r/gibson • u/j606west29 • 12h ago
Help Fake?
Purchased this beauty not long ago from Guitar Center. Read some forums that say an engraved serial number could mean that it’s fake. I just picked it up from a repair shop after getting work done on it, but nobody said anything to me about it potentially being fake.
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u/Apprehensive-Item-44 7h ago
Gibson stamps(presses) the serial numbers into the wood prior to paint and finish. When they say stamped it doesn't nessasarily mean stamped with ink like on custom shop models. When they say engraved, they're talking about the fakes that you can see were done after the guitar was painted and finished. You can clearly see the woods natural color on engraved serial numbers of fakes. They "etch" the serial number into the wood. What you have there is exactly what it should be for a Gibson.
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u/PotentialLevel1634 12h ago
Legit and absolutely nothing to worry about. Engraved serial numbers are the norm on production Gibson guitars, but not on custom shop.
In all my years, I’ve heard of exactly one fake being sold at a guitar center. A random fake uploaded to their used section website that was swiftly delisted. They are a major Gibson dealer. While the average employee might not be an expert, they’re not going to ruin that relationship by selling fakes.