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Hi everyone - I know that this was a previous topic last week in regards to a Paul McCartney signed Hofner guitar with a JSA cert that was identical to a particular High In the Clouds book signature.

http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/macca-signed-hofner-...

Just wanted to let everyone know that there seems to be a serious scam going on as I have been given a picture to another 'signed' Hofner, equipped with a different High In the Clouds signature. 

My questions for the AML group is:

1. Has anyone noticed any other artists with this copied signature issue on pick guards or any other item?

2. Do you believe this to be live ink? Doesn't look like an autopen to me.

To me, this is a huge issue because (1) the replicas are being certed (2) no one knows where these are coming from and (3) without matches, most would have accepted it as real.

Lets get to the bottom of this. A scam like this can ruin our hobby

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I had been waiting to chime in on this as I'd done some background research along with Steve Cyrkin.  I waited because I was convinced these were book cuts but with the advancement of technology such as autopen machines and potential innovations that forgers can use like transfers I just didn't want to say something that would benefit a criminal if either of the latter were being done.  I also don't like giving forgers new ideas.  Ultimately I don't believe these are autopens, heat transfers, or any reproductions.  I believe they are as I suspected repurposed pickguards and appreciate the efforts of those who helped get to that conclusion.  Again, without having one in front of me I still can't be 100% sure but seeing the lip on the pickguard around the edge that looks like a book page, the signatures sometimes being cut off in areas you'd need to cut them off to fit the pickguard, and even the blue color from the book page on one as Justin had pointed out leaves me reassured these are simply repops.  With that said these SHOULD NOT be authenticated as pickguards...these are cuts or repurposed pickguards and don't have the same value as pickguards.

Agreed. They are not real signed pickguards.

And look at the confusion: you look for exemplars and find the exact same autograph in a book that's on your pickguard. Sleazy as all get-out.

if they realy are paste on there no diffrence than a signed backstage pass put on a guitar.

yes they have way less value than a real signed on the body or signed on the actual pickguard

u should be able to see or feel the diffrence 

What I don't get is how the page wouldn't rip? I could see putting the graph in between two slabs of clear plastic to protect it like PSA does, but obviously the guard wouldn't have been signed. A piece of paper "glued" on would both yellow and rip overtime if handled.
The second example in the original post looks like it might be under plastic. Did they use a die cutting machine to shape the pages?

Paper sandwiched between plastic? Capillary action might help?

These could be sheets of plastic and the pickguard is cut afterwards. Some of them are pretty rough. 

Does anyone know if Hofner bass pickguards are available in plain white? I've only seen variations of pearlized.

Could it be a custom cut out of clear plastic and overlaid?

You'd think if the signed paper was sandwiched between sheets of plastic, it would be pretty obvious the signature was NOT on the surface. 

Absolutely agree. So I don't understand how else this would work without some type of transfer.
The pickguards would have been sent into PSA or jsa to be inspected as well, they didn't see anything funny?

Thinking out loud, but the screw holes, if not filled in again after the resurfacing, should show the presence of starch with some chemical applied in just the hole? This is way too bold a scam - there must be a quick take down.

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