Fender Decals

eBay

 

try emailing thelowend.net

 

Real great 'em ****** decals, I applied one myself today, and it was real easy, and the result's great.

 

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."

 

Hey! When I get tired of guys asking me to tell them what colour bass they ought to get if they were getting a bass, posts like this restore my faith in TB. Respect, as these young shavers say, I believe.

 

Jim, Fender itself sells replacement decals. The only caveat is you have to provide proof (pictures, etc.) to them that you have a legit fender guitar.

 

That's good news.

I guess this reflects the vastly more global bass world we live in now...

Yeah OK, I am trying to get there, too...

Yet, I think Fender selling decals still squares with my understanding of why one should not infringe on their trademark. Yes, one can always lie or cheat about this, yet I believe that there are real reasons not to do it.

OK, one can take pleasure in having a "Fender," even if your means don't allow you to buy a Fender (which is weird because a friend who is a struggling single Mom who raises 2 kids with a piano teaching business and a tiny bit of child support bought a nice MIM P-bass 2 or 3 years ago for under $400, new), but I digress.

IMHO, putting a Fender decal on a non-Fender is transparent self-ego massage that would be better remedied by becoming a better bass player.

 

Try me. I will listen. I may not agree, but I will not disrespect you.
I can learn VERY quicky, and I am forced to change every single day of my life by my students.

 

A lot of Fender decals are applied on Fender Liceinced products and to me that's totally legit. Ultimately I think it's only morally corrupt if you sell a bass with a fake logo as a genuine Fender otherwise gloves off.

 

I guess my concern is people slapping Fender decals on parts/Frankenbasses to get a better resale price from unsuspecting buyers.

 

As another 'old fart', a big +1.

Be proud of what you play. I am much more impressed by a bassist playing a "bottom of the barrel-rescued this puppy from the curb on trashday" bass and smokin' it than I am by the bassist that pins their credibility on whatever name happens to be on the headstock (no offense to Steinies, lol!).

Soul is not for sale...at any price.

Kim

 

I think I got mine from BrandX. Excellent product and service.

The necks still have the "Made in Indonesia" stamp on the back and too many frets - I'm not trying to scam anyone.

 

It is what it is...you cant make it what it aint...

 

Dear Abby,

Should I put a Fender decal on my Bongo?

Signed,

Dazed and Confused.

 

I was trying to make it look right. It's an SX JB body with an Ibanez TR70 neck. There was just enough wood to fake a '51 P headstock, so it still looks a little strange, but not as bad as an Ibby TR headstock on a JB. Plays and sounds fine.

 

I don't really see how vintagemojo gets away with selling those. Seems to me Fender would have lawyers surrounding the building to get that guy.

 

Small time crooks + big money lawyers = angry accountants.

 

Fender will probably get around to him. But he he'll undoubtedly claim he's not responsible as he is only aiding and abetting people wishing to phony up non-legit Fenders (and a few, like me who needed a Fender replacement for a Fender instrument). It's a sleazy world out there.