Chibsons, Counterfeit Guitars, and the Pointlessness of a Fake Logo

One of the most famous Les Pauls in the world wasn’t actually a Gibson.

I’m talking, of course, about Slash’s famous Les Paul-style guitar, the one built by Kris Derrig that became so closely associated with his early Guns N’ Roses sound. It was a high-quality replica, not some piece of junk somebody ordered online. And there’s an important distinction between a guitar built as a replica and one being passed off to an unsuspecting buyer as an authentic Gibson.

Still, there’s something wonderfully ironic about one of the most recognizable Les Pauls in rock history not having come out of the Gibson factory.

But that isn’t really the kind of fake guitar I want to talk about.

Enter the Chibson

I’m talking about the guitar some jackass is trying to sell you on Craigslist. The one with the Gibson logo on the headstock that Gibson had absolutely nothing to do with. The guitar that, somehow, is always described as “rare.”

People call these things Chibsons, a nickname for counterfeit Gibson-branded guitars, often imported from overseas. Gibson may be the most conspicuous target, but it certainly isn’t alone. I’ve seen purported Fender Custom Shop instruments that were anything but, and other desirable brands aren’t immune. If something carries a valuable name, somebody is going to try to counterfeit it.

Watches, handbags, guitars. A fake Rolex is one thing, although that’s another conversation entirely. A fake guitar strikes me as particularly pointless.

Forget the Ethics for a Minute. They’re Usually a Terrible Value.

I’m not going to spend this article lecturing anybody about the ethics of counterfeiting. You already know what I think about someone selling a fake as the real thing.

What interests me more is that these guitars are often a rotten deal even if you know exactly what you’re buying.

Spend $300, $400, or $500 on a counterfeit Gibson and what do you have? In many cases, a mediocre instrument with a logo that isn’t supposed to be there. The fretwork, hardware, electronics, setup, and quality control may all be questionable. And because you’re buying a counterfeit, the usual assurances that come with a legitimate manufacturer aren’t exactly part of the package.

For the same money, you could buy an actual guitar from an actual manufacturer. Not an imaginary Gibson. A real instrument with a real name and a company willing to stand behind it.

And there’s a very good chance it will be a better guitar.

Cheap Guitars Aren’t What They Used to Be

One of the remarkable developments in the guitar business is just how good inexpensive instruments have become.

When I was younger, a truly cheap guitar could be an ordeal. Today, even guitars around the $100 mark can be perfectly serviceable. No, they aren’t all masterpieces, and some will need setup work. But the overall standard of manufacturing has improved enormously.

Move into the $300–$500 range and there’s a whole universe of legitimate instruments to choose from. You can find perfectly respectable guitars from established brands, with decent hardware and playable necks, without pretending they’re something they’re not.

Why spend that money on a counterfeit logo?

What’s Wrong With Having Your Own Taste?

Here’s the part I find especially strange.

We’re musicians. We’re creative people. Presumably we’re interested in making something that sounds like us, rather than spending our lives trying to become somebody else.

So why is there this desperate need to have the same name on the headstock as everybody else?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a Les Paul-shaped guitar. It’s a classic design for a reason. If you like the shape, buy a legitimate guitar with that shape. Or build one. Put your own name on it. Give it a ridiculous name, if you like. At least it’ll be your ridiculous name.

And if you don’t want a Les Paul shape, there are thousands of other designs. Some are beautiful. Some are strange. Some look like they were drawn by a committee of people who had never seen a guitar. That’s part of the fun.

You don’t have to follow the herd.

There’s a Difference Between Inspiration and Deception

I’m not suggesting that every guitar inspired by a famous design is a counterfeit. It isn’t. Nor am I equating a carefully made historical replica with a cheap instrument being fraudulently represented as a factory original.

The distinction that matters to me is honesty. If it wasn’t made by Gibson, don’t represent it as a Gibson. If it’s a copy, call it a copy. If it’s your own take on a classic, take some pride in that.

There have been excellent replicas and terrible originals. The logo alone doesn’t make a guitar good. But a fake logo certainly doesn’t make a bad guitar better.

Buy a Guitar, Not a Fantasy

If you have $400 to spend on a guitar, spend $400 on a guitar. Don’t spend it on a story about a guitar.

Find something that plays well, sounds good, and makes you want to pick it up. It might have a famous name on the headstock. It might have a name you’ve never heard before. It might have a name you invented yourself.

That’s fine.

But if somebody’s selling you a Chibson, my advice is to keep looking. There’s a much better chance of finding a genuinely good guitar than a genuinely good counterfeit.