Fake Fenders

[gjones]

I applied a seventies style Fender decal on the headstock of a nice old eighties Mighty Mite neck. The original Mighty Mite decal was a water transfer which wore off years ago. The neck was originally fitted to a Mighty Mite body that I got rid of because it was just too bulky and heavy.

 

I applied the decal for aesthetic reasons, as the blank headstock just didn't look right. The neck has been on a few bitsa Precisions and Jazzes over the years. It's not been applied very professionally so wouldn't fool anybody into thinking it was a real Fender neck. 

[Raslee]

True story - I occasionally dep with a local functions band i used to play with for several years. The mainstay drummer is a lovely chap and excellent well known drummer in these Devon areas.  He noticed me gigging a Squier CV jazz at a dep gig earlier this year.  He asked something along the lines of 'what happened to that beautiful 70's P bass? ' (which incidentally was actually a Limelight P that i used a lot in the functions band). I  told him i eventually sold it to which he replied with a cheeky grin 'i can tell times are hard gigging a Squier'.

 

Now of course I gave him the usual spiel of how great CV's were and Squier being a lot better these days....but nonetheless i felt briefly judged for not having  name on the headstock...i was amused though.

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, Raslee said:

... 'i can tell times are hard gigging a Squier'...

 

Yes, I get the same sort of remark every time I go out in the Bentley. 'Strapped for cash, so sold the Roller and laid off the chauffeur, eh, old chap..? Here, have a cigar...' (I don't smoke, of course...) 

[Bassman1974]

My two Fenders are, I guess Bitsa's:

 

Jazz: Fender 2008 Jazz body with genuine Fender 2015 Jazz neck. Tonerider pickups and pots

Precision: Northwest ash body with genuine Fender 2005 Precision neck. EMG pickups and various pieces of hardware

 

At what point does a Fender, for example, stop being a Fender?

 

At the end of the day, I guess it doesn't really matter to anyone, unless I was to try to sell them and be unclear about their history. As I've no intention of moving them on, it's all rather moot..

 

 

[Supernaut]

5 hours ago, Bassman1974 said:

Kinda like this "2006 USA Fender Jazz" for sale on Facebook right now for about £500. With incorrect decal, non registered serial number, truss rod hole and block inlays. The body is not right either.

Have you reported it? 

[knirirr]

On 10/12/2023 at 10:35, neepheid said:

Why do you want to impress or gain the approval of that kind of pond life anyway?

 

That is an interesting question, which has caused me to pause and reflect.

I do have a bass with such a fake decal on it, though where the serial number should be is instead a small-print admission that it's made up out of WD music's licensed spare parts.
Why I put it on is due to conversations along these lines:

"Why haven't you got a proper bass?"

"This bass is completely proper."

"I mean an upright, they sound so much better."

"I have got one, but I fancied playing this electric tonight."
"Oh well, at least it's fretless, and a Fender."

 

After putting that on I saw that someone (probably here) had a logo made which said "Offender Imprecision Bass". That's much better and I should have done that instead.

[Bassman1974]

6 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Have you reported it? 

Yes, I have. The optimist in me hopes no one will be silly enough to fall for it, but you never know

[Wonky2]

[Shaggy]

I’m rather ashamed to admit that my first bitsa (1980’s) - a Sting-esque natural P with fretless maple board, had a F*cker  logo.   Fooled everyone on first glance, but the guy I sold it to played in a gospel band and very nicely asked me to change it.