I don't get the whole putting a Fender decal on a non Fender bass thing

[blue]

I think there are some cool Squires out there. Like the MIJ Squire Vintage Vibe series 1951 reissue in Lake Placid blue with Maple neck. Google it, it looks cool as hell.

Unfortunately I don't see myself gigging with a 2nd teir brand.

Blue

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1492093413' post='3277903']


Good on you!

With a slight edit to your quote thus - "Fender... Looks better to most folks who aren't in the extreme echelons of knowledge" - may I suggest you run that right up the Fender marketing flag pole and see how many salutes it gets.

Hahahahahahaha. My lower echelon is itchy now [scratches arse]
[/quote]

Not entirely sure what your point is?

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1492237541' post='3278811']
Not entirely sure what your point is?
[/quote]

Sorry about that. At least you are not entirely without an idea about it.

I wont analyse a humorous comment. I might as well rip the 4R53 out of it and thereby kill it.

OT I will just say that I am not fussed what the label on the can says as long as the contents are edible. If you [i]have[/i] to have Fender's or any other major manufacturer's name on display that's fine. I am in the minority because I don't like branding marks as a rule. For my dream home build I'd sooner have graffiti than put a label on it just to put my name on display.

Andyjr's three swifts with just his initials is the sort of thing that I can respect. On the other hand, putting "Rockinbetter" on a headstock with exactly the same typeface as used by the Rickenbacker company is not only a con, it is immature and insulting to those "in the know". Creativity trumps copycatting for me - IMHB (In My Humble Bumble) of course.

If you are interested, I can get you an image of the label that I designed for my ukulele making friend but it is not really relevant to this topic.

[steve-bbb]

style over substance

maybe

[White Cloud]

The unseen but obvious is that the name on the headstock (along with the actual instrument) is of much less importance than the name playing the instrument and making the music...which when you strip everything that we all discuss here back is what it's all about.

Making music.

[blue]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1492245550' post='3278893']
The unseen but obvious is that the name on the headstock (along with the actual instrument) is of much less importance than the name playing the instrument and making the music...which when you strip everything that we all discuss here back is what it's all about.

Making music.
[/quote]

True,

But a lot of people like cool gear. I do.

It's always been like that.

Blue

Edited April 15, 2017 by blue

[Cuzzie]

For the record, make bothers me not, sound and feel is king, but for some working musicians pitching up with a "non-Fender" may get dissenting looks, who knows why, but if it keeps you in employment, job done

[White Cloud]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1492247466' post='3278916']
True,

But a lot of people like cool gear. I do.
[/quote]
As do I Blue...

My observation was not a criticism, just an observation.

[fleabag]

Its not a big deal whether you do or don't. There are much worse things

But its a bit on the sad side.

Like sweeping dust under your own carpet and telling yourself your house is clean

But live and let livery , as someone said ( brilliant )

[blue]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1492249159' post='3278933']

As do I Blue...

My observation was not a criticism, just an observation.
[/quote]

I didn't think you were being critical White Cloud.


Blue

[skej21]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1492032688' post='3277430']

But using a Fender logo is more akin to using a Ford badge.

I saw someone on here ages back go to a lot of trouble to build himself a really classy bass. It was all handmade. Then he put a Fender logo on it. So there was a beauty of a bass pretending to be mass production. I never understood that.
[/quote]

I imagine in this case (as with many others), people are trying to capture the true Fender era basses that were handmade and had the same level of detail as the bass you described, before Fender became synonymous with mass production...

[Elfrasho]

[quote name='nash' timestamp='1491986235' post='3276901']


Absolutely spot on.

For me the Air Fix analogy above doesn't work. It's a model vs a working real machine. We're talking about two things that perform the same task. It's like when people buy fake Louis Vuitton handbags or fake Stone Island jackets. It's wrong. It's not attention to detail, it's robbing someone else's credit.
[/quote]

This is bang on. That spitfire analogy is miles off the mark.

I simply don't understand why it seems to be acceptable to do this. In any other walk of life, rebadging an item to pass it off as a premium brand (hmmm) is just simply wrong. If you're happy to play a Harley Benton for example, then you should be giving them the credit.

In fact, i love to see guys playing not that expensive instruments and making them sound decent!

Fraser

[Number6]

My Squier Frank Bello Jazz Bass has a Gotoh Hi-Mass bridge, Seymour Duncan Qtr Pounders, KiOgon Series/Parallel wiring loom and Grover machine heads. It has a very good neck on it which i have rubbed down and removed the coating to make it much smoother to play. The body is Agathis which is nice and light it also seems to be fairly resonant.

When it comes down to it i would argue this bass could hold its own against a £1000+ Fender US instrument

Edited April 15, 2017 by Number6

[Twincam]

I have had a good think on this.
People will put non original decals on for all sorts of reasons. I myself have contemplated putting other decals on things too, although haven't.
As long as someone isn't trying to rip anyone off then that's ok with me.

In the case of Squire then its pretty much a Fender anyway.
Same goes for Epiphone models.

Although I do feel funny sometimes when decals are put on other brands that are not directly linked to the parent company.
Say for instance limelight with a fender decal on. For me its just feels like they are playing off another's design, heritage etc.
You've just ripped off Leo!

Haha that last bit is a joke btw.

Too add I've actually always been more impressed when people play a low cost instrument and still sound fantastic.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Twincam

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Elfrasho' timestamp='1492290518' post='3279287']
This is bang on. That spitfire analogy is miles off the mark.

I simply don't understand why it seems to be acceptable to do this. In any other walk of life, rebadging an item to pass it off as a premium brand (hmmm) is just simply wrong. If you're happy to play a Harley Benton for example, then you should be giving them the credit.

In fact, [u]i love to see guys playing not that expensive instruments and making them sound decent![/u]

Fraser
[/quote]

So do I.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1492297532' post='3279313']

In the case of Squire then its pretty much a Fender anyway.
Same goes for Epiphone models.

[/quote]

But they're not. Otherwise they would have the 'other' logo.
Everybody is free to do what they wish, but those sound like weak justifications... much like when I want a new bass and I keep telling my gf how it's so different because the pickups this and the neck that

[SisterAbdullahX]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1491990409' post='3276953']
It's often more about a familiar aesthetic than any attempt to deceive.
[/quote]

Agreed.

[Telebass]

My bitsa has an American Special Jazz neck with, obviously, a Fender Jazz decal on it. I've certainly considered having that changed to a Precision decal. But my previous Squier bitsas were left badged as Squier. It was always great to see people's reactions when they played these, they were way better than expected, every time. So why bother to swap?
However, I did put a TV logo on an otherwise bare Allparts neck that my bitsa previously wore, as blank was too...blank.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Telebass

[Ghost_Bass]

I agree with the POV that a Fender logo invites confidence from other musicians and punters/techs. It's an icon in the market and a brand everybody associates with a professional bass guitar.

I've been gigging my ~3k Yamaha (and even a ~4k Ken Smith) a lot and i lost count of the amount of people talking to me at the end of the gig congratulating me on my tone but "i should get a Fender, that's the real deal"...
There was a time where i proceded lecturing them on how badly constructed Fenders are with no attention to matching bodys to necks and basicly built like a kit put together in a hurry in the end of the line and that a USA Fender hasn't got enough material or labour to cost more than $500... now a just smile at them and answer that i don't have the money to buy a Fender, cuts the conversation short

[nash]

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1492704514' post='3282581']
I agree with the POV that a Fender logo invites confidence from other musicians and punters/techs. It's an icon in the market and a brand everybody associates with a professional bass guitar.

I've been gigging my ~3k Yamaha (and even a ~4k Ken Smith) a lot and i lost count of the amount of people talking to me at the end of the gig congratulating me on my tone but "i should get a Fender, that's the real deal"...
There was a time where i proceded lecturing them on how badly constructed Fenders are with no attention to matching bodys to necks and basicly built like a kit put together in a hurry in the end of the line and that a USA Fender hasn't got enough material or labour to cost more than $500... now a just smile at them and answer that i don't have the money to buy a Fender, cuts the conversation short
[/quote]

Banging a Fender logo on a bass to invite confidence is a lie. It's deception. Whether you sell it or not. It's the intention of making people think it's a Fender. It's brand snobbery enablism.

[Painy]

[URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/stuff/FB_IMG_1492856111097_zpsdbyeuviw.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/stuff/FB_IMG_1492856111097_zpsdbyeuviw.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[blue]

You should be happy with and be proud of the brand you play. Why be a pretender?

My first bass back in 1965 was ordered from a Sears Catalog, cost $40.00 and 2 weeks shipping time.

When it arrived I was on top of the world and I kept the Silver Tone logo on it.

Blue

[goingdownslow]

[quote name='nash' timestamp='1492813915' post='3283497']
Banging a Fender logo on a bass to invite confidence is a lie. It's deception. Whether you sell it or not. It's the intention of making people think it's a Fender. It's brand snobbery enablism.
[/quote]

I have banged a logo on a £99.00 bass I use for the house bass at a jam night. The only snobbery is those wanting to play it instead of their own bass. When they have commented on how good it is I tell them it is a Dawsons own brand of Redwood. I don't gig with it myself. I have never had a Fender bass or have any interest in owning one.

[Root45]

[quote name='nash' timestamp='1492813915' post='3283497']
Banging a Fender logo on a bass to invite confidence is a lie. It's deception. Whether you sell it or not. It's the intention of making people think it's a Fender. It's [b]brand snobbery[/b] enablism.
[/quote]

It is indeed Brand snobbery - but then, it is that same brand snobbery that enables the likes of Fender and Gibson to charge eye-watering prices for their products

A guitar is not THAT complicated a product, and Fender was even designed to be as cheap as possible to make - and yet stupid pricing policies positively thrive in this business.

And it is nothing new.

Back in 1966, when I was a young sprog, I convinced my dear old Grandma, bless her, to "loan" me the 180 quid it cost then to buy a brand new Fender Telecaster - the guitar of my dreams, and just within me and granny's budget.

Imagine my disappointment when I got to the shop and the price had DOUBLED.

In that very week, UK distribution had moved to a new company (Arbiter), and the very first thing they did was double the prices!!

And it has gone on ever since.

The only folks who allow that to happen are the folks who pay the prices, and the manufacturers laugh all the way to the bank.

Incidentally, there are rumours around that the glut of second hand Gibsons has stalled the market, and the very top models (8 grand plus) might well, for the first time in years, come DOWN in price.

I'll believe it when I see it

Edited April 23, 2017 by Root45

[darren]

Confidence perhaps? If the price for someone enjoying themselves a little more is a slight bending of the truth, why not.