Hello

This is Strings Osanai (Osanai from the repair shop)! It’s been a while since we’ve talked about strings. So, let’s get right to it—where do you all buy your strings?

I imagine there are various ways—some buy them at music stores, others order them online.

 

Come to think of it, there was a time when an issue with buying strings online was all the rage.

That’s right.

 

Counterfeit strings!

 

 

There are unscrupulous people who manufacture imitations of famous brands like Elixir, D’Addario, and Ernie Ball, and sell them on major online retailers like AMAZ◯N or flea market apps like Me◯kari. That’s really unacceptable.

 

 

Believe it or not, someone involved in the industry gave me a set of counterfeit Elixir strings, so I’d like to compare them to the real thing.

 

 

Let’s start by looking at the packaging.

 

Can you tell which one is the fake?

 

 

The one on the left is the genuine product, and the one on the right is the counterfeit.

 

At first glance, they look almost identical, but if you compare them closely, there are many differences.

The blue parts on the fake one are a lighter shade.

It’s hard to tell from the photo, but when you touch them, the genuine one feels rough, while the fake one feels smooth.

 

Left: Genuine | Right: Counterfeit

 

The box material isn’t very well replicated.

Also, the font style is different overall.

The lines are sometimes thinner and sometimes thicker—it’s completely different.

 

On the “NICKEL PLATED STEEL” section of the surface, not only is the font weight different, but the color of the background is completely different as well.
The fake one is unusually dark.

 

The silver sticker on the back is also different.

Left: Genuine | Right: Counterfeit

 

The genuine one reflects light and shines, but the fake one does not.

You can tell right away that the fake has a low-quality sticker.

That said, I do wonder if they’d go so far as to make their own stickers.

 

As you can see, there are quite a few differences.

 

Let’s open it up and take a look inside.

 

Left: Genuine; Right: Counterfeit

 

With the fake, you can tell right away that the font is different and the color is lighter, but the biggest difference is how sloppy the packaging is.

Left: Genuine | Right: Counterfeit

While the folds on the genuine product are straight, those on the counterfeit are sloppily folded and crooked.

It really shows that they took a “it’s fine as long as no one sees it” approach.

 

Now, let’s take a look at the strings on the body itself.!!!

 

When you think of Elixir, you think of the coating!

I think this is what most people are looking for when they buy these.

 

Left: Genuine | Right: Counterfeit

 

But this fake one isn’t coated at all!

The difference is obvious at a glance.

 

It feels just like those super-cheap strings.

I think anyone who usually uses Elixir would tell the difference immediately just by touching them.

 

So, I compared them side by side, and this fake is truly the worst.

It’s obvious they’re trying to pull a fast one on people. By the way, I heard this fake was purchased on the major online retailer AMAZ◯N.

I’m told the price was slightly lower than the list price.

 

It would be great if the vendors making and selling these fakes would just disappear, but it’s not that simple.

The best way to deal with this is for buyers to avoid purchasing counterfeits.

The surest way is to buy from a reputable music store or authorized dealer. (We look forward to seeing you in store.)

Let’s all do our part, believing that if counterfeits stop selling, the number of unscrupulous sellers will decrease!

 

That’s all from Strings Osanai!