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Fender Decals On Non-Fender Basses

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#801
plangentmusic said:
And what should the punishment be?
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I keep posting the same thing over & over & over. :rollno:

-Nobody's coming to your house to arrest you for putting a sticker on your bass.

-The people manufacturing and selling those stickers are who are being litigated.

-While not illegal, by supporting the counterfeiters above, you are making it worthwhile for them to break the law. If you think that's "cool" or "no big deal", that's your prerogative - but it doesn't make the faked decal market any more legal.
 
#805
I called Fender about a Mighty Mite neck and they refused to sell me a decal. They said I had to provide a serial number and proof of purchase in order to buy one.

I asked about the Mighty Mite headstock shape. They said all MM is licensed to do is reproduce the headstock shape.
 
#806
In my early bass building days, when I was building just for me, I used Fender decals simply because I hated the look of a bare headstock.

Then one day I realized I could have my own custom decal made, which I ended up liking better anyway. Of course it helps to know Photoshop so you can make it look good.

With that being said - anyone who wants to do the same but needs help, send me a PM. I think lots of guys would much rather have their name on a home built bass than provide free advertising for Fender.
 
#807
Personally on my builds, though I use ALOT of fender parts I pay my homage by making a tribute decal not a "Fender" decal :p at the end of the day if i wanted a fender I would buy a fender. I like certain things in their builds but I also have my personal preference which making it myself gives me what i want.

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#810
plangentmusic said:
Wow, you really see it as the same thing? Allrightythen.
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Invalid Link Removed, and then throw a plaque with my name on it for "Best Americana Album of 2011". I mean, really, who cares? My record is MUCH better than any of the albums nominated this year, and anyone with taste knows that. I deserve that award more than them, and just because the system is rigged with people with connections shouldn't stop me from being recognized. Plus, I'll never sell it. And if anyone asks, I might admit it's a fake.
 
#812
I didn't read this whole thread but i will say this, i don't like the look of a blank headstock. I currently have two home builds and wanted to put a fender logo on them but thought to myself ill try to be somewhat original but I don't have the brain to come up with a custom logo. But i do have a very well know "brand" last name, FORD. I totally now want to put a Ford Motor Company logo on my headstock. But i have had a heck of a time finding one. One day ill find a sticker or water slide decal to put on their.
 
#815
Timeline of a Talkbass Fender-Decal Thread

-Thread started regarding applying after-market Fender decal to non-Fender or parts bass.

-Arguments presented on both side of varying intensity and passion.

-Automobile industry analogy presented.

-Picture of carrots posted.

-Numerous hypothetical and barely pertinent situations are outlined.

-After every 4 pages or so, someone posts a thread over in the Basses Forum asking whether a Fender instrument they want to buy is real. (How do those fakes with decals keep turning up?)

-Virtually no one changes their position.

-Repeat all above in endless cycle ad-nauseum up to & including spawning near-identical threads of the same nature.
 
#817
Lesfunk said:
(I will now taking this to the next level of absurdity)
Now I understand copyrights ,branding, and all that but let's look at it another way just for the hell of it.;)
Now I'm not trying to be controversial or anything, but in a way it seems funny to me that it is considered bad taste to stick a "Fender" decal on a Nash jazz bass (for example), when , other than buying the parts, bolting them together, and whipping them with a belt buckle, it has everything"Fender" about it(Total design, Dimensions, specifications, etc..) and very little " Nash" about it.
It's actually more offensive,for lack of a better term, to see someone else's name on the bass when the instrument itself is for all practical purposes identical to Leo's bass. Nash basses are really just cosmetically abused but otherwise identical copies of fender basses. Think of how many guitar companies got their start by humping the corpse of Fender.:hiding: The mind boggles.
Now I say this not to put down , be critical of, or show disrespect to Mr. Nash, or Mr. Sadowsky, or Suhr, or Lakin or Lull etc etc.. It's just for the sake of discussion.
That's where the money comes in I suppose. As long as the Fender Corp gets their money in the form of licensing fees, anybody can produce and sell Fender basses with their own name on it.

It seems to me that This whole issue of the desire folks have to put "Fender" on their non Fender basses has to do with our society's fixation with branding.
Folks seem to feel better about themselves if they can associate their personal belongings to a popular and respected brand. A Warmoth or Nash parts bass doesn't perform any better with a sticker on the head stock but some folks seem to feel better having one on there.

While there are unscrupulous people who will try to make money by counterfeiting vintage guitars with criminal intent, I don't believe that is the biggest motivation for this trend.

So I suppose, In my opinion, I don't have a problem with you if you get your jollies dressing up your bass to look like a Fender. I wouldn't waste my time doing it myself ( I guess I don't see the thrill in pretending to have a "real" Fender since Fender hasn't "really" been "Fender" for nearly 50 years ).
I do have a problem if you try to misrepresent your bass to sell it to some poor innocent kid, or some other scummy purpose. Otherwise, whatever makes you happy.:bassist:
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Excellent post, Here's my honest opinion on the subject. It's wrong(and illeagle) to put a counterfiet Fender logo on your Licenced by Fender Headstock. If you want to use the Fender designs you have to pay Fender or change the design. But, by putting a counterfiet Fender logo on your all Fender bass make it any less a Fender bass? On the other hand putting a fake logo on your non Fender bass and traying to sell it as a real Fender bass makes you a Dirtbag in my book(JMHO). I do like to stir the pot on these debates just for fun and I really did'nt read any of it before posting because they are always the same(that's why I love TB). It's the no,no,no, you can't do that and the screw you I'll do what I want thing that amuseses me. Sorry if I came off like a troll, heres a really good read- [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#819
smcd said:
Invalid Link Removed, and then throw a plaque with my name on it for "Best Americana Album of 2011". I mean, really, who cares? My record is MUCH better than any of the albums nominated this year, and anyone with taste knows that. I deserve that award more than them, and just because the system is rigged with people with connections shouldn't stop me from being recognized. Plus, I'll never sell it. And if anyone asks, I might admit it's a fake.
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Dude, you're comparing outright fraud and thievery to someone using a non licensed decal. There's an area in-between.
 
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