More than 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars seized at the Port of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 3,000 counterfeit Gibson electric guitars shipped from Asia have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport, authorities said.

If the guitars were real, they would be worth $18 million, US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. The agency said Gibson confirmed that the intercepted guitars were fake.

Founded in 1894 and based in Nashville, Tennessee, Gibson has the largest share of the premium electric guitar market, and all of its guitars are handcrafted in Nashville and Bozeman, Montana.

“These fraudulent guitars can look and feel perfectly legitimate to unsuspecting consumers who purchase them from third-party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers and in person,” said Cheryl M. Davis, CBP’s director of field operations in Los Angeles. “As we head into the busy holiday shopping season, consumers should pay attention to where they buy these items and how much they pay, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Gibson guitars were like that a landmark in the history of music that rock ‘n’ roll visionary Chuck Berry was buried with his instrument, blues musician B. B. King affectionately named it “Lucille,” and rock guitarist Eric Clapton borrowed one from George Harrison to solo on the Beatles’ “While My.” The guitar gently cries.”

“It’s really emotional and personal for us, not only because of the protection of our players, but because of our Gibson team as a whole, including the craftsmen in our workshops in Nashville, TN and Bozeman, Montana, who are generations of American families who have dedicated their lives to creating of Gibson instruments by hand,” said Beth Heidt, Gibson’s director of marketing.

Authorities announced the seizure on Tuesday, but did not say when the guitars were seized, what country they were from or who made them.

An investigation involving US Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is ongoing.

Intellectual property infringement is a felony punishable by up to $250,000 in fines and up to 10 years in prison.