The Electra Forums

Payless Guitars is supposedly selling for pennies on the US dollar these actual copy right down to the brand name and trademark knock offs;

Owning or selling one of these in the US is a felony;

For the most part the pictures of the featured guitars at their web site look like the real thing;

Does anyone actually buy or own these things?

http://www.vintagerock.com/fakeguitars.aspx

http://www.paylessguitars.com/index2.asp

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

That's crazy.. you definitely have me wondering too... Interestingly their ebay feedback is 100%, so they must be pretty darned convincing. If they can be set up to play as nice as the real thing, I really don't care if they're knockoffs . I wonder though, if they can make such convincing copies for so cheap, why aren't they making their own brand? Sure, they might not be able to get the same top dollar, but I bet they could at least get half of it. I almost want to buy one just to see.. but I'd have to buy Markymayhem's album first !.

Because people don't want a new brand, at a cheap or decent price. There's no room in the market. The only new guitars that can succeed are either uniquely good in some feature, or they give some already known quality (like looking like Gibson) for the price of a cheap import guitar.

Guitars in the $200-$300 range are nothing new, the licensed brands Squier and Epiphone are simply authorized cheap guitars in these familiar appearances.

There's lots of countries where unauthorized copies are bought and sold freely- Japan for one. Blatant Greco 'copies' for premium prices sell today, with quality and price rivalling the originals.

The news is when some US distributor violates trademark (not copyright) by selling them in the US. Attention is given to the fact that they're cheap, but so what, so are Squiers and Epiphones. High quality ones would be just as illegal.

But... that's what it is, and that's why they do it, and that's the hubbub.

I can't speak for that or all brands; there was some discussion on the Reranch Refinishing forums of the wave of cheap guitars, and the verdict was very bad. However, I wouldn't assume they're all the same.

You have to face the bottom line that for most people, the look and style of a guitar is at least half of why they pick it. I know- lots of us care lots more about other things. But... to many people guitars are a kind of clothing. And guitarists are amazingly conservative.

As such, at least half of what people care about is how they look- and cheap knockoff guitars are the ticket for them, because it's the cheapest way they can get that look. I mean, how many of us didn't fall for the same thing back in the day?

So in that light the scandal is that a pirate was selling unauthorized versions of Squiers and Epiphones, basically. NOt unlike somebody selling bogus Nikes as though they were Nikes.

Positive feedback? Sure, somebody buying a 200$ guitar will probably get their $200 worth, as much as they would at Guitar Center. (You can get a screaming deal on a Hello Kitty strat, I hear)

Really, wasn't Electra kind of doing the same thing back in the day? We appreciate them now (and they were never cheap new), but for the most part they were essentially knock-offs. Actually, I guess there's still some verity to the American builders' lawsuit claims; I am certain that I would own at least one additional Gibson (SG) if I didn't have my Electric Oak. 30 years later, Electra is still cutting into Gibson's profits!

The difference is a copy (like early Electra) says Electra or whatever on the headstock. A counterfeit says Fender or Gibson when it isn't. THat's the scandal, and if musicians are defrauded into paying name brand prices, that's not ok.

That's a very good point. I wasn't thinking that way when I posted my last message, but Paul is correct. A fake brand is a bad sign.

When I initially posted this topic I had the same thoughts about SLM products, which at the time were copies of most popular models available from the most popular manufacturers, although that they were sold as Electras and not the real thing, so I decided to go ahead with the post.

There's something shady about passing a product (copy) along as the real thing - affordable or not.

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

On the local Craigslist there's a guy trying to sell off one of those Chinese LP copies--apparently he had the thing refreted, changed pickups, and is now trying to sell it for $600.00. If he were sneaky, he'd be trying to sell it as a real LP for $1500.00+.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/msg/834397133.html

yep.. this is just fuel for craigslist scams IMO...

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Peavey 5150 w/Bias mod
Custom 4x12 birch cab w/Celestion G12T-75's
Ibanez TS808 OD w/Monte Allums mod
ISP Decimator
Electra X260 Invicta
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That pic of Steven Sexton looks like a knockoff of Rip Taylor.

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Peavey 5150 w/Bias mod
Custom 4x12 birch cab w/Celestion G12T-75's
Ibanez TS808 OD w/Monte Allums mod
ISP Decimator
Electra X260 Invicta
Ibanez RG320DXQM

I just reported a possible copyright infringement to Fender. As an owner of four Fender guitars I do feel some loyalty and don't appreciate people trying to scam us all. The guitars on Ebay did not show the complete headstock or the name on the headstock but from what was shown it certainly appeared to be a Fender Stratocaster shaped headstock. I hope they catch them and prosecute.

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Without Chuck Berry we would all be members of the Saxaphone Forum!