Gibson hands cease and desist to Trump Guitars for copying Les Paul design

Guitar brand Gibson has handed a cease and desist notice to Trump Guitars, which touts an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump, for “infringing upon Gibson’s exclusive trademarks, particularly the iconic Les Paul body shape.”

According to Guitar World, Gibson confirmed it had sent the warning to Trump Guitars owner 16 Creative for its alleged design infringements.

The Trump Guitar-made instruments,  some of which Trump autographed, are advertised as the “only guitars endorsed by President Donald J. Trump”. The company is not thought to be owned by the President-elect. Its launch includes electric and acoustic guitars, some of which are priced at over $10,000.

The site lists an “American Eagle Series” inlaid with Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” up the neck of the instrument.

Trump Guitar’s website also mentions that the instruments are “custom designed and developed by a veteran-owned company with the help of a master luthier.”

However, as Guitar World highlights, the FAQ section reveals that the guitars are produced by “multiple providers” located both domestically and internationally.

NME has contacted Trump Guitars for a comment.

In other Gibson-related news, the US Customs and Border Protection announced they had seized over 3000 fake Gibson guitars. In a message to the public on Friday (November 22), the government agency explained hey had worked on the seizure in collaboration with Gibson themselves, US Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

A press release confirmed that it was the “largest seizure of fake musical instruments” in history, and estimated the guitars’ combined value, if they were real, would be in the range of $18million (£14.3million).

This year marks the 130th anniversary of Gibson, and to celebrate they have been working on a series of limited-edition releases, including a collector’s version of Jimmy Page’s 1964 SJ-200. The guitar was played on Led Zeppelin’s 1969 self-titled debut album, and only 50 of the new range were made.