The Donald Trump guitar launch which we told you about last week has already hit trouble. It’s now the subject of a cease and desist action by Gibson, who allege that it infringes their trademark, particularly the iconic Les Paul body shape.
There’s not much detail as yet, but Guitar World has reported that Gibson has already taken umbrage at the closeness of the design of the single-cut model.
Trump guitars is not owned by the President-elect himself, but by a company called 16 Creative who are pitching it as “the only guitar officially endorsed by President Donald J. Trump”, adding it to a long line of Trump merchandise that includes NFT trading cards, watches, vodka and higher education.
Apparently 16 Creative is as a "veteran-owned, multi-focused branding agency”. They say that the instruments are “custom designed and developed by a veteran-owned company with the help of a master luthier”.
Trump himself is pictured on the company’s website grinning and holding the electric with the bald eagle and flag proudly emblazoned on its body and the slogan 'Make America Great Again' on the neck. Interestingly, 16 Creative mentions parts of the guitar being supplied by “multiple providers” that are “both domestic and international,” so it’s entirely possible the guitars are not actually made in the USA.
The new line was announced on Trump’s own Truth Social last week. They come in both acoustic and electric versions in various colours that go for $1,250 and $1,500, although there are other models – with Trump’s own signature - that retail for between $10,250 and $11,500. According to the website, a total of 1,275 guitars were manufactured, with several body styles already out of stock. As the recent election proved, there are a hell of a lot of Americans out there who really do seem to admire the real estate mogul turned reality TV star.
Gibson have a reputation for staunchly defending its intellectual property, so to many in the guitar sector their action comes as no surprise. The company remains embroiled in a long standing lawsuit with Dean over their use of V and Z-shaped guitar designs and the Futura headstock.
Still, at a time when Trump’s other legal worries – regarding interference in Georgia during the 2020 elections and his alleged incitement of the 2021 Capitol riot – appear to be easing, at least this provides ongoing work for his legal team...
