What's in a name?

[Zoner]

It has always amazed me that in an industry that has such a rich history of companies busting each other's chops about copyright issues the names of the guitars are often shared or recycled, or sometimes original and silly. Let's see, I could buy a Standard, or maybe a Standard Custom? I like the Studio and the Artist models, but wound up with an Artist Studio. I also have owned an Ibanez Studio and several Ibanez Artists. I could buy an Eclipse or Mirage made by either ESP or Hamer. The vintage Hamers, having an obvious Gibson influence, used the Standard, Special, and Sunburst monikers that had been used or attached to Gibson models but seemingly got no guff for doing so.

In keeping with the racetrack names for the current models, will we ever see a Laguna? If so, would Rickenbacker freak out? Or is it no problem if the model name being recycled is no longer in production? I can see using a "Special" or "Studio" suffix to denote a level of bling or features, but how can 2 companies have a guitar with the same name? Ibanez Artist/Hamer Artist? ESP Mirage/Hamer Mirage? Also, what's the silliest tag ever laid upon a guitar model? I vote for "JEM". They didn't even spell it right! (I know the history, just tossing out an example of a name with no apparent significance to the average consumer). Z

[BTMN]

http://www.lagunaguitars.com/lagunaguitar.html

[unfun 75]

As a N.Carolina native, I'm waiting for the Hamer Rockingham.

[Steve Haynie]

Many of the Hamer names are adjectives as well as nouns, depending on the use of each in a sentence or context. Like the body shapes, the earliest names were borrowed from Gibson.

When Hamer renamed the Sunburst as the Studio, it was a let down. Gibson used Studio for its cheap version of a Les Paul.

Fender used Jaguar and Mustang in the 60's. They must have felt the auto industry was better at naming products. Gretsch used Corvette long after the car was named, but that name originated with an airplane before the car was created.

There is a need for more guitar-centric names. We need a model called a Shredder. Instead of C, D, and U shaped necks there needs to be one called "buttah." Everyone would know how that feels.

[seeker]

Not sure about the silliest name, but Pete Townsend sure coulda used this one at Woodstock;

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