Gibson experts, is this normal?

RonnieHotdogs

These tuners looked really badly aligned to me.  I don't even get OCD, but this could start me off.
How normal is this? 

maltingsaudio

About par for the course, if they work no problem!

skunkwerx

Jeez thats well wonky.. 

I know theyre different but my lpj is lined up nice.. 


I suppose as long as they work fine its not an issue but its sloppy as shit. 

Philly_Q

Usually you could draw a straight line across the tops of each pair of tuners, just about.  I don't think I've seen them so severely angled before.  The picture seems slightly distorted, but they still look wonky.

Alex2678

I’m not sure it’s legit, the stamp looks wrong

SteveRobinson

Yes, don't all 2014 serial numbers start with 14?

Alex2678

I think they also said ‘2014 model’, didn’t have dots between the letters of ‘USA’ and had a bigger font for the numbers

stickyfiddle

This page suggests 2014 was a crossover year, so that serial may be right, though from 2005 it possibly should be a 9-digit serial, not 8? 

https://aboutguitars.uk/?page_id=309

But @Alex2678 has a good point - I can't find any examples online of any with dots in "USA" after they started adding the model year after the "Made In USA text", though they did have dots in earlier years.  That potentially rings alarm bells but Gibson are a bit odd with this stuff, so it could still be right.

Any other pics of the guitar?

p90fool

My 2012 and 2016 Gibsons both have a different font to that. 
Gotta hand it to the fakers though, putting the tuners on wonky is serious attention to detail!

EDIT; actually scratch that, it's pretty similar to my LP font, though mine doesn't have the dots in USA either. 

Alex2678

I think I might stand corrected I’ve just found a Memphis model that’s stamped just like this

Alex2678

https://www.gbase.com/gear/byid/6706450?feed=newest_replay-guitar-exchange

prlgmnr

I believe that's a Phillips Cleartone ergonomic/aesthetic modification.

Alex2678

To answer the original question, wonky tuners are par for the course in my experience, but those are particularly cock eyed

Octahedron

prlgmnr said:

I believe that's a Phillips Cleartone ergonomic/aesthetic modification.

The angle is helpful for players with big hands, stops them bumping the next machine head while tuning.

In all seriousness I suffer from OCD and regret viewing this thread.

skunkwerx

SteveRobinson said:

Yes, don't all 2014 serial numbers start with 14?

I thought this too last night and googled it, but couldnt find much info that cleared it up to be honest, as mine there is or should be a legit Gibson bought from Pmt, made in 2019.. 

Am so confused because judging by Gibsons own serial number checked thingy, its a 2012 lol  

stickyfiddle

Ok, Memphis didn't always run exactly in line with the main Nashville factory so entirely possible it's fine. That 335 on gbase looks right so I wouldn't be too worried.

In fact, I found a pic of my old ES-330. Definitely real - 2018 model year, made in Memphis. Bought new from Coda in mid-2018.

As long as the guitar in question is a Memphis-made guitar (basically most semis) then you're fine.

ICBM

The shape of the ‘open book’ doesn’t look at all right to me - the notch is much too sharp and narrow, and the outer ends are too flat.

Normally I would say wonky machineheads are a sign of a genuine one, but I’ve never seen any that bad before. I’d want to see pics of the rest of it.

guitars4you

I've never seen anything as bad as that - Sometimes you can get them slightly out on 1 or 2 but that looks like a YTS lads first attempt

Fez

YTS there's a blast from the past. Do they still have them?

DulcetJones

How does it look from a straight on front view?

soma1975

Are they not just replacements for the shitty robo tuners from the 2014 Gibsons? That's what I had done to mine.