How did I do?

[Highlander]

The pic's gone PB... any chance of a posting...?

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I saved all the Craigslist pics and I'll take some more since I cleaned it up and put them up shortly. According to Rondo's website, it's supposed to be a 32" scale, but it measures out 30". The prices on new ones also have dropped considerably recently.  New, the current version of mine goes for $105 plus shipping.

Look closely at LP guitar copies like the ones from Rondo and you'll see that they aren't clones, there are always small differences. It's a lot easier to make small changes than to spend a few hundred thou defending a lawsuit.

Agreed, but all one need do is check out the new Ken Smith and G&L Jazz copies to see how close you can get. With G&L, they even have another model, the JB-2, that was formerly supposed to be their "Jazz-like" instrument. The new JB basses don't even try to hide it. That said, I'm sure that FMIC either sent a cease and desist letter, or more likely, pressured the factory directly, where I have no doubt the SX instruments are made right alongside Squiers. There's no way Rondo swings a bigger financial stick than FMIC.

[dadagoboi]

Rondo sells medium (32") scale and short(30") scale J and P types as well as long scale.  I bought 4 LH P/J purple sparkle basses from Rondo a while back for $250 delivered, strictly for the necks, tuners and misc hardware.  StratoBaster has one of the necks (reshaped to an early G&L type headstock, which had to be changed due to Ernie Ball  lawsuit) and I sent another to a friend in trade for a Mexi Jazz neck.  He's a guitar player with small hands, likes that 32" scale.

As far as I can tell Fender bodies are not trademark protected.  Nash guitars are pretty close to EXACT Fender copies right down to the head stocks (no decal).  With this as precedent I'll be shipping JAEbirds sans decal.


 

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Didn't realize it was Sterling Ball shaking down Rondo.  FMIC has a much better case! The irony practically drips there. Nothing against EB, but that's a set of brass balls to call someone out for copying YOUR copy of someone else's design. I figured with Nash, he didn't sell enough to be worth the effort to chase and the same with all the other high-end/small scale luthiers out there. BTW, Nash would make nice instruments if he just didn't insist on making them all look beat up!

[dadagoboi]

Didn't realize it was Sterling Ball shaking down Rondo.  FMIC has a much better case! The irony practically drips there. Nothing against EB, but that's a set of brass balls to call someone out for copying YOUR copy of someone else's design. I figured with Nash, he didn't sell enough to be worth the effort to chase and the same with all the other high-end/small scale luthiers out there. BTW, Nash would make nice instruments if he just didn't insist on making them all look beat up!

Sorry for being unclear, it was EB who sued G&L or threatened to, that's why they changed THEIR headstock design in the early 80s.  I don't know who is shaking down Rondo but it COULD be EB, wouldn't put it past them.  I DO NOT want to start any rumors...I'm sure Dave will sort it all out for us.

Check Nash's site, he's got quite a business going and a good sense of humor!

[Dave W]

I have no idea, it's usually done quietly by sending a cease and desist letter. Then you notice a change is made in a headstock and body shape.

The Gibson/PRS suit was unusual b/c it actually went to trial and then to an appellate court.

FWIW, Fender did file for body shape trademarks on the Strat, Tele and Jazz Bass about 5 years ago but the USPTO denied it after a bunch of interested parties who had been using the shapes (many for years) mounted an opposition. FMIC appealed the denial and lost that too.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Sorry for being unclear, it was EB who sued G&L or threatened to, that's why they changed THEIR headstock design in the early 80s.

OK. I misunderstood. I knew about the EB/G&L conflict. George Fullerton was a VERY popular guy in the early 80's!

Check Nash's site, he's got quite a business going and a good sense of humor!

I've read his stuff, and I agree. He's got a great sense of humor. I like Pre-CBS Fenders for their dimensional differences more than anything. I once played a '62 Jazz that someone had coated completely in a deep red polyester finish and had installed a set of the active Seymour Duncans or EMG's (whichever had the white switches on top- I can't remember) and it was still a monster. I really enjoyed the threads by Gil Yaron on TDPRI that Dave linked to. That guy is insane! I wonder how much he charges for a build, but I'm afraid to ask.

BTW, here's the only decent pic I got tonight:

[Freuds_Cat]

Mine and others all seem to have a really crap nut but great basses for the bucks. And I agree that the pups are certainly of servicable quality even if not pro standard. Whats not to like about a sunburst Jazz? Good score. I should take a few pics of mine. Only recent ones I have are of it in bits.

[exiledarchangel]

The new headstocks remind me of Ibanez, not the most beautiful of the fender 4-in-a-row world, but ok. IMHO I kinda prefer them than strat type headstocks, and if you are handy with tools, you can transform them to a tele headstock, who is the best looking headstock of the fender world. Did I say IMHO?

[Denis]

Quote from: dadagoboi on December 15, 2010, 05:23:17 PM
Sorry for being unclear, it was EB who sued G&L or threatened to, that's why they changed THEIR headstock design in the early 80s.

OK. I misunderstood. I knew about the EB/G&L conflict. George Fullerton was a VERY popular guy in the early 80's!


I thought it was Fender itself which sued G&L over its early headstocks, which resulted in them putting an extra point on it, like my LB-100.