Dan Galen Hodges, Jr., Moderator
2:00 - Steve Albini: A Study of Fierce Independence in Underground Music Entrepreneurship Through One of His Final Interviews
2:30 - Chibsons and Chenders: Counterfeit Guitars from China
Steve Albini: A Study of Fierce Independence in Underground Music Entrepreneurship Through One of His Final Interviews
Justin Sinkovich, Columbia College Chicago
Philippe Ravanas, Columbia College Chicago
On May 7th, 2024, legendary audio engineer, musician, and provocateur Steve Albini went home for the night during the sessions for an album he was engineering at his studio, Electrical Audio, and died of a heart attack. Albini was best known for his dedication to analog recording, producing albums like Nirvana, The Pixies, and PJ Harvey, his Chicago-based studio complex, and as the vocalist and guitarist for the Big Black and Shellac. He is also widely known for dismantling the mainstream music business in the media with his eloquent and often polarizing disdain.
Two months before Albini’s passing, Philippe Ravanas and Justin Sinkovich conducted an interview researching the creative, economic, and sociological factors shaping one of alternative music’s most notable entrepreneurs. The interview explored how an innovator like Albini succeeded by forging his path while maintaining strict autonomy and artistic vision. The series of scheduled interviews with Albini was unexpectedly concluded after the first. Still, Ravanas and Sinkovich interviewed Electrical Audio technician and engineer Greg Norman to discuss Albini’s death and the plans for the studio. Sinkovich also started working with Albini decades prior in the studio and as the Director of Digital Distribution and Promotion at Touch and Go Records, the label representing Big Black and Shellac.
The research is framed by several theories, including Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model, social capital theory, and entrepreneurship theory. Through the lens of the theoretical framework, the session will provide insight into Albini’s value system and business acumen that shaped his success and notoriety. The session will discuss the history of Albini’s artistic, recording, and business practices compared to industry standards. It will also reveal how Electrical Audio plans to move forward in a rapidly shifting industry without its fearless leader, Steve Albini.
Chibsons and Chenders: Counterfeit Guitars from China
Christopher Reali, Ramapo College of New Jersey
During spring 2024, I visited a friend’s music store. As I was about to leave he said, “Have I ever showed you the guitars from China?” I replied, “No, I don’t think so.” Before opening his office door, he casually remarked, “Once you see these, there’s no going back.” He showed me several guitars, including a stunning “Gibson” Les Paul, Jimmy Page model, and said it was actually a “Chibson,” a Chinese-made counterfeit. As a guitar player, I was initially surprised. As a researcher, I was very curious. Over the next few weeks, I fell down numerous rabbit holes in an effort to learn more about Chibson’s. In brief, the name Chibson typically refers to all Chinese-made counterfeit guitars, regardless of which company is being copied. So there are Chenders, Chibanez, Chickenbaker, Chartin, Chaylor, and others all made to look, feel, and sound like guitars manufactured by Fender, Ibanez, Rickenbacker, Martin, or Taylor, respectively. These instruments are sold to customers across the world primarily via direct message links to hidden pages on websites or openly on sites such as Ali Express, Temu, DHGate, and eBay. Much of the marketing, promotion, and appreciation for Chibson’s occurs on private Face Book group pages.
On November 23, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Gibson announced the seizure of over 3,000 counterfeit electric guitars. According to the authorities, this is the “largest seizure of fake musical instruments” on record, with the guitars’ estimated value exceeding $18 million if they were authentic. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently valued the global scope of physical counterfeiting for all products at $509 billion dollars. This paper presents preliminary observations and findings about the buying habits of people who purchase “Chibsons” and the worldwide networks related to the sale of counterfeit guitars. This research draws upon survey responses from over one hundred Chibson owners, interviews conducted with musicians and guitar store owners, conversations with representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, and correspondence with guitar manufacturers.
