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Real or Fake Epiphone L.p Black beauty 3 ?

Lil Billey

New member
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Messages
4
I hope this is the right place to post, I have someone looking to swap guitars but I'm not sure if this is a real or fake epi. l.p bleack beauty 3. Any help would be much appreciated.

I know the purest out there will say its not a gibson black beauty its all fake.











 

Mattyboy75

Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
94
Does the serial number prove correct? I’m no expert but is there enough money in faking an epiphone?
 

Lil Billey

New member
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Messages
4
Does the serial number prove correct? I’m no expert but is there enough money in faking an epiphone?
Yes they are faked, I am not in the business making and selling them to know but yes there are made. Thats why I am looking for someone who knows more about these, so I don't end up with one. And the serial does come up on the search but apparently they are copied too so its not a good thing to go off.

But if i was faking in my opinion there are more buyers at the lower price point so if i can sell more quantity it would make up for less sales of a higher price point ? not everyone has or is looking to fork out 5-10k. Like i said i dont know im more looking for help identifying this guitar as being a real or epi.
 

jwguitar

Active member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
153
I hope this is the right place to post, I have someone looking to swap guitars but I'm not sure if this is a real or fake epi. l.p bleack beauty 3. Any help would be much appreciated.

I know the purest out there will say its not a gibson black beauty its all fake.











Looks real to me.
 

jrgtr42

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
2,308
Is there anything in particular that makes you think it's fake?
It doesn't look bad to me, and from what |I see, if someone's going to fake something, it'll be a more expensive guitar - not always in the 5 - 10 K range, but there's tons of fake Standards out there, selling cheap but not always so cheap that you are immediately hit by the alarm bells.
 

Mattyboy75

Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
94
Yes they are faked, I am not in the business making and selling them to know but yes there are made. Thats why I am looking for someone who knows more about these, so I don't end up with one. And the serial does come up on the search but apparently they are copied too so its not a good thing to go off.

But if i was faking in my opinion there are more buyers at the lower price point so if i can sell more quantity it would make up for less sales of a higher price point ? not everyone has or is looking to fork out 5-10k. Like i said i dont know im more looking for help identifying this guitar as being a real or epi.
Not to go off on a tangent here, but the cost of making a fake guitar that you sell for a few hundred dollars would make profits quite tight I would think. Faking a Gibson over an Epi would not cost you any more to do but would yield a far higher profit margin. The only upside, I guess, is that a cheaper guitar would be less scrutinised so maybe easier to pass off without hassle.
 

Lil Billey

New member
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Messages
4
Is there anything in particular that makes you think it's fake?
It doesn't look bad to me, and from what |I see, if someone's going to fake something, it'll be a more expensive guitar - not always in the 5 - 10 K range, but there's tons of fake Standards out there, selling cheap but not always so cheap that you are immediately hit by the alarm bells.
Thanks for the reply. From what I can tell about the fakes they say the tail piece should sit just above the tone knob it's next too. The screw on the pick guard should be further out closer to but not centered. The alignment of the tone knobs doesn't look straight. And that serial number would put it at a 2010 made model which still has factory plastic protector on pick guard for 11 years ?

but I'm not an expert at these, they were just somethings I know to look for but I can't solidly confirm. I was hoping someone else would have more experience with them.
 

Lil Billey

New member
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Messages
4
Not to go off on a tangent here, but the cost of making a fake guitar that you sell for a few hundred dollars would make profits quite tight I would think. Faking a Gibson over an Epi would not cost you any more to do but would yield a far higher profit margin. The only upside, I guess, is that a cheaper guitar would be less scrutinised so maybe easier to pass off without hassle.
Sorry my question wasn't whether they did or didn't fake. I don't want to debate that topic, in my opinion there very much are fakes of all kinds and makes of guitars. Why, how, where, which ones I don't really care. It's unfortunate that they do because theres allot of people who save up for that 1 guitar they want alkbto find they spent it in a fake. Anyways not the topic I started, just looking for help on this one.
 

Texsunburst59

Active member
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
765
I doesn't look like a fake to me, but I just don't know enough about Epiphone guitars to really be sure.

I just never been interested in owning the lower end Epi's.

I only own 1 Epiphone guitar , and it's an '03 Epiphone "Elite" LP Custom I picked up in a pawnshops a few years ago for $277.

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