A number of Web sites have cropped up that claim to be able to provide you with information about your guitar by plugging in its serial number. This has misled some guitar owners into believing that their counterfeit guitar is an authentic Gibson or Epiphone.
In fact, some counterfeiters or sellers of these fakes now even refer potential buyers directly to the Web site in an effort to verify the “authenticity” of the fake guitars they’re peddling.
For example, one consumer recently forwarded Gibson’s Manager of Brand Protection Ric Olsen a craigslist.org posting, wherein a fake guitar was being sold as an authentic Gibson. The ad read: “I am selling this beautiful Silverburst Les Paul Custom. Please note that though the headstock says Gibson, it is NOT a Gibson, but rather an Epiphone. You can verify this by putting the serial # 08015553 into the following database: www.guitardaterproject.org.”
Web sites like Guitar Dater Project also claim to be capable of identifying Fender, Ibanez and Yamaha guitars.
Olsen wants to be clear that this site and others like it — intentionally or not — are perpetuating the counterfeiting epidemic, one that is built on this kind of misinformation.
With over 75 years of shipping records in the Gibson books, and dozens of variations on numerical schemes used across the years, decoding serial numbers isn’t an art that any one guitar aficionado — or piece of software — can undertake.
“Although Guitar Dater Project may correctly identify a guitar here and there based on historical data uploaded, it is a very unreliable way to truly identify and authenticate a Gibson or Epiphone guitar,” said Olsen. “I could give you a serial number from a fake right now, and you could enter it on this Web site, and it would tell you it’s a real Gibson or Epiphone. But it’s definitely not.”
Counterfeiters are taking advantage of Guitar Dater Project and other similar websites by sending in a bulk of fake serial numbers. This data is uploaded and subsequently appears to show that particular serial number as authentic.
The Guitar Dater Project says it “aims to provide you with the information hidden in your guitar’s serial number in plain English. It is a work in progress and is constantly evolving, much of which is due to user feedback.”
Olsen warns that there are some easy ways to detect an incorrect reading from the site.
“If you come across, say, a ‘brand new’ Gibson or Epiphone guitar, but the serial number tells you it’s anything older than one year ago, question it,” he says. “If you’re looking at a piece that is older than one year old and it’s being sold as ‘new,’ that’s a red flag because a lot of these fakes are coming with serial numbers that actually roll to a manufacturer date of up to five years ago or longer .”
Gibson has issued legal notices to the Web site to simply post a disclaimer but they haven’t responded.
The Guitar Dater Project is the work of the same man who, in 2005, ran a site advertising the downloadable “JPW Epiphone Serial Decrypter.”
The FAQ section of guitardaterproject.org reads: “I’m that guy [who invented] the JPW Epiphone Serial Decrypter … I decided to take the idea as far as I could but as I have been told many, many (many) times that the decrypter should have been a web application, that way no downloads are needed and all platforms are supported. Also this medium gives me added flexibility and room to try new things.”
The bottom line, says Olsen, is that “There are many entities that claim to be experts on the serial numbers of Gibson and Epiphone guitars, but the only advisable validation method is to contact our Gibson Customer Service department. Send it to us. It is that easy. And if you’re wanting a legitimate and quality new or used piece, find an authorized Gibson dealer.”
For questions about a guitar’s authenticity, contact the Gibson Customer Service team at service@gibson.com or 1-800-4GIBSON.
For more information on identifying a guitar by its serial number, click here.