Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
At least 85 counterfeit guitars that could have been sold to unsuspecting buyers for over $250,000 were seized during a bust at Dulles International Airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protections.
The bootleg instruments arrived from China in late-March and were designed to closely-resemble expensive, highly-collectible guitars from renowned brands like Gibson, Fender, CF Martin, Taylor and Kramer.
“The highest value model was a [Gibson] Les Paul ax supposedly autographed by Guns and Roses guitarist Slash appraised at $8,000, if authentic,” the press release explains.
Other models were emblazoned with phony autographs from legends like AC/DC's Angus Young or Les Paul himself.
The instruments were addressed to buyers in 31 different U.S. states.
"The entire lot of guitars would have had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $258,707 if they were authentic," added the release.
In January, federal agents seized another 36 counterfeit guitars from China that would have been worth close to $160,000 if they were the real thing.
At the time, Customs and Border Protections contacted the affected-brands to confirm the guitars were indeed counterfeit.
The bootleg guitar business is a booming one, as scammers' building and selling techniques have grown more sophisticated and underhanded in recent years.
Check out this article for tips on how to avoid buying a counterfeit guitar by mistake. Check out the video below by YouTube guitar tech Phillip McKnight for some tips.