Does an artist endorsement influence your purchase?

[CCdrums]

Does an artist's endorsement influence your purchase of equipment? Would you be playing the brand of equipment you are now if it wasn't endorsed by anyone? Do you play through a Marshall rig because you like it or because everyone else does? For me, I admit that the artist endorsement gets me curious about the brand, but usually is not very influential in my actual decision to buy. I bought most of the equipment I have now after hearing it firsthand and basing the decision on sound quality, craftsmanship and customer service.

I will say however that certain brands are endorsed and played by several artists for a reason, and hence the decision to buy that particular brand without actually hearing it in person first. Case in point, I was led to the Paiste cymbal company by a series of articles I read about different artists whose cymbal sound I really liked. They all used Paiste signature series cymbals. Once I discovered Paiste and did some more research, I found that drummers like John Bonham, Alex Van halen, Simon Kirke and others used the 2002 series cymbals because of their bright cutting sound and durability. Without actually hearing them myself before I purchased one, I bought a 2002 crash and loved it.

Have you all had similar experiences or are you adamant about "test driving" your equipment first?

[DrumAndDestroy]

nope. i play what i like.

[witchhunt]

Have you all had similar experiences or are you adamant about "test driving" your equipment first?

No, I'm not Adam Ant. I'm Bill.

[JackANSI]

I play what gets the job done cheaply...

The only thing more pointless than paying a fortune for something, is paying even more because its a 'signature' model....

[CCdrums]

Have you all had similar experiences or are you adamant about "test driving" your equipment first?

No, I'm not Adam Ant. I'm Bill.

Hah! Good one! You don't drink...don't smoke....what do you do?

[CCdrums]

I play what gets the job done cheaply...

What do you consider getting the job done? Are you talking strictly the sound produced or do aesthetics, customer service, etc. come in to play at all? Just curious. What I mean is, if my instrument doesn't look cool to me or doesn't hold up over time, it's not getting the job done. So in oder to have all of those things in place, a certain amount of quality and reputation is in order, which usually is not cheap. Do you know what I mean?

[JackANSI]

What do you consider getting the job done? Are you talking strictly the sound produced or do aesthetics, customer service, etc. come in to play at all? Just curious. What I mean is, if my instrument doesn't look cool to me or doesn't hold up over time, it's not getting the job done. Do you know what I mean?

Its sounds like we're on a similar page.

I always assume there will be no customer service so I'll skip that one.. Just my experience in this world.

If it falls apart constantly, its not getting the job done.
If it doesn't "do it" for you to point its distracting, its not getting the job done. (If you have to 'remember' you're playing on X guitar vs Y guitar, one of those is not getting the job done.)


I'm especially talking about:
The difference between blue and some limited edition blue being an extra 10% on the cost of an instrument.

Some kind of 50th aniversary badge making it 33% more expensive than buying a base model and putting the upgrades on yourself.

The only two differences in three instruments, that you couldn't tell the difference without looking if properly setup and equiped, ends up being: 1. MIA, MIJ, or MIM. 2. price.

[slackin@dabass]

no, although, i do look into things that some artists play. right now i play a spector bass... i only seriously considered them after i found out who played them, but it still comes down to how it works for me. if i would have played it and it was "ok" but not quite right, then, no, i would have continued the search for the ideal instrument. same thing with the drums i bought last year. although, they are pdp's... i only bought them becaude i heard such great things from other drummers. but what it comes down to is that final decision ... does it work for me?

[CCdrums]

What do you consider getting the job done? Are you talking strictly the sound produced or do aesthetics, customer service, etc. come in to play at all? Just curious. What I mean is, if my instrument doesn't look cool to me or doesn't hold up over time, it's not getting the job done. Do you know what I mean?

Its sounds like we're on a similar page.

I always assume there will be no customer service so I'll skip that one.. Just my experience in this world.

If it falls apart constantly, its not getting the job done.
If it doesn't "do it" for you to point its distracting, its not getting the job done. (If you have to 'remember' you're playing on X guitar vs Y guitar, one of those is not getting the job done.)


I'm especially talking about:
The difference between blue and some limited edition blue being an extra 10% on the cost of an instrument.

Some kind of 50th aniversary badge making it 33% more expensive than buying a base model and putting the upgrades on yourself.

The only two differences in three instruments, that you couldn't tell the difference without looking if properly setup and equiped, ends up being: 1. MIA, MIJ, or MIM. 2. price.

Gotcha, I agree. Thanks for responding.

[EyesOfAnguishbassist]

I might look into a certain product just because one of my favorite artists use it but if I would then play it and I didn't like it, I wouldn't buy it just to have the same product my fav band has.

[sunsetbass]

product indorsments do sway me to a point. it will at least get me to look at the company(if new out) and the product. but i won't buy something simply because somebody famous uses it. if i like the sound and the look then i'll talk price. thats when i decide if i wanna buy it or not. i.e. just because nikki sixx uses basson cabs doesnt mean i will. however i am looking into them because i do like the sound of his bass.

[MeYatch]

I would say I am influenced by artist endoresments, to a point.

I pretty much know what I like now, but that wasn't always the case, and I took notice to what some of the guys I liked were playing.

The only thing I can think of being heavily influenced are things like strings, or replacement pickups. Something that you can't really try out, but you like a guys tone or whatever.

Havn't done it recently, but I bought a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder P pickup pretty much solely on the fact that Mark Hoppus used it. (don't laugh!)

[bassist_25]

Very cool topic!

The primary thing that an artist endorsement will sway me on is I can at least be somewhat confident of a product's reliability. If someone is using a piece of gear on the road for months at a time, it makes me feel a little better that I'm not going to plug it in at the gig and worry about smoke coming out of it. Obviously, any piece of gear is not immune from breaking down, but I need to be able to trust that my power amp's going to work 99,999 times out of 100,000 when I flip down the On Switch.

After the reliability issue, endorsements don't really influence me that much for three reasons:

1). It's very likely that an artist isn't playing an "off the shelf" instrument. I bet many of the Strats that you're hearing on recordings have after-market pickups in them. I am pretty much convinced that majority of the Marshalls used by national bands, particularly bands in the modern rock and metal genres, are hotrodded for more gain, because I've heard enough stock Marshalls in my life and they don't sound like that.

2). There's a lot of smoke and mirrors when it comes to the whole endorsement thing. I know as a bass player, that just because Bass Player X plays an Ampeg amp on stage doesn't mean he is playing one in the studio or Bass Player Y plays Eden cabinets, then I'm hearing her Eden cab through the FOH. Bass Player X may be going from a direct box straight to the board into Pro Tools in the studio, and Bass Player Y may have a pre-EQ line-out straight out of the back of her head to the snake. Plus, it's not uncommon for some musicians to have a stack of some sort of impressive looking backline standing behind them, but it's some other amp sitting backstage that has the mic pointed at it.

3). The most imporant point is that gear is merely a tool. Everyone here knows that I love talking gear, and I can talk about it 24/7; but at the end of the day, it is you who makes music. I advocate investing in quality equipment because it's going to benefit you and your band in the long-run and allow you to concentrate on making music rather than making lower quality stuff sound passable. Other than that, it's just the medium that allows you to communicate music. I love Justin Chancellor's bass sound, but you could give me his bass, his rig, and his exact EQ settings and I'm still going to sound like bassist_25, not like Justin Chancellor. I was first hipped to Carvin basses the same way many people were in the 90s: By seeing Timothy B. Schmidt on the Eagles Hell Freezes Over Tour. I dug his sound and the vibe of the bass, but I knew by playing one, I wasn't going to automatically be transformed into Timothy B. Schmidt (the cat's a serious monster on the instrument too. Hats off to anyone who can nail a fretless Pino Palladino line note for note with the same feel and musicality). When you get to a certain threshold of gear quality, you're just moving sideways, IMO. Find what instruments, strings, drum heads, mic, or whatever speaks to you and makes you able to enjoy creating music. That's what's important.

Oh no, this turned into another Paul novel. LOL

[Hawk]

If I use Virgil Donati Signature drum sticks, will I be able to play like him ?


BTW, I had a Virgil Donati Signature snare drum. It didn't make me play anything like him, so I sold it on Ebay.....for more than I paid for it. I guess someone else wanted to play like Donati.

Seriously, I did but a couple of Zildjians with out hearing them. Except for one, I lucked out. Also bought some snare drums on Ebay. Lucked out there too. But not generally influenced by endorsers.

[ToonaRockGuy]

I'm not influenced by endorsers. I listen for what I want, then try it myself, and if I like it, I get it.

I've played Yamaha drums for years, but also used to play Pearls and Tamas. I played Zildjian cymbals for 32 years before discovering Saluda, and their highest "name" endorser is Shawn Beamer, the drummer for the band that passes themselves off as Molly Hatchet. No name recognition there. Heck, I'm now a Saluda endorser, and I don't know that anyone would know who the heck I am, and get Saludas simply because I play them. If they did, I'd have to slap them silly.

If I was an endorsement follower, then you'd see me playing DW Drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Remo heads, and most likely DW pedals and hardware. That seems to be what all the "name" cats are using nowadays. But I choose to play what I like, because it's my sound. And that, to me, is the most important thing.

[metalchurch]

It doesn't affect my purchase much, but it definitely gets my attention.

I have this thing about seeing what amps and effects my favorate players are or were using on a particular album, whether or not they still use doesn't matter.

One of my intrigues, is finding out what they used to get their sound, and I use that as a basis when trying to replicate it, using my own gear.

First time I ever saw a Jackson V was when I saw Randy Rhoads using one, and you know ever since then I always thought they were the coolest guitar ever, so yeah maybe in a way I'm a mindless follower with no soul of my own.

I'll never play anything else but a Jackson as my main guitar.

[KyleMayket]

Heck, I'm now a Saluda endorser, and I don't know that anyone would know who the heck I am, and get Saludas simply because I play them.

OH MY GOD!! YOU PLAY SALUDAS? WHERE CAN I GET SOME?!!

[KyleMayket]

I really don't care what anyone else plays, my biggest factor is price, I'm not rich, and I enjoy other things, other than music, so I don't want to spend all my money on instruments. I have a PDP set (it's a top of the line kit, so it's basically a DW, same kit the drummer of DOPE uses). and it was dirt cheap (with my guitar center sponsership discount) And I'm a Sabian guy, I've bought Zildgens and personally I think they're crap, they don't hold up to how I play. I've had the same Sabians now for about 6 years, and i just got a crack in one of them... that's durability. I do care about heads, i use Evans EC2s and HD genera dry snare, and Aquarian super kicks... but i really don't care who else uses them, i like what they do for my sound... that is all.

[JackANSI]

beware of using endorsements for guaging reliability. I know for certain in the bass world, if you are a top tier endorsing artist with ampeg, free repair and if time does not allow, free loaners, from the nearest dealer are included. If the dealer does not have what you play, ampeg assures they will when you do get into town.

You'd never know how many times the amp has needed repaired. You'd also never get anything close that kind of service as a paying customer. Only the customers THEY pay get that service.

This is another major reason that endorsements don't effect me. You are paying for someone else's customer service that could probably afford to buy a new piece of gear for each gig.

[Trucula]

Heck, I'm now a Saluda endorser, and I don't know that anyone would know who the heck I am, and get Saludas simply because I play them.

Same as for me. I played "Zs" for years (still love the sound of them)and after playing Kevin's I just loved the sound and the fact there were made in USA. And they took personal attention when they built mine and will do the same for all customers.
I am very seldom inspired by what anyone uses unless its a certain sound I want. I can remember when I was a teenager and hearing KIX's "Don't Close You Eyes" and when I heard the twinkling chimes I was like, "What was that???? I want them!!"
We opened for "Back In Black" at Shade Mt. Inn and Jason asked if he could use his amp. The "Angus" player (real cool guy) said , "Hell Yeah bro, use your stuff. You don't want to sound like me do ya?? You want to sound like you!"

"You can't be yourself if you copy everyone else!"

[f.sciarrillo]

I don't buy artist series things. I like to be myself ..

[nightcrawler_steve]

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[Trucula]

I remember reading in Modern Drummer years ago a drummer (can't remember the name off hand) but he was asked why he played an off brand set. He replied by saying that his endorsement was greater with that company. They offered allot more as far as advertisement. If he took the PEARL one, he had to share the page with 5-10 other drummers/bands. And if he went with the one he picked he was givin a full page ad of him alone in the magazines.
And like he also said, With my own personal touches and selection of heads. shells, tunings and mic effects he could make any set sound great.

But I meet allot of people showing me their stuff and saying, "Check this out, its the same thing so-and-so uses!" (still didn't make them sound like him...LOL)

[lonewolf]

If a product has an artist's name on it, I probably won't buy it. I would rather try a similar model with nobody's name on it. I don't go much for single endorsements, but when there is a pattern of several artists using equipment, then it makes a difference.

Recently, I was influenced by a manufacturer's recommendation. Paul Reed Smith said that he prefers Koch Amps for his line of guitars, so I checked them out. Glad I did.

[MoonManTom]

I may check it out if its an artist I like, but I wont buy it just because An artist uses it or endorses it! I have to play a guitar before I buy it! Ive played expensive guitars that played like crap, then picked up a cheap guitar that played awesome! Its all about the feel of the guitar!
As far as an amp, its all about what sound I want, and again, I have to play it with my Guitar! Most Stores will let ya play your guitar thru it!