Headstock Decal Etiquette

[DigitalMan]

Assuming I am not selling nor trying to deceive anyone, consider the following scenario.

Say that I start with a Fender Jazz bass. Now I want to replace the neck, but Fender doesn't offer the options I like and therefore I get a custom "licensed" neck from Warmoth. At this point is it ok to add a Fender water slide decal? It's not a pure Fender anymore, but then again, neither is any bass that's had pickups swapped, etc. you know what I mean.

Ok, so assuming that's ok with some folks and perhaps not others. Now I've got a parts bass that's mostly Fender with the logo on the headstock. I decide I want to replace the body. Do I have to go back and remove the headstock decal? Is it still a Fender in spirit?

What if instead I start with the body swap and keep the original neck that of course has the Fender logo?

Now, in theory the parts I'm talking about are Fender licensed and potentially of equal or higher quality. I'm starting with a bass that has certain issues and I don't want to address them all at once, and also view this as a chance to add some personal touches to it. Is it like a classic car where so long as you replace the parts with OEM spec and licensed then it's all good?

This is an academic question, I know. I'm certainly not really looking for advice on what to do with my bass. It's mine and am fine with whatever I choose. I just think it's an intriguing thought. Does the journey matter when a bass transforms from a brand model to an complete parts bass? Why in particular is there a mystique about the Fender logo? Why is this even something people might care one way or another about?

 

[moody]

Your grandfathers favorite axe, the head has been replaced twice and the handle 4 times.

 

[moody]

If all your cells are replaced every 7 years, are you still the same person?

 

[DigitalMan]

Your grandfathers favorite axe, the head has been replaced twice and the handle 4 times.

Wow, perfect analogy. So funny.

 

[Vince Klortho]

In my opinion, a neck from Warmoth is not a Fender neck in spirit or otherwise and should not have the decal on it.

Again, that's my opinion and, of course, opinions vary.

 

[12bass]

Goes back centuries....

Ship of Theseus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Antisyzygy]

Full disclosure, I have a parts bass with a Fender decal on the neck, but it's a Squier neck.

I think it's ok as long as you never try to sell it as a real Fender, and probably avoid selling it to guitar or pawn shops. The guy that sold it to me told me it wasn't a real Fender, it was a private sale, and I will do it all the same if I sell it some day.

 

[blindrabbit]

If a person gets a liver transplant, should they be forced to change their name?

Philosophy aside for a moment, I think as long as you let whomever the buyer is know what has been done to it since new, then go ahead and do whatever you want.

 

[Imperfectly Spliced]

It's going to be pretty 50/50 on this debate. There will be lots who say it is fine and there will be lots who say it's an unforgivable crime.

So it really just comes down to what you feel right doing in the end....after all it is YOUR bass.

Personally I think if you don't plan on selling it OR if you ever had to, but were fully honest about its history it will be fine. I only think it's wrong to label things as one thing while trying to sell them as something else (this goes for anything).




And another little thing that might make everyone happy is if you do put a Fender decal put on it have another decal in smaller print that says "Franken" to put before it. "FrankenFender" would technically be correct.

 

[12bass]

As I do not own any Fender instruments, it wouldn't matter much to me if the decal said "Fender" or "Frank-N-Furter"....

 

[bholder]

I wouldn't put a Fender decal on something that isn't, but it's just a personal preference issue, unless you try to misrepresent it when selling, that'd be a whole 'nother matter, of course.

 

[bholder]

As I do not own any Fender instruments, it wouldn't matter much to me if the decal said "Fender" or "Frank-N-Furter"....

 

[Turock]

It's ok to put a Fender decal on an instrument, if:
1. you plan to be buried with it.
2. you plan to live forever.

Other than that, no matter how ethical you are, somewhere down the line, somebody's going to get ripped off.

 

[andruca]

Just an "underlying" question: why is the Fender logo so important? I mean, there's millions of Fender basses around, it's not some exclusivity/status symbol like a Bentley logo in a car. Personally I couldn't care less about a logo, a bass is a tool, not something you wear, and even if it was, a logo is not something that completes you in any way, unless you're playing with/for really superficial and judgemental people that care too much about brands. Personally I run away from the logo showoff, specially on clothes, even if it's brands that I like, I think the big logo imagery on them fell out of fashion for a reason: it's classless to the max. IDK, I'd think of this as an oportunity to design my own freakish logo, it could be a rad conversation starter, musicians around might definitely want to know what your bass' story is.

 

[bholder]

a bass is a tool,

I agree, and folks who focus overly on logos and brand names and decals tend to be as well. (No offense to anyone here intended, of course! )

 

[bholder]

It's ok to put a Fender decal on an instrument, if:
1. you plan to be buried with it.
2. you plan to live forever.

Other than that, no matter how ethical you are, somewhere down the line, somebody's going to get ripped off.

Not if you peel it off before selling. Then it's only exposed if you die (ok, put it in your will) or it gets stolen.... ...but still, why? Put a decal on, sure, it looks oddly blank otherwise, but make it something unique.

 

[J Posega]

Doesn't matter unless you sell it, then you might be misrepresenting the product.

Is a Fender decal the best for metal? Does it add growl?

 

[lfmn16]

Just an "underlying" question: why is the Fender logo so important?

There are only two situations where I would use a Fender logo on a non-Fender bass - I would put a Fender logo on a reproduction of a vintage Fender. If I was a studio musician I would put a Fender logo on a parts bass or non-Fender that looked like a Fender because some people listen with their eyes.

Having said that, I couldn't care less what other people do. It's your bass, do what you want.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It has nothing to do with "mystique" or anything, but confusion. How often are there "is this a real Fender" thread?

 

[Turock]

Just an "underlying" question: why is the Fender logo so important? I mean, there's millions of Fender basses around, it's not some exclusivity/status symbol like a Bentley logo in a car. Personally I couldn't care less about a logo, a bass is a tool, not something you wear, and even if it was, a logo is not something that completes you in any way, unless you're playing with/for really superficial and judgemental people that care too much about brands. Personally I run away from the logo showoff, specially on clothes, even if it's brands that I like, I think the big logo imagery on them fell out of fashion for a reason: it's classless to the max. IDK, I'd think of this as an oportunity to design my own freakish logo, it could be a rad conversation starter, musicians around might definitely want to know what your bass' story is.

Because it should show that you have a genuine Fender instrument, with a certain level of quality; not a $99 clone posing as a $1,000 instrument. Besides that, eventually somebody's gonna get ripped off.