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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:39 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:14 am
Posts: 982
Location: Shefford, Québec
First name: Tim
Last Name: Mullin
City: Shefford
State: QC
Zip/Postal Code: J2M 1R5
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Well, that’s a first for me. Customer called saying that he had a Martin D45 where the pick guard was “not in the right place”. “Bring it by and we’ll have a look”.
Indeed, the pickguard looks off, and in fact doesn’t look like a D45 piece. Took a closer look, and low and behold came to the conclusion that I was looking at a fake. Many small workmanship clues, scarfed headstock, multipiece heel, finish didn’t look right, serial number made no sense, and the grain on the marriage strip went the wrong way.
Customer was devastated when I pronounced it counterfeit. “But I paid $2000 for it!”
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:17 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2011 2:14 pm
Posts: 268
Location: Creedmoor, NC
First name: Tim
Last Name: Benware
City: Creedmoor
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Zip/Postal Code: 27522
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Looks like bass wood kerfing and the neck block looks pieced together too.

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"I've been had again"
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 4:22 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:50 pm
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Location: Seattle WA
Focus: Build
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Grain on the next block is wrong too. "I got a Mertin. Doh!"

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Last edited by Pmaj7 on Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 4:25 pm 
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It's a Mertin for certain!

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:11 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:02 am
Posts: 3227
Location: The Woodlands, Texas
First name: Barry
Last Name: Daniels
Where did they buy it?


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:23 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:18 am
Posts: 265
Location: United States
First name: Frank
Last Name: Ford
City: Palo Alto
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 94301
Country: USA
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
As we see in other arenas, it can be much easier to "con" someone that it is to convince someone he's been conned. Hope your interaction worked out well.

Occasionally we get the old, "Now, you can't tell for SURE, it COULD be the real thing," along with a little dose of finger-waving.

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These users thanked the author Frank Ford for the post: Tim Mullin (Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:07 pm)
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:12 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:14 am
Posts: 982
Location: Shefford, Québec
First name: Tim
Last Name: Mullin
City: Shefford
State: QC
Zip/Postal Code: J2M 1R5
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Barry Daniels wrote:
Where did they buy it?

To be honest, I don’t really know. I think that the client may have had suspicions about the guitar. He may yet tell me more, as I’ll be installing another pickguard on it in a week or so when it comes in.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 7:35 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:46 pm
Posts: 501
First name: Mark
Last Name: McLean
City: Sydney
State: New South Wales
Zip/Postal Code: 2145
Country: Australia
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I wonder how many fake D-45s exist in the world, in comparison to real ones? It is probably the most copied model of them all, so it is likely that they actually outnumber the real ones in the wild.
Caveat emptor



These users thanked the author Mark Mc for the post: Frank Ford (Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:43 pm)
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 8:52 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:27 pm
Posts: 2082
Location: South Carolina
First name: John
Last Name: Cox
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Worse - there are "how to" youtube videos walking people through the process of ordering frauds....

But basically - I am very suspicious of buying a Martin or Gibson on CL due to the large number of fakes ....

As for the guitar in question - I recommend you do not work on it. Refuse to be party to making fakes look more like the genuine article... The only "work" you should do is to offer to saw it in half as a service to the fellow.

Or perhaps if you are feeling charitable - quote the owner to replace the headstock logo and martin embossing with his own personalized logo.... Then let the thing stand on it's own merits.... But absolutely refuse to be party to "improving" frauds...



These users thanked the author truckjohn for the post (total 2): Jim Watts (Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:16 pm) • dzsmith (Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:40 am)
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:25 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:44 am
Posts: 6232
Location: Virginia
Well, I hope it at least sounds good. That's not even a good fake.


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