(NGD) Fakemachine B7

[Bigfan]

So, I took a chance and ordered one just before christmas. It arrived midway through january and besides needing a bit of a setup seems pretty decent for the money. It sounds pretty good (better than my Strandberg ever did for sure), and besides the rather chunky neck it actually plays pretty well with comfortable action. The tuners aren't the best, but the nut seems well cut and smooth, and the electronics seem sturdy and reliable. Overall, I'm very impressed with how this guitar looks and sounds for the price. Obviously not everyone is going to be happy with chinese companies ripping off accomplished luthiers, but I don't have $10k to spend on a guitar sadly.

One very interesting flaw is the body being cut out with the grain and glue seams diagonally. I'd be pissed if this happened on a guitar that wasn't this cheap obviously. Also, the neck stripes are not wood inserts, but rather very well masked paint.

 

[dr_game0ver]

This does looks pretty damn good! How "cheap" are we talking?

 

[Bigfan]

This does looks pretty damn good! How "cheap" are we talking?

There's several types for sale on Ali at the moment, you can see pictures of mine at the same price if you search for "krait blackmachine" or something similar. I don't really wanna link to it, because I don't necessarily wanna promote copies (hypocritical I know).

 

[zarg]

I was thinking about one of these too, since I love the blackmachine looks but don't have the funds for one

 

[sezna]

There's several types for sale on Ali at the moment, you can see pictures of mine at the same price if you search for "krait blackmachine" or something similar. I don't really wanna link to it, because I don't necessarily wanna promote copies (hypocritical I know).

does it have SS frets or anything that cant be fixed with a setup?

What is cool about a lot of these chinese copies is you can message the seller and custom order specs. Almost just like a real custom build but with no guarantee of spotless perfection and 1/10th the price

 

[Hollowway]

Not to dump on your NGD, but “not having $10,000 to spend on a guitar” does not suddenly award you the right to condone the stealing of other people’s designs. You’re not entitled to owning a Blackmachine. And yes, I know that other people rip of strat designs, and no I don’t think that’s right either. And if you’re ok with this, you should be ok with other people ripping off your music. You can’t have it both ways. Again, apologies for the rant, but I’m continually amazed at how many of us artists think it’s ok to steal other’s art, just because we think we’re entitled to something we cannot afford.

 

[Vyn]

Not to dump on your NGD, but “not having $10,000 to spend on a guitar” does not suddenly award you the right to condone the stealing of other people’s designs. You’re not entitled to owning a Blackmachine. And yes, I know that other people rip of strat designs, and no I don’t think that’s right either. And if you’re ok with this, you should be ok with other people ripping off your music. You can’t have it both ways. Again, apologies for the rant, but I’m continually amazed at how many of us artists think it’s ok to steal other’s art, just because we think we’re entitled to something we cannot afford.

I think there's some leeway here as Blackmachine are no longer accepting orders, just finishing other customers guitars. From memory (I think it was on here) Doug was planning on just building the guitars he wanted with whatever exotic timbers he had left over and not releasing them to the public. It's different when making a copy of something that's no longer actually in production/print.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Not to dump on your NGD, but “not having $10,000 to spend on a guitar” does not suddenly award you the right to condone the stealing of other people’s designs. You’re not entitled to owning a Blackmachine. And yes, I know that other people rip of strat designs, and no I don’t think that’s right either. And if you’re ok with this, you should be ok with other people ripping off your music. You can’t have it both ways. Again, apologies for the rant, but I’m continually amazed at how many of us artists think it’s ok to steal other’s art, just because we think we’re entitled to something we cannot afford.

So let us know what guitars, amps, and pedals you have...

This should go swimmingly well.

 

[sezna]

Not to dump on your NGD, but “not having $10,000 to spend on a guitar” does not suddenly award you the right to condone the stealing of other people’s designs. You’re not entitled to owning a Blackmachine. And yes, I know that other people rip of strat designs, and no I don’t think that’s right either. And if you’re ok with this, you should be ok with other people ripping off your music. You can’t have it both ways. Again, apologies for the rant, but I’m continually amazed at how many of us artists think it’s ok to steal other’s art, just because we think we’re entitled to something we cannot afford.

I’d agree with you in an ideal world. This is more complicated as blackmachine is basically unobtanium, and that he has already bought the guitar. In light of these things, it is probably more productive to just discuss the guitar than to guilt him or start a flame war (looking at you @Spaced Out Ace )

 

[Albake21]

I think there's some leeway here as Blackmachine are no longer accepting orders, just finishing other customers guitars. From memory (I think it was on here) Doug was planning on just building the guitars he wanted with whatever exotic timbers he had left over and not releasing them to the public. It's different when making a copy of something that's no longer actually in production/print.

This is my exact thought on the subject. I would be against these clones if Blackmachines were still made, but sadly they are not. There is no way of getting a new one anymore.

Back on topic. It looks pretty nice! You said the neck is pretty thick. As in like a baseball bat or just no Ibanez Wizard thin?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

HNGD OP, it looks pretty nice

Not to dump on your NGD, but “not having $10,000 to spend on a guitar” does not suddenly award you the right to condone the stealing of other people’s designs. You’re not entitled to owning a Blackmachine. And yes, I know that other people rip of strat designs, and no I don’t think that’s right either. And if you’re ok with this, you should be ok with other people ripping off your music. You can’t have it both ways. Again, apologies for the rant, but I’m continually amazed at how many of us artists think it’s ok to steal other’s art, just because we think we’re entitled to something we cannot afford.

The blackmachine design is visually distinct, but it's not like they have a monopoly on the specific aspects that make it a blackmachine. The headstock is essentially a tweaked parker fly shape, the body shape is a generic superstrat, and the only really unique aspect was the partial bevel/binding/metal backplate imo. The ormsby hypemachine and others all replicate those details and manage to crank out guitars at more realistic prices with comparable specs. There's nothing wrong with copying designs when the originals are basically impossible for the average person to get a hold of (ie prints vs originals of photographs/paintings or a replica goldtop 59 LP vs a real one).

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I’d agree with you in an ideal world. This is more complicated as blackmachine is basically unobtanium, and that he has already bought the guitar. In light of these things, it is probably more productive to just discuss the guitar than to guilt him or start a flame war (looking at you @Spaced Out Ace )

I'm not starting a flame war. I'd like to know what gear he uses, because if he uses tube screamer clones, guitars based on strat/LP/Tele, etc. shapes, or even companies that do such, then I'm not sure what the point of his initial post even is.

 

[sezna]

I'm not starting a flame war. I'd like to know what gear he uses, because if he uses tube screamer clones, guitars based on strat/LP/Tele, etc. shapes, or even companies that do such, then I'm not sure what the point of his initial post even is.

Your point is fair and makes sense I just think itll start a fight in a celebratory NGD thread.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Your point is fair and makes sense I just think itll start a fight in a celebratory NGD thread.

I think his guitar is cool, and if he has no issues with it, then so be it. I found Hollowway's comment to be rather funny. Just about every company has ripped off Fender, whether it is guitars, amps, or whatever.

 

[A-Branger]

as long as the guitar is not being sold as a "blackmachine"...... same opinion I always have with chinese coppies. GEt your own as most cases are made with specs that you cant find withouy $$$$$$$$$$$, they are an "assembled kit guitar", they would reflect that and a 200$ guitar wont be a treat to the rela thing as it targets a different market. Problem would come if it was sold at the same price. So go for it, but if you do, get your own logo, or no logo at all.

problem comes when these get sell under the real name logo/brand

 

[pott]

You can order a Blackmachine B6 from Feline. They cost GBP2.3k. Doug has never made any B6s so it's as much a Blackmachine as all other B6s are.
No clue about B2s/B7s.

 

[Hollowway]

Don't worry guys, I'm not going to take the bait on Spaced Out Ace's straw man argument. My point is that it's a specific and exact copy of an instrument, not anything borrowed. I'm well aware that I'm in the minority on this topic, which is why I apologized to TS in the initial post. Albake brings up a good point about them not being made anymore, though I'm not sure Doug has officially said he will not be building, as opposed to just not right now. Anyway, everyone is allowed to draw their own line as to when it's appropriate to copy another's design. No harsh shade on Bigfan, as he said in the OP that not everyone is going to be happy about Chinese luthiers ripping off existing designs.

And A-Branger, I totally agree about not passing it off as the real deal. I'm sure Bigfan wouldn't, but down the line someone may well. These copies pop up all the time with people claiming them to be real (somethings actually thinking it).

 

[Lord Voldemort]

Not to dump on your NGD, but “not having $10,000 to spend on a guitar” does not suddenly award you the right to condone the stealing of other people’s designs. You’re not entitled to owning a Blackmachine. And yes, I know that other people rip of strat designs, and no I don’t think that’s right either. And if you’re ok with this, you should be ok with other people ripping off your music. You can’t have it both ways. Again, apologies for the rant, but I’m continually amazed at how many of us artists think it’s ok to steal other’s art, just because we think we’re entitled to something we cannot afford.

Meh, too bad. If you don't want someone to steal your design (which btw, is just a super strat body with an altered headstock wow how inventive and revolutionary) then perhaps you could simply not charge $5,000 for it. That's absolutely obnoxious. So, someone else makes something that looks extremely similar that is an actually reasonable price, you bet your behind that someone's going to buy that, for sure. I appreciate your rigidity but your passion is just basically supporting extreme price inflation and making people pay a used Car price, which in of itself frankly is probably the only reason people are interested in it. Just my opinion, however.

 

[Avedas]

If it's basically abandonware just let it go lol

 

[Sogradde]

Don't worry guys, I'm not going to take the bait on Spaced Out Ace's straw man argument. My point is that it's a specific and exact copy of an instrument, not anything borrowed. I'm well aware that I'm in the minority on this topic, which is why I apologized to TS in the initial post. Albake brings up a good point about them not being made anymore, though I'm not sure Doug has officially said he will not be building, as opposed to just not right now. Anyway, everyone is allowed to draw their own line as to when it's appropriate to copy another's design. No harsh shade on Bigfan, as he said in the OP that not everyone is going to be happy about Chinese luthiers ripping off existing designs.

And A-Branger, I totally agree about not passing it off as the real deal. I'm sure Bigfan wouldn't, but down the line someone may well. These copies pop up all the time with people claiming them to be real (somethings actually thinking it).

I might have missed it but I don't think there's a Blackmachine logo on OPs guitar, is there?
Also I'm genuinely curious (not baiting) whether you find that a Skervesen Raptor or an Ormsby Hype GTR are Blackmachine ripoffs? Those clearly all use a very similar design.

Either way, happy NGD OP!