Fake Martin?

[wrandall]

Hello,
Can you guys verify that this is a fake Martin. I just purchased it quickly after reading the description. After looking at the pics and doing some research on the 0-21s I realized I just purchased a fake. Let me know. Thanks guys.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281227271494...84.m1439.l2649

[TOCS]

Looks weird to be honest. Didn't they always stamp the Martin name on the inside of the guitar though? It seems that it's missing completely. Also I've never seen a Martin with a truss rod at the headstock before.

[Jeff Scott]

What Martins have truss rod access at the headstock? And, no backstrip inside the body?

[Bucc5207]

Hard to tell from the link, especially with the lack of photos. The serial number would give it a 1985 build date, which fits with the description. Martin website has no info about 0-21s, but they do list D-21s and 00-21s. The seller could have misread the inside markings, but he did say it's not a big guitar. 14.25" at the widest sounds definitely not 'D.' Then again, it could be one of the infamous 'CP Martin' knockoffs.

ETA Just found the 'See original listing' link with more pics. Yeah, the truss rod cover is weird. The top looks pretty nice, although the closeup only shows about 1/4 of it. Did Martin ever use Martin-branded tuners?

[ahutt59]

18+" lower bout is huge, probably too big for a 0 guitar? Or maybe I'm crazy...

Edit: reread the listing, I'm not crazy just tired I think 14" lower bout

[downtime]

That does not look like any Martin I've seen before, ask the seller for a photo of the neck block through the sound hole.

[HHP]

Just a guess, but it looks like a reworked and "decaled" Yamaha. Not a Martin 0.

[Jeff Scott]

Another thing I noticed but forgot to mention is the scarf joint at the heel.

[Bucc5207]

Fake or not, was $400 a decent price? The proof is in the playing.

[Wade Hampton]

It's definitely not a Martin. The body shape is wrong, the truss rod cover is wrong, the body binding is wrong. It's Asian-made, for sure.

When I was in Taiwanese and South Korean music stores I often saw complete fakes sold as American brand name guitars: fake Strats with the Fender logo on them, fake Les Pauls with the Gibson logo on them, fake Strats with the Gibson logo on them, and fake Les Pauls with the Fender logo on them!! Whatever you want, they'll sell you.

I also saw fake Martins and fake Ovations galore.

Over there there wasn't any intention to defraud: the same music stores often had the genuine items for sale, clearly labeled as "American-made Fender" and "American-made Martin," at four times the price of the Asian copies.

So my guess is that this is what you bought, an inexpensive Asian-made "Martin" that some GI or other overseas traveler bought in an Asian music store and brought back to North America.

If you can return it and get your money back, I suggest that you do.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[pickitluther]

Fake. Not even close to a Martin.

[wrandall]

I am an idiot.

[warfrat73]

Nope, that does not appear to be a Martin. Among the dead giveaways... truss rod adjustment at headstock, scarf joint at heel, the headstock shape is off, and the big bold black binding. And moreover, it's not an 0-21 because model 21s were rosewood, and that's clearly some type of mahogany, and that's not an "0" body shape, and that's a style 28 fingerboard inlay, and most 0-21s would be 12-fret necks (though I'm not 100% certain that they never made a 14 fret model).

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by wrandall

I am an idiot.

No, you were just not as informed as you are now.

Be happy it wasn't a $2000 guitar.

[piper_guitarist]

That's totally fake. I'm sorry about that.

You need to report the seller to eBay for fraudulent listing practices and get your money back. It sickens me that there are fraudsters rampant on that site, preying upon the lack of knowledge of some people. It's disgusting.