Fender loses attempt to stifle competition

[guildzilla]

Great discussion. Does anyone know why Leo Fender neglected to patent his guitar designs - body shapes and all? By the mid-60's, Strat and Tele-like imports were already coming in. Why CBS didn't try it when they acquired the company in 1972?

 

[capnjuan]

Without meaning to say Foo on Guild, I thought it ironic for FMIC, who effectively is Guild, to chase down people for trying to cash in on its iconography ... (with thanks to Kurt and Hans from whom I copied pics) I offer the following:

Shake your head back and forth if you don't notice the resemblances. There was a time when duping stuff was considered the highest form of flattery; these days, it's IP theft. Maybe Al Dronge was slipping Ted McCarty a buck or two or maybe it was a time when people like those two and Leo Fender, Everett Hull of Ampeg, Jim Marshall and the rest of them just waved it off. :? J

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Capo J,

Does that mean you're a foo fighter?

hf

 

[capnjuan]

Hi HatsInAnHour; yes ... in a sense ... I've asked the Foo Fighters to let me be their road tech during their upcoming tour of the nursing homes of northern Palm Beach county ... still waiting to hear back ...

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

RE: "Hi Hats": Not me. I work with symbols, not cymbals.
http://images.google.com/images?q=drum% ... =en&tab=wi

 

[capnjuan]

"Can you work with this?" Avedis Zildjian :wink:

 

[dreadnut]

C'mon, Cap, the resemblances are purely coincidental :mrgreen:

I think Gibson was more concerned with the name on the headstock than with the shape of the wood...

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Sky Cap,

What's that?

H Man

 

[capnjuan]

C'mon, Cap, the resemblances are purely coincidental

Chief Designer: "Waddya think Al? "
Al Dronge: " It looks like a Gibson :shock: "
Chief Designer: "It was an accident "
Al Dronge: "Well, okay then ... if McCarty calls, that's what I'll tell him :x "
Chief Designer: "Say Al ... I think that's what you told him last time "
Al Dronge: "That's okay ... I'll think of something " :wink:

 

[dreadnut]

Weren't there a number of Epiphone people in the early history of Guild too?

Here's a photo of the fingerboard inlay from a 1946 Epiphone Emperor:

This is the post-WWII version, before that the inlays were all MOP.

 

[capnjuan]

Weren't there a number of Epiphone people in the early history of Guild too?

Yes; that's my understanding too. Some of the post-war Epis are really beautiful.

 

[taabru45]

.......and wasn't the Epiphone built in the Gibson factory? (Kalamazoo) i.e. It was a Gibson factory in the daytime, and an Epiphone factory at night?! :wink: Steffan

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Coastie better get his face trademarked before the plastic surgeons in Hollywood start copying it.

 

[coastie99]

Coastie better get his face trademarked before the plastic surgeons in Hollywood start copying it.

On Rosie ?

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

That would certainly be an improvement.

 

[dreadnut]

There was fierce competition between Epi and Gibson at this time. Gibson didn't acquire them until the 60's, I believe.

 

[jp]

Some of the post-war Epis are really beautiful.

I really like how creative Epiphone was with inlays. They seemed to have so many different types. I love the oval ones on Sorrentos.

There was fierce competition between Epi and Gibson at this time. Gibson didn't acquire them until the 60's, I believe.

They acquired them over a period from '57-'58. Epiphones were Kalmazoo-made until the 70s when they started to be made in Japan. Moved to Korea in '83 I think. I had a great Epiphone Rivoli Japanese-made bass. Never quite sounded as good as a Starfire though!

 

[fungusyoung]

Great discussion. Does anyone know why Leo Fender neglected to patent his guitar designs - body shapes and all? By the mid-60's, Strat and Tele-like imports were already coming in. Why CBS didn't try it when they acquired the company in 1972?

I wondered the same thing about CBS, and somebody on another forum that was with Fender at the time (now a smaller builder himself) indicated that CBS seriously pondered it in the early 70's, but didn't see it as a case they could win even back then.

To me, this smells of yet another lazy corporate bully move by FMIC's marketing/legal teams. Thankfully, it failed. Fender should spend more time on the quality and versatility of their own product offerings instead of trying to crush smaller builders that do it better, often for less $ and always with more customizable options.

Since Fender just raised their prices between 20- 40% in February, I guess some jokers were hoping this was their path to a monopoly.

 

[chazmo]

[ ... ]Since Fender just raised their prices between 20- 40% in February, I guess some jokers were hoping this was their path to a monopoly.

I say this with only halfhearted humor... How else do you expect them to pay their legal fees?

 

[Steelpickin']

Just a question...has this not been done before by most of the "Major" brands at one time or another?? I know Gibson is trigger happy and so has been Martin and many others. Just wondering thats all. Am I to understand that you all have got rid of ( if you ever owned any...) Fender products? :wink: .... Guild sure cloned a good many "main stream " guitars in there electric era IMHO..of course..NOT sticking up for Fender or any other manufacturer!!
Just trying to understand where your all coming from.
( please dont beat me up too bad...although I do have pretty thick skin)
.....ugly,.....but thick... :lol: