Korea as the story points out. I am sure some are good guitars. But you have to wonder.

What if it broke here in NZ and you took it to the Rock Shop to get repaired ? You would be up a creek without a samick.

angry_young_poet · Post by **angry_young_poet** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 4:50 pm

that's just weird, they manufacture in korea but don't sell it there..

and if you do manage to buy one there, they dont honour the warranty...

Stevo · Post by **Stevo** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 4:59 pm

TMG 03 wrote:Nothing really wrong with Epips, just don't buy one in Korea as the story points out. I am sure some are good guitars. But you have to wonder.

What if it broke here in NZ and you took it to the Rock Shop to get repaired ? You would be up a creek without a samick.

Huh? wouldn't you be up the creek WITH a samick! LOL

On the subject of counterfieting! I remember a story from the sixties. When "Made in Switzerland" was a realy good thing to have on a watch....That is until some resourceful and creative Japanese watch manufacturer had the name of their town changed to "Swiss". The maker could then legitimately inscribe and market his watches as "Swiss made". The market for some time believed that they were buying watches made in Switzerland. They sold a LOT of watches around the world before the market cottoned on to the practise! needless to say the Japanese "Swiss made" watches were not of the quality of a watch genuinely "made in Switzerland"
Caveat emptor!!

As to the question of why they didn't label these guitars Gibsons, perhaps because people in the market for a Gibson would know enough to detect a rip off??... just a thought.

angry_young_poet · Post by **angry_young_poet** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 5:34 pm

it's just a scheme to make more money..

when you buy an epiphone and it sucks.. you start realising the value of the more expensive version.. you save up for the more expensive version, the gibson..

kinda gets you started..

i remember buying an epiphone LP standard cuz i couldnt afford a gibson LP. then when i finally saved enough, bought myself a gibson..

TMG 03 · Post by **TMG 03** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 7:04 pm

Stevo wrote:[

As to the question of why they didn't label these guitars Gibsons, perhaps because people in the market for a Gibson would know enough to detect a rip off??... just a thought.

I think it would be the opposite. Nobody would suspect a copy of a cheaper guitar so they would sell more of them before it turned out it was a fake.If you are going to drop some coin in a Les Paul you tend to do some research first. PRS has hd some issues with guitar made in China that are not lienced. And Lets face it Epips are targeted towards the younger market. So it would be less risk to copy them. There are fake Gibsons out there. But not many would bother to make a pink lined fake case to go with them. LOL

Its like Fender products. How do you know than old Strat has the same neck on it that it left the factory with.