Scam/Fake? Fake Buffet 400 altos now!

[DavidUK]

Watch out in the small ads, they'll be some "unwanted gifts" for sale soon over here.
Bought for a few hundred pounds from DHGate...

Brand New Buffet Crampon Model 400 Professional Alto Saxophone Eb Tune in Matte Finish With Case Free Shipping

I found some amazing stuff, open it to learn more! Don't wait:https://www.dhgate.com/product/brand-new-buffet-crampon-model-400-professional/607874819.html

www.dhgate.com

🙁

 

[JayeNM]

Interesting, they even have the double-arm low C....wonder what the engraving looks like ?

Thing with these, for me, always is the PRICE. Anyone with half a brain would see that the 400, sold by other businesses, costs a hella lot more....so to fall for this, one would have to be super foolish.

The danger comes, however, (as you say)....when one of these begins circulating on the used market.
Because then a person could buy one (or five) for $250/ea, maybe scuff 'em up a bit, and in a few months sell it/them for $850/ea used....lather, rinse, repeat....you have dogs in circulation as an originals....

 

[DavidUK]

DHGate...

Buffet original...

 

[greenstripe]

Who's to say that the photos on the advert are not of the genuine article? What you'd actually receive is another matter...

 

[Colin the Bear]

An saxophone with painted on age. Why?

 

[ellinas]

don't trust anything on aliexpress or dhgate.
Here's an example of an ad for an iconic 60s guitar. The first photo shows an original and you might end up with what's pictured on the other photos .... huge difference...

Rare 60s 12 Strings VOX Teardrop Phantom XII Shaped Body White Electric Guitar 3 Single Coil Pickups, Vintage Tuners, White Pickguard

I found some amazing stuff, open it to learn more! Don't wait:https://www.dhgate.com/product/rare-60s-12-strings-vox-teardrop-phantom/520157614.html

www.dhgate.com

 

[greenstripe]

don't trust anything on aliexpress or dhgate.
Here's an example of an ad for an iconic 60s guitar. The first photo shows an original and you might end up with what's pictured on the other photos .... huge difference...

Rare 60s 12 Strings VOX Teardrop Phantom XII Shaped Body White Electric Guitar 3 Single Coil Pickups, Vintage Tuners, White Pickguard

I found some amazing stuff, open it to learn more! Don't wait:https://www.dhgate.com/product/rare-60s-12-strings-vox-teardrop-phantom/520157614.html

www.dhgate.com

So very rare indeed - but the seller is happy to offer a bulk purchase price for 10+ units 😉

 

[SaxBoss]

Why doesn't Western nation Governments actually legislate against these so called dupe website sellers and get them pulled off the net? The target market is the unsuspecting consumer that ends up getting ripped off and a bad playing experience?

 

[jonf]

So the circle is completed. A Chinese fake of a Chinese sax.

 

[DavidUK]

I wonder if Buffet are aware? Don't forget the Hanson SA5 & Eclipse were both iden very similar to the Buffet 100 and 400 horns, with interchangeable key work.

I ponder they may all have come from the same factory. But as has been said above, what you actually get may look entirely different to the DHGate photos.

 

[JayeNM]

Honestly comparing the pics, I can't in a few-minute perusal see anything visibly different between the two. I usually look at posts, post feet, the F# armature to G#, the cutout pattern of the keyguards, spat key shapes, location of the touches mounted on the keycups, then the relationship of upper stack posts/mechanisms to each other, then the exact shape of the octave key and mechanism (not visible in this instance), and pinky table details (not visible). Usually with this sorta-fine-tooth comb the forgeries reveal themselves.

The ad photo sax actually matches David's photo of a real one in all of these (visible) aspects....so it (the ad photo) is either a hella good fake, or the real 400 just photoshopped a bit.

As y'all say, not that you'd end up with a sax which matches their photo...

 

[greenstripe]

Why doesn't Western nation Governments actually legislate against these so called dupe website sellers and get them pulled off the net? The target market is the unsuspecting consumer that ends up getting ripped off and a bad playing experience?

Nigh on impossible for a country to police websites hosted outside of its borders.

Thing is plenty of people are knowingly buying copies because they are cheap and cheerful - Gibson electric guitars are very commonly copied and the fakes are known as "Chibson" -just search sale sites like Facebook Marketplace and you'll see used examples for sale.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I wonder if Buffet are aware? Don't forget the Hanson SA5 & Eclipse were both iden very similar to the Buffet 100 and 400 horns, with interchangeable key work.

I ponder they may all have come from the same factory. But as has been said above, what you actually get may look entirely different to the DHGate photos.

Identical instruments from China is often b=not to do with being from the same factory, or if they are doesn't mean they are the same quality instrument.

People have been saying this for years and jumping to conclusions that may have only a very small chance of being correct.

These could be low quality counterfeit or high quality counterfeit. Or they could be real but stolen e.g. ell off the back of the container. Or they could be non existent and just using a legit photo.

 

[turf3]

I'm still waiting to see the Chinese counterfeit of a Mexi-Conn.

 

[thomsax]

Interesting, they even have the double-arm low C...

Yanagisaxwa 800 models (c1978-1985) had also double arms on low C. The double arm à la King Super 20 was a patent that belonged to H.N White.

 

[Colin the Bear]

So the circle is completed. A Chinese fake of a Chinese sax.

Ah so grasshopper.

 

[JayeNM]

Yanagisaxwa 800 models (c1978-1985) had also double arms on low C. The double arm à la King Super 20 was a patent that belonged to H.N White.

Yessir, and several other models utilized the detail, too....my comment was more that if counterfeit, the fakers were studious about matching up the details of the original....