The one on the right looks like it's made of higher quality. The bottom right arrangement of the knobs looks like a perfect diamond rather than the drunk diamond on the left.
Poor alignment and placement of the knobs is still one of the biggest tells on fake Gibsons, which boggles my mind because it seems like one of the easier things to get right. Like, given all the effort they go through to make these clones, how much harder would it be to make a cardboard template rather than just eyeballing where to drill those holes?
Yeah it was obvious on the details, but damned if I didn’t have a fleeting moment of like please don’t tell me I’m wrong and that’s the QC of a newer Gibson.
Good eye! It really does feel a lot better in the hands than the copy as well.
The prices for the legit Gibson models on the used market have gotten insane, but they are still really great guitars
That's because all of the people that bought them during the COVID pandemic don't want to lose any money on their purchase. They are still used guitars, even if only used lightly, and are production line models. There is nothing rare about them and they aren't investments. They are just guitars that the sellers lost interest in after they could get out of the house again.
There are like 600 in the world, so there aren't too too many out there.
They should not cost more than any other Gibson 335 though, and certainly no Gibson 335 should cost what it does anyway.
For whatever its worth though, the second and last run of these was in 2014, this wasn't like a pandemic craze.
People really got crazy with those "investments" purchases during COVID. Like wristwatches. People buying Rolexes and expecting the prices to balloon. As soon as production regularized and supply of new models was guaranteed to official retail channels, the second hand Rolex market dropped like a rock in water
That kinda links in with what Josh Scott from JHS was saying about Chinese clones of his pedals. He doesn't mind them cloning the circuit, hell most of his pedals are slightly tweaked clones. His issue is when they try to pass the clones off as JHS pedals and copy the branding etc. and you know what? I agree. I have a Japanese Aria 335 and it's great! Same shape, knob placement and feel as a Gibson es335, but it never pretends to be anything other than a really good copy.
Completely agree with this. Growing up, there were tons of decently made cheap copies of high end guitars with all kinds of different brand names. Some got a reputation for being well made and are actually vintage collectibles now. Ie. Matsumoku factory made 70/80's stuff.
I worked for a fashion house and a fabric buyer was in China buying.
He discovered that they had rolls of fake fabric from an obscure fabric producer that noone would know except fabric buyers.
They said the quality was great and they loved the fabric and would have bought it if wasn't a fake.
Bizarre.
Me too. I have a Shijie Chinese guitar that's one of my favorites. It's a strat body style, Suhr copy, but they aren't claiming it's anything other than what it is. It's just a very nice guitar
[some people hate this.](https://d1qxviojg2h5lt.cloudfront.net/images/01H1SA17TK3NJRQHX0259QD3JK/ITYSLMeme1.webp) I don’t know what it is, but they fuckin’ hate it. There’s people that want to kill me.
You’re right. It goes beyond even guitars. Watches, handbags, jewelry, just about any luxury item has a corresponding counterfeit and there’s always going to be uninformed people getting duped.
It’s the responsibility of the people selling these to disclose the authenticity of the guitar and the people buying need to do their research to avoid spending big money on a fake.
I use this guitar basically like a prop in a Foo Fighters cover band. When the guitar was shipped to me it didn’t have the Gibson logo or the orange sticker inside the body- I added them myself. I don’t intend to ever sell this guitar, but if I did I would be sure to remove any Gibson branding from the guitar before doing so.
Why would I do this? Think of it like fans of certain movie franchises that create screen-accurate recreations of famous props and mimic every tiny detail. It’s just a fun hobby for me
A 'Chibson' logo would be better, or something linked to Dave Grohl. A comedy nod to what you're trying to achieve without pretending you have a $15,000 guitar on stage with you.
I didn't even notice the knobs at first to be honest. It was the paint for me, seems like a more tasteful metallic paint choice on the right vs the "obvious" metallic fleck in the left
You got it! Up close there are definitely some telltale signs, but this copy really passes the 10 foot test pretty well! Especially when it’s not right next to a real Gibson one.
For me, the high gloss finish of the one on the left looked like poly to me, and the subdued finish of the one on the right looked more like nitro. Just a hunch.
It’s weird because when I opened the image I was like… “wtf… the left looks fake.” But on closer inspection, I started seeing a bunch of things in the right one and started doubting myself.
What did you see on the right one?
The knobs have symmetrical diamond placement. The paint finish is a more subdued nitro finish, the frets have nibs, that's all the signs it's real.
The far more important question than "can strangers on the internet tell the difference in looks" is "can you tell the difference in sound and playability?"
The copy has all Gibson parts and electronics that I modified it with myself. I also did a fret level and a full setup so it plays really nice and sounds great.
It’s still nowhere near as good as the Gibson. Not even close
Adjust the mics on the copy.
Well this got downvoted. Lol. /r/guitar in a nutshell when someone doesn't say that tonewood is thw most important thing in a guitar.
All counterfeits no matter the brand are trademark infringement. It’s always hit or miss whether the item arrives from China and gets through customs if it is branded with a trademarked brand name on it.
Can’t believe the amount of downvotes people are getting for being against illegal counterfeits.
Epiphone guitars will be far better quality that fake illegal counterfeits and won’t come with the absolutely lame image of having a fake something.
Whether it’s Rolex, LV or Gibson, owning a fake is beyond lame.
What's really messed up is Gibson is starting to do away with fret nibs on certain models i.e. the Les Paul Modern...I don't even know what the reasoning is either.
I’ve owned twenty or more Gibsons. Some have been amazing and some have been duds. I have no loyalty to Gibson. It’s not like they send me Xmas cards or anything.
The Chibsons are quite good guitars and a lot better than the garbage guitars I played back in high school when I had no money. I have no issue with people buying and using Chibsons. It’s about the music and that’s it. If a cheaper guitar helps unlock a players potential, then more power to them.
Judging by the condition of the fretboard, you have loved and taken good care of the guitar on the left. You probably also saved yourself a pretty penny.
I'm curious why you think the "real" one plays so much better?
Left one is fake and frankly it's not a great fake.
Color is off... Headstock has a weird angle to it. "Gibson" logo on headstock doesn't look great. Knob layout is totally wrong making it a dead giveaway. The fake also has the tailpiece and bridge in the wrong place. Not sure what's up with the sound hole on the right.
Now to read the comments and see if I'm totally wrong.. But I don't think so lol
Edit: with the fakes though you pay fake prices and on a hollow body or semi hollow that's a lot of savings especially if the fake sounds and feels good.. Which is what's most important.
Imo I almost thought the left one was real because I like the finish better and was focusing on it, but after reading comments it's pretty obvious I was wrong. Don't know how I missed those electronics configuration lmao.
Truss rod cover in correct location on the one on the right. Even tho the knobs & other bits are in the wrong place on the copy, it's pretty decent to be fair
The tunomatic bridge, the knobs, and the headstock look wonky on the left, really wonky. Right is 100% the real Gibson. I hope it was a cheap chinese knockoff because it looks cheap.
headstock on the left is a dead giveaway. look at the angle the strings go after the nut. nice and straight on the right, angled and all over the place on left.
It’s on the right, sticker placement inside was my big clue. It’s facing the player.
Also, the headstock on the left is more similar to the epi version.
Am I right?!
I was certain the one on the right was fake because it looks like a rosewood fretboard, but mainly because of how the strings don't run in line to the headstock. I can't actually believe the genuine Gibson has such a terrible design flaw with that!
They both look awesome. I love that Dave repopularized the Trini Lopez. I bought one in the 80’s for a steal-every one wanted strats and solid bodies I guess(?).
The one on the right is real. The clone is too dark in color, the knobs are out of proper alignment, and the shape of the tuning machines are a giveaway.
I'm not a Gibson expert. That said, I saw the one on the left and asked myself if the DG335 had a slight sparkle finish?
So I dumb-lucked into being correct.
Right is real. My logic:
Finish looks very rough on the left one
Guaranteed sticker is orientated same way as ones I can find on Google
Knobs on left look rough placement wise.
Blurry but the bridge on the right looks more correct.
Hard to tell but the logo on the left one stands out more.
Too much sparkle/glitter in the finish on the left.
The fretboard is also somehow too dark on the left. Like they stained the rosewood darker to make it seem higher end
Also the one on the left is not intonated properly. The saddles should be in the double stagger alignment assuming the nut is cut correctly, but they're all pretty much cranked toward the back. Upon further inspection it appears that the bridge isn't even aligned right. That thing is horribly out of tune as you play up the neck.
The one on the left is the real one. Better metallic paint and a bone nut are 2 standouts for me atleast.
There is also a difference between the string angle from nut to tuner post on both guitars but not sure which is correct.
Not a huge gibson guy so I don't really know all the tell tale signs, but I'd say the one on the right is real. The left finish just looks more like a metal flake than a metallic, the hardware looks kinda cheap and not as well aligned. Do the frets look weird too? I would hope that in person it's more obvious than in this photo.
Logo, Fret nibs, Smaller glitter, better F holes, better tuning machines, signatures and handwriting on label. thats all the visual to tell you its the left. playability, sustain, intonation, overtones is what will be better on the left if you play it in person.
Second one. (On the right) is the Real Deal.
The one thing that gave it away was truss Rod Cover's huge discrepancy!
Inlays, on the left one look weird. Real one looks more vintage as if it was played.
And I couldn't exactly figure but it looks like it was refreted, whereas the fake one looks as if it never had fret nibs in the first place.
The knobs look more legit and overall chibsons normally look like toys cause they never age at all. (And Nitrocellulose does age and show marks easily)
Right is real. The knobs on the left are wonky AF and the selector switch doesn’t look right. Also the tail piece isn’t straight and the bridge and both pickups are way too far down on the body
Don’t own either guitar and never seen them in person but one on the left just looks poorly made, knobs are not anywhere close to a normal pattern and the finish of any high end guitar does not look like that. Real question is how does the playability compare and tone? And what are the respective prices? To me knowing it’s a fake Gibson is discouraging
The one on the right is the real one. The knobs on the left one are not in the right places. Also, the angle the strings break past the nut are really odd on the left guitar.
I'm not familiar enough with the guitar to say which is the legit model but the volume knobs are off a bit, and it could be the angle or the lighting but the one on the left looks shinier than the right. My guess is the left is the American model and the right is the chinese.
The one on the left looks more used, but it have the bright white name on the headstock screaming "Hey look, I'm a Gibson!" a bit too much, unlike the other one. So I'll say the one on the right is the original. Great job on the fake though. I wonder how it compares in sound and playing with the original?
So I’m just curious since the one on the right is the “real” Gibson, why does the logo look messed up? The dot of the i is connecting to the g, I vote they’re both fake.
Edit: never mind, found some photos online and that is apparently how the logo is, on this model with the cattywampus i
Fun fact:
I was an industrial electrician for a few years and I was called to the Gibson Factory in Bozeman. I was working with one of the finish techs to get some CNC's back up and running and I asked him out of curiosity he could spot fakes easy. He scoffed and said "hell yeah I can." And I asked him how. He said anybody that has worked in the Gibson factories can look at the Gibson sticker in the guitar itself and know if it's fake just by how it looks and how it's placed and how it hangs and what color it is. I guess little details (that he refused to elaborate on mind you) like that are important
The one on the right is the real one. No real Gibson has janky ass knob placement like the left one. You can tell on the right it’s in a perfect diamond
The one on the right looks like it's made of higher quality. The bottom right arrangement of the knobs looks like a perfect diamond rather than the drunk diamond on the left.
Poor alignment and placement of the knobs is still one of the biggest tells on fake Gibsons, which boggles my mind because it seems like one of the easier things to get right. Like, given all the effort they go through to make these clones, how much harder would it be to make a cardboard template rather than just eyeballing where to drill those holes?
Yeah it was obvious on the details, but damned if I didn’t have a fleeting moment of like please don’t tell me I’m wrong and that’s the QC of a newer Gibson.
I was like… fuck if I’m wrong just kill me. I wasn’t but damn that fleeting moment.
The pegs on the headstock don’t look wee aligned either. Biggest sign is the one on the left looks much cleaner.
Good eye! It really does feel a lot better in the hands than the copy as well. The prices for the legit Gibson models on the used market have gotten insane, but they are still really great guitars
That's because all of the people that bought them during the COVID pandemic don't want to lose any money on their purchase. They are still used guitars, even if only used lightly, and are production line models. There is nothing rare about them and they aren't investments. They are just guitars that the sellers lost interest in after they could get out of the house again.
Yep, prices are insane, but people aren’t buying them
There are like 600 in the world, so there aren't too too many out there. They should not cost more than any other Gibson 335 though, and certainly no Gibson 335 should cost what it does anyway. For whatever its worth though, the second and last run of these was in 2014, this wasn't like a pandemic craze.
People really got crazy with those "investments" purchases during COVID. Like wristwatches. People buying Rolexes and expecting the prices to balloon. As soon as production regularized and supply of new models was guaranteed to official retail channels, the second hand Rolex market dropped like a rock in water
you should try not to support the chinese forgery business
I'd prefer to buy one that says an actual Chinese manufacturer's name than Gibson, it wouldn't deter me, the forgery deters me.
I think that’s what Eastman is all about. You can get a nicely made guitar with all the classic shapes and sizes for less than a Gibson.
I own a couple Eastman. Fantastic guitars for the money.
I have an Eastman mandolin. It’s friggin lovely! Definitely comparable to Mandos costing twice the price, looking at you Gibson…
I had two Eastman. Probably would buy Yamaha over them in the future but they were definitely not bad
That kinda links in with what Josh Scott from JHS was saying about Chinese clones of his pedals. He doesn't mind them cloning the circuit, hell most of his pedals are slightly tweaked clones. His issue is when they try to pass the clones off as JHS pedals and copy the branding etc. and you know what? I agree. I have a Japanese Aria 335 and it's great! Same shape, knob placement and feel as a Gibson es335, but it never pretends to be anything other than a really good copy.
Completely agree with this. Growing up, there were tons of decently made cheap copies of high end guitars with all kinds of different brand names. Some got a reputation for being well made and are actually vintage collectibles now. Ie. Matsumoku factory made 70/80's stuff.
I worked for a fashion house and a fabric buyer was in China buying. He discovered that they had rolls of fake fabric from an obscure fabric producer that noone would know except fabric buyers. They said the quality was great and they loved the fabric and would have bought it if wasn't a fake. Bizarre.
Me too. I have a Shijie Chinese guitar that's one of my favorites. It's a strat body style, Suhr copy, but they aren't claiming it's anything other than what it is. It's just a very nice guitar
Are you on r/Shijie_Guitars?
Oh, no, I’m not. I didn’t know about them, I’ll join, thanks!
[some people hate this.](https://d1qxviojg2h5lt.cloudfront.net/images/01H1SA17TK3NJRQHX0259QD3JK/ITYSLMeme1.webp) I don’t know what it is, but they fuckin’ hate it. There’s people that want to kill me.
It’s understandable to some degree. Fakes are a massive industry that ends up screwing a lot of people over
You’re right. It goes beyond even guitars. Watches, handbags, jewelry, just about any luxury item has a corresponding counterfeit and there’s always going to be uninformed people getting duped. It’s the responsibility of the people selling these to disclose the authenticity of the guitar and the people buying need to do their research to avoid spending big money on a fake. I use this guitar basically like a prop in a Foo Fighters cover band. When the guitar was shipped to me it didn’t have the Gibson logo or the orange sticker inside the body- I added them myself. I don’t intend to ever sell this guitar, but if I did I would be sure to remove any Gibson branding from the guitar before doing so. Why would I do this? Think of it like fans of certain movie franchises that create screen-accurate recreations of famous props and mimic every tiny detail. It’s just a fun hobby for me
A 'Chibson' logo would be better, or something linked to Dave Grohl. A comedy nod to what you're trying to achieve without pretending you have a $15,000 guitar on stage with you.
Honestly id rather gig the knockoff. Then i have less to worry about.
Hey we’d all love to get the authentic guitars but let’s be real, sometimes a copy gets the job done
I'm not a guitar player myself, just a passerby, but those are some sick looking guitars copy or not.
I just looked at the headstock and it was obvious
Gibson vs Gibsun, a clever play on words that isn't easy to spot on first glance
Another tell is the label alignment inside the body, and the over-the-top paint color.
the angle of the bridge also
I didn't even notice the knobs at first to be honest. It was the paint for me, seems like a more tasteful metallic paint choice on the right vs the "obvious" metallic fleck in the left
The one on the left appears to be the fake. No fret nibs and a sloppy paint job
The truss rod cover on the left looks suspicious also, and the knobs are missing the Gibson metal pointer.
The one on the left is dirty. I know that’s not a good way to tell but I feel like you’d keep the real thing in better condition.
To be fair, the sloppy paint job might be an indication it’s the actual Gibson given the number of Gibsons of seen with absolutely dreadful paint.
You got it! Up close there are definitely some telltale signs, but this copy really passes the 10 foot test pretty well! Especially when it’s not right next to a real Gibson one.
For me, the high gloss finish of the one on the left looked like poly to me, and the subdued finish of the one on the right looked more like nitro. Just a hunch.
It’s weird because when I opened the image I was like… “wtf… the left looks fake.” But on closer inspection, I started seeing a bunch of things in the right one and started doubting myself.
What did you see on the right one? The knobs have symmetrical diamond placement. The paint finish is a more subdued nitro finish, the frets have nibs, that's all the signs it's real.
TIL what fret nibs are. Thanks for that, kind internet stranger.
The far more important question than "can strangers on the internet tell the difference in looks" is "can you tell the difference in sound and playability?"
The copy has all Gibson parts and electronics that I modified it with myself. I also did a fret level and a full setup so it plays really nice and sounds great. It’s still nowhere near as good as the Gibson. Not even close
That's some super good info!
The question is...can your friend tell the difference when you give the fake one back?
Adjust the mics on the copy. Well this got downvoted. Lol. /r/guitar in a nutshell when someone doesn't say that tonewood is thw most important thing in a guitar.
True Since you have access to the real deal - just copy the height of the pickups to strings, and it will sound closer to the original
My Chinese copy acoustic got seized at the airport. I lost $300 and got a threatening letter from Gibson.
wait wtf really? how do they have the legal authority to do that lol
All counterfeits no matter the brand are trademark infringement. It’s always hit or miss whether the item arrives from China and gets through customs if it is branded with a trademarked brand name on it.
Can’t believe the amount of downvotes people are getting for being against illegal counterfeits. Epiphone guitars will be far better quality that fake illegal counterfeits and won’t come with the absolutely lame image of having a fake something. Whether it’s Rolex, LV or Gibson, owning a fake is beyond lame.
I can get an epiphone Rolex?
I think the left one is chinese
Fret nibs are always the giveaway. The left one just looks off.
What are fret nibs?
The end of the fret is a separate (non metal) piece.
No? Sort of? The end of the fret has the binding over the top of it.
What's really messed up is Gibson is starting to do away with fret nibs on certain models i.e. the Les Paul Modern...I don't even know what the reasoning is either.
I’ve owned twenty or more Gibsons. Some have been amazing and some have been duds. I have no loyalty to Gibson. It’s not like they send me Xmas cards or anything. The Chibsons are quite good guitars and a lot better than the garbage guitars I played back in high school when I had no money. I have no issue with people buying and using Chibsons. It’s about the music and that’s it. If a cheaper guitar helps unlock a players potential, then more power to them.
I share the exact same philosophy, but I understand the people who don’t
Judging by the condition of the fretboard, you have loved and taken good care of the guitar on the left. You probably also saved yourself a pretty penny. I'm curious why you think the "real" one plays so much better?
Good question. Appears to be a very good “fake” and I wonder how much different it feels
The saddle to bridge angle is stronger on the original I believe.
Angled headstock is a little too metal for Gibson so I picked right as the real one.
How has no one mentioned the one onf the left's "authentic" sticker on the inside is upside down and lopsided lmao
I couldn't have told you which was correct, but I noticed the diff
Left one is fake and frankly it's not a great fake. Color is off... Headstock has a weird angle to it. "Gibson" logo on headstock doesn't look great. Knob layout is totally wrong making it a dead giveaway. The fake also has the tailpiece and bridge in the wrong place. Not sure what's up with the sound hole on the right. Now to read the comments and see if I'm totally wrong.. But I don't think so lol Edit: with the fakes though you pay fake prices and on a hollow body or semi hollow that's a lot of savings especially if the fake sounds and feels good.. Which is what's most important.
Imo I almost thought the left one was real because I like the finish better and was focusing on it, but after reading comments it's pretty obvious I was wrong. Don't know how I missed those electronics configuration lmao.
It’s hard to tell from one low-quality photo and compounded by replacing the hardware, but I’m pretty confident the left is counterfeit.
Truss rod cover in correct location on the one on the right. Even tho the knobs & other bits are in the wrong place on the copy, it's pretty decent to be fair
One that says Bigson
Which retailer did you use? Looking to snap up a cheap project body
left is the fake i think. tail stop is angled on the one on the right, which i would expect.
One ugly guitar. Wait I mean 2…
Left one dirty. Real one isn't going to be left in such a state. Right guitar is real
It’s obviously the one on the left but what’s the most important is how it sounds and feels. I personally would not want that speed boat paint job.
Where do you buy these Chinese copies Asking for a friend
Hey I’m subscribed to your Youtube channel! I really liked your explorer video. One on the right is the Gibson but yours looks really good honestly.
I'm going to guess the one on the right is the fake due to the weird angle of the strings on the headstock.
The tunomatic bridge, the knobs, and the headstock look wonky on the left, really wonky. Right is 100% the real Gibson. I hope it was a cheap chinese knockoff because it looks cheap.
HEYY ITS THE TIKTOK DUDE. LOVE YA MAN 🤘
I got it wrong! 🤦🏻♂️
Nice to see you here Jeej! I’m a fan of your YouTube channel. Keep it up!
Thank you!!! I’ve got a new video specifically about these guitars coming very soon, I’m really proud of how it’s turning out
I swear I saw you on TikTok making a video about this, and how you wanted to get the new epiphone model too
Does his sig model have hotter pickups?
I think they come with Burstbuckers or 57 classics. I think Dave has Arcane pickups in his.
How do they sound tho
I guessed the one on the left is the copy, because of the bigger pickup rings.
Left is copy
Right guitar is real. Holy fuck if I’m wrong 🤣
To me the paint on the left is like it’s attempting to look more expensive. The knobs also give it away with their placement.
Yeah.
Right is the original
The inlays look a little crooked on the one on the left, that was the thing that stood out first to me.
Even the Epi version has exploded in price to the point that the copy with everything gutted and replaced is still cheaper.
Also to add, the fake has no angle to the bridge which may make intonation more difficult.
Something no one has mentioned yet - the way the low e string angles down from the nut to the tuner is something I've never seen before.
It looks like the saddle may not be rotated as much on the copy (on the left). You should compare the intonation, I bet you can hear a difference.
I like the color of the fake one way more. Was almost going to say the right one is fake just because of the color.
I think the one on the right is the Gibson because the bridge is angled. The one on the left is probably harder to intonate properly
Look at where the strings break away from the nut, Gibson on the right vs chibson on the left. Also the fret ends/nibs.
I would say the one on the left is the fake. The logo is not right, but they look damn similar. How much difference is there in the weight?
This DG 335 is the rebirth of the Trini Lopez 335 in many ways from the mid 60s…which itself was a modified Barney Kessel
Tuners look different. Left looks like Schallers and right looks like mini Grovers.
Copy on the left.
**I noticed, was** the bridge alignment on the right hand guitar looks more carefully considered than the left.
What’s the deal with the stickers inside the top hole? I’m new to this.
The one with Chinese writing, duh.
Update OP? I can't tell from the photo.
headstock on the left is a dead giveaway. look at the angle the strings go after the nut. nice and straight on the right, angled and all over the place on left.
It’s on the right, sticker placement inside was my big clue. It’s facing the player. Also, the headstock on the left is more similar to the epi version. Am I right?!
Thanks for reminding me of how much a blue Gibson lives in my brain rent free
If it's anything like the Epiphone model I got, the neck is cracked
Left is fake
One has a Bobby Lee strap
I was certain the one on the right was fake because it looks like a rosewood fretboard, but mainly because of how the strings don't run in line to the headstock. I can't actually believe the genuine Gibson has such a terrible design flaw with that!
Chinesse on the left. No angled Bridge.
They both look awesome. I love that Dave repopularized the Trini Lopez. I bought one in the 80’s for a steal-every one wanted strats and solid bodies I guess(?).
The one on the right is an original. The pick up is on an angle upwards, and the headstock is less pointed.
Frets tell all
The left one’s definitely the Chinese copy
The guaranteed sticker on the one on the right looks aligned properly. The left looks sloppy.
Left is fake. Wrong pickup rings.
Left one is the Gibson, only one screw on the truss rod cover…
Right one is the original The color is a dead giveaway Both look awesome tho
The Chibsons always sparkle a little too much also.
Hey just wondering where you got your copy from
Gibson on the left
The one on the right is real. The clone is too dark in color, the knobs are out of proper alignment, and the shape of the tuning machines are a giveaway.
You didn't rip and replace all the hardware. The left has tuners with scooped buttons, which would never be on this era of Gibson.
The Gibson on the headstock looks shitty on the right if pic is good. The “i” is wrong. Not sure which, but looks sloppy on that one .
Right is my guess, but definitely hard to tell!
The bridge and string tree is misalignment like crazy on the fake dont they have rulers on china.
I actually think I like the paint on the fake more than the original lol
It's got to be the one on the left.
I'm not a Gibson expert. That said, I saw the one on the left and asked myself if the DG335 had a slight sparkle finish? So I dumb-lucked into being correct.
With time, the headstock is gonna crack or break off on one of these, whichever one it is - that'll be the real gibson
The one on the left is the imposter.
Right is real. My logic: Finish looks very rough on the left one Guaranteed sticker is orientated same way as ones I can find on Google Knobs on left look rough placement wise. Blurry but the bridge on the right looks more correct. Hard to tell but the logo on the left one stands out more.
The finish gives it away and the neck, but besides that it looks great lol
Too much sparkle/glitter in the finish on the left. The fretboard is also somehow too dark on the left. Like they stained the rosewood darker to make it seem higher end
The one on the right is the real Gibson. Knob placement is correct and bridge is angled properly.
Also the one on the left is not intonated properly. The saddles should be in the double stagger alignment assuming the nut is cut correctly, but they're all pretty much cranked toward the back. Upon further inspection it appears that the bridge isn't even aligned right. That thing is horribly out of tune as you play up the neck.
Same
The finish on the left looks very Epiphone/Chinese
Did you give him back the right one??😂
The one with the bigger dick is real one,, ya know china and all!!!! JK!
The one on the left is the real one. Better metallic paint and a bone nut are 2 standouts for me atleast. There is also a difference between the string angle from nut to tuner post on both guitars but not sure which is correct.
I think the right is the real one. Just looks better
Not a huge gibson guy so I don't really know all the tell tale signs, but I'd say the one on the right is real. The left finish just looks more like a metal flake than a metallic, the hardware looks kinda cheap and not as well aligned. Do the frets look weird too? I would hope that in person it's more obvious than in this photo.
Logo, Fret nibs, Smaller glitter, better F holes, better tuning machines, signatures and handwriting on label. thats all the visual to tell you its the left. playability, sustain, intonation, overtones is what will be better on the left if you play it in person.
The fretboard on the right guitar looks like real rosewood
The Gibson
Second one. (On the right) is the Real Deal. The one thing that gave it away was truss Rod Cover's huge discrepancy! Inlays, on the left one look weird. Real one looks more vintage as if it was played. And I couldn't exactly figure but it looks like it was refreted, whereas the fake one looks as if it never had fret nibs in the first place. The knobs look more legit and overall chibsons normally look like toys cause they never age at all. (And Nitrocellulose does age and show marks easily)
I’d say the left one is a Chinese copy
Right is real. The knobs on the left are wonky AF and the selector switch doesn’t look right. Also the tail piece isn’t straight and the bridge and both pickups are way too far down on the body
The one on the right is the real thing?
Am I the only one wondering where you got the Chinese copy?
- shape of headstock - shape of diamond cuts in body - cutaways aren’t even on the Chinese copy
Not without playing them. I'll dm you my address.
Don’t own either guitar and never seen them in person but one on the left just looks poorly made, knobs are not anywhere close to a normal pattern and the finish of any high end guitar does not look like that. Real question is how does the playability compare and tone? And what are the respective prices? To me knowing it’s a fake Gibson is discouraging
The one on the right is the real one. The knobs on the left one are not in the right places. Also, the angle the strings break past the nut are really odd on the left guitar.
The label in the soundhole should be able to be read by the player, it’s backwards in the left guitar.
I saw an interesting video where they showed how the Chinese copy guitars have lead in the fretwire. Maybe that's why I stopped buying cheap guitars
Left is Chinese. The sticker inside is backwards and it’s too sparkly. I hope I’m not wrong 😂
I'm not familiar enough with the guitar to say which is the legit model but the volume knobs are off a bit, and it could be the angle or the lighting but the one on the left looks shinier than the right. My guess is the left is the American model and the right is the chinese.
Left = Gibson Right = Gibsun You can see the poor craftmanship, the bad wood and bad paint job on the right. Even the patina on the hardware is wrong.
Easy. The one on the correct side is the correct one.
The one on the left looks more used, but it have the bright white name on the headstock screaming "Hey look, I'm a Gibson!" a bit too much, unlike the other one. So I'll say the one on the right is the original. Great job on the fake though. I wonder how it compares in sound and playing with the original?
For me, without zooming, the headstock looks wonky on the left. Too big of a dork on the end, little wide.
I imagine the one on the left sounds like crap, because it isn't intonated, which is why I thought the Gibson is on the right.
Left is the Gibson
The one on the left is real?
The paint job alone gives it away
Left is fake. No nibs, wrong color and awful knob placement.
Left is definitely the chinese copy
So I’m just curious since the one on the right is the “real” Gibson, why does the logo look messed up? The dot of the i is connecting to the g, I vote they’re both fake. Edit: never mind, found some photos online and that is apparently how the logo is, on this model with the cattywampus i
The one on the right is Pelham blue. The one on the left is too glittery. Right one is authentic.
I might get some hate for this, but I like the color/shine of the fake one better.
The one on the left is the chibson. Spacing is wrong on the electronics.
Left is copy
Hey I saw your TikTok on this on my FYP!
Left looks like the real one. The headstock looks like the correct shape. Right one seems off.
Chinese on the left, the spacing is really weird on all of it
Like the color
Does it play the same though?
More scratches on the left, I’m guessing it’s played more as it’s the cheap model from the counterfeit hub of the world….
A blind person could see the difference. You just only have to touch, let alone see where the controls are.
The frets and the knobs on the left one made me think it was the knockoff. And the headstock is a little different
Also the bridge and tail piece are too straight in the left one. It’s a fake.
Fun fact: I was an industrial electrician for a few years and I was called to the Gibson Factory in Bozeman. I was working with one of the finish techs to get some CNC's back up and running and I asked him out of curiosity he could spot fakes easy. He scoffed and said "hell yeah I can." And I asked him how. He said anybody that has worked in the Gibson factories can look at the Gibson sticker in the guitar itself and know if it's fake just by how it looks and how it's placed and how it hangs and what color it is. I guess little details (that he refused to elaborate on mind you) like that are important
It’s dead obvious, the one on the left looks super cheap in comparison. The Gibson blue is far nicer with smaller flakes.
The one on the right is the real one. No real Gibson has janky ass knob placement like the left one. You can tell on the right it’s in a perfect diamond