logo/decal question

[wunderaj]

ive seen a lot of really cool partcasters on this forum and a lot of them use great necks like musikraft, usag, warmmoth etc.. and some of them seem to have the Actual fender logo on them. now do you guys do that yourselves with a watermark or do you ask the neck providers to do it for you or am i just completely wrong and blind???

[Shepherd]

Headstock decals are a touchy subject here due to copyright and legal issues so this thread will probably be closed. Anyway, aftermarket neck makers will not install a Fender decal for the same reasons. You can make your own or search fleabay.

[Joefaity]

My advice is to get some waterslide decal paper and do something original!

[jwells393]

From the posting rules at the top of each forum............

DECAL REQUESTS:
Don't post about buying or selling or finding trademarked items such as guitar decals.

[oramac7891]

To change the direction of the Thread, I am building my own partscaster and would like to make a logo that is a spoof on my name. How exactly do you guys make your logos? And where do I find waterslide paper??

[jwells393]

http://www.decalpaper.com/

Be sure to order the correct paper for your printer .......... laser or inkjet.

[woodman]

Testors makes an inkjet decal kit that includes the paper and "bonder" (sealant) to keep the ink from running. you can find it at hobby shops. i've used it with great results on several guitars.

[Joefaity]

I used a random kind of decal paper with the clear that decalpaper.com suggests with great results. I found the decal paper at a local train/hobby store.

[mwaym]

I went the Ebay route to get a Fender decal on my partscaster. Now, I think I'm gonna take it off, refinish the headstock and put my own on. It just doesn't feel right playing a guitar that says "Fender" that isn't a Fender. I love my guitar, so I'm gonna give her a proper name !!! My own name !!!!

[RichardM]

From a different angle.

I have a number of genuine Fender necks fitted to home made bodies.

Should I remove the Fender decals?

They ARE real Fender necks after all.

[kman900]

Originally Posted by RichardM

I have a number of genuine Fender necks fitted to home made bodies.
Should I remove the Fender decals?

Definetely!

But keep them in a dry place . . if you ever consider to put these necks back on a Fender body, you can reuse them.

[RichardM]

Originally Posted by kman900

Definetely!

But keep them in a dry place . . if you ever consider to put these necks back on a Fender body, you can reuse them.

[RichardM]

So.......

If I have a 100% all Fender gat, I leave the decal on.


What if I change a pickup to non-Fender one? It's no longer 100% Fender so the decals have to go?
What about if I change all the electronics and the machine heads?

At what percentage does the guitar stop being a Fender?

If I have a guitar that is 100% Fender EXCEPT the actual bare body, can I have the decal?
What is the body is "Fender Licensed"?


Just being the devil's advocate here. Not trolling.

[Slow Reflexes]

My take on it - it seems pretty simple. If the neck (or any other part) came with a Fender logo, leave it alone. If it didn't - well, there ya go. It ain't supposed to be there.

[kman900]

My (very personal) opinion on decals (as on any other guitar parts):

Whatever it is, however it looks or sounds . . it's yours . . so, if you like it, i'm fine with it. As long as you don't cheat somebody i totally agree.

I even would not hesitate, if someone would tell me that he's got exactly the same . . (takes a closer look) . . 7-ender Guitar at home, to spontaneously invent a real awkward story about the "history and originality" of my self built partscaster . .

But i would never sell it not telling the truth about it.

[asquier]

I thought about making a decal with my last name, but my guitar came with one, already.

[RichardM]

Originally Posted by Slow Reflexes

My take on it - it seems pretty simple. If the neck (or any other part) came with a Fender logo, leave it alone. If it didn't - well, there ya go. It ain't supposed to be there.

Good point.

[68thinline]

IMO a fender neck is a fender neck, but you can't go around deceiving people either. There's no reason to remove the decal, so long as you're honest about who made the body, especially if you sell the guitar.

[Zmatko]

Originally Posted by RichardM

At what percentage does the guitar stop being a Fender?

If I have a guitar that is 100% Fender EXCEPT the actual bare body, can I have the decal?
What is the body is "Fender Licensed"?


Just being the devil's advocate here. Not trolling.

I think the orignal fenders were 94.8% Fender and 5.2% Kluson.

No but really, the question is just if the neck is a Fender neck, and if it is, then it's a Fender neck simple as that.
A licensed body is a licensed replica.

Those who counterfeit and fool around are just swingers.

[Olympus]

When you use the decal paper, is do you just use a word processing program like Word?

[garymaddox]

Originally Posted by Olympus

When you use the decal paper, is do you just use a word processing program like Word?

You can use anything that prints and allows you to select fonts and set the sizing. I prefer using a lazer printer. Ink Jet is OK but you have to seal it so the water you soak it in does not make the printing bleed. Which ever method you use, the color you select is limited to something dark or the printing won't be distinct enough. Black or Dark Blue usually works.

[Stumpwizard]

Make your own design using any font you like, colors, etc.

I used decal paper in an inkjet printer..then sprayed 3 light coats of nitro cellulose laquer over it to seal in the ink... then once dried -applied it to the headstock and then enough nitro coats (light) in succession until the deal "melted" into the finish... no edges are seen or felt..

[930vet]

Originally Posted by Zmatko

I think the orignal fenders were 94.8% Fender and 5.2% Kluson.

No but really, the question is just if the neck is a Fender neck, and if it is, then it's a Fender neck simple as that.
A licensed body is a licensed replica.

Those who counterfeit and fool around are just swingers.

Is it a licensed replica or a licensed replacement? If you own a Fender and the neck gets broken, isn't it still a Fender if you replace the neck with a licensed part, and don't you have the right to restore it to as close as original as possible? The same principle applies to a replacement body. There are all kinds of inconsistencies in the logic that argues that you can't replace a part and still call it a Fender. If you contend that a neck cannot have a Fender decal put on it, then it also follows that replacement of any part on a fender with a non-Fender replacement should require that you remove the decal from the the neck of an otherwise original Fender. The neck decal doesn't identify the neck as Fender, it identifies the guitar as a Fender.

Ultimately, to a collector, a Fender with numerous non-original parts is worth less (maybe a lot less) than one that is completely original, but following the precedents set for all kinds of collectibles, there is no reason why a Fender logo cannot be legitimately and legally attached to a restored Fender guitar. Fender could spend a lot of money on lawyers trying to insist that you don't have the right to modify their guitars and still call them Fenders, but ultimately it would be legal bullying, not based on law or precedent.

The application of a Fender decal to a non-Fender guitar is a separate issue, and there is no entitlement to do something like that, even for your personal use or satisfaction. You certainly can't expect to take a homemade guitar out in public with a Fender label on it, and expect to not cause annoyance with Fender. If you keep it in your basement and no one else ever sees it, the damage to the Fender name is essentially zero, but the more the guitar is exposed to the public, the more potential is has to damage the Fender reputation, and I don't think an individual gets to decide whether the quality of their homemade guitar is a positive or negative addition to the Fender name. (Interesting exception: Jack White's exquisite custom "Gretsches", buit by a custom builder not apparently licensed by Gretsch, but such a great endorsement for their products that no objections have been made, at least not publicly.) Partscasters with significant Fender content are a gray area; personally in the case of a partscaster (as opposed to a replacement) I think a Fender body makes a Fender guitar, although, ironically, the hardware and electronics are probably what gives a Fender its most distinctive sound characteristics.