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Counterfeit Gibson ES-339?
I have a Gibson ES-339 on my bench now for some nut work and a setup. It’s hard to believe that this instrument is a legitimate Gibson. The headstock inlays look very sloppy, the nut appears to be some kind of plastic, the serial number on the back of the headstock isn’t stamped, and it’s wired backward (normal bridge switch position is neck).
Based on the photos, does it look legit to folks that know better than me? Anything else I should check?
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2 Replies
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Looks like the real deal.
The Memphis factory used the ME prefix on the serial numbers of some guitars.
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Thanks @Ryan_Foust.
I found this link from legacy.gibson.com that looks like a similar model: https://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/Memphis/ES-339-Satin.aspx
The one that I’ve been working on has vintage tuners and the owner wanted Grovers installed. (Not sure if the vintage tuners were original – Grovers are stock on the model linked here.) If the guitar was in better shape (string binding in most of the nut slots, many uneven frets between 12 and 22) I probably wouldn’t have second guessed it, but it’s an outlier compared to the other Gibsons I’ve worked on.
legacy.gibson.com
Popular with players seeking the legendary ES-335 look and tone in more compact dimensions, the ES-339 has already established itself as a modern classic.
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