On my P, I have "Pretty Boy Blue" where "Precision Bass" would be. It still says Fender as well. After I'm dead, if someone mistakes it for an actual model, they don't deserve to play an instrument.
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Headstock Decal Etiquette
- Thread starter DigitalMan
- Start date
The Fender logo is a Fender trademarked item. It can only be used with their permission. Last I knew, from an email response Fender sent me about 3 years ago, Fender considers it a fair use to put their decals on replacement necks made under license. At the time if you would send them proof of the authenticity of the rest of the bass they would sell you decals to put on it.
As far as I know Fender does not license others to make and sell Fender headstock decals. If that is the case then anyone but Fender who sells you such a decal is engaging in trademark infringement, as are you unless you buy decals only from Fender. It is not likely but they could take legal action if it is brought to their attention. Or rather it is not likely they would take action against you but very likely they would take action against the decal sellers. They are legally bound to do this otherwise they lose their trademark protection. But of course if there are any officially licensed decal makers then both you and they are covered by the licensing agreement and fees.
I don't know anything about the legality of making decals yourself for your own private use. I do know that it is very likely, in spite of what you say or intend, that these decals made "strictly for home use" will eventually end up on the market, and probably quite often here in the TB classifieds.
As far as I know Fender does not license others to make and sell Fender headstock decals. If that is the case then anyone but Fender who sells you such a decal is engaging in trademark infringement, as are you unless you buy decals only from Fender. It is not likely but they could take legal action if it is brought to their attention. Or rather it is not likely they would take action against you but very likely they would take action against the decal sellers. They are legally bound to do this otherwise they lose their trademark protection. But of course if there are any officially licensed decal makers then both you and they are covered by the licensing agreement and fees.
I don't know anything about the legality of making decals yourself for your own private use. I do know that it is very likely, in spite of what you say or intend, that these decals made "strictly for home use" will eventually end up on the market, and probably quite often here in the TB classifieds.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I get where you are coming from, and I keep what I buy (for decades and longer). But no need to kill re-sale value - a piece of tape works as well. As a buyer, you know what QC different brands have.
Even if you disclose that it's not a Fender when reselling, there's no guarantee someone selling it later on down the line will disclose this, so that approach is simply setting someone else up to get ripped off. The more interesting question is why is it so important that it must say "Fender"? It kind of reminds me of people opting for the "Bentley-like" rebadging of the Hyundai Genesis, why is that important to them?
Please elaborate. Everything I've ever read about intellectual property law (and I deal with this stuff a lot) implies that infraction involves sale or some kind of mass not-for-profit giving away of the item in question.
Are you really saying I can't put that Ford logo sticker on my Mazda?
My 50's P bass copy has a Fender decal on the headstock, albeit faded, but that's how it came when I bought it used. The seller was totally up front about it and it's still a fantastic instrument. However, I don't mind leaving it on there since I don't feel like going through the trouble of doing anything like that with it.
Funny thing is, it fooled my roommate when he played it
Funny thing is, it fooled my roommate when he played it
Cut the headstock like a Sadowsky, then put electrical tape over where the logo would be and tell everyone that since Roger doesn't pay you to use his basses, you aren't giving him free advertising. 
On a side note, I haven't seen any players doing this lately, is it still a thing?
On a side note, I haven't seen any players doing this lately, is it still a thing?
Fender would have to pay me to put their name on my parts Jazz. Headstock decals and other company logos are advertisements. Cooler without a logo, in my opinion
I rebranded these carrots which d I'm hoping to sucker one or more peeps into purchasing at the tune of $17.99 a lb.
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
Well technically it's your bass and you can put any decal(s) on it you want as long as you don't sell it. If you do sell it you have to state extremely clearly that this is a Fender body, with a Warmoth neck that you added a Fender decal to.
I think that if you're putting a Fender decal onto a neck made by another company, then, you are trying to deceive people (including yourself). If it bothers you enough that the neck you bought doesn't have Fender written on it, then why not just search for, and buy a Fender neck?
The instrument is what it is, it won't sound any different with or without a decal, the only thing that will change is your and other people's visual perception that the instrument in your hands is a Fender.
The problems arise if you sell this fake Fender. Sure you can tell the person you sell it to, that you replaced the neck with a Warmoth product and stuck on a Fender decal, but then who's to say that the when the new owner decides to sell it that he won't just keep this information to himself and pocket a few extra bucks? At this point, a prospective buyer is looking at unwittingly buying a bogus Fender. There was a thread recently here on TB that dealt with this very topic. Someone bought what they thought was a '83 P Bass in a private sale, only to find out that the body, bridge and electronics were replacements. He went back on the seller, and luckily got his money back, and the seller was going to go back to Sam Ash to see if he could get his money back from them, since they were the one's who sold it to him as a stock '83 P Bass. Obviously, someone had done exactly what you're talking about here. It's deceptive, plain and simple.
Here's a link to the thread I mentioned:
Possibly dodged a bullet! Need Fender P bass experts | TalkBass.com
The instrument is what it is, it won't sound any different with or without a decal, the only thing that will change is your and other people's visual perception that the instrument in your hands is a Fender.
The problems arise if you sell this fake Fender. Sure you can tell the person you sell it to, that you replaced the neck with a Warmoth product and stuck on a Fender decal, but then who's to say that the when the new owner decides to sell it that he won't just keep this information to himself and pocket a few extra bucks? At this point, a prospective buyer is looking at unwittingly buying a bogus Fender. There was a thread recently here on TB that dealt with this very topic. Someone bought what they thought was a '83 P Bass in a private sale, only to find out that the body, bridge and electronics were replacements. He went back on the seller, and luckily got his money back, and the seller was going to go back to Sam Ash to see if he could get his money back from them, since they were the one's who sold it to him as a stock '83 P Bass. Obviously, someone had done exactly what you're talking about here. It's deceptive, plain and simple.
Here's a link to the thread I mentioned:
Possibly dodged a bullet! Need Fender P bass experts | TalkBass.com
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Changed a few parts on my buddy. Works just as well as a woman at a fraction of the cost.
At this point you'd have to pay me to use the real article, just too many diminishing returns at the price point.
At this point you'd have to pay me to use the real article, just too many diminishing returns at the price point.
I was going to put a Fender decal on my lunch box. Maybe I should forget all about it!
