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Paul McCartney signed Hofner Guitars w/ JSA & PSA - BUYER BEWARE

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

3 members like this

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 28, 2017 at 4:43pm

How does this paper stock, the "sealer" if any, and a genuine Hofner guard react under the different lights and tools in the arsenal etc? There's gotta be a quick way to pin these.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on March 28, 2017 at 4:42pm

It is puzzling how the page can be adhered to the pick guard with no hint of an edge... and having the proper sheen and texture.

Could they somehow be laminating them on? Some sort of plastic vacuum seal that encases the whole pick guard?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 28, 2017 at 5:12pm

Don't know until we can study one in person. What a scam.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on March 28, 2017 at 5:20pm

It's not any different than the examples we saw of paper doctors lifting signatures from other items and placing them on an album to manufacture a "band" signed album.

The technology is moving fast and so is the creativity of the people looking to make a fast buck.

Fasten your seatbelts, it's only going to get worse.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 28, 2017 at 7:51pm

That's right. There are manufactured Beatles band-signed albums out there.

They actually lift the coating with autographs from coated paper, like menus, programs and other albums and apply them to an album so perfectly that it's incredibly hard to tell.

The albums are worth a small fraction of what they would be worth if it was really signed by the Beatles.

How many are out there? No idea.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 28, 2017 at 7:00pm

Like a vacuum table used to attach posters to linen backing and reline old canvases etc?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 28, 2017 at 7:52pm

I don't know. But they have to coat the paper and autograph afterwards to make it look like a pickguard.

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Permalink Reply by marc e on March 28, 2017 at 5:19pm

looking at what a real hofner pickguard is thats not one.

i belive they just cut theresown from sheets off plastic

i used to get blanks all the time .not to hard cut into any shape u want.

i would need too see it in person too tell u excatly what the scam it but the screws and the round edges by the pick ups are off

the hofner there using if buying in bulk cost them around 400$

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Permalink Reply by marc e on March 28, 2017 at 5:32pm

https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/musical-instruments/bass-guitars/b...

i belive real its on a differnt type off pickguard its a white tourtouse shell

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 28, 2017 at 5:36pm

OK, well there may be one mystery solved:

One thing that made me think they were cutting these from sheets of plastic is that every white Hofner Bass pickguard I found was pearlized. These are all just plain white.

What I think they're doing is taking a right handed pickguard and using the back, which is not pearlized and typically has a dull finish:

They can adhere it much easier to the reverse and coat it or laminate it because there would not be another polished layer. It would look much more natural.

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Permalink Reply by marc e on March 28, 2017 at 5:42pm

as ive said ive dealt in guitars for over 25 yerars doing in person.

and i just studied the hofner pickguard after reading as i posted .the real on one the cheap hofners are tourtouse shell ,on the expensive ones there vintage white tourtouse shell

the fake ones are all so fare just flat white

look at the one from heritage i posted u can zoom in and see the actual real pickgaurd and real screws.

also look how good the round edges fit by the pick up and the ones on fakes have some cutting issues.

there are clues if u look for them

but dam they will fool basicaly all

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/hofner-ignition-series-vintage-...