# Fake Strandbergs!



## movingpictures (Jul 30, 2016)

No Thanks!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2016-GROTE-...291220?hash=item1c6b8a0354:g:KncAAOSwtnpXlspt


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## Wolfhorsky (Jul 30, 2016)

Not fake, but a ripoff.


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## dr_game0ver (Jul 30, 2016)

Fake is a strong word. Let's just say "inspired by"
Also: Nope!!


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## technomancer (Jul 30, 2016)

Straight up ripoff of the Strandberg design. Never fear though I'm sure some idiot here will order one and then comment they're, "not that bad."


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## wakjob (Jul 30, 2016)

One of the greatest empires to ever exist.

Reduced to poor reverse engineering and copying.


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## QuantumCybin (Jul 30, 2016)

technomancer said:


> Straight up ripoff of the Strandberg design. Never fear though I'm sure some idiot here will order one and then comment they're, "not that bad."



And then justify it by saying they were doing this as some sort of public service, to let we the people know that a cheap knockoff guitar is just "okay", after being heavily modded by yourself


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## Señor Voorhees (Jul 30, 2016)

technomancer said:


> Straight up ripoff of the Strandberg design. Never fear though I'm sure some idiot here will order one and then comment they're, "not that bad."



I'm going to buy one to let you guys know how it is. I know it's going to suck, but if I change the pickups, strings, pots, output jack, neck, wood, hardware, finish, squint my eyes a little bit, and just _maybe_ lie to myself a little (a lot) bit, I'm sure I can make it a really good instrument.


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## Miek (Jul 30, 2016)

When you wear kevlar gloves you can't even feel the razor sharp fret ends.


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## Dumple Stilzkin (Jul 30, 2016)

Sounds oddly sexual. 'I play a headless grote.' Or, 'I only play my grote when my girlfriend isn't around.'


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## exo (Jul 30, 2016)

I'm stil trying to figure the bridge out. No obvious way to tune in the pics, unless it requires an Allen key. I can't make heads or tails of it


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## hoffmaniv (Jul 30, 2016)

Offensive to the senses.


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## Alex Kenivel (Jul 30, 2016)

Here's the seller:







This is not the face of a con..and free shipping!


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## QuantumCybin (Jul 30, 2016)

Alex Kenivel said:


> Here's the seller:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Seems legitness....


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## bzhan1 (Jul 30, 2016)

What kind of headless are you all expecting for $300? I mean it looks better than vaders and that agile headless...


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## Randy (Jul 30, 2016)

technomancer said:


> Straight up ripoff of the Strandberg design. Never fear though I'm sure some idiot here will order one and then comment they're, "not that bad."





QuantumCybin said:


> And then justify it by saying they were doing this as some sort of public service, to let we the people know that a cheap knockoff guitar is just "okay", after being heavily modded by yourself



Incoming...


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## Splenetic (Jul 31, 2016)

I kind of want one of their LP knockoffs just to be able to say "I have a grote". I hear chicks love dudes with grotes... but I don't know how they'd feel about headless grotes. 

Their body material is apparently....solid wood, so it's all good. All worries alleviated. A good grote should always be solid wood.


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## QuantumCybin (Jul 31, 2016)

The word grote makes me imagine an unsightly growth somewhere on your body...


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## ElRay (Jul 31, 2016)

Wolfhorsky said:


> Not fake, but a ripoff.



I at first thought this was folks getting upset about somebody selling something made using the PD plans Ola had released... Then I looked. Yup... Miles across the "blatant ripoff" line.



exo said:


> I'm stil trying to figure the bridge out. No obvious way to tune in the pics, unless it requires an Allen key. I can't make heads or tails of it



It's the "new Overlord of Music" headless bridge. Not the actual brand, but the same intent. They're floating around eBay: 6String Saddle Headless Guitar Bridge Tailpiece With Worm involved string device If you look at the photos, it's actually a special crank.

See, your "Grote" guitar is also "Worm Involved" -- So it must djent!!



QuantumCybin said:


> Seems legitness....



Hey, even eBay says they're a "Longtime Member" and they have their own branded pick-ups. They're tots full legitness.


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## Breeding The Spawn (Jul 31, 2016)

Much better off finding a used Steinberger Spirit if you want a cheap decent headless.


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## Hollowway (Jul 31, 2016)

Yeah, it's just so weird how the culture of China allows this sort of thing. And how the culture of American artists to support those who rip off other artists, but cry foul when their own art is stolen. I seriously hope we don't have anyone on here post about how they're going to buy one as a public service / experiment, etc, as others have said.


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## feraledge (Jul 31, 2016)

As a public service, I'm going to not buy one.


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## Esp Griffyn (Jul 31, 2016)

Cheap Chinese crap.


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## prlgmnr (Jul 31, 2016)

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> Sounds oddly sexual. 'I play a headless grote.' Or, 'I only play my grote when my girlfriend isn't around.'



ffs, now I've sprayed my drink everywhere


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## prlgmnr (Jul 31, 2016)

You're all forgetting that the people who buy these will claim that they're actually made in the same factory by the same people who make the real ones and only differ in terms of branding.


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## GraemeH (Jul 31, 2016)

Doesn't look any more or less .... than any $300 guitar.

And if it's a "Fake Strandberg" then 90% of solid body electric guitars ever made are "Fake Fenders".

Why get your ...... in a twist over it.


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## r3tr0sp3ct1v3 (Jul 31, 2016)

I'm waiting for the "I've had one of these for years and they are a good brand. They totally don't take your money and not deliver you a decent product. I've been an artist with them for years and have 3 of these"


I don't know. Maybe I'm just used to it when a new brand or luthier with a bad record comes up in a post


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## gunch (Jul 31, 2016)

r3tr0sp3ct1v3 said:


> I'm waiting for the "I've had one of these for years and they are a good brand. They totally don't take your money and not deliver you a decent product. I've been an artist with them for years and have 3 of these"
> 
> 
> I don't know. Maybe I'm just used to it when a new brand or luthier with a bad record comes up in a post



That usually doesn't happen with a Chinese seller selling from the factory though.

Also Grote


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## exo (Jul 31, 2016)

I have to be honest.....maybe I'm not interested in this headless. But I do sorta think that most of their stuff can't really be worse than some of the lower end, Chinese made stuff Rondo sells, or a lot of the sub $500 stuff you'll pull off the rack in any GC. I REALLY doubt that the stuff isn't on par with the SX LP knockoff I had a few years ago, which didn't really have anything "wrong" with it, but wasn't a "great" guitar by any stretch. It was what it was: a $200 ballpark "toy". 

Maybe they take designs cues liberally from other brands for a lot of their stuff (I'm being kind putting it that way lol ).....but so did Ibanez in the 70's. they're a production facility that has been going for several years at this point, and they've got some of their own designs as well, and I do find myself having some interest in those, it's just tempered by my experience with the SX from Rondo.

Not really sure where I was going with all that now that I've typed it out 

But no.....not interested in this "strandberg style" one.


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## griffinondek (Jul 31, 2016)

Ive been looking for a headless guitar and came across this and seriously considered it. I like the IDEA of a headless guitar for this price (obviously inspired or ripped off by a strandberg), but looking at this thread im nervous on making the purchase. I was just gonna toss some high end pickups into it and do some setup work on it just cause but maybe not now


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## exo (Jul 31, 2016)

griffinondek said:


> Ive been looking for a headless guitar and came across this and seriously considered it. I like the IDEA of a headless guitar for this price (obviously inspired or ripped off by a strandberg), but looking at this thread im nervous on making the purchase. I was just gonna toss some high end pickups into it and do some setup work on it just cause but maybe not now



Chances it's decent and playable? OK.

Chances it "punches above it's price"? Eeehhhh.......


Chances it plays even remotely like a Strandberg, even one of the WMI made budget models? Slim to none. The ONLY commonality this thing will have with a Strandberg is the aesthetics of the body shape.


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## Edika (Jul 31, 2016)

Didn't Grote make those semi hollow 7 strings? I know that name rings a bell.


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## exo (Jul 31, 2016)

Yup.

Prices have come down on them as well. I wanna say they were asking around $600 a few years back, and I'm seeing them around $200-$350 depending on model and what website they're being sold on.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/121847970930?...93&_trksid=p2349624.c100518.m4111&_mwBanner=1


You don't really see this type of thing from any of the "common" manufacturers......but a $200 Chinese guitar is a $200 Chinese guitar. I KNOW this, and I am still tempted.


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## Science_Penguin (Jul 31, 2016)

GraemeH said:


> Why get your ...... in a twist over it.



"Honey... how much did you say that new headless guitar of yours cost?"

"...About four-thousand..."

"Why didn't you buy this four-hundred dollar one?"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!"


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Jul 31, 2016)

Esp Griffyn said:


> Cheap Chinese crap.



Thats literally what I said in my head 


Its a scrote guitar.


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## possumkiller (Jul 31, 2016)

Yeah I'm just going to stick to the Japanese made Gibson/Fender/Jackson fakes...

Edit: Well maybe the occasional Korean (insert popular brand name) fake, but I will NEVER EVER support those Chinese scumbag con artists by buying any of their copies. That would just be wrong. Anyone who buys those and has the balls to post here should be shot in the face in front of their kids.

As a matter of fact I'm going to write to President Trump and ask him to send some drones to bomb the .... out of those Chinese scumbag con artist factories.


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## Science_Penguin (Jul 31, 2016)

possumkiller said:


> Yeah I'm just going to stick to the Japanese made Gibson/Fender/Jackson fakes...
> 
> Edit: Well maybe the occasional Korean (insert popular brand name) fake, but I will NEVER EVER support those Chinese scumbag con artists by buying any of their copies. That would just be wrong. Anyone who buys those and has the balls to post here should be shot in the face in front of their kids.
> 
> As a matter of fact I'm going to write to President Trump and ask him to send some drones to bomb the .... out of those Chinese scumbag con artist factories.



Uhhhh... you okay, dude?


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## StevenC (Jul 31, 2016)

griffinondek said:


> Ive been looking for a headless guitar and came across this and seriously considered it. I like the IDEA of a headless guitar for this price (obviously inspired or ripped off by a strandberg), but looking at this thread im nervous on making the purchase. I was just gonna toss some high end pickups into it and do some setup work on it just cause but maybe not now



Bad guitar + high end pickups =/= good guitar

Save your money and get a better guitar. It'll be worth it.


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## possumkiller (Jul 31, 2016)

Science_Penguin said:


> Uhhhh... you okay, dude?



Uhh... Yeah... 

Just trying to jump on the hate wagon before it rolls away. I want to be in on it too like all the cool kids.


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## Splenetic (Jul 31, 2016)

Your attitude is totally f'n grote dude... =/


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## xzacx (Jul 31, 2016)

exo said:


> Maybe they take designs cues liberally from other brands for a lot of their stuff (I'm being kind putting it that way lol ).....but so did Ibanez in the 70's.



I actually agree with this. I don't see it as being any different than all the lawsuit-era stuff that is so widely accepted. IMO, the quality of the instrument doesn't really make one acceptable and the other not. That said, my point is that I find neither to be OK, rather than both.


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## QuantumCybin (Jul 31, 2016)

I can't wait to take a girl home and show her my headless Grote


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## Señor Voorhees (Jul 31, 2016)

One of the big difference is that this has specialized hardware. When you're making cheap tune-o-matics or something, you'll still have sort of decent quality. With specialty hardware like this bridge (or floyds, for example) and headpiece, there's a good chance it's straight trash.

On a normal guitar, you just buy better tuners and hardware. On this, you're pretty much stuck with what you get. The goofy no-name bridge and head piece are reason enough to avoid it.


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## exo (Jul 31, 2016)

xzacx said:


> I actually agree with this. I don't see it as being any different than all the lawsuit-era stuff that is so widely accepted. IMO, the quality of the instrument doesn't really make one acceptable and the other not. That said, my point is that I find neither to be OK, rather than both.





Agreed, i think. Not exactly sure where the "knockoff" limit is for me, though I know I have ZERO interest in something that's copied all the way down to the logo.


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## bzhan1 (Jul 31, 2016)

possumkiller said:


> Anyone who buys those and has the balls to post here should be shot in the face in front of their kids.
> 
> As a matter of fact I'm going to write to President Trump and ask him to send some drones to bomb the .... out of those Chinese scumbag con artist factories.



So you want to shoot people in the face for buying a guitar you don't like, and you want to bomb poor people trying to make a living making a guitar you don't like.

Are you for real? What is wrong with you? You're making us Americans look bad.

Edit: lol nvm... next level trolling


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## QuantumCybin (Jul 31, 2016)

I'd like to imagine he's just trolling aggressively lol


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## Randy (Jul 31, 2016)

I'm going to assume he forgot to engage his sarcasm font. 

His point is actual quite the opposite, as there are a ton of knockoff guitars that are considered "acceptable" but apparently this design and being MIC seems to set people off for some reason. He's not wrong.


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## Necris (Jul 31, 2016)

"How's the build quality?"
"Oh, it's... Grote."


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## Randy (Jul 31, 2016)

Phonetically sounds very close to "garrote". Coincidence?


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## possumkiller (Jul 31, 2016)

I've got a Flying V knockoff being built by rare electric guitars in China. Just a copy of a 79ish silver burst V. In about a month I'll see if it was worth it or not. I figure it can't be worse than a Chinese Squier or Epiphone. These guys seem to make a lot of copies of famous guitars like the ESP Hetfield models. 

They ask you what type of logo you want so it's up to you if you want a counterfeit or not.


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## A-Branger (Jul 31, 2016)

exo said:


> The ONLY commonality this thing will have with a Strandberg is the aesthetics of the body shape.



exactly!!, thats what it is and thats it.

why everyone gets so upset for it  


its a 200$ guitar who looks like a Strandberg (the most popular headless model at this point), same as many of the others cheap guitars who look like Gibsons or Fenders or whatever.

It would fell like a 200$ guitar, and it would play like a 200$.

would any of us buy one?, nope. Specially when this forum is full of people having 20K$ worth of gear in their rooms. But somewhere a little kid, or a teenager, or some broke beginer dude would be happy playing this guitar as "it look like a Strandberg and only cost 200$!!! "


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## Hollowway (Aug 1, 2016)

I have less of a problem that it's been made in a country with cheap labor than the fact that it is an infringement on another artist's design. I'm aware that this was done before with Fenders and Gibsons, but I don't support those, either. I just don't like when Chinese counterfeiters (or any counterfeiters) steal IP from artists. Art is an area that is very easy to steal from, and many people are unfazed by it. It's just kind of a bummer that it happens, and there's little that can be done to stop it.


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## wannabguitarist (Aug 1, 2016)

Wait, so people are upset about this but seem to have no issues with the Ormsby Hypemachines? Funny


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## jacksonguitar1111 (Aug 1, 2016)

You get what you pay for.....


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## exo (Aug 1, 2016)

So just for grins, I aske Google to translate "Grote" for me. Apparently, it's actually Dutch for "great".


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## bostjan (Aug 1, 2016)

I bought one of these just to check out how bad it was. I was amazed and surprised that it really was pretty good, after I made some small adjustments, and replaced the entire guitar with an actual *strandberg. Now it plays just like an actual *strandberg! Wow!


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## blacai (Aug 1, 2016)

bostjan said:


> I bought one of these just to check out how bad it was. I was amazed and surprised that it really was pretty good, after I made some small adjustments, and replaced the entire guitar with an actual *strandberg. Now it plays just like an actual *strandberg! Wow!


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## noise in my mind (Aug 1, 2016)

This guitar is triggering me in a negative non pc way. I am offended.


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## vilk (Aug 1, 2016)

I want an expensive thing
But I can't afford the expensive thing
So I buy the cheap thing that's made to look like the expensive thing
But it's not as good as the expensive thing I couldn't afford
*apply SSO logic*
I am a bad person who did something wrong?


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## possumkiller (Aug 1, 2016)

I can get why people would get upset over a good copy of a popular guitar down to the logo. Someone could see it on eBay or something and get scammed thinking it's the real deal and lose money. I really don't mind guitar copies because that is how most guitar builders start out to begin with. PRS started out making LP Jr knockoffs. The decent thing to do is put your own name on the headstock and not the company you're copying. I honestly don't even mind the chibsons and fake Jems. They are so off the mark it's easy to spot a fake if you're the kind of person who drops 2k$ on a guitar. I'm sure people who buy real Gibsons know they aren't getting a real Gibson for $300. And if some kid who can't afford a real Gibson wants to pretend he has one who cares?


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## bostjan (Aug 1, 2016)

vilk said:


> I want an expensive thing
> But I can't afford the expensive thing
> So I buy the cheap thing that's made to look like the expensive thing
> But it's not as good as the expensive thing I couldn't afford
> ...



1. Fixed
2. Counterfeiting is bad. Buying counterfeit products is financially supporting counterfeiting. That said, this isn't counterfeit, as most items along this line are, this is simply plagiarism, which is also bad, but a level or so less bad.
3. At best, it's a poor decision. At it's worst, buying a product like this is aiding a crime. One makes you naive and the other makes you a low level criminal. Neither are desirable. Doing something wrong does not make someone a bad person, but someone calling someone else out on doing something wrong does not mean that they are accusing anyone of being a bad person. Furthermore, if person A does something wrong, person B says "hey, that's wrong," and person A retorts with "oh, so I'm a bad person?" then I am slightly more inclined to think that person A might not be a good person. 

All that said though, I don't think this is a very big deal, since no one is trying to represent this copy for anything other than what it actually is...


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## olejason (Aug 1, 2016)

wannabguitarist said:


> Wait, so people are upset about this but seem to have no issues with the Ormsby Hypemachines? Funny



A lot of people would say the difference is that anyone can buy a Strandberg but you can't really buy a Blackmachine so easily.


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## possumkiller (Aug 1, 2016)

Anyone can buy a Blackmachine easy. It's probably the most copied design of the last decade. You can get one made from just about any builder at all different price levels.


James Hetfield's white V was a Japanese knockoff with a Gibson truss rod cover. He says he bought it for 200$ thinking it was a real Gibson. Apparently it was much later that the bolt on neck struck him as odd. He says he and the band always treated it as if it was a real Gibson.


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## Chokey Chicken (Aug 1, 2016)

possumkiller said:


> I can get why people would get upset over a good copy of a popular guitar down to the logo. Someone could see it on eBay or something and get scammed thinking it's the real deal and lose money. I really don't mind guitar copies because that is how most guitar builders start out to begin with. PRS started out making LP Jr knockoffs. The decent thing to do is put your own name on the headstock and not the company you're copying. I honestly don't even mind the chibsons and fake Jems. They are so off the mark it's easy to spot a fake if you're the kind of person who drops 2k$ on a guitar. I'm sure people who buy real Gibsons know they aren't getting a real Gibson for $300. And if some kid who can't afford a real Gibson wants to pretend he has one who cares?



Eh... You can buy one for cheap and sell it to someone for expensive. Not everyone who is into instruments is into the technicals. Its happened plenty when people get burned by pawn shops selling fakes.

On another hand, buying .... from these people is helping people financially who are pumping out loads of sbit quality products. They're generally dishonest people who hold zero accountability for anything. Kinda dumb to give them money so they can rip off more people.


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## TemjinStrife (Aug 1, 2016)

ElRay said:


> It's the "new Overlord of Music" headless bridge. Not the actual brand, but the same intent. They're floating around eBay: 6String Saddle Headless Guitar Bridge Tailpiece With Worm involved string device If you look at the photos, it's actually a special crank.



Huh, I actually kind of dig that bridge design. It seems to run on a similar principle to the Kubicki headless bass bridge, which is my favorite headless system by a long shot.


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## possumkiller (Aug 1, 2016)

It's a thing that has been happening for centuries and I doubt it will stop. All I can say is buyer beware. Plenty of people get ripped off trying to buy legit gear as well. I would say BRJ along with some other well known names are dishonest people who hold zero accountability for anything. Kinda dumb to give them money so they can rip off more people.


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## RUSH_Of_Excitement (Aug 1, 2016)

SSrg: damn man, you just got a 70's Ibanez/Greco/Harmony les paul copy? SIIIICCCCKKK BRO, those are such a steal for the price, amazing guitars HNGD!

Also SSrg: cheap Chinese version of a Strandberg? THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND NO ONE SHOULD BUY ONE, BURN THEM ALL AND HUNT DOWN THE SELLER.


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## Science_Penguin (Aug 1, 2016)

I think the reason I find the outrage so funny is because I've been really bored and watching a lot of videos on Chinese bootleg action figures and trading cards...

And all I'm thinking is, "No one would be this outraged about something like THIS:"







So, what's the deal with the guitar world??


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## Splenetic (Aug 1, 2016)

Superman looks sketched out. The figure literally has a "what the hell am i doing here?" look. Grote stuff.


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## Chokey Chicken (Aug 1, 2016)

possumkiller said:


> I would say BRJ along with some other well known names are dishonest people who hold zero accountability for anything. Kinda dumb to give them money so they can rip off more people.



That sort of fits into the point I was making. The only difference between giving BRJ money and some shifty zero-accountability chinese factory is you give the Chinese less money.

All the power to you if you want to give them your money, but don't expect me or anyone else to give a flying f_u_ck if you get razor sharp uneven frets, poor bridge alignment, a broken and/or crappy truss rod, and a scale length that doesn't add up.

edit:



Science_Penguin said:


> I think the reason I find the outrage so funny is because I've been really bored and watching a lot of videos on Chinese bootleg action figures and trading cards...
> 
> And all I'm thinking is, "No one would be this outraged about something like THIS:"
> 
> ...



Google up "sonic obama backpack." Definitely one of my favorite bootleg weird products.


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## Science_Penguin (Aug 1, 2016)

Chokey Chicken said:


> Google up "sonic obama backpack." Definitely one of my favorite bootleg weird products.



That one's good, but if you REALLY want some weird, look up "Motorcycle the Pooh." If you can find video of it in action, even better.

BUT, I don't want to derail this too badly, I'm just saying, outside the guitar world, I've never known bootlegs to cause this level of anger.


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## possumkiller (Aug 1, 2016)

Chokey Chicken said:


> All the power to you if you want to give them your money, but don't expect me or anyone else to give a flying f_u_ck if you get razor sharp uneven frets, poor bridge alignment, a broken and/or crappy truss rod, and a scale length that doesn't add up.



Why would I give a flying fvck if you or anyone else gives a flying fvck about my guitar?


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## Hollowway (Aug 1, 2016)

Science_Penguin said:


> I think the reason I find the outrage so funny is because I've been really bored and watching a lot of videos on Chinese bootleg action figures and trading cards...
> 
> And all I'm thinking is, "No one would be this outraged about something like THIS:"
> 
> ...



Huh. Are people not outraged about that? I'd think the comic/toy industry would be pretty pissed off about that. I know the software industry is pissed off about the software piracy out of China and the Middle East. If you're wondering why we don't have a thread dedicated to Superman copyright violations, then that's another thing. But, worded more accurately, you're wondering why a guitar forum has a thread about guitar copyright violations, and no thread about comic book violations. I think the answer is kind of obvious. For me, personally, I don't like any kind of IP thievery. And, before this devolves into the standard sort of straw man thing that all internet stuff does, I draw a distinction between the companies who make literal duplicate copies of instruments, designed specifically to appear as the real deal (down to the logo on the headstock), and those that borrow heavily from a design. While we can talk about Ormsby stealing a lot of the design ideas from Blackmachine, it's clear that he is not specifically trying to sell guitars that people think are Blackmachines. But when Chinese companies make a duplicate Mayones, and put the Mayones logo on the HS, there can be no discussion about how much of the design is original and how much is stolen. The original buyer may know the difference, but will a future, second hand buyer, know? That is the part that I think is at issue for many of these companies. And I think it's 100% at issue for the Superman in that toy box, too. Take him out of the box and I wouldn't be able to tell if that was made by DC or some Chinese factory. I wouldn't call my feeling on it "outrage," because I'm not really yelling about it, or, for that matter, doing a damn thing about it other than posting on here. But I do feel that I am 100% right on this, and I have yet to see an argument as to why it's OK to make an exact duplicate of someone else's prior art, while giving them nothing in return.


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## Science_Penguin (Aug 1, 2016)

Hollowway said:


> Huh. Are people not outraged about that? I'd think the comic/toy industry would be pretty pissed off about that. I know the software industry is pissed off about the software piracy out of China and the Middle East. If you're wondering why we don't have a thread dedicated to Superman copyright violations, then that's another thing. But, worded more accurately, you're wondering why a guitar forum has a thread about guitar copyright violations, and no thread about comic book violations. I think the answer is kind of obvious. For me, personally, I don't like any kind of IP thievery. And, before this devolves into the standard sort of straw man thing that all internet stuff does, I draw a distinction between the companies who make literal duplicate copies of instruments, designed specifically to appear as the real deal (down to the logo on the headstock), and those that borrow heavily from a design. While we can talk about Ormsby stealing a lot of the design ideas from Blackmachine, it's clear that he is not specifically trying to sell guitars that people think are Blackmachines. But when Chinese companies make a duplicate Mayones, and put the Mayones logo on the HS, there can be no discussion about how much of the design is original and how much is stolen. The original buyer may know the difference, but will a future, second hand buyer, know? That is the part that I think is at issue for many of these companies. And I think it's 100% at issue for the Superman in that toy box, too. Take him out of the box and I wouldn't be able to tell if that was made by DC or some Chinese factory. I wouldn't call my feeling on it "outrage," because I'm not really yelling about it, or, for that matter, doing a damn thing about it other than posting on here. But I do feel that I am 100% right on this, and I have yet to see an argument as to why it's OK to make an exact duplicate of someone else's prior art, while giving them nothing in return.



I mean on a consumer level, I've never seen a collector or anyone say "Damn these Chinese companies stealing Superman from DC and making cheap action figures! How DARE they and how dare anyone buy them!?!" regardless of weather its on this forum or anywhere else.

I get it from a business perspective, and I guess if you really like Ola and want to support him, that makes sense. But, honestly, bootlegs are just a thing that exist, and I feel like, in any other case, people wouldn't do much more than either laugh at the Engrish or just dust off their shoulders and say "Hey, that's not the real deal... Oh well."


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## A-Branger (Aug 2, 2016)

yes, these kind of guitar copies are in some kind an artistic theft and shouldnt be allowed blah blah.

But also remember (at least in this particular case), the kind of people this guitar is aimed for is nowhere near to what the original guitar is aimed for. Speaking for the price range here.

Its a shame these chinese companies are doing this?. yup it is, but they want to do business and this is the only way they can get some $, by copying an existing shape to ensure some people would buy it. And in this case, targeting a hole in the market, for people who want a Stranberg looking guitar but thye dont have the $$$$ for one, only 200 bucks

They are using their own brand name, so theres nothing wrong in there. Yes, there are chinese factories that sell guitars using original names. Now those are a big scam and shame, but those are a whole different story to this guitar

also you have to see what exactly its copyrighted. Im not sure about it, I know headstocks designs are, but not sure about body shapes. And even still how closely are protected. Remember these companies only need to change a little bit of the design and it would be enough to say "its not the same guitar". Just look at the ESP eclipse. Its a Gibson LP, but the bottom cutaway its "different", so on paper they are NOT the same guitar, they are not copying Gibson. Same with the Fender strat or tele shapes. How many brands, even big name brands replicate the guitar shape exactly??? only the headstock being "different" 

same here, I bet you that if you lay the two designs, the shape would be slightly different. Just enough to avoid lawsuits (depending on how serious this chinese company is) That if the Stranberg body is actually copyrighted. I know the enduro neck is, but not sure about the body shape


Like I said before this guitar is for the beginner out there who says "oh look that headless guitar thing shape for only 200$.. awesome" this is not for "us" SSO regulars who have more money to spend, more experience and are looking for better quality/feel/playability on a guitar 

and before you say "no", we all have been in that situation ^ I almost bought a LP weird brand copy when I was starting, because I loved the shape and it was dirt cheap and I wanted it to be my first guitar. And years before that I was the same but with a strat copy a store had some price deal, but my parents said no.


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## wannabguitarist (Aug 2, 2016)

olejason said:


> A lot of people would say the difference is that anyone can buy a Strandberg but you can't really buy a Blackmachine so easily.



Not at all a valid argument. A copy/replica/unauthorized homage sold for profit is no different in principle than one of these. People are pissed because it's some off brand copying a forum favorite for profit.


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## olejason (Aug 2, 2016)

wannabguitarist said:


> Not at all a valid argument. A copy/replica/unauthorized homage sold for profit is no different in principle than one of these. People are pissed because it's some off brand copying a forum favorite for profit.



Generally people have less animosity towards companies making copies of beloved products that are no longer available or extremely limited in availability. Same reason no one cares if you make a Boss Slow Gear clone but everyone freaks out if you buy a Fodera copy. I'm not saying "this is my opinion" I'm saying "this is how things are."


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## jemfloral (Aug 2, 2016)

Science_Penguin said:


>



All i'm thinking is: "how did shrek get an action figure; and more importantly, how did he get into the alliance?"


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## bostjan (Aug 2, 2016)

All I can think is that DC's mantra must be "Leg day, schmeg day!" and that Spider Man's head looks like a bullet, and Shrek looks like ....


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## Science_Penguin (Aug 2, 2016)

bostjan said:


> All I can think is that DC's mantra must be "Leg day, schmeg day!" and that Spider Man's head looks like a bullet, and Shrek looks like ....



Also, pictured on the box is Master Splinter as "Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Set"


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## possumkiller (Aug 2, 2016)

Don't forget about blue lightning McQueen over there...


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