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Replica build, decals, and morality

Unlicensed Fender deal on front, proper Warmoth decal on back?

  • Perfectly acceptable.

    Votes: 107 44.2%
  • Fence-sitter.

    Votes: 34 14.0%
  • Morally reprehensible.

    Votes: 58 24.0%
  • Carrots.

    Votes: 43 17.8%

  • Total voters
    242
I can understand why you want to do it, if I am making a 60s Jazz clone I want it to have a Fender logo otherwise why am I taking the time to do everything else period? its a detail. That said I would be very interested to see this JBS project, I am a huge fan of the originals and had a 32 inch scaled one.

Also warmoth necks and bodies are woodburned with there logos so its hard to mistake it if you take the neck off. Furthermore a warmoth parts bass is worth more then the $500 a 80s Japan Fender is worth.
 
It doesn't bother me when I see replica decals. I do my homework, and study up on any purchase I make. Sure there's fakes out there, and I'm sure it's really upsetting for those that purchase them, but I won't be one of those people. Some Fender reps have also explicitly stated they don't seek litigation for one-offs. Counterfeit operations for profit are a whole other ball of wax for instrument manufacturers.
 
I don't really have a problem with it. Seems to me it's kind of like a stage prop, same as a relic'd guitar that you might take on tour. It's a detail to create the vibe. As others have said, not cool if it's done in a way to deceive a buyer, like if you eliminated the Warmoth logo or faked a serial number or something.
 
I have a John Entwistle inspired Fender Bird. Nothing Fender on it except for the decal that says Fender Precision - which was my choice to have put on. I have no issue with that at all, and don't really care if anyone else does. If anyone ever asked me if it were a real Fender I'd have no problem at all telling them, no. And if I sold it, I would of course let people know there weren't any Fender parts on it.

Why did I put the Fender decal on? Because it looks cool, and in some circles where it does actually matter, validates the bass to a certain degree. I think it's incredibly stupid when people judge a person by the bass he plays, or when a band "needs" their bass player to play a certain bass. So stupid, that I feel I'm playing right along with them by doing this. If that makes any sense :).

I don't see anything at all wrong with this unless someone intends to sell their bass as an actual Fender. If anything, throwing the Fender logo on an awesome bass helps them. I don't really think they care. More people playing Fenders. More advertisement for them.
 
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Fender doesn't care one bit - they sell the decals, and allow many others to make and sell them. They know full well the numbers of decals sold are not for "restorations". Especially with the burned on markings, this is not counterfeit, and its not fraud. Sometimes a decal is just a decal.
 
labeling to mislead a potential buyer - not cool, at all
Labeling to amuse oneself and/or mislead audience members? Sure. Who cares?
+1
In actuality...Calling it a Fender, in my mind is a downgrade to the Warmoth parts themselves.
However
I totally get it...There is nostalgic feeling perhaps and I totally understand that.

Do what you want and have fun.
With all the problems in ones life and around us in the world, putting on a decal on instrument and debating how disingenuous it is I think is trivial. Just my $.02.
 
I voted perfectly acceptable. That being said, I would have fun with it if it were me. I would get a decal made that looks like the Fender logo from a distance. But it would say something other than Fender. Maybe "Finger" or "French" or something silly.

Here's a link to Scrabble words that start with "Fe".
Scrabble Word Finder

That said, it's yours. Do what makes you grin when you play it.
 
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Can't tell from 10 ft. Looks the part, but sez this:
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Ironically, this started off a legit Fender then the neck went boobies-up. This is now the best Precision I've ever played, barre none. THANKS WARMOTH.
Do whatever you want, to whatever you want I guess, but I'm on the fence leaning towards "it's really kinda cheesy".
 
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My view is that this amounts to what any other industry would call "fan art". The Fender logo is as iconic as the Star Wars logo and does not need to be sanctioned by Disney or FMIC any time it appears in this context. Let markholders defend their property. Just like we all don't need to be walking billboards, neither do we all need to be corporate lawyers on the behalf of FMIC.

If you were drawing a Fender logo on your notebook, nobody would care. Its a different story when you put it on a headstock. I am sure Disney would be take exception to someone selling unauthorized Star Wars tee shirts/logos/stickers ect on ebay and would take action to stop it.
 
Get decal (it would be better if you made it yourself, no money given to makers of fake logos), carefully cut both "e"'s, flip 'em 180°, apply on headstock. If, a hundred years from now, your estate tries to pass it off as a super rare, flipped E, vintage Fender, and succeeds selling it, well, the buyer would deserve it.
 
I would think having the Warmoth decal on the back of the headstock (not to mention it being burned into the base of the neck and the neck pocket) would make it clear in all but the most cursory of examinations. :)

In fairness to your suggestion though, I did consider the Fender font to spell Funder (since playing bass is fun and I sink my spare funds into bass gear). Fander was also a consideration because I'm a fan of the JBS.

Or how about "Friender" because playing bass makes you all kinds of friends?
 
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The only moral question is if you fraudulently misrepresent the history of the guitar in a transaction with another human. As long as everyone is honest there is no problem. I wouldn't let other's opinions ruin your appreciation of the brand as you see it.