Headstock Decal Etiquette

[Kael]

More like the store selling the gun or the maker of the gun being liable.

Heh.
More like holding a gun store/manufacturer accountable for making a normal, legal sale to somone who subsequently sells that gun to another party who then uses it in an illegal fashion.

 

[Gaolee]

Does the gun say Squier or Fender on the handle? That makes all the difference. Me personally, I make sure everything I own has a Squier logo. I put Squier logos on my fenders. That way the van doesn't feel left out.

 

[DavC]

if you or I , look at the heal of our Warmoth neck , it does state Licensed by Fender .. ! I would think they have licensed it to look like , feel like , and be very similar to a Fender neck ... which could include the decal ... which is how a Fender neck looks .. !!?? if you want to be a purist , only items that have been touched by Leo Fender should wear a Fender logo .. !

it is 'my' bass ... i'll do whatever I want with it ... but I always give Full Disclosure on everything I might sell ...

so if you're an honest person ... no problem ... if it's meant to deceive someone to make a sale ... nope !

 

[bholder]

You should put a Gibson decal on it...

I'd suggest "*ickenbacker", but I don't want my name on Mr Hall's poopie list if it isn't already!

 

[Kmonk]

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.

I agree. Once the neck has been replaced with an aftermarket, its no longer a Fender.

 

[nerkoids]

What if your real name is Fender Ibby Rickenbacker, the 3rd?

 

[buldog5151bass]

i know, it's like those people that are present at a murder being considered legally as guilty as the one that pulled the trigger.

Not guity, but contributing to the problem.

But I love how people say "I'm not trying to fool anyone" but put a Fender decal on a non-Fender.

 

[yodedude2]

More like the store selling the gun or the maker of the gun being liable.

agreed. again, pointing out the 'grayness' of the issue. 50 shades of headstock logos?

 

[BigBigGuy44]

"Good" and "honest" are always used in these types of threads. What good or honest can possibly come out of putting a fake label on anything?

 

[Skasteadyb]

It's your bass to do what you want to it. As long as you offer the info and are honest upfront if you ever decide to sell it, I see no problems.

 

[bassfran]

I'd put the decal on, write on the neck heel "Not an original Fender Neck" in sharpie. If I sold the bass, I would sell it as a parts bass with full disclosure.

Yes to the Sharpie,

alright.

 

[TripleDouble]

awwww yeah, let's argue about stickers!!!!

 

[orange joe]

I'd put the Warmoth decal on it.Call it what it is

 

[avocado]

It's cool to customize the instrument however you want, and lots of folks like modding their basses to make them appear older, newer, road-worn, have anachronous features like pickup and bridge covers, etc., but...

I wouldn't put a decal on that makes it look like the bass is anything other than what it is. Unlike a paint color or a pearloid pick guard, the headstock logo is an explicit identifier. IMHO, it would be cooler to find a different logo to put up there. Or no logo—whenever I see a bass with no logo, I know there's a story and the bassist usually likes talking about it.

Like the others said, even if you're scrupulous, there's not guaranteeing that the next owner will be.

 

[Red Four]

IMO, only Fender has the right to put its trademark on a product. No one else has the right to do that. If you don't own the name you're putting on, don't put it on. One can say that one is not trying to fool anyone, except for oneself, and that's not a good practice.

It can be simple: If there isn't a Fender logo on something, don't put it on. If there is, you don't have to take it off. And then always tell the truth about what your bass is. Easy.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

The fact is, any decal you put on a neck (licensed or otherwise) is a forgery, unless it comes directly from Fender. My guess is less than 1% of replacement decals actually come from Fender.

 

[reddesert]

I sand the decals off my Fender basses the first time I change to non-Fender strings.

 

[Gaolee]

I'll put advertising on my headstock if they pay me enough. Otherwise, forget it.

 

[fishdreams]

When you completely overhaul the engine in your car, you are not removing the nameplate, now are you? So why would I have to do so on my bass if I replace a wornout Fender neck with a Fender licensed one? (I mean this as an open question)

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Before I said that I have no problem with it and I still don't. But thinking from a legal standpoint the first sale doctrine says you can do whatever you want with the bass. Mod it. Cut it. Burn it. But placing a registered trademark on an item without permission of the rights holder is against the law. If I bought it from you on eBay I could file a claim that it's a counterfeit and get my money back. Maybe even keeping the bass or eBay may destroy it. Fender isn't going to go after you unless your selling it and then most likely will not bother you unless your selling multiples as a business.