The internet’s ‘fake’ guitarist problem persists – but our definition of fake continues to divide

Berried Alive is the latest guitarist to be caught in the 'faker' storm, and his tale underscores the value of transparency and how you treat your audience

Accusations that guitar players are faking their chops have been slung around with increasing regularity in recent years. Instagram and bedroom guitarists have been most commonly accused, while there have been deep ‘exposés’ on high-profile players like Ichika Nito and Syncatto guitarist, Charlie Robbins.

There have been cases of guitarists being proven to cheat their way to success, endorsements, and fame. Giacomo Turra is the most obvious player in that regard. But more recently, Berried Alive, known for his wacky, effects-heavy shredding, is another caught up in the scandal.

A live performance from NAMM 2026, where he played a severely ‘dumbed down’ version of one of his tracks, has blown up on social media for all the wrong reasons. Many believe this is proof that what you see the guitarist do on a recorded piece of music or slickly produced social video is a doctored version of his talents.

In short, he’s not as good as he’s making himself out to be. Worst still, in the face of the backlash, he didn’t do himself any favors as he clapped back against his critics.

In a YouTube video entitled, Why gotcha culture exists, he tries to play the victim card because people have been saying mean things online about his anti-purist approach to the instrument.

“When people call a musician fake, exposed, or say they were caught red-handed, they usually aren't reacting to music at all,” he says. “That assumption is that music is meant to be raw, unfiltered truth, when it's actually an artistic art form built through repetition, refinement, editing, and intention. The claim isn't about dishonesty; it's about discomfort with polish.”

The problem is, it is painfully clear that he is reading from a script the entire time, and a legion of comments under the video believe that, because of the heavy use of certain linguistic tricks, the script was actually written for him by ChatGPT.  The video in itself is ostensibly meant to be his “gotcha” moment – a return volley that silences the haters. But in truth, it’s made him look even more inauthentic than many already felt he was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ExKSjdVhY

Comments include, “Bro, just keep digging,” “scripted word salad ass video,” and “You can’t even form your own argument without help from AI? Lmao. Always need the crutch of computer assistance.”

His plan has backfired dramatically.  

Fake it till you make it?

But how do we distinguish a real player from a fake? Where do we draw the line? Well, in support of a new thought piece on that exact topic by Guitar World’s Jackson Maxwell, the magazine called upon its readers to provide their own definition of a faker. The answers are illuminating.

“It's normal to film an imperfect playthrough and then use audio from different takes; everyone does that and has been doing it since guitar playthrough videos have been a thing,” says one user. “The problems arise when someone claims their videos are unedited or one take [when they’re not].”

“The argument was never about polishing your recordings, everybody does that for albums and music videos,” adds another. “The argument was when you edit something to a degree that now it even sounds like a synth and are claiming that it's your live or raw material, and you’re trying everything to make people believe that it is your real playing.”

The sentiments of both comments echo what is being levelled at Berried Alive’s ‘gotcha’ video. No one was criticizing his music as an art form. Sure, it’s an acquired taste, but even as someone who isn’t a fan, I admire that it flies in the face of traditional guitar playing. Many others do, too.

However, his performance at NAMM proves that – unless it was a really bad off day – he can’t play to the level his videos say he can. He’s defending his art but is swerving the conversation about honesty and transparency. Doctor the living daylights out of your recordings to make something unique, but don’t try to fool your audience. Admit that the cool thing you made is unplayable, and there will be no issue. People enjoy the art for what it is, not what it tricks you into thinking it is.

It’s how you tell it…

With that in mind, Andy Wood entered the chat with an extremely measured response.

“If you’re presenting it as an actual live performance but it’s not live, then you have entered the ‘fake guy zone,’” he says. “This doesn’t equal bad art. But it does not feel authentic to the viewer/listener.

“If it’s presented as a music video, then all is fair game, mime away. Those are the rules I try to play by. We have a responsibility to maintain truth and authenticity in this day and age, and it will only increase as AI runs wilder.”

Whitesnake and former Dio guitarist, however, offers a different take, saying how fake guitarists have encouraged him to up his game. It’s an interesting take, but I think when you’ve got stock as high as his, it’s far easier to see the positives. The damage it has on lesser experienced guitarists who are left to think the virtuosic standard is far beyond their capabilities is far greater. Mentally, that can be excoriating.   

Esteemed guitar tutor, Tomo Fujita, meanwhile, encourages not to worry about fakers and instead put their energy into those worth championing. It’s a glass-half-full answer, for sure, but there’s logic in it. People will always lie, cheat, and steal. Athletes will do whatever they can to gain an advantage, legal or otherwise. We shouldn’t let those who trick, deceive, and bend the rules get under our skin when countless others are doing extraordinary things without cutting corners.

These comments show that the definition of a fake guitarist differs. But in the case of Berried Alive, it shows how honesty and responding to criticism in the right way can save your reputation from going down the shitter.