Be Aware &
Be Informed
It has come to my attention that several people are
counterfeiting the Original J. Frog again. Be extra careful, especially if you
don't know the individual involved.
Remember, the definition of counterfeit is, a fake that
someone tries to pass off as an original. If someone makes a copy of something,
and sells it as a copy, it's not the same as selling it to someone as the real
thing.
A Japanese company, by the name of Electric Sound Products,
(ESP) manufactured some copies in 1999. These copies were playable, but the
carving job was not very accurate, to Johnny Frog's original specifications.
Even though ESP paid us a $25,000.00 settlement because they did
this. Those guitars are not authenticated because the royalty had to be obtained through
legal channels after ESP had already started making them without permission
from Johnny Frog.
Recently a customer tried to buy a J. Frog neck from me. He
had already purchased a J Frog Glock 22. It was his intention to put the J Frog
neck on his ESP and therefore in effect create a J. Frog guitar. Of course I
didn't sell him the neck but he did purchase another J Frog Glock 22. Therein
lies the potential for at least 2 counterfeits.
Over the years ESP has associated themselves with George
Lynch and therefore associated themselves with the "Skull N' Bones" guitar. I
want to make one thing perfectly clear. (ESP never built the original J Frog
Skull N' Bones, and ESP never had the right to put their decal on any J. Frog
Guitar). If you see a picture of a J. Frog guitar with the ESP logo anywhere
on the guitar, you can be absolutely positive it isn't real.
As of February 2000 all the J. Frog Guitars will have a
grooved neck joint for added stability and to make sure that no one can make as
ESP into a fake J. Frog.
Sidebar
ESP also manufactures a Japanese incredibly accurate Fender relic style
guitar. If someone changed the neck it would be hard for even an expert to be
able to tell if it was real or not. If you are considering buying a used J. Frog Skull N' Bones,
it's probably a good idea to check with me first.
Ed Roman
Fear Faked Frogs!
ESP
Fake J. Frog True J. Frog
Notice the fingers on the ESP
on the left. Now look at
the real J Frog on the right
ESP J. Frog
Counterfeit Forgery
If you look at this really quick it seems ok, but
if you put it next to a real J. Frog, the differences are incredible.
This ESP guitar isn't even remotely close
to the original.
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The real J. Frog guitars are carved from one piece of solid wood. This
cheaply made copy is has lots of little pieces glued on the face of it. If you
put the two next to each other the ESP is not acceptable.
-
The real J Frog guitar has about twice as much definition
in the carving, for example the knucklebones are sharp and highly delineated,
The teeth are much more accurate. The bones are anatomically correct. J.
Frog insists that all the real ones have to anatomically correct just like the
original one he made almost 30 years ago for George.
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The output Jack is not only in the wrong place it is an
impossibility to use. There is simply not enough room to plug the jack in
because the strap pin gets in the way.
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The strap pin on the ESP is in the wrong place. It causes
the guitar not to balance correctly and the strap bends uncomfortably because
the angle is 90 degrees off center.
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The coloration is stained brown to cover up the poor
carving and it attempts to camouflage the shoddy workmanship (Notice I said
attempts) Even though the coloration is not unappealing it is totally incorrect,
The Original Skull N' Bones and the second one that was made for George are much
whiter (Bone white to be exact).
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ESP is a Japanese company, They make 98% of their
products in Korea and Japan. I have noticed that they have inscribed made in
USA on the guitar. I don't think this is true. The bodies were carved in
California by a former associate of one of our staff Luthiers, I'm quite sure
however that the necks are the usual ESP Japanese necks that come on all their
guitars. So if this is true that would mean they are not made in the USA at all.
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The correct place for the Strap pin is at the end of the protruding bone.
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The ESP Guitar balances incorrectly. Look at these glued on pieces.
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On close inspection they don't look like bones at all.
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They look like wood strips glued on to a regular ESP body.
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Look to the right of the pinky finger. What the Hell is that? It looks like someone glued a piece of raw chicken to the front of the guitar.
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Pure unadulterated garbage.
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