Hallo Zusammen,

Diese Story von dem Youtuber Ekachai Jearakul habe ich gerade in der Facebook Group „World of finest classical guitars“ gelesen, möchte hier mit euch teilen:

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Scam Alert: Fake Matthias Dammann Guitar in Hong Kong

I want to share my recent experience to warn other guitarists and collectors.
A man from Hong Kong contacted me saying he owned a Matthias Dammann guitar and wanted to sell it.
After some discussion on guitars
(he seemed knowledgeable about many guitar makers), we agreed on a price.
He sent me pictures of the guitar.
At first glance, they looked okay,
but the proportions of the guitar in the photos seemed a little unusual to me. I assumed it was just because of the camera angle or lighting, like when you tilt a phone to make something look taller. I didn’t suspect anything at that point, and he also explained that he wasn’t good at photography. I didn’t expect the guitar would turn out to be fake.
I decided to fly to Hong Kong the next day, get some money, arrived hotel with cash since we had agreed to complete the deal in person.

When I finally saw the guitar, I immediately realized it was not a genuine Dammann. The label looked like a photocopy on whiter paper, the headstock proportions were incorrect (as I have played many Dammanns, I am very sensitive to proportions and details), the body was heavier, and the craftsmanship was poorer than a real one not to mention the sound. Many details didn’t match a real Dammann. I told him on the spot that I believed it was fake. He acted surprised and claimed he had bought it three months earlier from a “collector in Hong Kong.”

At first, I felt sympathy and even offered to help.
I suggested we contact the seller together and go to the police, and I was willing to act as a witness to show the guitar was not genuine.
But when I asked for the seller’s name,
he said he had “forgotten” and refused to answer. He also continued to insist the guitar was genuine,
which I knew was not true. At that point, it became clear to me that the situation was suspicious.

Things got even more concerning when he first told me he came alone, but later tried to call his “father” to come up to my hotel room (he had mentioned his father was not in Hong Kong but in Japan doing business). I refused, since I didn’t know what might happen, and suggested instead that we meet in the lobby and go to the police station. As soon as I said that, they disappeared.

My original plan was to stay overnight,
but after they left, I felt unsafe in Hong Kong.
They knew where I was staying, and since I was carrying a large amount of cash,
I worried they might follow me even if I changed hotels. For my own safety, I bought a new ticket and flew straight back to Thailand the same day. I have already reported the incident to the police. I don’t know if this was just one man or part of a larger group targeting buyers.

I’ve seen fake watches, luxury goods, or even vintage guitar “replicas” before, but I never imagined someone would make a fake of a modern guitar by a living luthier like Matthias Dammann. That was a real shock.
Fortunately, I didn’t lose any money, though I did lose the cost of flights and hotels. I feel lucky that things didn’t get worse.

I’m sharing this story so others can avoid the same danger. I’m sure this wasn’t the first time this kind of situation has happened, and it might not be the last. He mentioned he had many famous guitars,
like Martin Blackwell, Kobs, Tolz and others, and seemed knowledgeable about the industry.

Be extremely careful when buying rare
instruments like Dammanns. Stay alert, verify authenticity, and protect yourself.

❗️ The seller of the guitar that I believe was not genuine is active in this group under the alias ‘HKguitarist.’ Based on my personal experience, I advise caution when dealing with this account

❗️ I have also shared this seller’s name privately
with trusted friends, guitar makers, and dealers so they can be aware of this situation and exercise caution — mit Aaron Green und 8 weiteren Personen.