Elrick and Fodera China Copies

[fsharp1]

Something I find interesting: When you search youtube at all the videos of individuals that have purchased Les Paul copies, The only complaints are pickups, tuning keys and bridge. Also when you look at China's guitar factories all the instruments are made by hand, and American factories are mostly machines. In no way am I justifying how they are ripping off American brands, If you search "5 strings bass" add the "S" on strings ha! you will find all sort of copies, Warwick, fender, alembic, fodera, spector etc.

Elrick Copy
Invalid Link Removed

Fodera copy
Invalid Link Removed

On youtube you can find a lot of individuals reveling the un packaging of these copies I find it interesting non the less.
example video

 

[Pharmdoc]

I just emailed Rob Elrick, as I own two of his basses. He should be made aware of this, if he isn't already. I don't know Vinnie or Joey, so maybe someone who does should email them.

 

[Baird6869]

I sent it to the Service folks at Fodera. No point bugging Jason as he is likely at NAMM.

 

[esoxhntr]

Part of me is tempted to grab one just to see how f***ed up it is. Course, that would be fun for about a week, then you'd realize $400 bucks was missing from your bank account...

 

[Baird6869]

Part of me is tempted to grab one just to see how f***ed up it is. Course, that would be fun for about a week, then you'd realize $400 bucks was missing from your bank account...

Buy one and I'll buy you a beer in Markham if you let me play it for a few minutes.

 

[fsharp1]

Awesome Phardoc! It's crazy how they get away with this!

 

[Just Thumpin']

So here is my take on this stuff...

First off the instrument shown on the link bears no real resemblance to our work. Hopefully no one seriously interested in our instruments will ever be confused. Anyone building at that level wouldn't even be allowed to come in for an interview with us let alone work here.

It is frustrating that builders out there prefer to copy others' work rather than do their own, but that has been the case with humanity since our very beginnings and I guess that imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery.

With China's incredibly lax intellectual property laws it is next to impossible for a small company like Fodera to even think of launching some kind of legal battle -- which is really what these folks deserve. Of course this is not a situation unique to China. We get emails every other week from people in Brazil, Europe and even the U.S. sending us pictures of fake Fodera instruments.

It's funny, our COST for the preamp and the case a real Fodera Custom comes in is DOUBLE the cost of the fake Fodera on eBay that the OP linked to...in the end, you get what you pay for.

By the way, I have had the opportunity to play just two fake Foderas in my life -- one looking not unlike the instrument in the link posted by the OP. My take? There are literally hundreds (maybe thousands) of better options from legitimate companies for well made bass guitars at that price point...

Regards,

J

 

[pacosarae]

No point bugging Jason as he is likely at NAMM.Invalid Link RemovedInvalid Link Removed

 

[esoxhntr]

Tell you what, I'll buy it - you can buy me lunch and I'll trade it to you for that AE210 cab. Deal?

Buy one and I'll buy you a beer in Markham if you let me play it for a few minutes.

 

[phillybass101]

The neck heel in the back of these look funky. Look at the back of my Brubaker Brute import bass. My Brute was made in China however mine is a legit bass with backing from Brubaker.

 

[willbassyeah]

Wow lucky i come across this thread, a seller at my area selling a ripoff and selling at 3.5k SGD, about 2.9K USD Invalid Link Removed

 

[ddawson2012]

It was either last year or the year before - there was a huge booth at the Music Messe in Germany. A Chinese company set up a Martin Booth - and of course - they weren't Martin Guitars. The guitars looked amazing - but they didn't play particularly well. When Martin found out, they had to go thru all sorts of hoops in an effort to get the booth shut down. It's amazing that this stuff goes on - but even string brands are being nicked by piracy. We had to create a serial code pattern in an effort to fend it off (www.daddario.com/playreal). Thanks for pointing this out to those manufacturers. Every little bit helps.

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

This is tempting indeed!!!!!!

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

There´s that jazz bass 5 with ebony fingerboard....man!!!!!

 

[MostlyBass]

Cheap instrument copies is something I battle often as a public school orchestra teacher. People see "Wood Bow - $30" or a $100 violin but don't know that the finish is awful, the purfling is fake, the fittings aren't ebony, the bridge is too soft, etc....

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

Cheap instrument copies is something I battle often as a public school orchestra teacher. People see "Wood Bow - $30" or a $100 violin but don't know that the finish is awful, the purfling is fake, the fittings aren't ebony, the bridge is too soft, etc....

You´re right but it´s tempting!

 

[Brad Johnson]

They're actually calling their Marcus Miller copy a Marcus Miller. Wow.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[nostatic]

Anyone who buys these should be ashamed of themselves imho. Giving them any money is just perpetuating a culture of theft. While no one in the know would mistake them for the real thing, the whole concept is part of what is wrong with the world.

 

[EagleMoon]

There's even a fake Bongo along with the Rickenfakers and Warwickfakers. And it even says Bongo on it in the same script.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[fsharp1]

There is no way I could personally afford the Fodera Bass I want, But I have enough integrity and respect for those high end builders not to troll around with a knockoff.