Fender ‘Authentic’ Les Paul Standard

Only in the world of “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory” would the guitar-world have such craziness and drama, right? Wrong! We are all too familiar with the recent debacle the past few days–the ongoing internet buzz over the new Gibson ‘Authentic’ Hendrix Stratocaster–nothing should surprise us anymore.

Yesterday I saw an analogy posted on Harmony-Central message board from a poster with the alias of ‘Belva’, this poster had made a response in regards to the Gibson ‘Authentic’ Hendrix Strat.
Belva wrote: “I’m not gonna cry about Honda building a clone of a Harley either. If you say this isn’t the same thing you’re f**ked in the haid!“.

While the poster’s analogy holds somewhat of a valid point, it doesn’t exactly sum up the entire situation surrounding the event. So I decided to take the initiative to produce another analogy. Allow me to paint the picture, erm–excuse the pun… photoshop the picture.

God bless Les Paul and his family, may he rest in peace–and may he forgive my tasteless hypothetical–but let us say Les Paul’s family decide to create an LLC name–“Authentic Les Paul LLC”. The family is so eager to honor Les Paul’s legacy and heritage, they reach out to the wonderful guitar manufacture, Fender Guitar Corporation to collaborate the all-new “‘Authentic’ Fender Les Paul Standard” guitar — [needless to say Gibson already beat ’em to it]. And in this world of nonsense, Fender proudly give out stickers and a patches to all the good folks who buy this great heritage guitar. And if all the good little boys and girls out there are good from-now-until-December, Santa may even send an extra special package down your chimney and place it neatly under your Christmas tree…

Okay, enough! Sorry for the foul mental-images here folks, the thought of a Fender Les Paul guitar sounds not only absurd, but absolutely sick and wrong–like microwavable peanut-butter flavored beer that is ready for consumption in only 90 seconds. Okay, maybe that wasn’t cool either, but still… you get my drift.

I think customtele’s point would have been much more valid if he had used the analogy: “Hells Angels’ Authentic Motorcycle Club had collaborated with Honda to build and manufacture the all-new “‘Authentic’ Honda HOG“.

Anyhow, I don’t think we need to go on any further about this and I hope anybody reading this post doesn’t lose their appetite–I know I have. So customtele, are we–here at Gear-Vault–all “f**cked in the haid“?

Like many of our readers, we are completely taken back by this ‘Authentic’ Gibson Hedrix strat knockoff guitar. By the way, I wonder how Gibson and their following would feel about this ‘Authentic’ Les Paul Standard business?