BBC 1 now

ICBM

The BBC were just saying there was no evidence they were directly involved in the theft or the fakery in order to stay the right side of the law - the Harrisons have only been convicted of handling stolen goods.

57Deluxe

I'm glad I buy all my Fenders from China - that why I know I am not being ripped off...

SNAKEBITE

I did a quick Google search on this and found this:

http://www.foreverdoomed.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=16387

It's seven years old now, but still a corker.

There's plenty more where that came from as well!

jeztone2

I met a guy at a party 12 years ago who told me many a libellous tale of making "vintage" strats for Music Ground back in the 1980's. but as a result Id never buy a vintage guitar ever.

Evilmags

The fake strats in the 80s is something I've heard from many seperate sources.

richardhomer

Evilmags;440012" said:

The fake strats in the 80s is something I've heard from many seperate sources.

Likewise.

I have actually heard an account (from someone who knew the actual customer) of someone trying out several '60s Strats. He decided he liked the sound of one but the feel of another.

The solution? No bother - the necks were swapped there and then....

Paul_C

I remember a friend of mine commenting on the "miracle" that so many period-correct guitars in virtually untouched condition have survived the vast amount of modding done in the 60s/70s/80s

GuitarMonkey

Of the 643 Les Pauls made in 1959 there are only a couple of thousand left.

blueskunk

If get a CS Strat or a GandL rather than risk getting an old one due to all this bullshyte.

Heartfeltdawn

About four years ago a chap posted some stuff on HC about Music Ground. Some pictures went up for a Dumble he was claiming was fake (no serial number). What gave more credence to his story was that one picture also showed a whole load of boxes for JMI pedals and a JMI order sheet, JMI being a Music Ground brand at the time. Wish I still had those pictures!

SNAKEBITE

Watching the programme in question I was left with two questions:

1) The first bloke being interviewed was caught out, he bought a guitar without even seeing/playing it. Who spends that much money without even seeing it?

2)The bloke who bought the cherry red Tele got caught out after buying a guitar without even seeing it, waits SIX MONTHS for it to be delivered and then takes it to the bloke above when he thinks he bought a moody.

Are people really this F****** stupid?

No wonder there is such a market for snide goods.

SNAKEBITE

Technically point 2 isn't a question, but it raises questions.

Does that count?

impmann

Although there is no doubt that the Harrisons were guilty of handling stolen goods AND selling fake goods - equally culpable are the guys that actually built these fakes, removed serial numbers, assembled the guitars from parts etc... 

The Harrisons themselves are not fakers - they don't have the skills to do this, so they employed people to do this for them. These guys, who are VERY skilled in what they do/did, should be held accountable too. Bear in mind that this wasn't just guitars but amps too - I heard tale of the band The Hives having spent thousands on backline and guitars only to find that it was not quite what it purported to be...

Therefore, these "craftsmen" earned a lot of money (as skills like this are rarely cheap) and have got away scott-free in all this...

ThePrettyDamned

Didn't they start commissioning and selling fake hiwatts or something too?

I don't know much about it, but I wouldn't deal with them for sure.

As for trusting a shops word, you should be able to - but after they told me a providence drive would sound better than a digitech blues and bad monkey because the digitech pedals were digital, I don't bother asking.

jeztone2

The guitarist of the Hives bought a load of white " vintage" Hi Watts off them in the mid 2000s & he was pleased until his roadie explained the transformer in one was brand new? I think they settled out of court if my memory is correct.

mattacjones

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107289/Posh-music-shop-owners-hob-nobbed-celebrity-clients-convicted-1million-stolen-guitar-plot.html

ICBM

impmann said:

The Harrisons themselves are not fakers - they don't have the skills to do this, so they employed people to do this for them. These guys, who are VERY skilled in what they do/did, should be held accountable too.

I would have to slightly disagree with that, since a lot of the fakes are not particularly well done. I am by no means that much of an expert, I've barely handled more than a few hundred vintage guitars or amps in my life, but many of the fakes are so obvious to me it defies belief that anyone could have genuinely tried to pass them off as the real thing.

Some of them are so laughable I have actually wondered whether the makers have done it deliberately in order to land the Harrisons in it when someone takes a closer look.

BigMonka

SNAKEBITE said:

I did a quick Google search on this and found this:

http://www.foreverdoomed.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=16387

It's seven years old now, but still a corker.

There's plenty more where that came from as well!

Wow there are some stories on there!

Is it really true that Hiwatt is a sister company of Music Ground?

SNAKEBITE

I saw a quote on Facebook a moment ago which said "I met the older one in a shop in Manchester, he was a right tit. I hope he gets a good bumming in the clink".

Seems harsh, yet fair.

badlydrawnbanjo

Even JB's having a go now. Do you think he reads the forum? Make your self known!
http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o605/banjo74/B81E3F8C-3C15-446C-9F32-1EAA47C9A762_zpsh94p2cxj.png