Fake Gibson Bass?

[OldGreg]

This bass is currently for sale on my local Craigslist. I do not know much about Gibson basses, but the headstock seemed to be a little off to me. Specifically the Gibson inlay, any thoughts?


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[snyderz]

Ya think?

 

[Bassguy61]

I'd be wary of that one as well. It may be real, but if it is, it's been modded. Looks like from the headstock that it's been refinished, and that might explain the condition of the inlay and any shape variations (over zealous sanding). What jumps out to me most is that, if it's really a Gibby, it's not an EB3, but a modded EB0. It's missing any sign that I can see of the Varitone switch that would be there on an EB3. At best, someone took and EB0, refinished it, and added the mini bucker at the bridge. Might run the serial number through Gibson and see what they can tell.

 

[GM60466]

No it's not. It has been striped or refined. Later in the '60s and early '70s, Gibson overlaid the pearl with decals instead of real inlays. It looks like a 1970

 

[FrankenIbanez70]

that is not just fake, that is really really fake.

 

[johnson79]

The serial # says it is a 66, per Gibson's site.

 

[hdracer]

Serial # puts it as a 1966, may be a modded EB-0
Definitely not a EB-3, the Jack & pots look that way & no varitone

 

[johnson79]

Serial # puts it as a 1966, may be a modded EB-0
Definitely not a EB-3, the Jack & pots look that way & no varitone

I think you are right. Not bad for $550 if it plays well.

 

[bassobrutto]

It is a modded, refinished later 60s Gibson EB-0, not a fake. Fantastic deal for $550, assuming it works fine.

 

[godofthunder59]

Agreed modded '66 EBO I'd hit that in a heartbeat

It is a modded, refinished later 60s Gibson EB-0, not a fake. Fantastic deal for $550, assuming it works fine.

 

[96tbird]

OK look at this pic. Clearly shows that the logo is a squared off piece of MOP that the black headstock paint is masked over. The bass in question has had it's paint removed leaving the MOP block.

Looks real to me, down to the tuners.

 

[ack]

that is not just fake, that is really really fake.

for us novices, can you point out what makes it "really really fake"?

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Looks real to me. I played a '67 EBO for about 13 years. It got knocked around a bit and half the "Gibson" inlay fell out at one time. There was a block of pearl under it, which is what this looks like. I really wish I'd not sold it, but kept it and modded it myself to make it more useful to me. I sold it nearly 10 years ago for $400, which was $300 more than we (my dad...) paid in '87. Live and learn...

 

[capnjim]

If it was a chinese fake the logo would be a lot nicer...looks real and could be a good deal.
The extra PUP might even be an older Gibson PUP.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

It's not a fake at all. What happened was someone sanded the black paint off the front of the headstock.

Around that time Gibson didn't cut out the pearl logo, they inlayed a block cut to the outline, and then used a silk screen stencil to make the outline of the letters at the same time they painted the head black.

So if you sanded off the black paint, that's what you ended up with. I've seen plenty of Gibson's back in the 70s that ended up this way.

 

[96tbird]

It's not a fake at all. What happened was someone sanded the black paint off the front of the headstock.

Around that time Gibson didn't cut out the pearl logo, they inlayed a block cut to the outline, and then used a silk screen stencil to make the outline of the letters at the same time they painted the head black.

So if you sanded off the black paint, that's what you ended up with. I've seen plenty of Gibson's back in the 70s that ended up this way.

OK look at this pic. Clearly shows that the logo is a squared off piece of MOP that the black headstock paint is masked over. The bass in question has had it's paint removed leaving the MOP block.

Looks real to me, down to the tuners.

Again

 

[skee616]

It is a modded, refinished later 60s Gibson EB-0, not a fake. Fantastic deal for $550, assuming it works fine.

+1 to bassobrutto.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Again

+1

That's what happens when you don't read the whole thread!

 

[smcd]

I wouldn't pay $550 for that. No WAY.

Here's a nice, unmodded EBO with a slotted headstock, in great shape for $1,200

 

[SGD Lutherie]

I wouldn't pay $550 for that. No WAY.

Here's a nice, unmodded EBO with a slotted headstock, in great shape for $1,200

I would!

It wouldn't be that hard to restore the headstock either.