Fake epi?

[FREEKILL9566]

On the swee lee sale, I was looking for a great Epiphone SG around the front column, I saw this white one, it looked so nice, well until i found out something weird... when i checked the back of the neck, it had a sticker saying made in indonesia...!!! epiphone i thought only MIC, MIK?? how come got indonesia??!!! if you check the back of your epiphone sg headstock theres a serial number, the white sg had no serial number!!! also no swee lee stickers too... is it a fake? and when i went back to the column, it was gone, someone must have nabbed it!! Was it really a fake? if it was the guy who got bluffed must be really sway!!

 

[Everdying]

from what i know, epiphone started indonesia production last yr in a factory thats run by samick.
in the US, there have been ppl who've seen epi LP Standards that are indonesian made at the Guitar Centers.
also the LP-100's are indon made.

its only eventual that they will slowly make the rest of the epi range in indonesia.

 

[Anirudh]

eew...lucky i managed to grab a MIK epi explorer :lol:

 

[AzNjT]

are you kidding me...

if Sweelee sold phoney goods...

 

[lifele55]

No worries about Sweelee selling fakes. They are the local distributor for Epi/Gibsons thus its safe to say the guitars are genuine.

Yes, some Epiphones do come from the Samick factory in Indonesia. This was taken from the Epiphone forums:

SI is samick-indoesia. they have been building for epi since the early 90's. mostly low end plywood specials and entry acoustics. they are no better or worse than anything currently coming from china.

My epi is Korean, but I have Greg Bennett guitar that is made in Indonesia. I must say that thing is awesome! It's a bolted neck strat type shape with no pickguard and floyd rose with duncan designed p/u's. It's a great guitar, and it doesn't bother me one bit that it's Indonesian as long as it plays, feels, and looks good it could be made anywhere.

Apparently the quality is about the same as the MIC with some even saying the guitars play great. One shouldn't put down a guitar just because of its make. Just like all guitars, try it out and you might be amazed. Or not.

 

[subversion]

before the superiority assertion kicks in (ie: Made in Korea better than made elsewhere), a good guitar is a good guitar, regardless of its country of origin.

 

[Godspeed64]

agreed..
quality control may be an issue, but if it feels and plays good,
just ignore the country of origin!

 

[rimuel]

a good guitar is a good guitar, regardless of its country of origin.

O.T but..

its just like,man is equal regardless of race/language/country of origin
[/b]

 

[noviceguitarist]

well said. :wink:

 

[keithC]

hmm for some players, building quality is important too, cause guitars can also be seen as an investment. (long term or short for resale). in those cases then it'll be safer to go for something supposingly built in a "better country??"

 

[rimuel]

true.lots of people have that mindset.

but,

i find that my MIM fender feels better than my previous MIJ(s)

though MIJ is superior in craftsmanship,etc

 

[subversion]

'better/ superior' is subjective. it's human disease to reduce integrity by being prejudicial.

 

[ShredCow]

There's still a difference in quality.

Look at what lifele55 said:

SI is samick-indoesia. they have been building for epi since the early 90's. mostly low end plywood specials and entry acoustics. they are no better or worse than anything currently coming from china.

Hehehehe... :wink:




I've no doubt that QC has picked up in various countries... MIC or MIK or MII or MIJ or MIA... the gaps are closing.

But not close enough for me to confidently pick up a MIC or MI indon guitar and expect excellent excellent quality.

Anyway, people will also frequently justify a guitar's quality/status based on quality-to-cost ratio. Due to improved manufacturing standards and technology... a lower priced guitar can sound surprisingly decent.. or as the common oh-so-favourite-justification-quote is "Its jaw-dropping-awesome for the money!"
Put that guitar against a Suhr and I suppose I can expect you to diss the Suhr. Unless you had a lemon of a Suhr... hmmm... and you had that one-in-x amount of magical plywood combinations.




Btw, I'll pick real wood over plywood anyday... and I'll bet that statistically, the real wood guitars could actually sound better than the plywood ones.

 

[deathism]

shred: i believe some people do not have the luxury of owning a suhr.

 

[subversion]

suhr or otherwise, a good guitar, is a good guitar...

 

[deathism]

im with u sub.

 

[subversion]

after years of brand exposure, i guess i've been privy to some horrific craftsmanship from the revered companies. taught me one thing- don't be partial to any names in particular; the splendid facade may be concealing some rotten innards...

 

[Weiht]

Dont worry, i doubt SL will sell fake guitars to ruin its yrs of biz. N if anyone wants to produce a fake, why epi???

 

[lifele55]

To make money out of faking everything.

Check the toothpaste you buy next time. Might be a fake as well 8O

 

[Weiht]

Fake toothpaste for ppl with fake tooth LOL