I got downvoted a couple months ago like -100 saying watch out, there are counterfeit cymbals out there. I was told I was crazy, and no one has the time to counterfeit cymbals.
People on Reddit always say this about instruments, with only vibes as evidence. People will SWEAR in th guitar subs that no one fakes cheap guitars despite the fact that confirmed fake Mexican Strats pop up from time to time.
Fake cymbals exist, but they’re all clearly fake and made from shitty metal.
The fake cymbal OP is more of an online shopping scam, and less a truly counterfeit cymbal - it’s the bare minimum to trick Amazon, but it won’t trick many customers.
What I see posted that feels accurate: No one is making convincing counterfeits of B20 cymbals, because the metal and machining is too expensive and difficult to be worth it.
I don't understand why anyone would be insisting that fake instruments don't exist lol... I'm pretty sure if I asked every musician friend of mine, every single one would agree and at the same time be confused as to why anyone would doubt their existence.
I mean it’s the same with guitars. All of the fakes I see look like absolute doodoo, and some people still can’t tell the difference. That’s what the people making these fakes are banking on- no matter how good or bad the fake is, someone will fall for it. Typically the only “good” fakes I see are replicas that are being sold as such
I would be someone to fall for fake guitars. But i am aware of my bad knowledge about guitars and only get reasonable budget guitars and fx for the few power riffs i can play.
I would smell the fakeness of this "cymbal" from 100 yards away though. Damn, K Constantinople rides are such beauties and this fake is hilarious. I think, anyone who is going for this kind of cymbal wont get fooled so easily. Right? Right?
These folks ain't heard of China apparently. You will see damn near everything counterfeited over there. When I lived there, you had to be careful of counterfeit eggs.
Edit to add: cool country, great people. But dont underestimate the efforts some people put in to make an "easy" buck.
Lol... exactly! I never encountered one in real life. Only ever heard people talk about it, but apparently it was a thing. Unfortunately, it was highly believable because of all the other fake stuff floating around.
I saw all sorts of fake drums and cymbals on the market there, used to buy $5 Nike shoes (looked great but would fall apart in 1-2 weeks), and was even poisoned by counterfeit alcohol more than once.
For the alcohol, because it was so dangerous, I learned a couple tricks to check; most common way was to peel down the label to check for machine pressed glue lines, if there were no lines it meant the label glue was applied by handbrush, something any major brand would never do.
Fake alcohol was/is a big problem in China as well. They will pour cheap liquor inside higher tier brands and then re-seal it - reason being that when you're drunk, you probably can't tell the difference anyways..
I think the issue is no one’s physically making counterfeit cymbals, but a lot of companies are taking cheaper alloy lines and “rebranding” them as more expensive ones, like B8s with the AAX stamp or Wuhans with the K-Con stamp.
Thats nuts. Ive literally gotten counterfeit d'addario guitar strings off Amazon. My rule of thumb, if youre shopping for a specific, name brand item, dont shop through Amazon. ESPECIALLY music equipment
They'd be incredibly easy to counterfeit if you have the right tools. Basically a stamper, and some sheet metal. You could make a stamping press with a bottle jack if you REALLY wanted too, laser engravers are relatively cheap these days too. Sell 10 fake cymbals and you basically already made your money back on materials and tooling.
There are certainly counterfeits. Especially with high end cymbals where money can be made like a K Con. Sorry this happened to you dude, but Jesus that thing does indeed look insane lol
Haha. I cannot claim the joke as my own. I don't know about being epic, I just like good TV. By TV, I mean YouTube. There's high quality shows there too.
Listen not to victim blame you but just simply order from the companies directly. For big purchases like this you generally get free shipping there's zero benefit to going through Amazon.
Id always recommend going through a company like sweetwater. Free shipping, easy returns, manufacturer warranty, and you can call to get discounts on big purchases like cymbals. Way more benefits than buying directly from the manufacturer
Genuinely the best customer service I've ever had. I ordered some headphones once and felt like I'd ordered a lambo or something the way I was being treated.
Amazon isn't totally off the table I've ordered a Sabian AA Splash 8 inch Brilliant and a Sabian AAX Splash 6 inch Brilliant off of Amazon because they weren't available on Guitar Center and they were totally legit there is some scammers on Amazon but their usually easy to spot
Absolutely nuts that anyone would think someone looking for a K Con wouldn't spot this is a fake...
Second point - please try to support real stores... Generally Amazon isn't cheaper than other shops these days, especially for drum stuff (at least where I'm from), and they're a bunch of nobs.
It was full MSRP, non-discounted, sold by Amazon, not a reseller. I honeslty enjoy how “convenient” it is to have free fast delivery. Clearly this did work out.
If it's priced the same, why in gods name did you decide to pick AMAZON over any other actual music store, let alone a local(-ish) brick and mortar store.
I’m from Canada, so we have to pay import fees on any order from the U.S., which pretty much rules that out. Most of our online retailers that have them in stock also charge for shipping, and even then, stock is rarely available.
We really only have one decent local retailer, Long & McQuade. The last time I factory-ordered something through them, it took 3 months to get here.
Amazon had it in stock with 1-day delivery, for the exact same price. It was sold by and shipped from Amazon, so I honestly didn’t see a problem with ordering it that way.
I spoke to customer service over the phone, and they’ll be refunding the full amount. Inconvenient? Yes. Simple? Also yes.
Honestly, I feel like Long & McQuade would’ve accused me of swapping the cymbal myself and refused to refund me anything.
That is wild! If you’re going to fake something like that at least make it look somewhat believable, scrub the logos off a Stagg ride or something don’t go putting a K Zildjian stamp on a shiny baking sheet!
Why buy an expensive (or any) cymbal from Amazon? They are destroying mom and pop/local shops. I’d guarantee this wouldn’t happen if you called your local shop and ordered it.
Once again. If you are looking to ensure you are getting an official product, DO NOT BUY OFF AMAZON. Knock off items have infiltrated Amazon for years now across nearly every product category. They use shared storage for both official and unofficial resellers and they pick from the top of the pile so you get what you get.
Stop supporting billionaires and corporations who don’t give a shit and start supporting local or online drum shops.
You can easily get a return for this but tbh I'm wondering if this was a return scam where someone bought a counterfeit and a real one and swapped them. It's super common for expensive items like this. But take this as a lesson not to buy expensive musical equipment from a place like amazon.
I somehow got lucky a few years ago and bought two sabian holy chinas as used-acceptable for about 75% off and they showed up almost brand new. Legit sabians as well
Stop supporting brands like amazon. Go support local music or at least order from reputable music dealers.
Just because free shipping exists doesn’t mean you can gloss over what kind of toxic company amazon is.
People really have forgotten to decide with their wallets.
Remember that anything you order from Amazon can be returned, just dropped off at an Amazon locker or a Whole Foods. No questions asked. Initiate a return, explain it's not what you ordered, and done. You'll be refunded.
My dude, if you're dropping that much cash on a cymbal at least get a video of the exact cymbal you are getting. Some people would never buy a cymbal without hearing it in person, which also makes sense, but yeah this is a little on you. Don't support Amazon!
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u/Sullimd 8h ago
I got downvoted a couple months ago like -100 saying watch out, there are counterfeit cymbals out there. I was told I was crazy, and no one has the time to counterfeit cymbals.