Does anyone make a boutique StingRay "copy"?

[Headless Llama]

Well, someone should run to the patent office for the 3+3 patent, and the 4+0 patent, and the.....

If they truly have the patent for the 3+1 then you could do a 1+3

 

[bobunit]

I realize this is not Stingray boutique copy, however, it is 3+1...
Does Mr. Green have a licensing agreement with EB?

 

[natw42]

Invalid Link Removed in Germany will make you one, apparently (scroll all the way down to the bottom).

The prezzman looks awesome ... not too often you see a P/MM combo.
Would love it if they could put a coil selector on the MM pu...crazy diversity possible.

/offtopic

 

[Sherwood]

maybe they beat them to the patent office

Off topic-ish, but it's my understanding that US patent law recognizes the original innovator, not the original filer. Proof that you used a patented design before it entered the patent process is sufficient to overturn a patent.

Again, this is the legal acumen of a government employee skipping work to surf a bass forum, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Darkstrike]

Does Mr. Green have a licensing agreement with EB?

I believe he does, but, seeing that he's in the UK, it wouldn't matter if he didn't(unless he's selling the 'Ray necks to the US), just like we can still get the SX MM Bass, and other copys, not to mention copys of Rickenbacker etc.

I think, at one time, he supplied EB with necks for a special run, of 'Rays, with graphite necks.

 

[bobunit]

I believe he does, but, seeing that he's in the UK, it wouldn't matter if he didn't(unless he's selling the 'Ray necks to the US), just like we can still get the SX MM Bass, and other copys, not to mention copys of Rickenbacker etc.

I think, at one time, he supplied EB with necks for a special run, of 'Rays, with graphite necks.

Status does sales to the U.S. market (I have a replacement neck on my 79 Stingray). Yes, Status did make a necks for the small production run (100) for the EB NAMM bass.

 

[Darkstrike]

Status does sales to the U.S. market (I have a replacement neck on my 79 Stingray). Yes, Status did make a necks for the small production run (100) for the EB NAMM bass.

Then he most certaintly has a licence agreement.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Well, someone should run to the patent office for the 3+3 patent, and the 4+0 patent, and the.....

If they truly have the patent for the 3+1 then you could do a 1+3

The 3+1 headstock is a Trademark, not a patent. Ned Steinberg had a patent on the new, novel tuning system used in his headless basses and his TransTrem guitar bridge. Fender has a trademark on the shape of their headstock.

 

[LowB-ing]

The 3+1 headstock is a Trademark, not a patent. Ned Steinberg had a patent on the new, novel tuning system used in his headless basses and his TransTrem guitar bridge. Fender has a trademark on the shape of their headstock.

Copyright, I believe. Not trademark.

Trademark, Copyright and Patent are all completely different things.

I do believe it's correct that EBMM had the text "3+1" trademarked when used in relation to headstock design.

 

[air_leech]

I didn't expect so much criticism, especially after almost a year of inactivity! Maybe I should have titled the thread "Why do Low End/AC/Lakland/Sadowsky/a million others copy every detail of the J bass including pick guard, control plate, and headstock (as much as legally possible) but not offer a Stingray version." I love my Low End ... it allowed me to be as custom as I wanted to be and still have a bass that looks classic(ish) on stage. I was hoping for the same with the 'Ray body style.

I can think of more than a few reasons for that-
the Jazz bass seems to be far more popular than the Stingray, it's quite obvious theres a massive market for Jazz style basses or otherwise there wouldn't have been enough income to keep all the other Fender style bass producers around.

another issue would be Fender being the company which started it all or at least was there when stuff was happening. Musicman only lasted for a short 10 or 9 years period with the Stingray only being produced for a mere 7 years period.
the Jazz has been around longer, is featured in more recordings and has had it's specs changed numerous times since it's introduction and through the different phases Fender has gone through in the 50 years of Jazz bass production.

trends also pay a big role in the popularity of different brands.
I barely saw any Jazz basses in pre-90s live footage or video clips. it seems the Jazz has gotten much more popular in the last two decades.

last and most important - I own both a pre-EB and a modern EBMM Stingray, both are 2 band, maple neck and ash body and while the older one has a great vibe the EBMMs are overall better basses, so the demand for a "better Stingray" is either minor or non-existent, the current production Rays really leave nothing to be desired as they surpass the originals quality-wise and if you're really hard pressed to play a Ray with a lacquer finished neck and bridge mutes you could get the new upcoming Classic Series Stingray models.
Fender on the other hand has known ups and downs since the pre-CBS days, the CIJ Geddy I had and my '99 CIJ '62 RI Strat far surpass the late 90s MIA P I sold a year ago in terms of quality.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Copyright, I believe. Not trademark.

Trademark, Copyright and Patent are all completely different things.

I do believe it's correct that EBMM had the text "3+1" trademarked when used in relation to headstock design.

Nope, trademark. You "copyright" content such as songs, literature, works of art. UPS, for example, has a trademark on their brown delivery trucks.

Fender recently lost a trademark dispute on their strat, precision, jazz body shapes. Gibson lost a lawsuit a few years ago on their trademark claim to the singlecut body design.

 

[FingerBanger]

Oh Bump!
"OLP" or "Official Licensed Products"
produced a Musicman 4 string, 5 string and 5 string active (Tony Levin model) . The stencil on the back of the headstock mentions the Ernie Ball licence.
I have an OLP MM Stingray 5, passive.i
As far as boutique, the pickup is made with 15mm spacing specially for this bass by Nordstrand.
The wiring has been optimised and double checked by Mike Kinal.
That's fairly boutiquey to me.
But I read the thread and no one mentioned OLP ...... so BUMP!

 

[Pacman]

Love this Roscoe:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[rodneyat]

I played them all...this Nordy vM5, nails the classic Stingray tone. I have been on the quest for a LONG time. It's an all new Nordy preamp that is voiced like the original SR preamp. 2 band, boost only and it sounds great. It was the shining star at the Winter NAMM in Jan.

 

[DaveAceofBass]

Kinal SK5