Fender Decals On Non-Fender Basses

[Joe Nerve]

Wow. This thread is getting even more heated in it's second time around. Why does this get so hot? Here's my take:

Most people putting putting fender decals on their non fender basses:

1. aren't doing it to be fraudulent.
2. are doing it because of pride/ego reasons and because they want people to think they're playing fenders.
3. are getting pissed because when people call them on #2 they have to defend themselves by saying silly things like, "I'm paying homage".
4. openly and freely admit they're doing something deceitful.
5. won't ever try to pass their basses off as fenders.

Most people against the fruadulent use of Fender decals:

1. have a sense of ethics.
2. are getting pissed at justifications that just don't fly.
3. don't trust people who are being fraudulent, because... well...
4. will never get screwed by buying a conuterfiet fender because they're so onto the game.
5. just want to fight because it's annoying when people do something wrong and try to make it seem as though it's right. I believe I just repeated #2.

my point? I don't know. tryin to fan the flames I guess. Not proud of my job. Could have done much better. But I believe all I wrote is true.

 

[okc-zee]

Look - if it ain't for fraudulent reasons in a resale or whatever, you can put whitewall tires and mudflaps
on your bass if you like.

I gotta agree,But I understand the opposite as well...

 

[smcd]

Wow. This thread is getting even more heated in it's second time around. Why does this get so hot? Here's my take:

Most people putting putting fender decals on their non fender basses:

1. aren't doing it to be fraudulent.
2. are doing it because of pride/ego reasons and because they want people to think they're playing fenders.
3. are getting pissed because when people call them on #2 they have to defend themselves by saying silly things like, "I'm paying homage".
4. openly and freely admit they're doing something deceitful.
5. won't ever try to pass their basses off as fenders.

Most people against the fruadulent use of Fender decals:

1. have a sense of ethics.
2. are getting pissed at justifications that just don't fly.
3. don't trust people who are being fraudulent, because... well...
4. will never get screwed by buying a conuterfiet fender because they're so onto the game.
5. just want to fight because it's annoying when people do something wrong and try to make it seem as though it's right. I believe I just repeated #2.

my point? I don't know. tryin to fan the flames I guess. Not proud of my job. Could have done much better. But I believe all I wrote is true.

So do I.

 

[Joe Nerve]

So.....

I recently got involved in a zeppelin tribute. May take off, may not, we'll see in a month.

Bought a highway one jazz. Didn't like it. Returned it. Bought three actually, one was busted, sold the other two, returned the busted one. I know you care, that's why I'm tellin it.

The guitar guy we got for this zeppelin thing is Page insane, zoso on his amp, 2X neck sg, les paul, page costumes... got me thinking I may have to dress the part and get me a Jazz bass after all. Started searching for Fender decals on ebay. Didn't find any Jazz decals. I really wanted to buy a squier, knock off the squier logo, and put fender. Why? Well first, because I like squiers better than fenders, but second and more importantly - because I'D WANT PEOPLE TO THINK IT WAS A FENDER, and not give me crap about playing a squier. Especially in this particular situation. Would it have a been a wrong thing to. Yes. It's dishonest. BUT I WOULDN'T CARE. People do many much worse things. If I ever sold it would I say it was a Fender? Of course not. Unless the person buying it was really stupid and I could get like $300 more... just kidding. It's lame to try and pass is off as the real thing, but I'd label it as such just as easily as I'll wear a wig for this tribute.

Eventually wound up changing my mind about all this and reorded the highway one...

My point in this post is a little more clear to me. And I think most will agree. Do what you gotta do if you feel you gotta do it. Just quit the BS, quit trying to justify it, and never sell it as anything other than what it is. I think if everyone agreed to that the arguments here would be over.

 

[Turock]

Wow. This thread is getting even more heated in it's second time around. Why does this get so hot? Here's my take:

Most people putting putting fender decals on their non fender basses:

1. aren't doing it to be fraudulent.
2. are doing it because of pride/ego reasons and because they want people to think they're playing fenders.
3. are getting pissed because when people call them on #2 they have to defend themselves by saying silly things like, "I'm paying homage".
4. openly and freely admit they're doing something deceitful.
5. won't ever try to pass their basses off as fenders.

Most people against the fruadulent use of Fender decals:

1. have a sense of ethics.
2. are getting pissed at justifications that just don't fly.
3. don't trust people who are being fraudulent, because... well...
4. will never get screwed by buying a conuterfiet fender because they're so onto the game.
5. just want to fight because it's annoying when people do something wrong and try to make it seem as though it's right. I believe I just repeated #2.

my point? I don't know. tryin to fan the flames I guess. Not proud of my job. Could have done much better. But I believe all I wrote is true.

I agree with that too. Besides it being unethical, uncaring, and selfish, I guess my main beef with it is that the counterfeiter will most likely not outlive the instrument, and thus is setting up a fellow musician somewhere along the line to get ripped off (intentionally or not).

 

[Rhomco]

I needed glasses and my palms started growing hair.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

I needed glasses and my palms started growing hair.

I'm lost.


Are the basses(and guitars) on your site instruments that you've built? Or Fender instruments?


Link Removed

 

[Hot Rats]

Eventually, the counterfeit will change hands. Knowlegde of it's original identity will be forgotten. It will take on the appearence of an original to all except the most knowledgeable. This, makes counterfeiting in the first place wrong. Why is this so hard to see?

 

[leegreenman]

I guess if it's never going to be sold or traded it's not a big deal. That's a pretty big if though. I've sold a ton of gear i swore I'd never part with over the years.

 

[Waterpilot]

I guess if it's never going to be sold or traded it's not a big deal. That's a pretty big if though. I've sold a ton of gear i swore I'd never part with over the years.

I think anytime you're trying to represent something in any way other then what it actually is, even if you're not trying to profit off of it, is wrong.

 

[scotch]

I'm lost.


Are the basses(and guitars) on your site instruments that you've built? Or Fender instruments?


Link Removed

Good question. Either these are some highly customized Fender's, or somebody's keeping the decal factory in business!

...interesting that the site no longer offers Rickenbacker logo truss covers after he, and I quote, "...pissed off the 'R' police back in 2000...".


And then, (taken directly from a bass for sale on the site):
"...The neck finish is tinted Nitrocellulose Lacquer. The familiar “F” decal has been omitted for obvious reasons but I am pleased to install one of yours at no charge...". Well, at least there's no charge.

 

[leegreenman]

I think anytime you're trying to represent something in any way other then what it actually is, even if you're not trying to profit off of it, is wrong.

Fair point. Wouldn't do it myself.

 

[Turock]

I guess if it's never going to be sold or traded it's not a big deal. That's a pretty big if though. I've sold a ton of gear i swore I'd never part with over the years.

There's no "if". Unless destroyed, or buried with the counterfeiter, it will eventually be sold or traded, no way around it.

 

[leegreenman]

There's no "if". Unless destroyed, or buried with the counterfeiter, it will eventually be sold or traded, no way around it.

That's kinda my point.

 

[Waterpilot]

Fair point. Wouldn't do it myself.

That's what I gleaned out of your post and why I quoted the whole thing (Not just the first sentence). It was directed more at the comment in general, as many have said the same thing... Not at much as you specifically.

 

[michael_atw]

My P is a 72 MIA and my current J is a late 80's MIM.

Fender made MIM basses in the 80's?

 

[Batmensch]

I guess if it's never going to be sold or traded it's not a big deal. That's a pretty big if though. I've sold a ton of gear i swore I'd never part with over the years.

Yup. I was gonna take my '78 P-bass to my grave with me, until I had to sell it to pay bills a couple of years ago. I'm quite sure most who put counterfeit decals on their basses have no intent to defraud, but there's more that just a small chance that some future owner won't be so honorable.
The other thing is, even if your intent is honorable, you make it easier for those who aren't so honest by making it easy to get fake logos by helping to make counterfeiting logos a viable business.
In the long run, even if you don't plan to rip someone off, you are still being dishonest by trying to fool someone in to believing you have something you don't. If that wasn't the case, what would be the point of doing it at all?

 

[smcd]

Eventually, the counterfeit will change hands. Knowlegde of it's original identity will be forgotten. It will take on the appearence of an original to all except the most knowledgeable. This, makes counterfeiting in the first place wrong. Why is this so hard to see?

The perpetrators flat out refuse to acknowledge this.

It seems there's a "Is this a real Fender" thread started on this site every other day.

 

[Hot Rats]

The perpetrators flat out refuse to acknowledge this.

It seems there's a "Is this a real Fender" thread started on this site every other day.

+1. Intent does not dissuade unscrupulous behavior later on. These basses are going to outlast the owner. Whether or not it is admitted, counterfeitting is immoral, no matter the product. Hardly something that is debatable.

 

[Dega60]

Fender made MIM basses in the 80's?

Well, to be honest I don't know - not a Fender historian just going by what I was told (I think) when I bought it. It is the first guitar I bought online without seeing it and I thought he said late 80's but could have been late 90's. Never bothered to look up the serial number and don't really care. I just know after I had it setup by a local pro I know, it is a sweet playing and sounding bass. I have no shame in the MIM part of the decal. At $200 for bass and case and another $50 having it setup it was a great deal and I would put it up against almost any other 5 string. Even the $2000 or $3000 ones some of you seem to own.

I wasn't trying to claim it was something it's not I was actually trying to make the point that I think changing or adding decals to make others think you have something you don't is foolish and shows a lack of integrity. I play the guitars I have because I like them and I could afford them not to be "cool" or "kewl"