Chibson pokes fun at Fender’s Stratocaster copyright campaign with Cease & Desist control knobs – and they go to 11

Chibson USA Cease & Desist knobs
(Image credit: Chibson USA)

It was only a matter of time before the guitar industry’s chief jokers, Chibson, weighed in on Fender’s controversial cease-and-desist campaign. Now, it’s entered the chat with cease-and-desist knobs.

Following its Cease and Desist toggle rings in the early 2020s – which poked fun at the various legal letters Gibson had issued over the years – this latest offering hits once again on the nose.

They come in a set of three, ideal for S-style guitars. They can be official Fender Stratocasters – or, as Chibson says, any S-style in your collection, if you are feeling brave. Those could even be guitars from brands like PRS, Yamaha, and LsL Instruments, who have been subject to Fender’s copyright dispute.

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As their name suggests, the white knobs have “Cease & Desist” emblazoned on the tops – one word for each knob – and to round it off, they go to 11. That means your electric guitar can now go one louder…sort of.

“If anything can be learned from lawsuits of the past, it’s that guitarists love a little frisky controversy,” says Chibson. “With the release of Chibson’s Cease & Desist knobs, guitarists can support their favorite illegal guitar manufacturer while making a bold statement!”

So, the next time you buy an “illegal guitar,” throw its crummy stock knobs in the garbage, and get the ultimate upgrade.

The witty trio are available worldwide, and are priced at $19.99.

See Chibson for more.

Fender’s legal action, meanwhile, could be reshaping the guitar industry. Fender CEO Bud Cole has said the campaign will need to play out, but has addressed the quality control issues that fans have leveled against the firm in recent years.

In recent related news, Amazon was confirmed as another big-name brand to have been hit with a cease-and-desist.

It is one of 60 new companies targeted as Fender emboldens its copyright disputes in a bid to preserve the legacy of the Stratocaster. It comes after a German court ruling gave it legal protection of the body shape.

A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.

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