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If I put together a partscaster now, with a Fender neck and body, I would certainly think of it as a Fender - even if it had some non-Fender pickups and hardware. But I guess I would dismantle it again if I wanted to sell it. Which is what I've done a couple of times when I've sold partscasters previously.
(I did sell that sunburst Strat with a maple board as a sunburst Strat with a maple board, I must admit.)
We have a strange attitude to fraud in this country - I swear part of our DNA still admires the trickster, the sly fox, the jack the lad who is able to pull off a victimless crime, Artful Dodger, Robin Hood. The trouble is there really is no such thing as a victimless crime ... fiddle the tax man and someone down the line ends up paying more to cover the shortfall ... buy a Chibson and unless you plan to be buried or cremated with it ... chances are at some point in its history it will be used as part of fraudulent sale.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
https://reverb.com/item/77563312-1950-fender-broadcaster-blackguard-butterscotch-blonde-w-hsc?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=77563312
Intent doesn't matter, descriptions don't matter, trademark owners' opinions don't matter - it's only the physical item in question that matters, and in the case of a guitar...the logo on the headstock is the primary source of authenticity.
It really, really does. Every legal expert I've sought advice from (both officially and unofficially) says the same. It's not even a grey area or slightly ambiguous. The neck is legal to sell, the body is legal to sell, but only as parts. Put them together as a guitar, and they form a counterfeit item.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/26/section/92
Interestingly - and I think this often gets overlooked - it covers a sign "identical to or likely to be mistaken for a registered trade mark".
So I think that then also casts a shadow on anything that, for example, uses the Fender font but actually says something different when you're up close.
I'd never sell it but I certainly don't think if it as being a Fender. However, when I had a classic player 60s strat and changed the nut, the scratch plate and the pickups and jack I certainly still did consider it a Fender.
Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
The bottom line is that In the eyes of the law in the UK a partscaster with Fender on the headstock is a fake and cannot be sold without the logo removed. End of story.
As to whether that's 'right' morally ... that's a whole other ballgame, it's a bit harsh I'll grant you, but to overturn the current state of affairs would require a change to the law - a law that works perfectly well for pretty much all other consumer products - so I can't see it happening.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
At least the guitar in question on this thread has some merit to it at £1800 and I know it would sell for more than that in parts
But that Broadcaster at 28K is the TRigger's Broom
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Likewise repair a broken Gibson headstock - I don't mean the one with just a small break that is easily 'touched up' - I'm on about a rebuild as the original is totally fucked (and yes that is a technical term) - So a new Gibson logo/inlay and appropriate inlay/transfer for 'Custom diamond inlay' or Les Paul or crest etc - Again, what is now the score
If that logo was in a place visible without disassembling the guitar, then it wouldn't be a fake. If you need to remove the neck, the scratchplate, cavity covers etc then it's hidden and not obvious, and therefore it's a counterfeit.
Obviously, from the above, if the bass has a Status logo - in the same way that a Status bass would - and the body doesn't, then it's a counterfeit under UK law.
The bass isn't then illegal - it's totally legal to own it. It's just not legal to sell it as-is; you can disassemble it and sell all of those parts in the same state as they were purchased. You just can't sell the whole instrument without removing the Status logo.
Watch with strap: Dunno.
Dell computer: RAM and SSDs are standard upgrades, like pickups. Actually, strictly-speaking, SSDs are consumables. So no.
Tools: Spanners bear logos, so no (but if sold as a complete Snap-On set, then that would be false advertising).
Loake shoes: Soles are a common wear item like strings, so no.
Car: Again, common wear item, but if sold as original...false advertising.
@OilCityPickups makes a good point here - the law isn't what you'd wish it is. I don't claim that it makes sense in all edge cases, and that's why it has the backup that if disputed, it can be tested in court.
In both those cases, you're still working with the original major components, and the operations on them would be counted as "restoration". Still wouldn't be counted as "original", though...although any legal action taken over that would be civil rather than criminal.