I play guitar more than 25 years.I own real gibsons and I can tell that this guitars made in China are almost 90% as the real thing.If you invest some money,like 300, this copies will be the same thing.I really don't know if real gibson are made in China and marked Made in USA,they can just add different hardware and thats it,who knows.Almost all USA factories had established New factories in China.You name it.Gibson have a factory in China.Gibson Quindao,they say it is only to build Epiphones,again who knows.You want to pay 300.00 dollars or 3300.00 it's up to you.One last tip,one of my real Gibson studio,I just found out that the dot of the i on the headstock it's at the wrong place,and this guitar I bought it at Guitar Center for 1199.00 could this mistake tells me that the guitar was build in China and set up with good hardware.Everything that we buy now in US is Made in China....Sony,Fender squier,Epiphone,Toshiba,Nike,Marshall,in Korea,Vox, in Vietnam,Boss, in China,etc,etc,Good luck and have fun shopping everything is Made in China.