G Man Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Doesn't surprise me. John's always been a strat guy, but had a falling out with Fender a few years ago and picked up a PRS sponsorship. Seems as though John still prefers the feel of a strat and PRS was willing to go there, no hurt no foul. And at this point, who hasn't made a strat copy. Personally, I don't like strats or PRSi, so this does absolutely nothing for me, but I'm sure there are some Fender hating strat lovers out there that are giddy as I type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockbody Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I wonder why Fender has never sued over this? The look is as iconic Fender as the headstock shape, which they did go to court over. What is it that Gibson used - "causes confusion in the marketplace"? If I were Fender, I'd tell other manufacturers that they could build all the three-pickup guitars with a tremolo they wanted, but put three knobs like that, with a pickup selector switch right there, an angled input jack right next to a large pickguard, and the bridge position pickup angled like that, and you'll need to pay a licensing fee or come up with another design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomteriffic Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Mostly I've let him go by, he said dismissively. But I caught him with the Dead & Co. thing and was pleasantly surprised. But he was playing a silver more conventional PRS. I'm looking at this and just asking myself why bother? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCChris Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 21 minutes ago, tomteriffic said: I'm looking at this and just asking myself why bother? Same reaction I had to the Daytona and T51. I don't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shankyboy Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I was skeptical when I saw the announcement and I am even less impressed now that I have seen the guitar. The headstock shape is so wrong for the S-Type body. It would have made more sense for Mayer to work with G&L on a signature model. Best of luck to PRS with this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 2 hours ago, G Man said: Personally, I don't like strats or PRSi, so this does absolutely nothing for me, but I'm sure there are some Fender hating strat lovers out there that are giddy as I type. Yeah, they’re called Daytona owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Custom Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveL Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 nice enough... think PRS does a very nice job on imports too... but the headstock on these.... ooofffaaa!! whatever the hell that means, howard stern used to say it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce919 Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 minute ago, Studio Custom said: Exactly !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCChris Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 3 minutes ago, DaveL said: nice enough... think PRS does a very nice job on imports too... but the headstock on these.... ooofffaaa!! whatever the hell that means, howard stern used to say it. To me the headstock is the least objectionable element of this guitar. At least it's somewhat original. The direct rip of a Strat's pickup and control configuration, pickguard shape and input jack is just lazy and silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucSulla Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 2 hours ago, Lockbody said: I wonder why Fender has never sued over this? The look is as iconic Fender as the headstock shape, which they did go to court over. What is it that Gibson used - "causes confusion in the marketplace"? If I were Fender, I'd tell other manufacturers that they could build all the three-pickup guitars with a tremolo they wanted, but put three knobs like that, with a pickup selector switch right there, an angled input jack right next to a large pickguard, and the bridge position pickup angled like that, and you'll need to pay a licensing fee or come up with another design. They have, and they lost. https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/fender-loses-guitar-copyright-case-201886 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
django49 Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 "If it please the Court, there is only one Fender!" "Well sir, then how do you explain my Toyota? It has FOUR! Case dismissed!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockbody Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 30 minutes ago, LucSulla said: They have, and they lost. https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/fender-loses-guitar-copyright-case-201886 I didn't know that. I have to agree that it appears generic because they've been copied so much over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottcald Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 And it's up at Sweetwater for $2300: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JMSlvSkyHzn--prs-john-mayer-silver-sky-horizon Honestly, the SEs look way better to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanspanzer Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 15 minutes ago, hanspanzer said: That actually looks pretty cool, haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomteriffic Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 3 hours ago, MCChris said: Same reaction I had to the Daytona and T51. I don't get it. Fingerboard radius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biz Prof Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 hour ago, RobB said: That actually looks pretty cool, haha! Certainly looks better than the actual Mayer signature PRS. Still cannot believe that Fender and some of the pros whose iconic instruments were Teles or Strats never came to terms on signature models, particularly Brent Mason and Vince Gill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockbody Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 3 hours ago, LucSulla said: They have, and they lost. https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/fender-loses-guitar-copyright-case-201886 Taking a quick look at the findings, it appears Fender went for a trademark on the body shape alone. That was a stretch, and they got turned down. There are lots of dual cutaway guitars, like a PRS Custom or McCarty, for instance, that have two cutaways and a tremolo that look nothing like a Stratocaster and therefor couldn't be confused for one. But a Suhr Classic Pro or a Hamer Daytona? Would you know any of those weren't Fenders without seeing the headstock? Fender should have gone for the design elements that make a Strat or Telecaster, but instead saw dollars and tried to trademark anything with a double cutaway. That said, how many people just see the three pickups and tremolo and go buy themselves a Fender because they don't know any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biz Prof Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 20 minutes ago, Lockbody said: That said, how many people just see the three pickups and tremolo and go buy themselves a Fender because they don't know any better? Many, if they are novices. I actually heard a 20-something say recently at a jam session (I'm paraphrasing): "Can't go wrong with a Gibson. " I retorted, "You've never owned one, have you?" He replied, "Uhhh....no." Moral of the story: Youth is wasted on the young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 4 minutes ago, Biz Prof said: Moral of the story: Youth is wasted on the young. You mean like how Ireland is wasted on the Irish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biz Prof Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 5 minutes ago, RobB said: You mean like how Ireland is wasted on the Irish? Yep. Either Ireland...or whiskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARM OF HAMER Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 My first and only reaction is....................................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucSulla Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 6 hours ago, Lockbody said: I didn't know that. I have to agree that it appears generic because they've been copied so much over the years. I think the main problem is waiting almost 50 years to try and establish copyright, if this was the first case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disturber Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 It has the ugly headstock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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