1. (Ownership of these can be illegal, and there are other ways that they can put you in jail, read below to find out more)

Are they Legit? Is there a catch?

If you’re thinking something might be up with Cheaguitarstores.com, you’d probably be right. However, it probably isn’t what you’re thinking. So, go ahead and put away your wallet for now and we’ll give you the inside scoop on what is up with Cheapguitarstores.com in this complete review. If you need help finding a great deal on guitars, I’ll provide a link with a guide at the end of this article. Also i’ll Cite sources at the end and throughout this article, one of the sources is actually a friend who bought……twice.

What is CheapGuitarStores.com?

Cheapguitarstores is a website that openly sells counterfeit guitar products from China, they have just about every counterfeit guitar you can think of, along with saxophones (When they’re in stock). They advertise being able to give you great deals since they ship directly from the factory. While everyone loves a bargain, some are to good to be true.

So, What’s The Catch?

Buying cheap guitars online has many consequences. Apart from this activity being a grey area (Buying counterfeit items is still technically legal, however selling them is punishable by up to 10 years in the United States. You can read about this here.) There are literally dozens of reasons why you’ll regret buying a cheap knockoff.

 

Their site sells COUNTERFEIT products, not replicas. What’s the difference?

 

Replicas, (also referred to as copies) are not exactly ripped off of a different guitar, and will also have different branding as well. These guitars can actually be quality guitars, with many famous musicians using them. Doug from Guns n Roses uses a Bunny (replica of a Gibson) which he claims plays better than the original. These Japanese guitars are actually known to be quite good, even though they cause lots of lawsuits. I’ll provide a list of reputable sites at the end of the article who sell quality replicas.

 

Counterfeit guitars, are meant to be cheaply made by shady companies who are just ripping off with cheap parts popular guitars. They are intentionally trying to make the guitar look like the original model while doing little to no quality checks at all.

The only things you’ll find different from the original on counterfeit guitars are cheaper quality wood and parts. Craftsmanship is also a huge issue since the guitars are made by minimum wage workers and not professional Luthiers (guitar makers).

Top 5 reasons why you shouldn’t buy from Cheapguitarstores, ever.

 

#5 If you want to get rid of it, selling is a crime.

Also ownership of counterfeit products could be illegal in the future. Currently there are US politicians trying to pass some highly restrictive laws for counterfeit product ownership.

For now however, you’re in the clear to buy whatever counterfeit guitar you want.

Unless, you live in a country that doesn’t allow it, also be careful to check the laws before you go anywhere with your slightly illegal guitar because getting caught in some countries can mean more than just a slap on the wrist.

 

In short, it’s never good to be in a legally grey area……but when it comes to an instrument you want to play everyday it’s best to spend a few dollars more and just stay legal.

 

#4 If you’re lucky, you’ll get a guitar that somewhat works. (Most likely you won’t though)

The quality of guitars from sites like these is quite appalling, but slightly understandable considering you’re getting them at a tenth of the cost to make a decent guitar sometimes.

 

Most of these are so bad that some notes will buzz because of (seriously off) fret placement, or make no sound at all when hit. Don’t even try doing bends on some of these guitars.

 

Speaking of bending btw, the wood on these guitar knock-offs are known to snap as well causing some pretty bad hand injuries from them. The ultimate disaster for any musician.

 

The pickups don’t always work.

 

You will see the worst action you’ve ever seen on a guitar.

 

So basically if you want a playable knockoff, you’ll need to at the least level frets, new pots, new pickups, shield the cavity, and that’s just a start.

 

So that guitar that costs only a tenth of the cost? Is going to cost more hassle than it’s worth + a hefty price tag.

 

Hopefully you’re starting to understand how this isn’t a good deal for anyone.

 

#3 Their site is known to have issues with security.

 

When you log in to their site your browser might pop up and tell you, but if it doesn’t just know that this site has major security issues, when you put your information in, it would be very easy for an outside source to get your personal info and use it as well. The site also has problems with ordering as well, with multiple people on the web reporting putting in info and not being able to purchase or other similar issues that just have to do with poor web development.

 

Also a quick tip when it comes to security for counterfeit sites, generally do not trust any of them. Most are committing a crime by selling counterfeit goods. So if they’re willing to commit fraud and sell counterfeit items that someone else worked hard to create it’s hard to say if they’ll be honest with your info as well. The worst that could happen is pretty unimaginable but even if they just sold your email to a spammer (They do ask for it in checkout) that would still suck, at least for me. I hate spam!

 

 

#2 Shipping takes forever. And you could get your Item confiscated since counterfeit products going through the U.S. postal service is a federal offense.

Really. If you didn’t know, shipping from other countries goes through a very long process. Throughout this process they will be looking for counterfeit products as well as anything else fishy, chances are shipments from their facility have been flagged so it’s very possible you could get your instrument taken.

 

#1 You’re ripping off the music industry.

Really, let’s face it. As musicians we are daily ripped off of by how the music industry has been going for the last several years. Honestly, we’re doing to guitar manufacturers what we would hate to have done to ourselves. So, if you believe in karma………..

 

 

Summary:

There really aren’t any real benefits from buying counterfeit guitars, there’s just so many serious headaches involved. From it almost being a crime to the fact they’re virtually unplayable……it’s just not worth it.

 

I hope you found my review helpful! I was inspired since a friend of mine bought a guitar from this and a similar website to it and both were awful duds. If there’s anything I could do to help you can find contact info here.

Thank you for reading!

 

 

Where to find good Replica guitars.