So, you want an Ace Frehley Les Paul? You check ebay and find what you would consider a great deal; an Ace Les Paul for less than $2000.00! You begin to drool because you've obviously found something that the other collectors haven't. Or have you?

You haven't. A lot of people are trying to be slick by selling Chinese made fake Gibson Les Pauls on ebay. There's a very good reason why legitimate collectors stay away from those "deals". That's because they're China made fakes and they're quite shotty to boot.

This guide is specifically regarding the Ace Frehley Les Pauls. I will include a step by step guide to help prevent you from getting ripped off. There are other guides written regarding the Chinese Les Pauls and, while a great source of information, they don't deal with the latest trend of non-Chinese sellers trying to pass these things off as real (I've seen them being sold from the United States and Australia).

I've had my hands on one of them. They're significantly lighter due to it being made from inferior woods which won't allow the guitar to have "the sound", the electronics are extremely cheap and will feedback constantly. The tuning pegs are fake Grovers and can't keep the guitar in tune. The nut is a piece of cheap plastic with the string slots cut at different depths and random incorrect spacing. The finish is cheap and is immediately recognizable as such upon viewing it in real life. The bridge and tailpiece are made of inferior metals that won't allow the guitar to sustain or sing. All in all what you think is a good deal will turn into disappointment as soon as you get your hands on it.

Here are the specifics that you need to look for:

1. Make sure the fretboard is ebony. If they don't show a picture of the fretboard, ask for one. If it's rosewood or anything other than dark black, it's a fake. If they won't send you good quality pictures, walk away and report the item to ebay.

2. Check the serial number. Gibson provides a serial number look up service and they will match it. If the seller won't provide the serial number immediately report it to ebay. If you receive a serial number, verify it with Gibson. They have a website and a toll free number (800-4GIBSON). A high quality authorized Gibson dealer may perform this service for you as well.

3. Make sure the case, which is included with all authentic Ace Les Pauls, has a purple lining with the Ace playing card. If there is no case or the case doesn't match this description, report it to ebay.

4. If it's any other color than a cherry sunburst, it's a fake. Report it to ebay.

5. If the seller even hints towards the possibility of this not being a real Gibson Ace Frehley Les Paul  (I.E. "I've been told this might not be a real Ace Les Paul...."), it's a fake. The people who have invested in the real Ace Les Pauls know what they have and they're not quite likely to end up in the hands of someone who knows nothing about the guitar.

6. Do the magnets on the pickups have what would appear to be "allen head" shaped cavities? DiMarzio super distortion pickups, which are featured in the Ace Les Pauls, have these. If the silver magnets (12 for each pickup) are flat, it's a fake. Report it to ebay.

7. If the hardware is anything but chrome, it's a fake. The Ace Les Pauls feature chrome hardware (tuning pegs, bridge, and tailpiece).

8. Look closely at the position of the toggle switch. When viewing the guitar going left to right, the toggle switch should be a perfectly centered "eye" above the "mouth" (which is the cutaway). If the toggle switch appears even a little bit off, it's probably a fake.

Bottom line: If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Ask lots of questions. A person who is selling a legitimate Ace Frehley Les Paul is not going to be coy or vague about answering your questions. That person has as much vested interest in keeping the fake versions out of your hands as  you.