Counterfeit strings - have I been duped?

robwright

Just bought 2 sets of Elixir acoustic strings for £9.50 delivered on eBay! UK seller, arrived today and they look genuine! Is there a counterfeit guitar string market? 

EDIT - just found a video on YouTube telling you how to spot the difference - if it looks too good to be true .....

robwright

UPDATE - checked the video and the individual wrappers look wrong but the strings look real! Tight windings at the ball end (supposedly much ‘thinner’ on fakes) and the ball end is shiny gold (silver on fakes). They don’t ‘look’ like cheap strings! 

Will stick them on and see how they sound (and last)!

spark240

When  you are done with them send them to Elixir for review ;-)

hassleham

I bought some counterfeit elixir strings from Amazon a while back. Some aspects passed the counterfeit test whilst others didn't so it was quite hard to tell. Ultimately the fact I snapped one within 5 mins of restringing was the biggest clue so I sent them to the counterfeit department and got a refund.

Philtre

I don't know about Elixir but, in the case of D'Addario strings, if they are silly cheap and on eBay they will be fake.

Tannin

Ordered cheap stuff on Ebay. Got counterfeit rubbish. Wow! Who'd a thunk it?

robwright

Tannin said:

Ordered cheap stuff on Ebay. Got counterfeit rubbish. Wow! Who'd a thunk it?

Say it as you see it, eh?