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Guitar manufacturing company Gibson recently issued a cease-and-desist against Trump Guitars' owner 16 Creative. Citing a statement by the former company's spokesperson, Guitar World on Monday, November 25, 2024, reported that it stemmed from the use of the company's single-cut electric guitar model, stating:
"We can confirm a cease and desist has been issued against 16 Creative as the design infringes upon Gibson’s exclusive trademarks, particularly the iconic Les Paul body shape."
Per String Joy, a Gibson's Les Pauls, is a solid-body electric guitar first introduced by the company in 1952. Ted McCarty, the then-president of the guitar company, and his team. McCarty presented the prototype to Les Paul, an innovator who presented Gibson with an early version of the model called "the log," for opinion and approval.
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To be noted, Paul's design was initially rejected by the company, but after rival company Fender launched their Esquire model, the solid body model became a public craze, and Gibson decided to invest in developing the prototype.
The cease-and-desist comes just days after Trump Guitars unveiled their acoustic and electric guitar lineup via Truth Social on November 20.
Trump Guitars boasts that they are the only guitar company endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump
According to the Trump Guitars website, their guitars feature a bald eagle and an American flag. Additionally, they include Trump's election catchphrase, "Make America Great Again," along with the number "45," referencing Trump's term as the 45th president of the United States.
Donald Trump unveiled the company's latest guitar lineup on Wednesday via the Truth Social platform. While Trump's exact involvement with the company remains unclear, the website, GetTrumpGuitars.com, states that its guitars are the only ones officially endorsed by the president-elect.
Additionally, the website explains that Trump Guitars are "custom-designed and developed by a veteran-owned company with the help of a master luthier." It adds that the guitars were "manufactured by multiple providers and include parts or features that are both domestic and international."
Trump Guitars is only selling its American Eagle Acoustic Guitar, not its electric ones. The website states that of the 1,300 produced, only 1,275 are available to the public. 275 of those would be signed by Trump, with 125 currently available.
The company features a lineup of electric and acoustic guitars in various colors. They retail for $1,250 (electric) and $1,500 (electric, currently sold out). Additionally, the special edition instruments featuring Trump's signature are priced between $10,250 and $11,500.
While photos of the guitars are provided, a note on the website reads:
"The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product."
To be noted, the photos for the electric guitars bear a striking resemblance to Gibson's Les Paul.
Neither 16 Creative nor Trump Guitars or Trump's team have publicly reacted to the development.
