| Author | Message | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 1014 Registered: 11-2003 |
Don't know if anyone else has seen or posted this, but I thought I would: http://www.phredinstruments.com/default.asp As I'm not a guitarist, I'd love to hear the impression of Alembic guitar players on this. Alan | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3413 Registered: 10-2002 |
A year or so ago, the BBC's Top Gear motoring programme did an episode about chinese car companies bringing out copies then ignoring any legal action brought against them by e.g. BMW or Ford by saying their almost exact replicas looked nothing like the real thing. I guess the same would apply here. Graeme | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 1048 Registered: 6-2006 |
Not very innovative. :-( | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1313 Registered: 1-2005 |
I like the way the Languedoc copy says "new headstock arriving soon" - lame! | ||
| pace
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 942 Registered: 4-2004 |
"Liger" ...... LMFAO | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1562 Registered: 10-2006 |
If you check out the Chinese Les Paul counterfeit sites (like this one), most of the time they'll black out the logo - leaving it just often enough that you know you'll get a "Gibson"; my first thought was "It says 'Languedoc' under that banner". I figure if you get one, you'll get "old stock" with the logo. Chinese counterfeits all the way! Which from what I've heard (I have a friend who has several "PRC" Les Pauls & Teles he bought for bar gigs) means you'd get a good, servicable instrument, on a level with current Epiphones, Squires, and lower-line Guilds & Gretsches - but not on a level with a Languedoc, Irwin, or Irwinized Alembic. Nice for the price, but not what they purport to be. Peter | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 2031 Registered: 9-2002 |
I'm disappointed; I love it when these things say 'Gilson'. In this case, 'Alombig' or 'LangaDuck' would have been fine. Chinese copyright law is just useless, do they even write them down? And this happens with lots of goods: http://petapixel.com/2013/09/03/spot-fake-canon-flash-learned-hard-way/ Just imagine: 'Onleee a Gilson is Enoughff ggood!' J o e y | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 867 Registered: 12-2003 |
These are discussed quite a bit on the RU Kind forum. They seem to be a very nice jump off point for people looking to get a Jerry Sound and look on a budget. The folks who've played them are very happy. | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1502 Registered: 6-2002 |
Make-o-Matic ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjTkH7sH_A0 | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 868 Registered: 12-2003 |
Duplicate (Message edited by jalevinemd on September 05, 2013) | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 869 Registered: 12-2003 |
RU Kind Phred Thread | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 1049 Registered: 6-2006 |
Happy people doesn't make plagiarism right. If they really understood the impact this has on a group of people (Alembic), who are the birthright owners/ creators of the sound that they desire . . . I would hope they would no longer be happy. Make-o-matic indeed! I need to refrain from viewing this thread as it troubles me deeply and I do not wish to offend anyone. Jonathan your posts are accurate in answering Alan's original question. I also enjoyed meeting/ jamming with you in Chicago. You are a good person and I do not mean for my words to be an attack towards you. I am in a bad place these days and am frustrated with the way the world appears to be driven by greed; every aspect of evil and ne'r do well has a big friggin' dollar sign behind it while we trample upon our fellow man (animal, plant, insect). We are doing a disservice to our children and children's children by chasing a buck instead of caring for each other. </gets_off_soapbox> | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 1171 Registered: 3-2004 |
I don't see the problem. If you know enough about custom guitars to go looking for a Languedoc or Alembic then you're not going to be fooled into buying one of these by mistake. The price tag alone would be a tip off. Should a young guitarist settle for a fender/gibson/etc., when they want the look and feel of their hero's guitar? What if they truly know better and just can't justify dropping $6k+ for an instrument? "Sorry son, that shape is only for folks with disposable income. No one else need apply." Plagiarism accusations in guitar making are a tricky thing. Let's consider the F2-B for a moment. It's my understanding that it shares a remarkable similarity to the Fender Bassman. Or how about the California Special. It sure looks like a super strat to me. Or how about those split "p-bass" pick ups. They didn't come from thin air either. Just saying . . . | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 870 Registered: 12-2003 |
... (Message edited by jalevinemd on September 06, 2013) | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Intermediate Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 174 Registered: 6-2012 |
I saw one of these (Garcia Wolf knock-off) on Saturday at the guitar store where I work part time. Pretty convincing from a distance, but it didn't hold up under close inspection. FWIW: the owner brought it to us to troubleshoot an intermittent electronic issue that turned out to be a faulty battery. | ||
| sjhoffma
Advanced Member Username: sjhoffma Post Number: 316 Registered: 5-2008 |
As someone who owns a Languedoc, and who waited years and years to finally get one, I personally think what phred is doing is wrong. Theres a big difference between trying to give fans an affordable option to feel like their heros, and having someone else's design mass produced overseas by cheap chinese labor for profit. But as others have brought up, its not a 100% forgery, because lets face it... no one is going to get fooled by those pieces of junk. But credit could be at least given where credit is due.... At least most of the people out there making Wolf and Tiger replica's, put love and effort into them, tipping their hats off to the makers by at least paying respect and homage to their designs by trying to imitate them with care. (imitation being the more sincere from of flattery) Having a bunch of underpaid oversees workers making the guitars in batches however, is not the work of an amateur luthier who loves his craft... its a result of a businessmen, and business is about profit. my 2 cents | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 1175 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'm not sure what you mean by giving them credit. For the Garcia styles would you give the credit to Alembic, Irwin, or Cripe? Jerry played similar guitars from each of these makers. And how exactly could you give credit to these styles without copying them even more closely? Languedoc is more cut and dry on credit, but even his guitars bear a striking resemblance to the original Fender Starcasters. Sure it's about money. Just like Fender, Gibson, or any other builder is about money. So if someone is going to own a chinese guitar, and they love the Dead or Phish why is is better for them to buy a foreign Fender than a foreign Phred? Especially considering that these sorts of guitars are probably a stepping stone until they can afford something from a boutique builder like Alembic? And let's not ignore that the guitars are apparently well regarded (at least according to the members of the forum posted above), so the cheap Chinese junk description isn't accurate anyway. | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 877 Registered: 12-2003 |
Speaking of luthiers who put love and effort into their replicas, here's my Tiger which just arrived from Leo at Scarlet Fire Guitars.  (Message edited by jalevinemd on October 01, 2013) | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 1178 Registered: 3-2004 |
Very pretty. | ||
| cje
Intermediate Member Username: cje Post Number: 142 Registered: 5-2009 |
Is this your guitar, Jonathan? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGzYaYIpe4I | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 878 Registered: 12-2003 |
CJ...that's the guitar. Just not me playing. Here's a couple more pics.   | ||
| jorge_s
Intermediate Member Username: jorge_s Post Number: 194 Registered: 8-2002 |
Ok I don't post too often but I am speechless! Congratulations, that is a beautiful guitar! | ||
| pace
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 951 Registered: 4-2004 |
Amazing guitar Jon!!!! Whatever factory in china Leo outsources to they do some spot-on work!!.. ;) I was thinking about this thread earlier today, and as far as the designer vs builder aspect goes there is soooo much grey area across the board. Where some players would place a Tribute on that spectrum is very subjective, no?!? Which "Bill Lawerence" would you rather buy pickups from?!? How many of us own a Fender? How many of us own a Fender from when Leo still had a stake in the Co.?!? | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1509 Registered: 6-2002 |
"How many of us own a Fender from when Leo still had a stake in the Co.?!?" 80's G&L's....the Real Ones, jus' sayin' ;) | ||
| hankster
Advanced Member Username: hankster Post Number: 341 Registered: 6-2004 |
Pre-november'79 Music Man Stingray. That count? R. | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 3054 Registered: 5-2009 |
I have a 71 Fender Precision Bass , Maple neck , Ash body. 100% All original parts . I played it in a few Country Bands , one of which when we were an opening band for Johnny Paycheck decades ago. ( I might even be tempted to trade it for the RIGHT Alembic these days ! ) | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1510 Registered: 6-2002 |
That counts in LARGE amounts hankster, Those are pure Mojo  Ash and Maple is a nice combo. I'm playing a SkyHawk(guitar) now with those woods and I can't put it down . Focused and rich tones. This ones a keeper (plus it was Dale Hyatt's : ) : )) OP, I apologize for the tangent. | ||
| hankster
Advanced Member Username: hankster Post Number: 342 Registered: 6-2004 |
It is a nice combo of woods, for sure. i also have a Telecaster (guitar, not bass) with an ash body and maple neck. Lots of snap. Much as I love the old Music Man, though, I just love my Alembic short scale Stanley standard more. |
