The company is framing its legal efforts to target Stratocaster copies as supporting creativity and innovation in the guitar industry, while protecting the designs with which it made its name.
“Fender has tremendous respect for the guitar community, independent builders, and the creativity that continues to shape this industry,” says Fender CEO Edward “Bud” Cole. “At the same time, Fender has a responsibility to protect the iconic designs and brand identity associated with its instruments around the world.
“Protecting these iconic designs is part of Fender’s obligation as a steward of the brand, its legacy, and the authenticity musicians associate with Fender instruments.
“We remain open to engaging constructively with partners and companies across the industry as we navigate this process. Our goal is to protect that legacy while supporting a vibrant future for guitar makers, builders, and musicians alike.”
I wonder what the Stradivari family would have to say about that?
For those that don’t know, violins, violas, cellos, and bass didn’t have that shape until Stradivari came up with it. Prior to that, they looked a bit more like acoustic guitars.
Fender’s argument here would wipe out every single modern violin, viola, cello, and bass manufacturer.
The only real difference I can see is that the shape of a violin, etc., changes how it sounds. I’m entirely uncertain how that plays out in the electric guitar world.
Body shape doesn’t affect the tone in electric guitars at all, at least not on a conceivable level. It’s all about pickup circuitry and strings
That’s what I guessed given the extreme variety available, but I wasn’t certain.