Les Paul Mega thread

[uwe]

I find decal and brand name swaps embarrassing. I proudly play my Epiphones - and I have a few - because they sound well, no need to insinuate that they are Gibsons. And I rather own a well-sounding Squier or Epi than a fake Gibson or Fender that in the end doesn't hold up.

[stiles72]

The term "Les Paul" isn't interchangeable with "guitar", but it has come to represent a certain design or body shape.  Same as "Tele", "Strat", "Thunderbird", "Explorer", etc...   Whether other companies actually call a rounded body with a single cutaway a "Les Paul" or an "LP" or some other variation- people generally accept it as a "Les Paul" shaped guitar.

http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/VintageShapes/LPBass.aspx

[Dave W]

The term "Les Paul" isn't interchangeable with "guitar", but it has come to represent a certain design or body shape.  Same as "Tele", "Strat", "Thunderbird", "Explorer", etc...   Whether other companies actually call a rounded body with a single cutaway a "Les Paul" or an "LP" or some other variation- people generally accept it as a "Les Paul" shaped guitar.

Yes, no doubt about that, the thread title over there says "show your Les Paul style bass." And when the Les Paul style bass you show has a Gibson logo and truss rod cover, but you fail to say that it's not a Gibson, then you're trying to mislead people into thinking it is.

And when you're in the guitar-making business (which he is) and do this, that makes you a counterfeiter, even if you claim it's for your personal use.

I'm all for drastically narrowing trademark law, but counterfeiting will never be okay.

[uwe]

True. If it's not what it professes to be, then don't say it is.