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Thousands of counterfeit Gibson electric guitars have been seized in a multi-agency operation at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Officials say the 3,000 fake guitars would be worth about $18 million if they were real.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Gibson Co. announced the seizure at a late-night press conference.
“These guitars…may look real to you, but trust me, they’re not real,” said Africa Bell, Port Director of the Port of Los Angeles-Long Beach. “They are a scam and part of a larger effort to deceive American consumers.”
Bell said the fakes were likely aimed at the e-commerce market.
At a press conference in Carson, a table displayed some of the guitars made to resemble the legendary guitar builder’s products. Others remained in boxes stacked at least six feet high inside the warehouse.
Authorities called it the largest seizure of counterfeit instruments in history.
“This is a big deal,” said Andrea Bates, an attorney representing Gibson. “They were able to facilitate the identification and seizure of $18 million worth of counterfeit guitars. This is a huge deal. “It’s important to us. We’re excited about what they’ve done.” Together with us, we helped eliminate these counterfeit guitars from the market. ”
Beth Hite, Gibson’s chief marketing officer, said the fake guitars were easy for experts to spot. It would also be noticeable to any professional guitarist familiar with Gibson craftsmanship, she said.
“You can pick it up right away and pass it on,” Hite said. “Here are some tips for amateurs.”
The logo may be misaligned or in a different position from the original Gibson product. The logo may also bleed.
“The inlay is not correct,” Hite said. “It feels flimsier because of the weight. There are issues with the finish. The way the neck fits the guitar is inaccurate.
“So there are quite a few ways you could tell that’s not accurate.”
According to Hite, the materials and sound quality also speak for themselves.
Details about those behind the counterfeit operation were not released as the investigation is ongoing. Details of what led to the investigation were not disclosed at the press conference, but Bell said there was a shipment that came to the attention of port officials.
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