Hey everyone,
Does anyone know where I can buy Fender decals online? I want to put one on the headstock of my Squier VM fretless jazz. If anyone could answer this I would be very appreciative.
Thanks.
OK, I don't want to be too much of a grown-up (though if you ask my elementary school music students, you might get an assortment of answers about that), but if my memory serves me well, what you are wanting is illegal. OK, yeah, hardy-har-har, who cares, etc.,...but really, it is against the law, and for an OK to me reason.
I am not a lover of "Law and Order," greedy corporations, or most authority, believe you me, AND, I am not rich, though I have managed to become the player and owner of some basses I think are great. Hey, I started playing bass in 1963. I guess I am "old."
The rootless folks who are selling you these fake or unauthorized decals are infringing on Fender's trademark, and if you buy one and apply it, you are infringing, too. At least, that is what I gathered from my desire to restore my '55 Fender P-bass.
I believe that you have the right to a Fender decal if you have a Fender bass, and the decal has been removed by a previous owner, by damage, repair, or replacement of the neck with an authorized replacement (I'm not sure what that is, but I suspect it means a Warmouth (or like) neck that is put on a bass by a Fender "authorized technician," who is someone working on behalf of a Fender "authorized" dealer.....geesh...a lot of authorizing, I wonder why? Don't you, too?
hmmnn....Well, I think all this "authorizing" junk is largely because of exactly what you are proposing. Fender wants us to buy their basses. If we buy a similar instrument (even squier) and make it into a "fake" Fender, Fender has lost a sale of their Fender product (I know they make squier). Repeat that loss enough, ouch! It could be felt even through the seat of the thick grey-flannel Brooks Brothers trousers on the behinder of corporate a shill (which I am not).
I just don't like the idea of hurting Fender. They have their shortcomings (yeah, think butterscotch blond poly, stinglay, poly under nitro, that little cbs thing, I could go on), but still, as bassists, we have a mild interest in Fender's health and sanity, IMHO.
If you have a Fender bass that needs a decal, and you take it to a Fender "tech" (see above), they should be able to 1) verify the "fenderness" 2) order one and 3) apply it for you.
In my humble opinion, Squiers are good basses and don't need to be tarted-up into fake Fenders (jus' my .02), YMMV, all IMHO!!!
You should also know that a whole lotta contempt has been heaped on some TBer's who have needed a Fender decal on their non-Fender because of some self-perceived squire P-Bass lack of P-ness, or was it a Jazz? I have deliberately forgotten just so I could make a joke, but with a real point...you will lose more than you will gain, IMHO.
OH, BTW, my 1955 P-bass got a new decal as part of the restoration, because the restorer is authorized by Fender to apply them to vintage instruments. When I brought the lovingly restored bass home with a fairly fresh decal on it and changed the strings, I boogered up the decal. In tears of shame, I called the restorers, they said, "no problem, this is damage to a legit Fender, and we can apply another decal right now, come on over." Wow, if only I had known this a few years back, I would have sought a restore sooner...but it has all worked out.
My advice: Be proud of your instrument, and use your fine and well-practiced playing to make people say "Golly, that bass sounds great."
