in order for your analogy to actually hold up, said cover band would have to try to dupe people into buying tickets to see the real band, only to find out its a covers band at the show.
After owing it for around 5 years, I decided to sell it for about half of what I bought it for. I used it quite a lot though, because in the grand scheme it didn't affect the overall use of the guitar. I just avoided using it any context that the G-string would be the focus of my playing. I could keep it in tune long enough to play a song or two, and I quite liked the guitar for most every other reason you could think of, aside from the weight, which is why I am now a PRS guy. Similar tone, less weight.
Interesting argument, however, it can easily be argued that, in that case, by all rights, someone is supposed to have a music union license of some sort, ASCAP, BMI, whatever, be it the venue, or the band. So even in that example there IS still a legal avenue. I personally do not do covers, if I can avoid it, and when I do, I don't play non-licenced venues. Once upon a time, I was in a cover band that payed it's union dues, and we played anywhere we wanted.
That would imply that "modeling" is somehow the same as building an exact replica of a guitar amp, and labeling it as though it was the original thing. Which I'm not even sure could work in any practical sense.
For me after 27 years and at least 100 different guitars from every possible brand, none have fit me better than ESP.
