They're getting cleverer, or I'm very cynical

[Iain]

The Chinese guitar scam has moved on. Instead of offering you a £3.00 'genuine' Ibanez/Gibson/Fender, they are now offering the following:

1959 GIBSON LES PAUL SPECIAL with VINTAGE 60's P-90 Pickups! LOW STARTING BID! Up for your bids is my 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special Mahogany High Gloss Finish guitar and I've heard some people call these Honey Amber. I've made some upgrades to this guitar to make it a one-of-a-kind sweet tone pumpin machine. Made in the U.S.A. and the Serial number is 01481456. The upgrades include Grover Tulip Nickel Keystone Tuners, GraphTech Saddles to eliminate string breakage and improve tone, added Sprague .047mfd Orange Drop caps on the tone controls, and last and most important I replaced the original Gibson P-100 pickups with some old Vintage Gibson 1960's P-90 pickups with the Gibson logo embossed cream covers...

To be found here

or:

1954 Gibson Les Paul Top - Original Condition Very straight, original condition Les Paul Gold top. Completely original finish on the body & neck with no overspray, sanding, buffing, etc. Lacquer checking is more prominent on the gold face than the rest of the guitar and shows the telltale "green-ish" streaking which is typical - a result of the gold paint itself. No damage of any kind, headstock cracks, routes or other modifications. Unless noted below everything else is 100% original, correct, and functional. Typical '54 medium-size neck profile. The guitar is professionally set up with .010s and is an easy player. The case has seen better days but is fully functional and all latches & hardware work.

Your genuine Gibson gold top is to be found here

The clincher is the semi-hollow advertised as a Les Paul with a bigsby - here

I don't feel at all sorry for the sod who has bid over £1000 for the 'Gold top'.

[K Frame]

I wouldn't know the difference between a real and fake Les Paul if the fake bit me on the ass.

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

The Q&A is a riot.

- NF

[...has left the building.]

The Bigsby on the third Les Paul is totally sweet! But I don't really like it anyway, I'm more of an Esteban man myself.

[Bogie]

What really matters is your amp and speaks...

I'm partial to Hiwatts...

[Guest]

I wouldn't know the difference between a real and fake Les Paul if the fake bit me on the ass.

And I bet you wouldnt be spending several thousand dollars on one either. Ignorance isnt really a problem if it is with a subject you have no interest in. Someone with too much money who decides that they are an enthusiast without bothering to do the research is pretty sad.

[spinr]

A:  hi we is genuine auctions this gibson ,if you conceivability him please your make a bid for in ebay ,thank good luck

A:  dear amigo; Thank you, wrong said the sound to my project, I in time thank you inhere, I thought on is the golden crown, but on me mistakenly project,we in over here good luck chirrupy one day thank

[Iain]

Well, they all sold for over £5,000 UKP ($9,460US)

I'm not an expert, but I do believe that your genuine Les Paul goldtop shouldn't be slab bodied, it should have a carved arched top - something like this

[Guest]

Buying anything on e-bay from china, hong kong, is dumb. The land of scams, fakes and cheats. If someone does send money there, would you please help me out. I have an uncle in nigera who inherited a large amournt of money ($128,550.00) and has no way to get it out of the country........