@@captainkirk70i still paid $220 shipping included. My guitar has a nitro finish, amazing playability and cosmetics were 8/10. I replaced the tuners with vintage pre-lawsuit Ibanez LP Custom now it plays and stays in tune way better than any Gibson. I even take it to guitar center and my chibson blows the doors off all their genuine Gibson stock. People try to buy it off me all the time. 👍🤩
Why did you not just build your own if you can build guitars .. it’s awesome and just look at it as a labour of love / hate 😂😂😂sounds fantastic now anyway
Shit there's a older man on TH-cam that spent 5,000 U.S. dollars for a chibson and everything he replaced. And everyone was wondering why in the hell didn't you just go Gibson. 5,000 bucks will buy a really nice genuine Les Paul.
So glad you left this review. You know I'm a massive LP lover and I have often toyed with getting a Chibson. No more ...thanks for sharing your brilliant and honest review.
Don't, my dad bought one. I've played better pawn shop specials that were parts mutts built in the back of a seedy shop. They are incredible pieces of 💩 right out of the box.
You're most welcome bro. There are some good ones out there but there are some terrible ones too so its a little tricky finding the right ones 😊 You have a beautiful LP anyhow which would far surpass these 😊 🙏 Have an awesome day!
mnot advocating for chibson, but it really depends from who you buy the guitar and ofc for how much. I've seen some really good chibs for dirt cheap. Seems to me like Jay got taken for a ride on this one.
The end result sounds absolutely fantastic! Even though you put more into it than you planned, it’s still a fraction of what a genuine relic’d LP would cost. Awesome playing as well. 🤘
@@Estfieldings You buy guitars for the resale value? If so, stick with Gibson.. if you're wanting to save thousands on a good guitar to upgrade and really play.. Chibson isn't a bad choice
@@ryant3600agreed. I’m not in the business of selling guitars, because that would result in less guitars!😎 EDIT: I’ve got a few LP-style single cuts, including a Greco, Epiphone, Harley Benton, PRS, kit-build and a genuine Nashville built Gibson. The Gibson could be the most disused of them all.
@@bengibson3955 yeah I have a Le Paul, a couple Epi Les Pauls, a Chibson Custom and a harley Benton 550 plus emg and to be honest my most played LP style is the Chibson and the Harley Benton.
Yes, that would have been an option - but like the other guy said, the guts are uber cheap so wouldn't have made too much price difference 😊 Have an awesome day!
Hi Jay, thanks for that detailed and honest review! A nice journey across inner and outer values of a Chibson.😎 Could you please reveal, where do you order the custom head stock logos? I plan to personalize one of my LPs as well. Thx! 🤘
You're most welcome. I ordered the logo on Etsy - the seller is GuitarDecadence - they did a great job with the logo. Hope that helps. Have an awesome day!
Thanks man! Yes you’re totally right! It turned out great and I love playing it which is the main thing. Glad you liked the track too! I appreciate it 🙏 Have an awesome day! 🤘
Monstrous sounds! I can pick out influences from your playing, and absolutely appreciate that. That said, your sound is your own Jay and I must carry my jealousy back to the wood shed to practice now. Keep it up
Great and entertaining video! I'd leave the headstock just like it is~ looks Lovely! And you already have the creative "Jay's Paul" in the middle. Looks amazing! At first I thought it was a Greeny model. The inlaid Gibson logo sets it off. Great job on uncovering that. I Really like this guitar and what you've done with it, Jay. 💯👍
Thanks man! I appreciate it 😊 The guitar came out good in the end. I'm thankful for that. You're right and good call dude - Jay's Paul is still there in the middle. Have an amazing day!
My first guitar was a Squier Affinity Tele, wich is nice... nice Tele tones for dirt cheap but after some time it's not enough, the first few months i looked at it and think "wow, that looks amazing" but after that, it looked dull, so my advice to any beginner... buy chibson and chender when you're starting, because, no matter if you're a skillful or mediocre guitarrist, any shitty or expensive instrument will sound the same on your hands, take advantage of capitalism and buy something that's gonna make you smile everyday when you see it, and maybe you'll find a great guitar that lasts forever
Very well said dude! If an instrument makes you smile and inspires you to play then thats where the magic is! 😊 You'll be happy with it regardless of price paid. Yep, tone is in the hands too! Have an awesome day!
I bought a Chibson and despite the seller stellar reviews I got an absolute toy of a guitar, it took so long that I no longer had PayPal protection. This purchase hurts my pride.
Guys, you can get great stuff if your expectations and what you request has to be photographed. If you want upgrades, make sure you see them selling other guitars with that feature. Fret nibs are a good example. Expect to replace pickups. That is how i bought mine. Find a good deal on some killer pickups and then choose a guitar to accentuate you real parts. I had some Gibson 57 classics, cream plastic, gold covers...i decided to make a guitar that loves playing blues. Looking at hulls and bodies, for $200, Chibsons can be the best option. I got a bound neck, fret nibs, 8lbs, 3 ounces, the blueburst and gold hardware...for $210, including taxes and shipping, i got a beautiful guitar that sounds so freaking good...great value, just go ib with a plan
Hi Jay. Sorry to 😢 hear about your dilemma regarding your Chibson. I have got some Chinese made guitars. Shine manufacture, and they are Very good instruments. I have modified them to my spec. I have also had 80s models from Yamaha made in Japan that were not as well made. If you want a good Les Paul style guitar without going through the data overload what and what's not. Buy yourself an Harley Benton model that you like and the do the mods and ignore the Label 🏷️ , it's like a ball and chain you have to carry for the rest of your life. Set your soul free. Best regards. John.
Very cool John. Glad you have picked up a couple of good ones. I have a Harley Benton PRS style guitar - its good but I prefer the Trievor Wilkinson Vintage brand guitars. They feel much better to me for a little more then the HBs 😊 Have an awesome day!
The pickups are probably decent. All they did was to use modern (fine) wire, but replicate the PAF number of turns. The result is that the bobbins look half empty. The fine wire wont affect the sound, provided they used the right number of turns and equivalent strength magnets to PAF they will sound as good as PAFs do. And because modern magents are stronger, when they replicated PAF magnets the modern magnets will look small, but agai this doesnt matter provided the magnet strength is right and the number of wire turns is right its a PAF and will sound like it.
Hey dude, the pickups didn't sound very good. I know what you're saying about the wire gauge and all but these pickups didn't have much punch, they were very microphonic and they just weren't built very well. Have an awesome day!
Heard this story over and over from various people. If the guitar doesn't get seized by customs or damaged in shipping and they are lefting fighting to try and get their money back from the seller, they get it and have to do extensive fretwork, replace electronics, nut and tuners to make it playable. By the time you factor in cost and time, they 100% could have gotten a very nice epiphone without the hassle and often a real used Gibson studio or even Standard. A couple years ago I got a fantastic used LP standard with a plus top for just under $1800 and I am 100% certain I could sell it today for more than I paid even with the slow used market. With the Chibsons, you're left with something that is illegal to sell and even if you do, you won't get your money back.
I love this vid, Jay! HUGE Lynch fan here ....that's how I discovered your channel after all.😊 I have seen wonderfull looking GL Chinese guitars on fleabay. Skull and bones, Wicked Sensation and vintage strats. Prices $300-$400. Unless I had the money to flush, I would never attempt the purchase. But tempting. Also, a used gl-256 would cost $750 now with upgrades, and the relic job is pretty unconvincing. So as a platform for upgrades, and a project yours may be not toooo bad a deal?
Nice story and I'm glad the guitar is a rocking machine now. I gave a like and turned out to the "404" I hope it doesn't throw an error! Btw, very well played dude
Hi Phil, really glad you enjoyed the video. Lessons aren't really on my radar at the moment as I have a pretty full schedule of videos already in the works but certainly something I will keep in mind if I do get back to video lessons. I teach privately as well - www.brightonguitarguru.com - and have slots coming up now and then and you're more then welcome to reach out if that is something that might interest you. Have an awesome day!
A few of the biggest questions I have , will the neck hold its shape over the years and will it stay adjustable? If it doesn’t stay stable , it’s no more than a disposable guitar.
Yes, arthritis really sucks. I have given all but one of my guitars to grandkids. Only finger pick once in a while during holidays. Shred while you can, eventually it might go away.
Did you have to play with the truss rod? I wonder if you have the same issues that I had with a Epiphone a bought few month ago. The rod end where you put a Allen key in it(nut) was dig in the wood so almost no access to it! When I finally be able to put a Allen key in it and tighten the nut to back bow the neck a bit, the neck take a "S" shape with a enormous Bach bow from the third fret! Realy poor craftsmanship in this case... rough fingerboard, rough frets(need polishing which was ok for me). BUT the sound is realy good so that is why I bought it. I did feel like you explained...
Yes, I needed to make an adjustment. Thankfully the truss rod worked just fine as I had the same concerns as you did when I realised that I would have to adjust it. But it turned just fine and worked to straighten the neck. Have an awesome day!
I've bought from a couple of Ebay sellers instead of trying to get one shipped from China. If they're willing to take an offer, make a one based on the fact that it will be unplayable. They are likely purchased in bulk by the seller, maybe inspected for damage, then sold. Most of these are made out of "Philippine Mahogany" Lauan, which is very lite, but not bad for us old timers. Live and learn on the money spent, in the end you have a cool looking guitar with your own personal touches and it inspires you to create music.
Thanks for a very honest and balanced review. I’ve become reasonably handy with guitar setups, to the point where I’ve been getting mates guitars to sort out and even got paid for one massive POS that I turned into a player. I’ve built a couple of kits with very poorly seated frets and horrible truss rod adjustment. Based on your review, I’m thinking seriously about doing a rip-off Greeny, but I’m quite conflicted about it. I guess I’m not likely to buy a genuine one soon, so where’s the harm in having a nicely-sorted Chibson? I never sell my projects, much to my wife’s dismay, and a beat-to-crap LP-ish guitar shaped object would look cool. Great review and vid. Subscribed.👍
I'd definitely not advise buying one as some are absolute firewood, but I got lucky with mine - bought it cheap just out of idle curiosity from someone locally who had ordered two so it was fresh in the box, had an immaculate fret job (including nibs!), pretty impressive build quality and mystery pickups which were actually pretty decent. Tuners and bridge were functional at best, but otherwise aside from a weirdly faulty B string which sounded like it had a ring modulator on it, had you told me it was a £1000 guitar I'd not argue. Only problem is I like it more than my real Standard and now I want to replace the headstock veneer with a logo which doesn't say Gibson so I don't have that sneaking guilt when playing it out, haha.
The truth is that it doesn't look bad!!! . Obviously for all the work you have dedicated to it and the money invested!!! And as the saying goes... if life gives you lemons, make lemonade and that's what you've done with your lemon 😜👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Excellent review, story, and advice you put forward. I bought a chinese Telecaster and it had crap pickups and electrics, the neck was not 9.5 ins radius, more like 12", the neck and frets are good though but very pale color. The body is 2 piece with a nice burst finish but unfortunately it's branded as a USA made Fender so very hard to sell, I guess I'm stuck with it lol I paid NZD$452 incl shipping and taxes, ripped off. Sooooo. . I bought a good condition 3 year old Squier Tele Classic vibe 50's blonde, black guard with maple neck, beautiful guitar!
Ahhhh..... Welcome to the uncertain World of Chibson ownership! Don't be too hard on yourself! It's a hit and miss World for sure. HOWEVER.....one thing is certain, they ALL seem to need a pickup upgrade! Chibsons tend to be geared towards a DIY'er! A few extra bucks and a little elbow grease can earn you a Hell of a good "player"! I have a few I've been using for the better part of a decade! You might be a little "heavy" into this one but, lesson learned! $300 should be the MAX you pay for one! I'm actually waiting on another Chibby to land in my mailbox any day now. Here's hoping!!!
Hey dude, you're probably referring to the Mac on the side of my desk right? Thats my old Mac Pro. I don't use that any longer - it was modded with a metal graphics card, firmware upgrade to 5,1 and more ram. I have an M1 Mac Studio now which runs everything. Have an awesome day!
I thought that too - but the checking is quite specific so I spoke to a friend of mine and he told me most likely they sprayed nitro lacquer on top of the Poly finish and then put in a freezer, which makes sense as the checking would take days if they did it by hand and hence cost would be higher. Have an awesome day!
I’m so close to buying one but stalled out cuz I can’t get a reply to my questions (on AliExpress) and cant SEE how every single guitar I’m looking at has the exact same photos as all the others. I think you’re right- the “middlemen” have gotten way too involved. Thanks for cooling my jets!
No worries dude. It so frustrating when you can't get straight answers and it turns into a crap shoot getting one of these guitars,. Many people have told me that they managed to get really good guitars so they are out there but I think it is a lottery, and there are so many other good guitars that you can pick up locally I find. Have an awesome day!
Nice bit of guitaring, and the guitar sounds great. Seems to have really good resonance too. Seems like you probably aren't short of cash, so it was probably worthwhile going through all that to turn it into a cool guitar.
I got a Chibson LP $200 free shipping. Flawless paint, perfect frets, plays good a really nice guitar for the money. Not up to my Gibson LP guitars but a fun guitar to play. The only thing I might replace is the bridge pickup.
Yes. What seller? I've seen alot of recent videos and the frets were perfect. All I care about are the frets and if quality replacement hardware will fit. I would never expect to keep the parts. I just saw one video where the only thing the guy complained about was it was out of tune and the intonation was off. I'd expect that from a Gibson. People are dumb. The 2023 Chibsons seem to be less hit or miss. Although I would think they are made in the same factory. But if a guy got a CNC machine in china and had some basic skills he's going to make more money than Epiphone pays for their guitars to be built. Minus the slightly better parts. I'm sure there are ex Epi employees and a corrupt factory that could churn out Epi quality guitars with the cool headstock. I just can't stand the Epi headstock on LPs and SGs. Epi should just go the Fender/Squier route on those. They'd make 3 times the money they are now and people are still going to buy Gibsons just like they do Fenders.
The LP I got was a red tiger stripe w/zebras. Maybe around Epey quality or better. For the money it's a good quality guitar and fun to play-small pots, metric bridge. Pickups sound ok, neck dots perfect.
I 'bit the bullet' and took a chance, buying a Chibson - I did a bit of research and thankfully there was a video attached to the buy with a Chinese bloke playing the guitar. So, cost me AUS $400. I took it in to my music/guitar store, had several of the extremely experienced blokes there + their luthier, a young bloke who has an amazing set of skills/knowledge - and as soon as 'Trav' plugged it in and started playing he simply said, as I waited worrying "oh shit I was dudded", but 'Travis' was pretty impressed. NO intonation, the neck/frets were done very well, overall I was told it was, for the money I paid, "worth buying with only a few modifications". So 'of course' the humbuckers were replaced with PAFs, and the only other adjustment/changes made were the biscuit, new knobs [the knobs that were on the guitar were terrible]. And my luthier managed to find me a genuine Gibson creme pick guard. So, all up I paid an additional $400. And the guitar plays extremely well. So from what I have read/seen, buying these guitars can be 'hit + miss', but if you do some research [a video of the guitar being played really helped me to make the decision to buy], a bit of 'luck' - and you 'can' get lucky, buy a relatively cheap Chibson that, with changes, works very well. Thanks for this video - very informative. In the end it aint a Les Paul, but hey, I am pretty happy with the end result.
3:50 that whole statement pretty much sums up every guitar player: unrealistic expectations. The best part about these chibson’s are the ability to mod them. Fact of the matter is, some guys will spend upwards of $5k and still not be happy with…something about the guitar. Most common thing replaced on any guitar are the pups. Do that on a $5k guitar? Thats how it loses value. Try explaining that to an affluent boomer. 🙄 There is a used Gibby LPC Black beauty listed for sale at my local GC. Chances are, it will never sell. Even at $3800, aftermarket Bigsby and what looks to be SD Invaders installed on this guitar. Retails new for $5k, with added mods, its $3800. Point being, if you dont like a certain feature, you are obviously gonna change that. And everyone can agree it’s perfectly acceptable on a sub-500 dollar guitar. You change one thing on a Gibson, you lower its value. Everyone knows that. The dumbest guitarist (hobby level) is the one who buys a genuine les paul (standard or better) and tries to Frankenstein the dang thing into worthlessness.
I ordered a Greene. Didn't look anything like greene! So I refinished it! changed everything leveled, frets! Now it's not bad! But I was pretty disappointed! Thanks 🤘
I'd imagine that anyone who is buying one of these, expects to have some issues and certainly plans on modifying it to their liking rather than keep it as-is out of the box.
I got a Chibson in a swap and it's honestly ace, I really fancy refinishing it in a lemon drop with light relicing and finishing in nitro but that poly finish is the thing that I'm a bit wary of getting off 👍👍
I wouldn't bother relic'ing it. Just relic is naturally and authentically by being a bit clumsy with it. Just don't let it fall over or you'll have to glue the headstock back on lol
I think this is misleading. The basic guitar wasn't that bad..and in your words "now a fantastic guitar". .Fret levelling is common on a lot of cheap guitars. Not providing you with the specs you requested is fair enough but still doesn't make it bad...nickel frets instead of SS is the norm. Replacing the parts like bridge/tuners is again not necessary but to taste. As are pickups. If you can pick up one cheap enough, still doing mods to taste will should come in less than a new epiphone some of which are getting into Gibson price.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I appreciate your perspective, but I respectfully disagree that the video is misleading. My intention was to share my personal experience and journey with this guitar, including the unexpected challenges I faced. While fret levelling may be common on cheaper guitars, the extent of work required here went beyond what I consider reasonable for a new instrument. The specs I requested and didn't receive were crucial to my purchasing decision, which is why I emphasised their importance. You're right that replacing parts like bridges and tuners can be a matter of taste. However, in this case, the pickups, nut, and electronics were of such poor quality that replacing them was necessary for the guitar to function adequately, not just for personal preference. The key point I wanted to convey is that the total cost of purchase plus essential upgrades exceeded what I expected and I could have added a couple hundred to the the amount I spent and bought a pre-owned Gibson Les Paul Studio. This comparison is important for potential buyers to consider. My video aims to provide an honest account of my experience, including both the initial disappointment and the eventual satisfaction after significant work. It's not meant to discourage all budget guitar purchases, but rather to inform about potential pitfalls and hidden costs. I hope this clarifies my perspective. Thank you for engaging with the content, and I wish you an amazing day!
My experience with chibson has been much better. I also own 4 genuine gibsons, and have own 6 more in the past so i think i can compare. First of all the knock off is not "as good as a real Gibson". The fretwork will usually be sub-par, the hardware (bridge and nut) will usually -but not always- be slightly worse, and the pickups will not be of gibson standard. There might also be some finish flaws, such as small scratches on the paint, or a fret that is discolored . Now having said that, the quality of the wood used and depending on what you order, is usually really good sometimes 1 piece of wood like the last one i ordered, whereas my real gibson standard and classic both have 2 pieces of wood in the body, and i am not talking about studios faded special models etc that h have seen up to 4-5 pieces of wood glued together in a genuine gibson. The quality of the nut , again you can order to have bone nut and it costs 5 dollars extra, sometimes if you buy a good "chibson" it is already included, as well as a gibson type bridge which is usually 10 dollars. Now usually this kind of arrangment goes for 350-400 BUT if you wait for sales period, and the chinese have this every 3-4 months you can actually grab it for 250. Thats what a paid for mine with one piece body, AA++ flame maple top, fret nibs on the fretboard (which gibson at some point 4-5 years ago stopped using in regular production models as they considered too expensive) gibson style bridge , well cut bone nut and decent not hissing and no feedback alinico pickups. It plays great, not for the 250 i paid, but even if i had paid 8-9 hundred.It also feels great, and looks great, its an eye catcher. Dit it have issues? Yes 1-2 frets were hich , i spot-leveled them within 10 minutes. There were also 2 small scratches, i applied and got a refund of 10 dollars for them. Does it play as good as my real gibson les paul classic and standard? Unplugged yes it plays AS GOOD and has great natural sustain.
At best, Chibson quality is iffy. I've bought one for my wife, and one for myself. Mine was amazing after just a setup. The electronics died in my wife's Strat after not quite a week. Today, we both play the guitars almost daily. I replaced all hardware and electronics on hers. As for logos, mine had a blank headstock. My wife's Strat os marked Acepro. These were ordered from Aliexpress. My Lucille was$219.99. The Acepro Strat cost $179.99.
What did you expect? Seriously. I am thinking of buying one and replace just about everything on it. Just keep the wood. And that’s OK. I know I’ll not be able to buy a Gibson Les Paul R9, so Chibson is probably the best platform for that.
Thats a really great Q about expectations. Well, my basic expectation was that the frets would be somewhat level. But alas they weren't. That was probably my main gripe. Any guitar should be playable out of the box. Some of the rest of the work I did expect and no biggie. But the fret work.... that was a doozie man 😊 False economy buying one of these if you ask me. A pre-owned Les Paul Studio would have cost a couple hundred more and is a far better guitar - by leaps and bounds (which I talk about in my latest video if you'd like to check that out). Have a great day.
@@jayguitar Thanks for the feedback. I have an Epiphone Korina Flying V. It's great, but still it came with a loose pick up. Also the pick up switch is buzzing when I touch it slightly. Not OK. Frets seem OK, I hear no buzzing or whatsoever, but since both the Chibson and the Epiphones are made in China, I'd say if you find a good seller the quality can (if you're lucky) be the same or better. I've seen people on TH-cam finding their Chibsons having better quality than an actual Gibson. But I guess you take the chance. Yes, I can buy a Studio, but I'd love to experience a bit of that R9 myth, even if it's just a copy. The alternative is the Epiphone 1959 Reissue with custombuckers but that goes in the 1300 USD range and I am not convinced. Anyway, have a great day as well.
Hey there! I appreciate you watching the video, but I think there might be a bit of confusion. As I mentioned in the video, I always knew this wasn't a Gibson - it's a Chinese copy that was actually supposed to have 'Jayson' on the headstock, not Gibson. I'm not sure if you were trying to make a joke here, but just in case there was genuine confusion, I wanted to clear that up. I'm always upfront about the gear I'm using, whether it's high-end or budget-friendly. Thanks for engaging with the content! If you have any other questions about the guitar or the video, feel free to ask. Have a great day!
how is a 2-3 hundred on a great looking, feeling guitar a regret purchase? Everyone should know by now, if you get one you will need to strip it down and build it back up. All new hardware and electronics. So about 500-600 total. depending on what hardware and pups you decide to use. One of my best guitars is a Chibson and over the years its gone through some changes. It's a quilted "bourbon" burst top, I had them do an ebony fretboard with the Supreme inlays, I now have a nice roller bridge and locking tuners, Tusq nut, I originally put in a set of Seymours, but now it has the EMG 57/66's thanks to Ritchie Faulkner.. And it's great. Going on 11 years old now still a great guitar.
Just got a silverburst chibby. And yeah, the body and neck and headstock are great. The rest will be thrown away in the bin in terms of HW and circuits and pickups. I am working on it to make is playable, as the frets need to be levelled and everything else is awful. But It can be made great. I will document this
Chibsons dont appeal to me at all, seen so many videos where it is hit and miss even regarding scale lengths being so far out they cannot intonate. If you can get a good one far enough but you would still need to rewire and put in new pups. Better off getting a Burny, Greco , Tokai or similar. Even Harley Benton or Vintage would make more sense.
This gent has a great attitude: makes lemonade from a lemon. Talented musician who seems to genuinely enjoy music making and a bit of tinkerer who knows how to tailor a guitar to his fit/like.
It wasn’t and issue - I’ve done it many times. The point is that the guitar should have arrived with some semblance of playability. It didn’t and that’s not a good way to send out a guitar.
I bought a few back in the day and regret each one... I would rather buy an epiphone.. if you want any luck, you need to have reputable sellers who will own the ordering process. Always request photos before they ship etc...
So far i am loving my chibson, Bought it with the intent of stripping it down to bare tusk and learning fret work. Out of the box it was about the same quality as a 200 dollar epiphone. Should be a fun test mule for me to mess around with.
Cool story. I bought a chinese Tokai gold top LP for about $700. It didn’t have those kind of issues but it needed improvement, especially in the sound department. With a pre wired harness from Mojotone, SD pickups and Gotoh tuners the total sum landed on $1100-1200. It’s by far my best guitar. I think you will have to spend at least around $500 in a cheap a guitar to turn it into a great player. Still you might end up with something that matches the price of a low end Gibson LP studio or tribute but looks much nicer and plays great.
I bought a 90’s guild bluesbird chinese knockoff $500. What a disaster. Headstock looked as big as guitar, machine heads nowhere close to symmetric. Red flamed maple top had big gap where the two book match met. Un repairable things. I also got a les paul custom chibson that i didn’t have to do anything to and looks and plays outstanding. Both companies had great reviews. Roll the dice. Hit or miss
I have a 'CHibsun' J-200 Maple Acoustic Electric on the way. I am hoping that I don't get a LEMON !! But, if I do I'll hang it on the wall as "ART" and figure you can see what you want ! lol
I got a Gold Top Chibson and replaced everything but the selector switch (it was REAL!). The neck is absolutely perfect profile and its nice and light. It is now my preferred guitar out of 30 i own. Maybe it's just a good one but I love it. I can do anything I want to it with no regard for it being real, so fun. I wouldn't take a real one to most of my gigs!
No harm to you my friend, but if you thought you were ordering a custom built guitar, neck profile, different relic finish, stainless frets etc for $500, you really were mugged. I have 9 guitars bought direct from sellers in China & never recieved a really bad one, nothing more than fret dres, set up, changing pickups & electrics which is to be expected & only other minor issues, the key is finding a good, well reccommended seller. The most I ever payed was $380 for a complete custom build, 1972 Les Paul Deluxe, with correct headstock with volute, ebony fretboard & correct Burst finish front & back, it is a gem of a guitar.
Hey dude, yeah I know! Lol! I justified to myself that the extra cost would afford me the customisation - alas I was wrong! 😂 I'd be interested to find out the buyer you purchased from as its good to hear some guitars are actually pretty good. Have an awesome day!
I had a friend buy one, for $1500! I told him not to go for it, it probably wasnt real! Unfortunately, he did not heed my warning. The same guitar was found on a Chinese website for $400. Having a "Gibson" logo on the headstock is so wrong, for so many reasons. It really sucks when these get out in the wild. Most people are honest, but then there are people that are not. It would be better if they left the headstock blank. No one likes to be deceived. But hey, you knew what you were getting into! Im glad you didnt pay more than you did. lesson learned!
Whoa! That was a lot of money for one of those. It’s a real shame that there are scammers out there. Buyers have to be extra careful these days as there are so many knock offs floating around out there. I agree with you about the logo. Its one of the reasons I didn’t want it one the headstock. When I get time I am gonna refinish it and put the Jayson logo back on. It’ll mean stripping it down and repainting it but I’d rather do that as it was supposed to have a different name on it. Have an awesome day!
@@jayguitar agreed dude. Put your logo back on there. So if it ever gets stolen or something, it will be hard to pawn off a "Jayson" Les Paul. LOL! Keep rocking dude. ❤
@@christopherhorton4634 That's a great point about the logo! I will be doing that as soon as time permits 😊 🤘 I actually miss seeing the Jayson logo on there.
Hey Jay I don't think your a idiot , think of it this way No where else can you buy a mahogany LP. relic guitar in that color. Yes a new gibson factory made but not what you had in mind unless you spend thousands having a custom built guitar and from looking at your music room you have done that B4. I think thats the draw to chibsons is the Modding taking the paint job the relic the color or shape LP , Strat, Tele and Modding. My question to you is have you ever bought a guitar from guitar center and replaced pickups , Pots, or maybe " wished it was in a different COLOR" your no sucker !! you built a guitar you wanted just COST more then you expected. 500 is pretty steep for a China music Factory , sounds like a Ebay distributer " Middle man" pricing to me . I've purchased several Chibsons and other then the fret job you had to do I normally anticipate replacing all the parts you listed as my preferences of pickups, bridge, pots. I have more info on China Made guitars if your interested please respond to my comment !!
Jesus dude. Thats a lot for a chibson mod.. I bought an alpine white chibson lp for $230 and changed almost everything cosmetically. I left the pots and switch. Everything else is upgraded. Im 750 into it and thats including what i paid for the guitar. I love mine.
Much better choice dude! They are pretty cool guitars. Another brand to consider is the Vintage. I have a V100AFD which is so much better than the Chibson. Anyways, lesson learnt! lol! Have an awesome day!
Thanks! Don’t know it is comes up to par with a Murphy Labs but it’s cool to have that guitar. It makes me smile when I see it in the studio. I hear you about relic’ing! I would be pretty reluctant to do this one a really nice new guitar. Something a little beat up already, yeah thats no issue 😊 Have an awesome day!
If is it possible to buy that guitar without any pickups and hardware, only body and neck, and if you have skills and tools for fretwork, it would be interesting.
I would be mad as hell. The problem with Ebay, you buy at your own risk. I would not spend that kind of money if I was defrauded like you. I would make sure I could my the seller at arms length.
The guitar looks and sounds great..doubtful you'd get a reliced les Paul for that money even if you did go genuine...youd get a nice pretty one......not the machine you have now. I liked what you did with the clean rhythm backing guitar on this track....very original....all the best.
Thanks man! Very true - that is one of the reasons that I went for it, the relic job looked pretty good. And to be honest, it was a BLAST relicing the back! lol! Scratching up a guitar on purpose - kinda cool! 😊 🤘 Anyways, thanks I appreciate it and glad you enjoyed the tones and track. Have an awesome day!
Sorry to hear about your experiences, but a lot of the Chinese sellers are really very good. You just have to do your research on who the reputable sellers are
If you are expecting a replica to play like the original, you are kidding yourself. There is no way any guitar manufacturer can make a cheap $250 to $350 copy of a Les Paul play and sound like real Les Paul. They don't have the materials, experienced workers, and or equipment to make it happen. Epiphone makes the best Les Paul replicas, I have the Inspired by Gibson 50's Gold Top Standard and it's awesome. I also have a Chibson Les Paul Standard 60's replica in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. It's a very nice looking guitar and even sounds pretty good, but as far as playability my Epiphone is far superior.
Hey dude, I wasn't expecting it to play like a more expensive guitar and I knew I would have to do some work to it to get it to where I wanted it, but the amount of work needed was pretty crazy. I got bilked on this one but hey, live and learn 🤘 Have an awesome day!
Sounds amazing, is impressive guitar.Don't buy Epiphone,is a bad china edition guitar,but if you find the correct factory seler you can get a perfect Chipson guitar,today are more perfect even the logo name multicolor..A good Chipson is impossible see the difference between Original.even in hands.
Recently i bought a 220 € incl. VAT Chibson Les Paul Custom at Ali Express too, it was a factory sale. The only thing i changed apart from the strings were the crappy tuners to way better 50 € Gotohs. Maybe i change the bridge in the future. The no name pickups are surprisingly good sounding. I don't regret the purchase. 👍
$500 is the most expensive Chibson I've ever heard of.
They are coming out with "Nitro" finishes.
@@captainkirk70i still paid $220 shipping included. My guitar has a nitro finish, amazing playability and cosmetics were 8/10. I replaced the tuners with vintage pre-lawsuit Ibanez LP Custom now it plays and stays in tune way better than any Gibson. I even take it to guitar center and my chibson blows the doors off all their genuine Gibson stock. People try to buy it off me all the time. 👍🤩
When Joe Biden is the US President every country feels it.
Why did you not just build your own if you can build guitars .. it’s awesome and just look at it as a labour of love / hate 😂😂😂sounds fantastic now anyway
Shit there's a older man on TH-cam that spent 5,000 U.S. dollars for a chibson and everything he replaced. And everyone was wondering why in the hell didn't you just go Gibson. 5,000 bucks will buy a really nice genuine Les Paul.
So glad you left this review. You know I'm a massive LP lover and I have often toyed with getting a Chibson. No more ...thanks for sharing your brilliant and honest review.
Don't, my dad bought one. I've played better pawn shop specials that were parts mutts built in the back of a seedy shop. They are incredible pieces of 💩 right out of the box.
You're most welcome bro. There are some good ones out there but there are some terrible ones too so its a little tricky finding the right ones 😊 You have a beautiful LP anyhow which would far surpass these 😊 🙏 Have an awesome day!
mnot advocating for chibson, but it really depends from who you buy the guitar and ofc for how much. I've seen some really good chibs for dirt cheap. Seems to me like Jay got taken for a ride on this one.
Right, we need to hear the truth, Chibson is pure and simple FRAUD.
Get a Harley Benton from THOMANN MUSIC. 😎
The end result sounds absolutely fantastic! Even though you put more into it than you planned, it’s still a fraction of what a genuine relic’d LP would cost. Awesome playing as well. 🤘
Yes, you're absolutely right! It turned out great so it still turned out to be a good experience 😊 thanks and have an awesome day!
But there is no resale value....unfortunately. Chipson is no go.
@@Estfieldings You buy guitars for the resale value? If so, stick with Gibson.. if you're wanting to save thousands on a good guitar to upgrade and really play.. Chibson isn't a bad choice
@@ryant3600agreed. I’m not in the business of selling guitars, because that would result in less guitars!😎 EDIT: I’ve got a few LP-style single cuts, including a Greco, Epiphone, Harley Benton, PRS, kit-build and a genuine Nashville built Gibson. The Gibson could be the most disused of them all.
@@bengibson3955 yeah I have a Le Paul, a couple Epi Les Pauls, a Chibson Custom and a harley Benton 550 plus emg and to be honest my most played LP style is the Chibson and the Harley Benton.
I'm glad I hung out until the end, KILLER TUNE !!! ❤
Subd and liked! ;)
Thanks for hanging around for the song 😊 Guitar turned out good and made some good noises in the end. Have an awesome day!
Great video Jay! Very very relatable! Hope you are keeping well too man!
I'm good Josh. Yourself? Ah you've had that experience too??? Have an awesome day!
Great cautionary story. Sublime instrumentals. Tone for days. So glad I found your channel. Subscribed. 😎🎸
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed the video and tones and I appreciate the sub 😊 🤘 Have an awesome day!
Looks amazing and it would have been cool if they could have just sent you the guitar gutted. Amazing playing as always.
The guts are probably 5 bucks.
Yes, that would have been an option - but like the other guy said, the guts are uber cheap so wouldn't have made too much price difference 😊 Have an awesome day!
STOP GIGGLING!!!!!
@@DaveSS-xi4pn No I won’t 😂🤣😂🤣😂 can’t help but laugh at what happened with this guitar.
Hi Jay, thanks for that detailed and honest review! A nice journey across inner and outer values of a Chibson.😎 Could you please reveal, where do you order the custom head stock logos? I plan to personalize one of my LPs as well. Thx! 🤘
You're most welcome. I ordered the logo on Etsy - the seller is GuitarDecadence - they did a great job with the logo. Hope that helps. Have an awesome day!
Thanks for the honest review!
At the end, you ended up with a great guitar and sounds great! Love your track! Killer riff brother! Rock on 🤘
Thanks man! Yes you’re totally right! It turned out great and I love playing it which is the main thing. Glad you liked the track too! I appreciate it 🙏 Have an awesome day! 🤘
Looks like it turned out pretty damn cool Jay...that is thanks to your talents. I say no regrets.
Very very true! No regrets now - I love the guitar - it turned out fantastic and sound and plays beautifully 😊 🙏 Have an awesome day!
Monstrous sounds! I can pick out influences from your playing, and absolutely appreciate that. That said, your sound is your own Jay and I must carry my jealousy back to the wood shed to practice now. Keep it up
Thanks man! I appreciate it. Have a great day.
i put iron gear pickups on a chibson and it sounded better than a gibson .. blunt truth
Great and entertaining video! I'd leave the headstock just like it is~ looks Lovely! And you already have the creative "Jay's Paul" in the middle. Looks amazing! At first I thought it was a Greeny model. The inlaid Gibson logo sets it off. Great job on uncovering that. I Really like this guitar and what you've done with it, Jay. 💯👍
Thanks man! I appreciate it 😊 The guitar came out good in the end. I'm thankful for that. You're right and good call dude - Jay's Paul is still there in the middle. Have an amazing day!
My first guitar was a Squier Affinity Tele, wich is nice... nice Tele tones for dirt cheap but after some time it's not enough, the first few months i looked at it and think "wow, that looks amazing" but after that, it looked dull, so my advice to any beginner... buy chibson and chender when you're starting, because, no matter if you're a skillful or mediocre guitarrist, any shitty or expensive instrument will sound the same on your hands, take advantage of capitalism and buy something that's gonna make you smile everyday when you see it, and maybe you'll find a great guitar that lasts forever
Very well said dude! If an instrument makes you smile and inspires you to play then thats where the magic is! 😊 You'll be happy with it regardless of price paid. Yep, tone is in the hands too! Have an awesome day!
I bought a Chibson and despite the seller stellar reviews I got an absolute toy of a guitar, it took so long that I no longer had PayPal protection. This purchase hurts my pride.
I feel it dude. I felt that way too! Thankfully I was able to fix the issues. It’s a great guitar now though. Have an awesome day!
If I ever ordered one I’d just order the body without any electronics and do all that myself
Guys, you can get great stuff if your expectations and what you request has to be photographed.
If you want upgrades, make sure you see them selling other guitars with that feature. Fret nibs are a good example.
Expect to replace pickups. That is how i bought mine. Find a good deal on some killer pickups and then choose a guitar to accentuate you real parts.
I had some Gibson 57 classics, cream plastic, gold covers...i decided to make a guitar that loves playing blues.
Looking at hulls and bodies, for $200, Chibsons can be the best option.
I got a bound neck, fret nibs, 8lbs, 3 ounces, the blueburst and gold hardware...for $210, including taxes and shipping, i got a beautiful guitar that sounds so freaking good...great value, just go ib with a plan
Nice job Jay! Which bridge pickup did you put in? She sounds sweet! Gritty, and a great lead tone as well. Subbed!
He said the name
Hi Jay. Sorry to 😢 hear about your dilemma regarding your Chibson. I have got some Chinese made guitars. Shine manufacture, and they are Very good instruments. I have modified them to my spec. I have also had 80s models from Yamaha made in Japan that were not as well made. If you want a good Les Paul style guitar without going through the data overload what and what's not. Buy yourself an Harley Benton model that you like and the do the mods and ignore the Label 🏷️ , it's like a ball and chain you have to carry for the rest of your life. Set your soul free. Best regards. John.
Very cool John. Glad you have picked up a couple of good ones. I have a Harley Benton PRS style guitar - its good but I prefer the Trievor Wilkinson Vintage brand guitars. They feel much better to me for a little more then the HBs 😊 Have an awesome day!
sorry to hear you picked a shady seller. Ive had alot better luck. I have NEVER heard of a chibson or any other replica on ebay that cost 500.00! wow!
The pickups are probably decent.
All they did was to use modern (fine) wire, but replicate the PAF number of turns. The result is that the bobbins look half empty.
The fine wire wont affect the sound, provided they used the right number of turns and equivalent strength magnets to PAF they will sound as good as PAFs do.
And because modern magents are stronger, when they replicated PAF magnets the modern magnets will look small, but agai this doesnt matter provided the magnet strength is right and the number of wire turns is right its a PAF and will sound like it.
Hey dude, the pickups didn't sound very good. I know what you're saying about the wire gauge and all but these pickups didn't have much punch, they were very microphonic and they just weren't built very well. Have an awesome day!
Heard this story over and over from various people. If the guitar doesn't get seized by customs or damaged in shipping and they are lefting fighting to try and get their money back from the seller, they get it and have to do extensive fretwork, replace electronics, nut and tuners to make it playable. By the time you factor in cost and time, they 100% could have gotten a very nice epiphone without the hassle and often a real used Gibson studio or even Standard. A couple years ago I got a fantastic used LP standard with a plus top for just under $1800 and I am 100% certain I could sell it today for more than I paid even with the slow used market. With the Chibsons, you're left with something that is illegal to sell and even if you do, you won't get your money back.
thank you for your honesty, great review!
I appreciate your honesty about the whole matter!
I love this vid, Jay!
HUGE Lynch fan here ....that's how I discovered your channel after all.😊
I have seen wonderfull looking GL Chinese guitars on fleabay.
Skull and bones, Wicked Sensation and vintage strats.
Prices $300-$400.
Unless I had the money to flush, I would never attempt the purchase. But tempting.
Also, a used gl-256 would cost $750 now with upgrades, and the relic job is pretty unconvincing. So as a platform for upgrades, and a project yours may be not toooo bad a deal?
Hey dude, I would avoid those chinese copies also. Just not worth the risk! Especially with the necks and fretboards. Have an awesome day!
Love to see a video on how you record your awesome tracks
Keep in mind they relic by using stencils, so they can't really relic less, even though it seems like aging less should be less work
Nice story and I'm glad the guitar is a rocking machine now. I gave a like and turned out to the "404" I hope it doesn't throw an error!
Btw, very well played dude
Thanks man! I appreciate it 😊 🤘 Have an awesome day.
Wow, you are a great player and writer and that chibson sounds amazing after all the hard work and money poured into it!
Well done!
Thanks man! Thats very kind of you 😊 🙏 Turned out good in the end 😊 Have an awesome day!
Hey Mate,do you think you could do some lessons on this style of Rock playing you did in the intro ? Thanks
Hi Phil, really glad you enjoyed the video. Lessons aren't really on my radar at the moment as I have a pretty full schedule of videos already in the works but certainly something I will keep in mind if I do get back to video lessons. I teach privately as well - www.brightonguitarguru.com - and have slots coming up now and then and you're more then welcome to reach out if that is something that might interest you. Have an awesome day!
A few of the biggest questions I have , will the neck hold its shape over the years and will it stay adjustable? If it doesn’t stay stable , it’s no more than a disposable guitar.
Good point. Only time will tell. So far so good. I have had it a year and everything is still stable. Have an awesome day.
Your a good guitarist, I'm 69 and played a lot like you in my younger day's,but age and arthritis catch up with you, Awesome dude😅😅
Yes, arthritis really sucks. I have given all but one of my guitars to grandkids. Only finger pick once in a while during holidays. Shred while you can, eventually it might go away.
Did you have to play with the truss rod? I wonder if you have the same issues that I had with a Epiphone a bought few month ago. The rod end where you put a Allen key in it(nut) was dig in the wood so almost no access to it! When I finally be able to put a Allen key in it and tighten the nut to back bow the neck a bit, the neck take a "S" shape with a enormous Bach bow from the third fret! Realy poor craftsmanship in this case... rough fingerboard, rough frets(need polishing which was ok for me). BUT the sound is realy good so that is why I bought it. I did feel like you explained...
Yes, I needed to make an adjustment. Thankfully the truss rod worked just fine as I had the same concerns as you did when I realised that I would have to adjust it. But it turned just fine and worked to straighten the neck. Have an awesome day!
Incredible playing
Thanks! I appreciate it. Have an awesome day! 🤘
I've bought from a couple of Ebay sellers instead of trying to get one shipped from China. If they're willing to take an offer, make a one based on the fact that it will be unplayable. They are likely purchased in bulk by the seller, maybe inspected for damage, then sold. Most of these are made out of "Philippine Mahogany" Lauan, which is very lite, but not bad for us old timers. Live and learn on the money spent, in the end you have a cool looking guitar with your own personal touches and it inspires you to create music.
Very good point about expectations. Thats is certainly a great way to look at it 😊 Have an awesome day.
Do you remember the good seller?
Thanks, Jay. You as well! ☀️
Thanks for a very honest and balanced review. I’ve become reasonably handy with guitar setups, to the point where I’ve been getting mates guitars to sort out and even got paid for one massive POS that I turned into a player. I’ve built a couple of kits with very poorly seated frets and horrible truss rod adjustment. Based on your review, I’m thinking seriously about doing a rip-off Greeny, but I’m quite conflicted about it. I guess I’m not likely to buy a genuine one soon, so where’s the harm in having a nicely-sorted Chibson? I never sell my projects, much to my wife’s dismay, and a beat-to-crap LP-ish guitar shaped object would look cool.
Great review and vid. Subscribed.👍
That would be a pretty cool project to do Ben. Greeny would look pretty awesome! Have an awesome day.
I'd definitely not advise buying one as some are absolute firewood, but I got lucky with mine - bought it cheap just out of idle curiosity from someone locally who had ordered two so it was fresh in the box, had an immaculate fret job (including nibs!), pretty impressive build quality and mystery pickups which were actually pretty decent. Tuners and bridge were functional at best, but otherwise aside from a weirdly faulty B string which sounded like it had a ring modulator on it, had you told me it was a £1000 guitar I'd not argue. Only problem is I like it more than my real Standard and now I want to replace the headstock veneer with a logo which doesn't say Gibson so I don't have that sneaking guilt when playing it out, haha.
The truth is that it doesn't look bad!!! . Obviously for all the work you have dedicated to it and the money invested!!! And as the saying goes... if life gives you lemons, make lemonade and that's what you've done with your lemon 😜👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Great great way to put it Jordi! Lemonade! I love that man! Thanks 😊 🙏 Have an awesome day!
Excellent review, story, and advice you put forward.
I bought a chinese Telecaster and it had crap pickups and electrics, the neck was not 9.5 ins radius, more like 12", the neck and frets are good though but very pale color.
The body is 2 piece with a nice burst finish but unfortunately it's branded as a USA made Fender so very hard to sell, I guess I'm stuck with it lol
I paid NZD$452 incl shipping and taxes, ripped off.
Sooooo. . I bought a good condition 3 year old Squier Tele Classic vibe 50's blonde, black guard with maple neck, beautiful guitar!
Great job and story, bro. Is this the bridge pickup an Arcane?
Glad you enjoyed it. Yes bridge pickup is an Arcane 😊 🙏 Have an awesome day!
Ahhhh..... Welcome to the uncertain World of Chibson ownership! Don't be too hard on yourself! It's a hit and miss World for sure. HOWEVER.....one thing is certain, they ALL seem to need a pickup upgrade! Chibsons tend to be geared towards a DIY'er! A few extra bucks and a little elbow grease can earn you a Hell of a good "player"! I have a few I've been using for the better part of a decade! You might be a little "heavy" into this one but, lesson learned! $300 should be the MAX you pay for one! I'm actually waiting on another Chibby to land in my mailbox any day now. Here's hoping!!!
Quick question Jay, Did you mod out your mac? If so what did you do? Thanks and greetings from Vietnam!
Hey dude, you're probably referring to the Mac on the side of my desk right? Thats my old Mac Pro. I don't use that any longer - it was modded with a metal graphics card, firmware upgrade to 5,1 and more ram. I have an M1 Mac Studio now which runs everything. Have an awesome day!
They score the finish with a razor to make it look like checking!
I thought that too - but the checking is quite specific so I spoke to a friend of mine and he told me most likely they sprayed nitro lacquer on top of the Poly finish and then put in a freezer, which makes sense as the checking would take days if they did it by hand and hence cost would be higher. Have an awesome day!
I’m so close to buying one but stalled out cuz I can’t get a reply to my questions (on AliExpress) and cant SEE how every single guitar I’m looking at has the exact same photos as all the others. I think you’re right- the “middlemen” have gotten way too involved. Thanks for cooling my jets!
No worries dude. It so frustrating when you can't get straight answers and it turns into a crap shoot getting one of these guitars,. Many people have told me that they managed to get really good guitars so they are out there but I think it is a lottery, and there are so many other good guitars that you can pick up locally I find. Have an awesome day!
Nice bit of guitaring, and the guitar sounds great. Seems to have really good resonance too.
Seems like you probably aren't short of cash, so it was probably worthwhile going through all that to turn it into a cool guitar.
I got a Chibson LP $200 free shipping. Flawless paint, perfect frets, plays good a really nice guitar for the money. Not up to my Gibson LP guitars but a fun guitar to play. The only thing I might replace is the bridge pickup.
Very very cool! I would love to know which seller you bought it from - there are some good builders out there for sure 😊 Have an awesome day!
Yes. What seller? I've seen alot of recent videos and the frets were perfect. All I care about are the frets and if quality replacement hardware will fit. I would never expect to keep the parts. I just saw one video where the only thing the guy complained about was it was out of tune and the intonation was off. I'd expect that from a Gibson. People are dumb. The 2023 Chibsons seem to be less hit or miss. Although I would think they are made in the same factory. But if a guy got a CNC machine in china and had some basic skills he's going to make more money than Epiphone pays for their guitars to be built. Minus the slightly better parts. I'm sure there are ex Epi employees and a corrupt factory that could churn out Epi quality guitars with the cool headstock. I just can't stand the Epi headstock on LPs and SGs. Epi should just go the Fender/Squier route on those. They'd make 3 times the money they are now and people are still going to buy Gibsons just like they do Fenders.
Everytime I put the web site and seller in TH-cam takes it out??? I got a LP custom coming in from another seller we'll see how that turns out.
The LP I got was a red tiger stripe w/zebras. Maybe around Epey quality or better. For the money it's a good quality guitar and fun to play-small pots, metric bridge. Pickups sound ok, neck dots perfect.
I'd rather just buy an epiphone tbh
Hey Jay ......your not alone .....hope you and yours are doing well brother
I 'bit the bullet' and took a chance, buying a Chibson - I did a bit of research and thankfully there was a video attached to the buy with a Chinese bloke playing the guitar. So, cost me AUS $400. I took it in to my music/guitar store, had several of the extremely experienced blokes there + their luthier, a young bloke who has an amazing set of skills/knowledge - and as soon as 'Trav' plugged it in and started playing he simply said, as I waited worrying "oh shit I was dudded", but 'Travis' was pretty impressed. NO intonation, the neck/frets were done very well, overall I was told it was, for the money I paid, "worth buying with only a few modifications".
So 'of course' the humbuckers were replaced with PAFs, and the only other adjustment/changes made were the biscuit, new knobs [the knobs that were on the guitar were terrible]. And my luthier managed to find me a genuine Gibson creme pick guard. So, all up I paid an additional $400. And the guitar plays extremely well. So from what I have read/seen, buying these guitars can be 'hit + miss', but if you do some research [a video of the guitar being played really helped me to make the decision to buy], a bit of 'luck' - and you 'can' get lucky, buy a relatively cheap Chibson that, with changes, works very well.
Thanks for this video - very informative. In the end it aint a Les Paul, but hey, I am pretty happy with the end result.
did you also opt for the ChiHD? it shows 🤪
You could have spent £1300 on a guitar and ended up wanting to upgrade some of the hardware.
When you mod a guitar yourself, it's quite satisfying.
3:50 that whole statement pretty much sums up every guitar player: unrealistic expectations.
The best part about these chibson’s are the ability to mod them. Fact of the matter is, some guys will spend upwards of $5k and still not be happy with…something about the guitar. Most common thing replaced on any guitar are the pups. Do that on a $5k guitar? Thats how it loses value. Try explaining that to an affluent boomer. 🙄
There is a used Gibby LPC Black beauty listed for sale at my local GC. Chances are, it will never sell. Even at $3800, aftermarket Bigsby and what looks to be SD Invaders installed on this guitar. Retails new for $5k, with added mods, its $3800.
Point being, if you dont like a certain feature, you are obviously gonna change that. And everyone can agree it’s perfectly acceptable on a sub-500 dollar guitar. You change one thing on a Gibson, you lower its value. Everyone knows that. The dumbest guitarist (hobby level) is the one who buys a genuine les paul (standard or better) and tries to Frankenstein the dang thing into worthlessness.
Good point about the mods. I wouldn't even think about modding my PRS Custom 24! This though - I would do it all day long 🤘 Have an awesome day!
@@jayguitar YES! And PRS’s as well! It is sacrilegious to mod a USA PRS, in my opinion!
You have a fantastic day as well!!! 😊
@@User-gfys-0icu81 absolutely! USA PRS guitars seem to be the most perfect out of the box! Love them!
I ordered a Greene. Didn't look anything like greene! So I refinished it! changed everything leveled, frets! Now it's not bad! But I was pretty disappointed! Thanks 🤘
$500 for a chibson?? I’ve never paid more than $250 for any of mine
I'd imagine that anyone who is buying one of these, expects to have some issues and certainly plans on modifying it to their liking rather than keep it as-is out of the box.
I got a Chibson in a swap and it's honestly ace, I really fancy refinishing it in a lemon drop with light relicing and finishing in nitro but that poly finish is the thing that I'm a bit wary of getting off 👍👍
I wouldn't bother relic'ing it. Just relic is naturally and authentically by being a bit clumsy with it. Just don't let it fall over or you'll have to glue the headstock back on lol
@@bigbasil1908 I've got all the poly finish off and gone through in a couple of places and it looks quite a bit better now 😊👍
I’m getting ready to upgrade my chibson green. I loved it. Played nice out of box. Hope it last. Act usually, I think it’s a real Gibson.
I think this is misleading. The basic guitar wasn't that bad..and in your words "now a fantastic guitar". .Fret levelling is common on a lot of cheap guitars. Not providing you with the specs you requested is fair enough but still doesn't make it bad...nickel frets instead of SS is the norm. Replacing the parts like bridge/tuners is again not necessary but to taste. As are pickups. If you can pick up one cheap enough, still doing mods to taste will should come in less than a new epiphone some of which are getting into Gibson price.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I appreciate your perspective, but I respectfully disagree that the video is misleading. My intention was to share my personal experience and journey with this guitar, including the unexpected challenges I faced.
While fret levelling may be common on cheaper guitars, the extent of work required here went beyond what I consider reasonable for a new instrument. The specs I requested and didn't receive were crucial to my purchasing decision, which is why I emphasised their importance.
You're right that replacing parts like bridges and tuners can be a matter of taste. However, in this case, the pickups, nut, and electronics were of such poor quality that replacing them was necessary for the guitar to function adequately, not just for personal preference.
The key point I wanted to convey is that the total cost of purchase plus essential upgrades exceeded what I expected and I could have added a couple hundred to the the amount I spent and bought a pre-owned Gibson Les Paul Studio. This comparison is important for potential buyers to consider.
My video aims to provide an honest account of my experience, including both the initial disappointment and the eventual satisfaction after significant work. It's not meant to discourage all budget guitar purchases, but rather to inform about potential pitfalls and hidden costs.
I hope this clarifies my perspective. Thank you for engaging with the content, and I wish you an amazing day!
My experience with chibson has been much better. I also own 4 genuine gibsons, and have own 6 more in the past so i think i can compare. First of all the knock off is not "as good as a real Gibson". The fretwork will usually be sub-par, the hardware (bridge and nut) will usually -but not always- be slightly worse, and the pickups will not be of gibson standard. There might also be some finish flaws, such as small scratches on the paint, or a fret that is discolored .
Now having said that, the quality of the wood used and depending on what you order, is usually really good sometimes 1 piece of wood like the last one i ordered, whereas my real gibson standard and classic both have 2 pieces of wood in the body, and i am not talking about studios faded special models etc that h have seen up to 4-5 pieces of wood glued together in a genuine gibson. The quality of the nut , again you can order to have bone nut and it costs 5 dollars extra, sometimes if you buy a good "chibson" it is already included, as well as a gibson type bridge which is usually 10 dollars. Now usually this kind of arrangment goes for 350-400 BUT if you wait for sales period, and the chinese have this every 3-4 months you can actually grab it for 250. Thats what a paid for mine with one piece body, AA++ flame maple top, fret nibs on the fretboard (which gibson at some point 4-5 years ago stopped using in regular production models as they considered too expensive) gibson style bridge , well cut bone nut and decent not hissing and no feedback alinico pickups. It plays great, not for the 250 i paid, but even if i had paid 8-9 hundred.It also feels great, and looks great, its an eye catcher. Dit it have issues? Yes 1-2 frets were hich , i spot-leveled them within 10 minutes. There were also 2 small scratches, i applied and got a refund of 10 dollars for them. Does it play as good as my real gibson les paul classic and standard? Unplugged yes it plays AS GOOD and has great natural sustain.
At best, Chibson quality is iffy. I've bought one for my wife, and one for myself. Mine was amazing after just a setup. The electronics died in my wife's Strat after not quite a week. Today, we both play the guitars almost daily. I replaced all hardware and electronics on hers. As for logos, mine had a blank headstock. My wife's Strat os marked Acepro. These were ordered from Aliexpress. My Lucille was$219.99. The Acepro Strat cost $179.99.
What did you expect? Seriously. I am thinking of buying one and replace just about everything on it. Just keep the wood. And that’s OK. I know I’ll not be able to buy a Gibson Les Paul R9, so Chibson is probably the best platform for that.
Thats a really great Q about expectations. Well, my basic expectation was that the frets would be somewhat level. But alas they weren't. That was probably my main gripe. Any guitar should be playable out of the box. Some of the rest of the work I did expect and no biggie. But the fret work.... that was a doozie man 😊 False economy buying one of these if you ask me. A pre-owned Les Paul Studio would have cost a couple hundred more and is a far better guitar - by leaps and bounds (which I talk about in my latest video if you'd like to check that out). Have a great day.
@@jayguitar Thanks for the feedback. I have an Epiphone Korina Flying V. It's great, but still it came with a loose pick up. Also the pick up switch is buzzing when I touch it slightly. Not OK. Frets seem OK, I hear no buzzing or whatsoever, but since both the Chibson and the Epiphones are made in China, I'd say if you find a good seller the quality can (if you're lucky) be the same or better. I've seen people on TH-cam finding their Chibsons having better quality than an actual Gibson. But I guess you take the chance. Yes, I can buy a Studio, but I'd love to experience a bit of that R9 myth, even if it's just a copy. The alternative is the Epiphone 1959 Reissue with custombuckers but that goes in the 1300 USD range and I am not convinced. Anyway, have a great day as well.
What made you realize it is not a Gibson?
Hey there! I appreciate you watching the video, but I think there might be a bit of confusion. As I mentioned in the video, I always knew this wasn't a Gibson - it's a Chinese copy that was actually supposed to have 'Jayson' on the headstock, not Gibson.
I'm not sure if you were trying to make a joke here, but just in case there was genuine confusion, I wanted to clear that up. I'm always upfront about the gear I'm using, whether it's high-end or budget-friendly.
Thanks for engaging with the content! If you have any other questions about the guitar or the video, feel free to ask.
Have a great day!
how is a 2-3 hundred on a great looking, feeling guitar a regret purchase? Everyone should know by now, if you get one you will need to strip it down and build it back up. All new hardware and electronics. So about 500-600 total. depending on what hardware and pups you decide to use. One of my best guitars is a Chibson and over the years its gone through some changes. It's a quilted "bourbon" burst top, I had them do an ebony fretboard with the Supreme inlays, I now have a nice roller bridge and locking tuners, Tusq nut, I originally put in a set of Seymours, but now it has the EMG 57/66's thanks to Ritchie Faulkner.. And it's great. Going on 11 years old now still a great guitar.
Just got a silverburst chibby. And yeah, the body and neck and headstock are great. The rest will be thrown away in the bin in terms of HW and circuits and pickups. I am working on it to make is playable, as the frets need to be levelled and everything else is awful. But It can be made great. I will document this
Sounds like you’ve had the same experience. Have fun doing the mods and fixes. I love the guitar now that the work is done 😊🙏🏽🤟🏽 have an awesome day.
Chibsons dont appeal to me at all, seen so many videos where it is hit and miss even regarding scale lengths being so far out they cannot intonate. If you can get a good one far enough but you would still need to rewire and put in new pups. Better off getting a Burny, Greco , Tokai or similar. Even Harley Benton or Vintage would make more sense.
This gent has a great attitude: makes lemonade from a lemon. Talented musician who seems to genuinely enjoy music making and a bit of tinkerer who knows how to tailor a guitar to his fit/like.
Thats very kind of you dude 😊 🙏 I wanted this guitar to be good - guess I just had to do it myself. Have an awesome day.
Leveling crowning and polishing frets should not be a issue for someone who builds guitars.
It wasn’t and issue - I’ve done it many times. The point is that the guitar should have arrived with some semblance of playability. It didn’t and that’s not a good way to send out a guitar.
I bought a few back in the day and regret each one... I would rather buy an epiphone.. if you want any luck, you need to have reputable sellers who will own the ordering process. Always request photos before they ship etc...
So far i am loving my chibson, Bought it with the intent of stripping it down to bare tusk and learning fret work. Out of the box it was about the same quality as a 200 dollar epiphone. Should be a fun test mule for me to mess around with.
I paid less than two hundred for mine. Played good for me. Really Jason? What the heck.
Cool story. I bought a chinese Tokai gold top LP for about $700. It didn’t have those kind of issues but it needed improvement, especially in the sound department. With a pre wired harness from Mojotone, SD pickups and Gotoh tuners the total sum landed on $1100-1200. It’s by far my best guitar. I think you will have to spend at least around $500 in a cheap a guitar to turn it into a great player. Still you might end up with something that matches the price of a low end Gibson LP studio or tribute but looks much nicer and plays great.
I bought a 90’s guild bluesbird chinese knockoff $500. What a disaster. Headstock looked as big as guitar, machine heads nowhere close to symmetric. Red flamed maple top had big gap where the two book match met. Un repairable things. I also got a les paul custom chibson that i didn’t have to do anything to and looks and plays outstanding. Both companies had great reviews. Roll the dice. Hit or miss
I have a 'CHibsun' J-200 Maple Acoustic Electric on the way. I am hoping that I don't get a LEMON !! But, if I do I'll hang it on the wall as "ART" and figure you can see what you want ! lol
I got a Gold Top Chibson and replaced everything but the selector switch (it was REAL!). The neck is absolutely perfect profile and its nice and light. It is now my preferred guitar out of 30 i own. Maybe it's just a good one but I love it. I can do anything I want to it with no regard for it being real, so fun. I wouldn't take a real one to most of my gigs!
No harm to you my friend, but if you thought you were ordering a custom built guitar, neck profile, different relic finish, stainless frets etc for $500, you really were mugged. I have 9 guitars bought direct from sellers in China & never recieved a really bad one, nothing more than fret dres, set up, changing pickups & electrics which is to be expected & only other minor issues, the key is finding a good, well reccommended seller. The most I ever payed was $380 for a complete custom build, 1972 Les Paul Deluxe, with correct headstock with volute, ebony fretboard & correct Burst finish front & back, it is a gem of a guitar.
Hey dude, yeah I know! Lol! I justified to myself that the extra cost would afford me the customisation - alas I was wrong! 😂 I'd be interested to find out the buyer you purchased from as its good to hear some guitars are actually pretty good. Have an awesome day!
Ok so how is the chibson out of the box compared to a 2006 epiphone lp standard?
$900 you could have bought a real Gibson.
Yep! And Doh! 😊 🙏 Have an awesome day!
That's a very nice unique guitar. Had you bought an Epiphone for that price I doubt that it would be as nice as what you have created.
The important thing is that you like it😊
The cracks on the paint was done by sanding wet on the layer
I had a friend buy one, for $1500! I told him not to go for it, it probably wasnt real!
Unfortunately, he did not heed my warning. The same guitar was found on a Chinese website for $400. Having a "Gibson" logo on the headstock is so wrong, for so many reasons.
It really sucks when these get out in the wild. Most people are honest, but then there are people that are not. It would be better if they left the headstock blank. No one likes to be deceived.
But hey, you knew what you were getting into! Im glad you didnt pay more than you did. lesson learned!
Whoa! That was a lot of money for one of those. It’s a real shame that there are scammers out there. Buyers have to be extra careful these days as there are so many knock offs floating around out there. I agree with you about the logo. Its one of the reasons I didn’t want it one the headstock. When I get time I am gonna refinish it and put the Jayson logo back on. It’ll mean stripping it down and repainting it but I’d rather do that as it was supposed to have a different name on it. Have an awesome day!
@@jayguitar agreed dude. Put your logo back on there. So if it ever gets stolen or something, it will be hard to pawn off a "Jayson" Les Paul. LOL!
Keep rocking dude. ❤
@@christopherhorton4634 That's a great point about the logo! I will be doing that as soon as time permits 😊 🤘 I actually miss seeing the Jayson logo on there.
You rock Jay !!
Very kind of you man! Thanks and have an awesome day!
I 'Just' (Dec 23) got my First REAL GIBSON Studio Les Paul and I paid $900 at Guitar Center. New. I like mine A LOT !!
Good deal on the LP Studio. They are nice guitars 😊 Have an awesome day!
Hey Jay
I don't think your a idiot , think of it this way
No where else can you buy a mahogany LP. relic guitar in that color. Yes a new gibson factory made but not what you had in mind unless you spend thousands having a custom built guitar and from looking at your music room you have done that B4. I think thats the draw to chibsons is the Modding taking the paint job the relic the color or shape LP , Strat, Tele and Modding. My question to you is have you ever bought a guitar from guitar center and replaced pickups , Pots, or maybe " wished it was in a different COLOR" your no sucker !! you built a guitar you wanted just COST more then you expected. 500 is pretty steep for a China music Factory , sounds like a Ebay distributer " Middle man" pricing to me . I've purchased several Chibsons and other then the fret job you had to do I normally anticipate replacing all the parts you listed as my preferences of pickups, bridge, pots. I have more info on China Made guitars if your interested please respond to my comment !!
You basically bought a build your own guitar kit with a supply your own hardware factor
Hey Jay how much do you charge to set up guitars I need help thanks Scott
Hi Scott, I'm not taking on any set up work right now I'm afraid 😊 🙏 Have a great day dude!
The thing about gold top relics is they never recreate the green tarnish that makes old road dog goldtops so cool in my opinion.
Jesus dude. Thats a lot for a chibson mod.. I bought an alpine white chibson lp for $230 and changed almost everything cosmetically. I left the pots and switch. Everything else is upgraded. Im 750 into it and thats including what i paid for the guitar. I love mine.
Yep! 😂 Took a whole heap of work! Sounds like you had the same journey as I did. I love the guitar now though 😊 🤘 Have an awesome day.
Very good material 👏
Harley Benton is selling a "Les Paul" Gold top for $168.00! I'm buying that one. 😊
Much better choice dude! They are pretty cool guitars. Another brand to consider is the Vintage. I have a V100AFD which is so much better than the Chibson. Anyways, lesson learnt! lol! Have an awesome day!
It looks better than Murphy Lav though? 😊
I bought a guitar to relic but I couldn’t do it, it seemed so wrong!
Thanks! Don’t know it is comes up to par with a Murphy Labs but it’s cool to have that guitar. It makes me smile when I see it in the studio. I hear you about relic’ing! I would be pretty reluctant to do this one a really nice new guitar. Something a little beat up already, yeah thats no issue 😊 Have an awesome day!
If is it possible to buy that guitar without any pickups and hardware, only body and neck, and if you have skills and tools for fretwork, it would be interesting.
Yes, thats totally possible. Chinese manufacturers are usually ok with doing that. Have an awesome day!
I would be mad as hell. The problem with Ebay, you buy at your own risk. I would not spend that kind of money if I was defrauded like you. I would make sure I could my the seller at arms length.
The guitar looks and sounds great..doubtful you'd get a reliced les Paul for that money even if you did go genuine...youd get a nice pretty one......not the machine you have now. I liked what you did with the clean rhythm backing guitar on this track....very original....all the best.
Thanks man! Very true - that is one of the reasons that I went for it, the relic job looked pretty good. And to be honest, it was a BLAST relicing the back! lol! Scratching up a guitar on purpose - kinda cool! 😊 🤘 Anyways, thanks I appreciate it and glad you enjoyed the tones and track. Have an awesome day!
Sorry to hear about your experiences, but a lot of the Chinese sellers are really very good. You just have to do your research on who the reputable sellers are
If you are expecting a replica to play like the original, you are kidding yourself. There is no way any guitar manufacturer can make a cheap $250 to $350 copy of a Les Paul play and sound like real Les Paul. They don't have the materials, experienced workers, and or equipment to make it happen. Epiphone makes the best Les Paul replicas, I have the Inspired by Gibson 50's Gold Top Standard and it's awesome. I also have a Chibson Les Paul Standard 60's replica in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. It's a very nice looking guitar and even sounds pretty good, but as far as playability my Epiphone is far superior.
Hey dude, I wasn't expecting it to play like a more expensive guitar and I knew I would have to do some work to it to get it to where I wanted it, but the amount of work needed was pretty crazy. I got bilked on this one but hey, live and learn 🤘 Have an awesome day!
Sounds amazing, is impressive guitar.Don't buy Epiphone,is a bad china edition guitar,but if you find the correct factory seler you can get a perfect Chipson guitar,today are more perfect even the logo name multicolor..A good Chipson is impossible see the difference between Original.even in hands.
Last week a friend gets a 200$ Chibson and it's of awesome quality, same level as 400$ Epiphone.
Recently i bought a 220 € incl. VAT Chibson Les Paul Custom at Ali Express too, it was a factory sale. The only thing i changed apart from the strings were the crappy tuners to way better 50 € Gotohs. Maybe i change the bridge in the future. The no name pickups are surprisingly good sounding. I don't regret the purchase. 👍
Jay I bought one a black les Paul custom just had to change pickups