Verify a guitar

Joe Satrini · #1 09-16-2006, 07:59 AM

Hi All,

Just wondering how you verify that a guitar is genuinely what it says it is.... espcecially when purchased on line (whether auction or otherwise)?

I'm sure its been asked before, and from what I can see apart from knowing the model well, you need the neck plate number and serial.

But is there somewhere on this site, or elsewhere that you can then enter those details to confirm validity?

Cheers

Ant1981 · #2 09-16-2006, 08:07 AM

The best piece of advice is, know what you are buying through and through. Then from photos alone, you'd be able to spot a fake, as I can with the Chibaneze fakes.

Joe Satrini · #3 09-16-2006, 10:58 AM

Ok cheers, so nowhere to go pump in the serial number as reference - that you know of?

acoustic1991 · #4 09-16-2006, 07:31 PM

Yeah, you could post it here. There are A BUNCH of people here that can decipher it for you. Just let us know what it's suppose to be and the # ('s). Even if you post up some pics for us, we'll be more then happy to help you. But to answer your question, there is no where to enter it. Ibanez isn't known for their extensive serial number records!!
Josh

Flobanez · #5 09-17-2006, 03:13 AM

Welcome to the forum and yes some pics please. Whatever you decide to get, hopefully it isn't a fake.

Joe Satrini · #6 09-17-2006, 08:29 AM

Thanks guys. Ultimately I will probably buy new (which in theory is what you should always do right?), but if I can get something at a decent reduction it nets me the opportunity of a new Head/Cab setup instead of just a guitar.

I have seen quite a few JS's recently, and I need a workhorse machine (to go with my original JS3 - and acoustic1991, that was the reason for my out of the blue PM), so that I don't have to 'worry' so much about how it gets played.

The serial number of the one I'm looking at is 0006F0612168 and the number on the neck plate is 014800. Please can you advise on its validity?

I don't seem to be able to post pics : (

Cheers

Ant1981 · #7 09-17-2006, 08:36 AM

We've got no way of checking a serial number against official records.

acoustic1991 · #8 09-17-2006, 09:52 AM

Best way to post photos is to sign up to use photobucket.com, load the pics there, and post the link in your reply.

Ant1981 - You don't need official records, just use a little common sense

I have a 2006 and the plate # is 015426. Most of the time, a fake's plate number is completely off, if it even has one. That would make the 2 guitars only 600+ pieces apart, so without seeing it, I would say that it's real.

I needed a workhorse too, so I bought a 1000BP and put a Mo Joe and PAF Joe in it. I don't pick up any other guitars anymore!

Hope this helps.
Josh

Ant1981 · #9 09-17-2006, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acoustic1991

Ant1981 - You don't need official records, just use a little common sense

Josh

That jibe doesn't help anyone. Serials alone can't determine a fake, as fraudsters are becoming better, some serials have been duplicated, as has actually been seen.

They haven't yet actually made a decent copy, so photos would be the best way.

Flobanez · #10 09-17-2006, 12:47 PM

Photobucket is great, I use it too. Good call, Josh.

acoustic1991 · #11 09-17-2006, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ant1981

That jibe doesn't help anyone. Serials alone can't determine a fake, as fraudsters are becoming better, some serials have been duplicated, as has actually been seen.

They haven't yet actually made a decent copy, so photos would be the best way.

Let's be realistic. They can't make a decent copy, but they'll take the time to duplicate serial numbers? Come on. Unless it's a specific guitar with a specific serial #, the scammer isn't going to take the time. They pray on the uneducated, and those people won't know what to look for in a serial #. Like you said, I've seen a duplicated (photoshop) plate, but the scammer knew the serial # of the guitar, because I'd posted it! Have you seen a Chibanez? If so, you know that the serial # thing doesn't even come close. Facts tells us that production is down at the factory (ie 6-8 months to get a Jem or JS), and a 600+ # difference is within the realm of posibility. The only thing you've said is that pictures are a dead giveaway.

You are giving the scammers WAY too much credit, and us too little. If you're going to try to discredit our "best guess with no pictures" to this new guy, please PM me and I will be more then happy to argue this there.

Josh

dex · #12 09-17-2006, 01:38 PM

Josh, you are missing the point by a country mile.

Serial # can not guarantee you are buying a genuine Ibanez, pics posted here can.

This is what the chinese were doing 2 years ago, they are getting better and better all the time.

Anyway, to answer the original question there is no place where you can just type an Ibanez serial # and find out if it's genuine.
Not an automated place run by Ibanez anyway.
Over here we will be able to tell more or less the year of production and the country of production from a serial number but not guitar model or anything specific.

Read about it here.

acoustic1991 · #13 09-17-2006, 03:25 PM

Maybe I am missing the point. What I can do is use my best judgement based on the info I have and make an educated guess. I think all of you missed my original post in this thread that said the same thing, that you can't enter s# info and get it, and pictures are the best way to determine originality.

Dex - I know exactly what the Chibanez' are doing; and anyone that doesn't know the difference will buy the guitar you pictured, just look at **** sales

And that is what the scammers are betting on. If damonhill would have posted that s# and said it was on a 7WH, we all would have know it was a fake, right? Or am I off the boat on that point too??

Here's the long and short of it: this new member was trying to get info, and I volunteered my help and it seems almost everyone else blew him off. I also told him that he needed to post pics (and explained how to do that), and that was the only way to know for sure. Then, I get lamebaisted when I interject my opinion on the whole serial # thing. This is exactly opposite of how I was treated around here when I was new. And that was what I was trying to avoid by making this guy seem like were a bunch of pricks.

Anyway, I guess I missed the point...

Josh

Joe Satrini · #14 09-17-2006, 03:45 PM

Hi all,

Thanks again for making this clearer. It's been a long time since I've bought a guitar and the whole faking thing didn't exist back then (must have been 1991...!?).

As I'm also a bit of a car nut I wrongly assumed that you could do a background check with some numbers, and get some idea like you would with a car.

Anyway, getting back to the point, I will go and get the pics and stick them in photo bucket (and good point. Half asleep me!). Best guess/advice is fine by me!

Cheers

Ant1981 · #15 09-17-2006, 08:22 PM

Josh, you're getting out of hand and angry, no one else here wants to start an argument like you do. No one here is giving scammers credit, we all here hate the scams, we were all trying to help, just some of us have seen a few other tricks.