"Reuben Cox, a trailblazer in the realm of rubber bridge guitars, speaks out about the Orangewood Juniper 'duplication' fiasco, expressing a sense of disappointment as he acknowledges his powerlessness in the situation"

In the world of indie music, the name Reuben Cox is synonymous with innovation. Known for his rubber bridge instruments, Cox revolutionised the sound of indie music, with his creations gracing records by artists such as Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, Phoebe Bridgers, The National, Jackson Browne, and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

However, a dispute arose in 2024 when Orangewood, a guitar manufacturer, launched the Juniper acoustic electric guitar. The Juniper, with its rubber bridge, trapeze-style tailpiece, and rail pickup, bore striking resemblances to Cox's designs. This sparked a controversy, with artists such as Mason Stoops and Hand Habits (Meg Duffy) venting online about the similarities between the Juniper and Old Style builds. Critics labelled the Juniper a "blatant lazy rip off."

Reuben Cox, in an interview with a certain website, spoke out about the controversy. He expressed his disappointment and stated that he was not interested in any payout or settlement. His work, he said, is about putting vintage and cool, but ultimately affordable, guitars into the hands of young players or any players who use them to create.

Eddie Park, co-founder of Orangewood, defended the Juniper by arguing that other builders were making rubber bridge guitars before the Juniper and that Cox's designs focus on remodelling vintage instruments. However, Cox's stance remained firm. He is not interested in sponsoring the Juniper designs.

The dispute over the Rubber Bridge guitars involved Cox and Orangewood's Jupiter guitar designers, with allegations of design copying and intellectual property infringement. Despite the backlash, Orangewood reached out to Cox following the controversy, but any potential legal settlement would have involved Cox sponsoring the Juniper designs, an offer he declined.

In a separate event, Alice Gu directed a documentary about Reuben Cox and Old Style guitars, which was covered by a certain website. The documentary provided insights into Cox's unique approach to guitar building, where he rehabilitates old Japanese acoustic guitars and retools them as new instruments, which he calls "proletarian miracles."

Cox, in his typical humble manner, finds it more thrilling to have a teenager spend $300 on what is their first guitar or to make a guitar and go see someone perform live with it, rather than receiving monetary compensation regarding the controversy over the rubber bridge guitars.

Park, on the other hand, stated that Orangewood's intention with the Juniper was to add an affordable option to the market and that they hope to find a path forward to serve the broader guitar community. Despite the controversy, it seems both parties are committed to their respective missions in the world of music.

"Reuben Cox, a trailblazer in the realm of rubber bridge guitars, speaks out about the Orangewood Juniper 'duplication' fiasco, expressing a sense of disappointment as he acknowledges his powerlessness in the situation"