Possible fake ‘1958’ Les Paul Goldtop on eBay?

fretfinder

There was a NGD thread about this guitar back in April but for some reason I couldn’t find it. I thought at the time that the guitar looked dodgy ie possibly a fake 58. Anyway, you can now buy it for a mere £35k if you want to, or trade your pre-CBS Strat for it and give the guy a bunch of cash on top! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184564340496

WezV

limited pics is never a good sign

fretfinder

Here’s the original NGD thread. Silly me, I was searching for jonnysixstring and not xjonnysixstring. Seems like practically everyone who commented back then thought that there was nowt wrong with the guitar.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/177066/my-58-standard/p1

CMW335

@fretfinder ; What specifically looks fake to you? Genuine question as the original thread has a lot of love from some clued up members on here which made me wonder as my instinct was similar to yours at the time.

Ben_McCarthy

CMW335 said:

@fretfinder ; What specifically looks fake to you? Genuine question as the original thread has a lot of love from some clued up members on here which made me wonder as my instinct was similar to yours at the time.

I’d echo that, something just doesn’t look right, hard to say without having it in your hands though 

Sassafras

I don't think much of the relicing. Looks very fake.
The lacquer checking looks like it was done with a garden rake. 

WezV

I will say one thing.  

The wear through on the treble side waist shown here looks exactly like what you get from scraper chatter.... as if a stanley knife blade has been used to scrape through the finish.    

CMW335

Sassafras said:

I don't think much of the relicing. Looks very fake.
The lacquer checking looks like it was done with a garden rake. 

That's the one thing I did notice, seen a lot of refins with checking like that but not original finish however I am no expert

mark123

either its the flash or the original finish on the back has been overcoated with a tinted stain , dont know why they would do this and i agree with the relicing around the edge of the secind pic ..

mark123

Just had a look on the listing, not 100% sure because the angle of the picture but the top looks fake razor blade scalpel jobby .too fresh.
maybe why the seller hasn't got any pics looking straight at it .

fretfinder

Curious that the pics are so low res that you can’t actually see anything close-up! But the top and back colours look wrong, the ageing on the back and the checking on the top look fake, the top dishing and the inlays don’t look right, not sure about the neck heel shape either. And it’s very hard to tell from the poor pics but I think the ‘Gibson’ on the headstock is the boxed-in modern type whereas they were inlaid properly back in the day. Some high res pics would be required to give it a proper once-over including shots of the control and pickup cavities and neck tenon. 

Deadman

The black plastic looks like it's been rubbed down with a piece of scotchbrite pad (nice straight angles from the perps hand movements as you'd expect). The rest just looks ridiculously over-done (fake) too imo. 

WezV

mark123 said:

Just had a look on the listing, not 100% sure because the angle of the picture but the top looks fake razor blade scalpel jobby .too fresh.
maybe why the seller hasn't got any pics looking straight at it .

there are more angles on the original thread

ICBM

I don't believe the finish is original, and I didn't even in the first thread... it's just surprising to see it done as a goldtop and not as a "burst" if it's a real '58.

WezV

ICBM said:

I don't believe the finish is original, and I didn't even in the first thread... it's just surprising to see it done as a goldtop and not as a "burst" if it's a real '58.

seems to be a 4 piece top which likely reduces its appeal as a burst

WezV

mark123 said:

either its the flash or the original finish on the back has been overcoated with a tinted stain , dont know why they would do this and i agree with the relicing around the edge of the secind pic ..

mark123 said:

Just had a look on the listing, not 100% sure because the angle of the picture but the top looks fake razor blade scalpel jobby .too fresh.
maybe why the seller hasn't got any pics looking straight at it .

I see a mixed bag or ageing.   Temperature checking on top, (lazy)razor on headstock.   A dark overspray on the back and neck, oddly worn through to show a much lighter natural finish underneath.. .  I assume an un-tinted sealer coat with tinted lacquer on top.

ICBM

WezV said:

seems to be a 4 piece top which likely reduces its appeal as a burst

Doh... I didn't spot that . I did see the off-kilter centre seam, but that by itself probably wouldn't be enough. Now you mention it the other two are really obvious! Yes, that would make it pretty undesirable as a "burst". I wonder if it left the factory like that or if the top of the cavity got pushed in and a new piece has been let in?

The neck joint looks a little iffy as well, so I was wondering if it was a conversion - the bridge is quite high (I know this is my pet hobbyhorse ).

DrCornelius

I'm so glad I'm not into vintage Les Pauls as reading this I realise how little I know.  Its the guys who don't know how little they know that I worry about. Imagine selling your collection to buy something that isn't what you think it is...ouch

poopot

I’m fairly certain that anyone dropping £35k on a guitar will do their investigations and also prolly know what they are looking at.

also, Jonnysixstring hasn’t been banned as the op stated originally... you never know, he could come back to defend his sale!...

CMW335

poopot said:

I’m fairly certain that anyone dropping £35k on a guitar will do their investigations and also prolly know what they are looking at.

also, Jonnysixstring hasn’t been banned as the op stated originally... you never know, he could come back to defend his sale!...

Look like he may have been banned under another username Superguitariobros but could be a different user jonny vs johnny??

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/2662117/#Comment_2662117

lustycourtier

He mentions it has a chequered history, So I guess he'll explain more if you make contact. Fake implies its not a real Gibson though. It is