petethorn":1j3yyx2g said:
ejecta":1j3yyx2g said:
BYTOR":1j3yyx2g said:
Tone Zone":1j3yyx2g said:
Why would anyone even want to support such a company that participates in illegal copyright infringement? I wouldn't give these assholes a dime!
If after playing one I found that I couldn't really tell much difference that mattered to me between say a real Les Paul & a Chinese knockoff except for maybe pickups, I would buy the knockoff no problem.
It would also have to look spot on to what the real deal looks like including headstock shape, decal etc....
Is a much better quality Gil Yaron Les Paul for $10,000 any less of a douchebag buy just because it's not a cheap Chinese knock off.........the Yaron is a total Gibson Les Paul copyright infringement knock off as well.....he just writes GilYaron on the headstock in the Gibson font........what's the difference in morals here? Gibson is still being totally infringed upon.....
There is no difference other than the Yaron buys you forum cred.
That's bullshit- for this reason
The Yaron is a phenomenal guitar, that while is TECHNICALLY infringing on Gibson's trademarked body shape, is not ever going to be mistaken or passed off for a Gibson- because it doesn't have the same headstock and logo as a Gibson. It is a replica for all the right reasons- the fucking TONE and playability and correct 50's specs. Made for people who give a shit about and can recognize such things, and are obsessed with them. Once again, no one will ever be duped or fooled or conned by these guitars. They are made for one reason- to recreate in exacting detail what we love about 50's Les Pauls, and can't get to our satisfaction from any other modern instrument.
The Chinese knock off is meant to buy you cred- with others and yourself- to fool people or even fool yourself into thinking that you have a "Gibson", and that you should feel good about the fact that you got a "Gibson" for $500 or whatever. It's made for ALL the wrong reasons. Buying one means you are into labels and image above quality or tone. Seriously, think about it... try one if you can, don't take my word for it- They suck, period. They don't even look close to real either, which is the irony. I've seen and played some, and they are a joke. If you order one thinking you are going to get some awesome satisfactory experience for cheap, you will be sorely disappointed.
IMHO of course.
Visit the Suhr factory, and see and meet the people involved in building those instruments, the R&D and craftsmanship and materials involved, the care and expertise put into building them.... and then tell me you'll be happy with a Chinese knock-off. If you can still say you would be, well then maybe you should move to China too....
I hear ya and I think you are reading more into, what was from my perspective, a tongue in cheek comment that was sprinkled with a good bit of truth.
Stealing a design is stealing a design and it's wrong. Period. Your intent on what you do with that creation of an existing design at that point is irrelevant. You've already crossed the line. Yes you can further cross that line by trying to sell at as the "real thing" but that doesn't make stealing the design from the get go any less wrong. I'm a designer by trade and stealing other peoples ideas and designs is very wrong in my field and wrong period. Even making just minor changes to existing designs is looked at at best as being very lazy. I could give two shits less if someone could take my design and build a better version.... it's stealing.
As to the Yaron LP knock off.... if you think guitar players, let alone the rest of crowd, that have seen you play in arenas, clubs, theaters aren't fooled in thinking you are playing a Gibson Les Paul then I don't know what to say but I'd bet my house they are. I get it... the Yaron is a very very fine instrument made by a very good builder. I also get that he makes very very minor tweaks to the headstock. But he puts his name that starts with a "G" and ends in "on" in the Gibson font and puts the name "Les Paul" in the Les Paul font. Come on man.... seriously? If it wasn't at least to a large degree about the image of playing a Les Paul then more people would buy his original designs that sound and play just as good as his LP knock offs..... which I concede you have. Still that's proof from my perspective that it IS a lot about image.
I'm not a big fan of the Gibson company but I can see why they don't like it. Gibson not building a good Les Paul anymore but Gil doing so doesn't justify it nor does the argument that it doesn't hurt Gibson financially in a large way.
These Suhr knock offs are just as wrong and they
are doing something else wrong by selling them as a Suhr. Yes I get at least Gil isn't doing that.... as if that really makes a difference.
What's ironic to me is working musicians like yourself and the ones you work for are very pissed about downloading and rightfully so. Fact is there is no difference. Theft is theft.
Just so you know.... I think you are a very talented player who has great taste in gear. You work hard at your craft and are very generous with your help and input on forums and free lessons. You have my total respect in those regards. We just don't see eye to eye on this and that's fine.
