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New MLaghus basses - WARNING: VERY LARGE PICTURES
- Thread starter allexcosta
- Start date
You can only do so much with a bass body and stay within a practical functioning form. For example the Fodera looks a lot like a Fender too when you come down to it. I don't find these basses to be a "rip off" any more than any other company's designs or boutique builders. They were obviously inspired by multiple other bass manufacturers, not just solely one; and as has been pointed out, every bass is an evolution and inspired by other instruments. What you posted is tantamount to saying "4 strings in a double bass octave with a neck and body...why that's just ripping off a contrabass!!"
Its also pretty obvious they are not a straight up copies. Its not like they are cheap Chinese knock-off imitations or anything. The builder appears to be a very dedicated and skilled craftsman who made some very nice high end boutique basses.
You can only do so much with a bass body and stay within a practical functioning form. For example the Fodera looks a lot like a Fender too when you come down to it. I don't find these basses to be a "rip off" any more than any other company's designs or boutique builders. They were obviously inspired by multiple other bass manufacturers, not just solely one; and as has been pointed out, every bass is an evolution and inspired by other instruments. What you posted is tantamount to saying "4 strings in a double bass octave with a neck and body...why that's just ripping off a contrabass!!"
Its also pretty obvious they are not a straight up copies. Its not like they are cheap Chinese knock-off imitations or anything. The builder appears to be a very dedicated and skilled craftsman who made some very nice high end boutique basses.
They are straight up copies of the Fodera body styles and construction method. Look at how the neck throughs are made. Name me another builder that does it EXACTLY that way? look at the lines of the body, the tummy cut, etc. Sorry, that's just how it is. Name one aspect of the body shape and carving that differs from Fodera (aside from that pointy butt on one of them) It is not "inspired", it is thievery. It's wrong, sorry.
I'll never understand people who make excuses for this kind of thing.
+1
Same holds true for all the j bass knockoffs, IMO. I would just feel wrong owning one of these
That's a bunch of bull. I'm an established player and ANYTHING I play can be traced back to someone. When someone asks where I came up with some cool idea I always say "hmm---let me think of who I stole it from because I haven't had an original thought in my life!" It's how one assembles his influences that his original voice arises. Like my buddies at Lakland. I'm an endorser and was around when they started. They just picked what they considered the best of Fender and Music Man designs as their starting point. They had no interest in coming out with something dramatically new or different. They just wanted to come out with a great playable bass. If I was coming up with my own design I'd want to take what I thought were the best elements of existing designs and couple that with my own ideas. Which I think M.Laghus has done.
That's a bunch of bull. I'm an established player and ANYTHING I play can be traced back to someone. When someone asks where I came up with some cool idea I always say "hmm---let me think of who I stole it from because I haven't had an original thought in my life!" It's how one assembles his influences that his original voice arises. Like my buddies at Lakland. I'm an endorser and was around when they started. They just picked what they considered the best of Fender and Music Man designs as their starting point. They had no interest in coming out with something dramatically new or different. They just wanted to come out with a great playable bass. If i was coming up with my own design I'd want to take what I thought were the best elements of existing designs and couple that with my own ideas. Which I think M.Laghus has done.
^ I changed one letter in your post. I thought I'd start with the best comment on this thread and go from there
^ I changed one letter in your post. I thought I'd start with the best comment on this thread and go from there
Seriously though, the 'nothing is original' so I'm allowed to steal anything argument is so tired. Yes, music evolves from everything that came before it. Product design is also influenced by what has come before it. But like BassSaxMan said, there is a difference between being inspired by something and blatantly stealing. Using your music analogy, this bass design is a note for note reproduction. It is the equivalent of me taking Yesterday by the Beatles, recording it with the exact same lyrics and the exact same melody, and then putting "words and music" by my name on it. The same can be said about fashion. Sure, everything is recycled there. But you can tell the difference between a high-end designers reinterpretation of an old idea and the fake Coach bags they sell in China town. I might put Lakland and Sadowsky in the previous category, but not this. To be fair, it is exquisitely done. These are some of the nicest looking bass pics I've seen. The fact that these are so beautiful just makes me wish even more that they weren't knockoffs.
Just look at all these charlatans and rip off artists!!! They should all be ashamed:
Oh wait, my bad! Zon came first, so I guess I should reverse those top two pics and call Fodera the rip-off artist.
Oh wait, my bad! Zon came first, so I guess I should reverse those top two pics and call Fodera the rip-off artist.
I don't understand the drama. Everybody copied Fender...
Fodera got a bunch of things from Smith (dovetail joint, type of rod, etc)
Here's another MLaghus, by the way:
Fodera got a bunch of things from Smith (dovetail joint, type of rod, etc)
Here's another MLaghus, by the way:
That neck-joint is a standard Smith style dovetail joint. Several builders do it.
Here's an R. Bass:
A Pavel:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
A Smith:
An Eliezer:
The tummy cut is same as Fender's, just like Fodera or everyone else does... These are all well known styles...
Like I said, the argument that 'everybody does it' is tired. Still doesn't justify it in my book.
But, as has been adequately shown, Fodera does it too. So where does that leave you?
I'm sure it's been said a million times before but I don't see the difference between these and the scores of Jazz and Precision bass copies out there. These basses look great and from the clips they sound great too. I could imagine why Fodera might not like these guys though.
I never said that Fodera is not guilty of this as well (some models more than others, obviously). And where does it leave me? Happily playing a Fender.
I wouldn't object to owning anything if it was free. Would I spend a thousand + on a copy? No.
