Guitar string makers D'Addario have warned that Chinese counterfeit strings are now finding their way onto websites and even legitimate music stores all over the world. Fake D’Addario string sets have been found in the UK, Germany, Brazil, Greece, Turkey, Romania and more... and are getting more difficult to distinguish them from the genuine strings.

Early counterfeit versions of D’Addario strings were easy to spot, with poor quality packaging and printing, but modern production techniques mean that modern copies are more difficult to spot.

In many cases, even D'Addario's own quality control staff have to use high-power magnification to discern a fake from an authentic D’Addario string package.

However, although the packaging of fake strings may be good, the strings themselves are by no means up to D'Addario quality - they are mostly made by unskilled workers using inferior materials and outdated equipment and certainly do not have the quality control one would expect from a top quality string maker.

D'addario have responded to this threat to their profits and reputation by hiring investigators and lawyers to track down and raid counterfeit manufacturers - primarily in The People’s Republic of China - and have already raided three. They are also introducing new, more sophsticated packaging and launching a marketing campaign with the slogan Play D’Addario/Play Real to raise awareness and highlight to customers how to identify fake D’Addario strings.

D'Addario give the following advice to musicians purchasing their strings:

• Most counterfeiters supply their products online. If you see an unbelievably low price advertised for any of our products, there is a very good chance the products being offered are not genuine. Ask questions and report unusually advertised prices to us at playreal@daddario.com so we can investigate.

• All D’Addario products you may purchase online from a Chinese source at low prices are invariably counterfeit. It is virtually impossible for a legitimate importer or retailer of D’Addario strings in Asia to offer lower prices than are offered in your native market place. On most sites, such as eBay for instance, the country of origin for the sale is available to you. Remember, the unethical business people making counterfeit products have no issue with putting Made and Printed in USA on their product, even if it is not. Do not be fooled by the packaging.

• Look for the D’Addario Play-Real serial number printed on the inner corrosion protection bag for all our string sets. If there is a number on the set, go online and check to see if it is legitimate. Help us by informing us of any sets with serial numbers that are not legitimately coded into our database.

http://daddarioinc.blogspot.com/2010/09/play-real-beware-of-counterfeit....