I thought the process was something like that. So, Fender would have to know, approve, and arrange an installation through a service center., thus giving it their blessing. If they did that for a homebuilt "Fender"(although I really can't imagine why they would) it would then be a Fender, no?

I'm not even going to speculate on that.

_________________
Bill

You don't have to.
It's far-fetched anyway, I admit.

In the end, it would just be easier(and likely less expensive) to buy a Fender.

I think the operative phrase here is: If Approved...

If you're looking for a definitive answer, this is probably it...

cheers!

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'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele

I wasn't looking for definitive, really. Just something to discuss.

But if there were a definitive answer, I guess Fender's own approval(or lack of) would be it.

I say go for it.
I was going to do that to my first partscaster, but didn't bother looking for a decal.

You're not passing it off as a factory-made guitar,
You're not trying to sell a counterfeit,
It IS, after all, all Fender parts (which may or may not all have "Fender" on 'em),
And it's probably more genuine Fender than anything that's been modded-out so far it's hardly a Fender anymore,
Yeah do it.

Or, you could subdue it a little and just put a big fat Fender "F" on the headstock.

NO.....No homebuilt (sic ) modded, partscaster, or whatever you wish to describe it as would be considered.....
Only an original instrument, with original parts would have a chance in being approved for a replacement neck or...? The exeptions would probably be an older instrument which long ago
had the neck switched ( Clapton's Strats are a well known case ) But the point is that Fender has the final and only say.....

This argument / debate has been covered multiple times in various guises, ZZ-Doc spelled out the legal details concerning logo's and their respective proprietary uses.

I have 3 thread builds here, all are from original Fender parts, but none could be now considered as valid original Fender's....Paradox but the distinction is clear.

_________________
"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Geez... If you want to build a partscaster and you want it to have a Fender decal on the headstock - quit beating around the bush and BUY A FENDER NECK! They're all over the place.

Somewhere in this thread there is one very dead horse.

_________________
Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

People are misunderstanding. Perhaps I made a mistake using myself in an example. I don't intend to do this. When I want a Fender, I will buy a Fender. Simple.

It was a purely hypothetical discussion.

You seem intent on reposing this impossible scenerio until you get the answer you want. The pony is dead. If Fender did not put it on then at best a partscaster. Look in the Fender catalog there is no model known as a partscaster.

_________________


'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele

WOW, it was simple curiosity, nothing more.
Thought it would be fun, or at least interesting.
Guess not.
I'm out. Think what you like.

Tis a fine line between elf and troll...

I am ever-happy to take the cat-o'-nine to a dead donkey...

I've got a strat with a tele neck. It's all genuine fender parts save for the strings. I don't regard it as a 'Fender guitar' but I do regard it as a guitar built from genuine parts. I appreciate the difference and would explain it to anyone who didn't. If someone is after buying a guitar, perhaps there's a notional scale, from:

- original untouched Fender factory build

- original repaired (perhaps by Fender?)

- original replaced with original spec

- all Fender parts built to an original Fender spec, but not by Fender

- Fender parts built to non-original spec

- modded - maybe you've added some locking tuners or replaced the PUPs

and so on, all the way down to an outright knockoff made in a sweat shop from spit and cigarette packets, with the Fender logo drawn on in silver(ish) crayon.

I guess collectors will be looking at the top of the list, and players maybe further down. It all gets fuzzy in the middle though - for example, I'd rather buy one of Xhefri's as-new super strats than an old 'original' banger with a set of random PUPs stuffed in it, probably ahead of something built to an original Fender spec but from parts, too.

In addition to the (ugly as sin but an amazing tone machine) strat/teleb@ster(d) some of my others are:

- two squier strats, totally untouched save for a replacement tone pot in one and both have been fully resoldered - one Indonesian, one Chinese, both on long-term loan to my father-in-law, who regularly gigs with them;

- a mid nineties mexican strat, all original Fender, save for the bridge pickup, which is a mid 70s mighty mite screamer (EVH style). The bridge and neck PUPs and the scratch plate are all from a late 70s US Fender strat. Switches and pots are all (modern) genuine Fender replacements;

- a 1987/88 Japanese Fender Strat - a fairly unusual one and part of a long running 'identity crisis' thread elsewhere on this board. When I got it, the electronics had been replaced with cheap and nasties and a lot of the factory fitted trem parts were missing. They've since all been replaced with OEM parts. Pickups are Mexican vintage type, wiring is modern CTS/Oak etc;

- a telecaster with a bound ash body made by my own fair hands, refinished Fender mexico neck (no decals) and all Fender USA parts; plus (and just for fun)

- a four string cigar box guitar, in which everything except the box, electronics and the gotoh tuners on it was made by me. It is the only 'reliced' instrument I own and has a strat shaped, laminated headstock. It does have a Fender logo - it says Fender rat-o-caster St, just for kicks - call it a tribute because it isn't fooling anyone, nor is it intended to.

I don't consider any of these to be in the top three categories of my list, but I don't care. I'm very much a substance over style sort of guy and all of my guitars are great players and cover the sounds I want them to. I find the swapping of decals utterly pointless, save only for on a real classic should it be damaged or need a refinish, much like putting a new badge back on an old car is the final step in any resto. But I wouldn't put a Jag badge on a kit car or a ford and to me that is exactly the same thing as slapping an 'original' decal onto a guitar where it previously never was.

YMMV.

THIFTD.

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Mater tua criceta fuit, et pater tuo redoluit bacarum sambucus