Fake Fenders

[Supernaut]

Why is putting a Fender decal on a bass a) so common and b) allowed in the first place?

 

Wearing a watch with a dial replacement to read 'Rolex' gets you laughed out the building. 

 

Would be interested to know why players do it. 

[Downunderwonder]

Two words.

 

Supply. Demand....

[wateroftyne]

I imagine people do wear fake Rolexes which fool your average Joe and Jolene..?

[tegs07]

Why is there a market for any counterfeit goods?

Why do poorer people often desire clothes and brands that signify wealth while the uber rich often “whisper” their affluence?

Why aren’t all cats grey?

 

I suspect that there are many different reasons why people do this.

[warwickhunt]

Can I ask... for a friend.  It was OK in the 1980's to put an XR3i badge on a 1300 Escort wasn't it?

[Jackroadkill]

2 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

Can I ask... for a friend.  It was OK in the 1980's to put an XR3i badge on a 1300 Escort wasn't it?

 

I think that happened to rather a lot of them!

[neepheid]

Been done to all things since branded things were a thing.

 

I don't condone or endorse the practice myself, and actively discourage it.  I think poorly of the people who do it and I don't give a flying f who that offends.  You do that, you're shady in my book.

 

I don't care what name is on your headstock, and neither does anyone else but cork sniffers and snobs - and why do you want to impress or gain the approval of that kind of pond life anyway?

Edited December 10, 2023 by neepheid

[AndyTravis]

Think there are 2 camps on this…

 

1. Aspirational “wish I had a fender” - but can’t afford. My first bass was a Kay precision where someone prior to me had (hand painted) “Fender Precision Bass” on the headstock - and that was done in the 80’s 

 

2. forgery. A whole other story.

[tegs07]

I’ve played a few bitsa’s that had Allparts or Mighty Mite necks on them with Fender decals. The owners weren’t trying to fool or scam anyone. They just didn’t like the aesthetics of a blank headstock and didn’t want one with their name or some humerous Fender derivative.

 

Each to their own as long as they don’t try scamming on re-sale. Sticking fake serial numbers on is definitely a no no. For what it’s worth the basses I played were as good as or better than a lot of genuine Fenders anyway. The necks are licensed by Fender for a reason.

Edited December 10, 2023 by tegs07

[neepheid]

Just now, tegs07 said:

I’ve played a few bitsa’s that had Allparts or Mighty Mite necks on them with Fender decals. The owners weren’t trying to fool or scam anyone. They just didn’t like the aesthetics of a blank headstock and didn’t want one with their name or some humerous Fender derivative.

 

Each to their own as long as they don’t try scamming on re-sale. Sticking fake serial numbers on is definitely a no no. For what it’s worth the basses I played were as good as of better than a lot of genuine Fenders anyway.

 

And therein lies the problem - even if the original decal applyer is on the level when they sell it, who's to say the next person will be?

[Reggaebass]

13 minutes ago, neepheid said:

and neither does anyone else but cork sniffers and snobs - and why do you want to impress or gain the approval of that kind of pond life anyway

I collect and play mainly vintage fenders so i do care what’s on the headstock, I guess I must be one of those pond life cork sniffing snobs 

[tegs07]

Just now, neepheid said:

 

And therein lies the problem - even if the original decal applyer is on the level when they sell it, who's to say the next person will be?

Whoever bought them would have noticed there was no serial number. They would also be getting a bass as good as a Fender, properly set up with decent pickups and most likely for less money.

[neepheid]

4 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I collect and play mainly vintage fenders so i do care what’s on the headstock, I guess I must be one of those pond life cork sniffing snobs 

 

So you're saying you actively look down upon people who don't have vintage Fenders?  Because that's the kind of people I'm referring to, who have a problem with what's on the headstock of other people's basses.

Edited December 10, 2023 by neepheid

[neepheid]

Just now, tegs07 said:

Whoever bought them would have noticed there was no serial number. They would also be getting a bass as good as a Fender, properly set up with decent pickups and most likely for less money.

 

Yes, because everyone who buys basses is deeply knowledgeable about all things bassy...

[tegs07]

7 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Yes, because everyone who buys basses is deeply knowledgeable about all things bassy...

Opinions vary. For me making a kit car or replica Rickenbacker/Fender/Mona Lisa is all fine. Selling it on knowing it’s a fake isn’t OK. True somewhere down the line someone may get scammed.

Which I guess is your objection.

 

[Reggaebass]

On 10/12/2023 at 10:53, neepheid said:

 

So you're saying you actively look down upon people who don't have vintage Fenders?  Because that's the kind of people I'm referring to, who have a problem with what's on the headstock of other people's basses.

Did I say that, I don’t think so , I personally do care what’s on the headstock of my basses and I don’t look down on anybody full stop, it’s up to other people what they play 

Edited December 23, 2023 by Reggaebass

[neepheid]

Just now, Reggaebass said:

Did I say that, I don’t think so 🙄, I personally do care what’s on the headstock of my basses and I don’t look down on anybody full stop, it’s up to other people what they play 

 

It was a question, not a statement.  But it was unnecessarily sarcastic and a bit combative, so sorry about that.  The context of what I write is always crystal clear in my head, I need to remember that everyone else isn't in my head...

 

As someone who collects fine vintage instruments (and can I stress that I don't think there's anything wrong with that whatsoever - I like when people are discerning about their own stuff, I know I'm an omnivorous yet picky so-and-so), where do you stand on the whole faker decal thing?  I suspect that you would disapprove, but I'm ready to be surprised!

[Reggaebass]

7 minutes ago, neepheid said:

It was a question, not a statement.  But it was unnecessarily sarcastic and a bit combative, so sorry about that. 

Sorry neepheid, Perhaps I misunderstood you , still friends 🤝🙂

[GBH]

I've been known to assemble the odd bitsa,  I have put fender decals on some of them, not to fool anyone, or myself, but purely for the visual aesthetics, the fender logo is iconic and for me finishes of the overall look of the instrument. If I sell any of them I make it very clear it is a bitsa.

[Ed_S]

I bought a licenced Mighty Mite neck from ebay to finish a bitsa that was otherwise either official Fender parts, or parts very obviously stamped otherwise. The neck was as-new in original packaging and had never been drilled/fitted, yet somebody (presumably the seller) had still put a Fender decal on it and over-sprayed it with lacquer. Because it was a Fender bass by weight and I didn't fancy making a mess of the headstock, I just left it as it was while I owned it. However, because it passed as a Fender bass if you didn't look too hard and I didn't want anyone to be fooled by it, I took a scouring pad and removed the decal before I sold it. I must admit, it was only after I took the fake decal off that it hit me how 'correct' it had looked before, and how much it now looked like the collection of parts it actually was. I just took that as further confirmation that it was the right thing to do.

[neepheid]

The logo can make it clear that it's not the genuine article in a way that isn't crass (J!zz Bass) or naff (Pretender Bass).  When I made a bitsa, I put an "Imprecision Bass" logo on it, late 70s/early 80s lettering.  I thought it looked pretty good, and had some thought put into that it works on several levels (the imprecision of it not being a genuine Fender, the imprecision of the ham fisted git bashing the strings... etc.)

[Shaggy]

58 minutes ago, GBH said:

I've been known to assemble the odd bitsa,  I have put fender decals on some of them, not to fool anyone, or myself, but purely for the visual aesthetics, the fender logo is iconic and for me finishes of the overall look of the instrument. If I sell any of them I make it very clear it is a bitsa.

 

This; likewise with me (see custom Thunderbird currently FS).  I think the problems arise further down the ownership line, when sellers don't make it clear.

 

It’s been done since Adam was a lad - most violins made in the 19th and early 20th century were mass-produced in Germany and Bohemia, and the great majority of them have labels purporting the instrument to be made by an Italian master; Stradivarius, Amiti, Guarneri etc, or often more cunningly lesser known Italian and French makers.  They weren't necessarily aiming to be fakes (though many certainly were, that’s when relicing became a fine art too......), it was more of a tribute to the makers design that they were copying, and to give the copy more kudos.

[Rib13Bass]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

The logo can make it clear that it's not the genuine article in a way that isn't crass (J!zz Bass) or naff (Pretender Bass).  When I made a bitsa, I put an "Imprecision Bass" logo on it, late 70s/early 80s lettering.  I thought it looked pretty good, and had some thought put into that it works on several levels (the imprecision of it not being a genuine Fender, the imprecision of the ham fisted git bashing the strings... etc.)

 

i love when I see basses that have spoof names....you cant tell from a distance, but up close its a MusicMom Sinkray

[oldslapper]

I have a couple of self build Ps with Finder Decision Bass in 70’s style logo on. 
I could leave the headstock blank I suppose. But it’s no one else’s business, so why worry. 
 

[ambient]

From my experience with Fender basses, it would be quite easy to spot the difference between the fake and the real thing. The fake is almost certainly going to be better made.