Does an artist endorsement influence your purchase?

[VENTGtr]

IIve played expensive guitars that played like
crap, then picked up a cheap guitar that played awesome! Its all about
the feel of the guitar!

Yep.

Doesn't affect it at all (As evidenced by my "odd" gear).

I was, and am back to, using using a TubeWorks amp because after
getting rid of one, I wanted to get back what it did.

When I originally got my first, I didn't know of anyone who used them.
NOW, I know Jerry Cantrell used to use one of their power amps, Eric
Johnson and Gilmour have used their stuff, among others. Not bad
company to fall into.

But, the gear came before the knowledge of who else thought it was
good.

Got the Tech21 recently and then found out that Les Paul uses the
combo version of the pedal/preamp. Will admit, though, that one
of the things that got made me more secure that it would do what I
wanted was reading about a of session guys who use it one every
type of session, from jazz-to-jingles-to-pop-to heavier stuff. But these
are hardly big endorsement deals.

There's gear that I have no doubt is good. Just may not be what I'm
looking for whatever reason. I have no question that a Quad-posi-
trac-tri-rectal-mater 10 thousand with a dual quasi-moto and a 6-pack
on the floor Mesa can sound amazing. BUT, to get to that sound, how
loud does it have to be and is that going to work in my back line?

I may take an endorsement as a sign of reliability if someone really
is using it to tour, though, as Rob alluded, having techs on-hand to
fix anything or replacement gear on-hand can make you question
even that.

An endorsement, or even someone's name on something, isn't
necessarily goin' to make me discount it either, though.

[JackANSI]

I forgot to add that paid endorsements/sponsorships mean squat to me. The guys who paid full retail price and love something to death (us) are who I listen to.

Even if the endorser just got a good price deal out of their endorsement, thats still coming out of my pocket if I want to buy one of those.



Just in case the search engines find this page and someone important is reading:

If someone knocked 40% to 70% off the price of a Genz-Benz GBE1200 and two NEOX-212T's, I'd play it for a few weeks and tell you how great it sounds!

I know... keep dreaming...

[bassist4life2004]

I would have to say that I do take artist endorsement into consideration. But it comes down to how it plays and how well it works for my style of music. For instance, I really like Tremonti, so I went and tested the guitar that I liked at Guitar Center before i went and bought the SE version of his guitar. I love it, it was perfect for what I wanted. And the tremonti power wah, I tested it at guitar center also, and loved playing on it. But with a lot of my other equipment, i run mainly boss pedals for everything and a Crate GLX1200 solid state head and cab (because its primary use is to play at home). I go for what I like, regardless of endorsement, but artist endorsements bring light to certain products that i may not have known about before.

[bassist_25]

Maybe when I was young it had an effect on me if one of my heros was playing a certain brand. I would guess most of us who have been playing 10 years or more are probably more influenced by our peers and our ears. Practical experience or the recommendation from a friend holds more weight than some flashy ad campaign.

That's pretty much how I view things. Is the 30-year veteran who has toured as a sideman behind Don Henley, Bette Midler, Joe Cocker, and Billy Idol playing a Zakk Wylde Bullseye Les Paul? Well, he may be, but he probably bought it because it was on sale or he just dug how it played and sounded. He probably didn't get it because he worships at the Altar of Zakk and thinks that getting the guitar will get him closer to being Mr. Wylde.

I do put quite a bit of stock into what a peer a says, because if it's someone whom I know has an idea of what they are talking about, I can give their opinion some credibility. While Kent and I ultimately have different tastes in bass tone, we both have similar tastes in the gear that we use to achieve our respective sounds. We both dig modern-sounding amps that are hifi and clean sounding. When he posted about getting his Carvin rig a while back, my interest was definitely piqued. Sometimes, all I have to go by are other musicians' opinions, because gear selection is limited in the local stores for gigging players. Luckily, things like Ebay allow you to take a chance on something and then flip it at little or not loss if it isn't your thing. On the other hand, you have to take some people's opinions with a grain of salt. It's not uncommon for me to read a review on Harmony Central where someone is raving about their Crate combo, even though they've only be playing for two years, have never played a gigged, and the only bass amp they've ever played through was a 15 watt Drive combo. I thought my Squier P-bass was the shizzle back in the day too.

Like Joe, I also enjoy looking at what other cats are playing, but it's more out of curosity by being a gearhead rather than wanting to replicate anyone's sound. I can kill hours at Guitargeek.com, not so much because I'm interested in the exact gear that someone is using, but rather because I'm interested in how people are running their signal chains.

I use to turn my nose up at "Signature Models," but now I really don't care. I played a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass a few weeks ago, and it was by far the nicest playing Jazz I've ever played!

[VENTGtr]

Is the 30-year veteran who has toured as a sideman behind Don Henley,
Bette Midler, Joe Cocker, and Billy Idol playing a Zakk Wylde Bullseye
Les Paul?

Actually, that brings in another point. Had this discussion with Wiggus
some time back and was goin' to put it up here. Jes' never did.

Ever notice how, when some of those guys lose some of their visibility,
then their endorsement deals, they no longer play the models, whether
they're "their" model, or not. Seem to always fall back to the Strats, Teles,
Les', Precisions, whatever.

The Ibanez, Washburns, et al, seem to go by the wayside.

Granted, there are sometimes legal reasons, but the moves rarely are
to, for example, get dropped by Dean, then start using Ibanez. Normally,
go to (Or, BACK to) using one of the "older" companies once they're
buying the gear themselves.

Not always, of course, but it seems that as a general rule.

[jon5150]

Cool Story. For a while now I have been drooling over the Music Man EVH guitar....it plays well. Eddie has been a big influnce in my playing. I was roaming around State College one day and desided to stop into Music Mart. I was bored and picked up a Telecaster. Didnt know It was a J5 Signature Telecaster. I feel in love with it. Although I know the EVH guitar is my "Unicorn" for guitars...I went with the J5 Telecaster. It had everything I needed in a guitar, with out breaking the bank...From there..I did research on John 5 and realized he is one hellava guitar player. Now being a "Sorta" New fan (Considering I listen to Marlyn Manson at times) with one Hellava guitar to boot!

So yes and no...I guess.

[JackANSI]

Is the 30-year veteran who has toured as a sideman behind Don Henley,
Bette Midler, Joe Cocker, and Billy Idol playing a Zakk Wylde Bullseye
Les Paul?

Actually, that brings in another point. Had this discussion with Wiggus
some time back and was goin' to put it up here. Jes' never did.

Ever notice how, when some of those guys lose some of their visibility,
then their endorsement deals, they no longer play the models, whether
they're "their" model, or not. Seem to always fall back to the Strats, Teles,
Les', Precisions, whatever.

The Ibanez, Washburns, et al, seem to go by the wayside.

Granted, there are sometimes legal reasons, but the moves rarely are
to, for example, get dropped by Dean, then start using Ibanez. Normally,
go to (Or, BACK to) using one of the "older" companies once they're
buying the gear themselves.

Not always, of course, but it seems that as a general rule.

You know I've been overlooked for a studio gig before just because I didn't bring a Fender to the audition... Even though the producer contacted me because he liked the sound I had on his engineer's (my buddy) band demo and told him to bring me in. The gig was overdub'ing another bassists lines (sounded like a keyboard to me), but the producer wanted to add more depth and bounce to the original track. (It was a hip-hop/G-funk project and to me this gig was worth almost $2K at $400 a track).

He kept looking at my SKB case... And looking... And looking... Like he was trying to use X-ray vision... Then asked if it was a P or a PJ setup that got that sound. I kinda ran about the question with a combination of EQ and amp references.

At the time I had two jazz pickups in my bass and I knew where he was going. Once he saw the bass while I was setting up in the corner of the booth, my friend came over and said that he thought I was bringing/using a fender and thats why he called me in. I shot him a puzzled look and he just said I didn't get the gig, sorry. Didn't play one note. My buddy was a bit ticked, but his hands were tied.

So I'd have to say that the reason you see alot of people fall back to Fender instruments is just so they don't have to give up music as a career once their start fades.

And thus how my hatred of most all things Fender started... And also the start of my "not playing for money anymore" protest started..

[metalchurch]

If you guys notice that alot of times the artist doesn't even use the product that they endorse and 'swear by'.

You'll see their ads and appearances in magazines, but on stage you won't even see it.

For example, Jeff Hanneman swears by his ESP's, but he still uses (or did use) his Jackson soloist on stage.

They all have their original and favorite guitars or amps, and what have you, and they also have the current endorsed products on stage for close ups.

Who in the hell knows what they use in the studio for that matter.
It's all about the money ho

[bassist_25]

You know I've been overlooked for a studio gig before just because I didn't bring a Fender to the audition... Even though the producer contacted me because he liked the sound I had on his engineer's (my buddy) band demo and told him to bring me in. The gig was overdub'ing another bassists lines (sounded like a keyboard to me), but the producer wanted to add more depth and bounce to the original track. (It was a hip-hop/G-funk project and to me this gig was worth almost $2K at $400 a track).

He kept looking at my SKB case... And looking... And looking... Like he was trying to use X-ray vision... Then asked if it was a P or a PJ setup that got that sound. I kinda ran about the question with a combination of EQ and amp references.

At the time I had two jazz pickups in my bass and I knew where he was going. Once he saw the bass while I was setting up in the corner of the booth, my friend came over and said that he thought I was bringing/using a fender and thats why he called me in. I shot him a puzzled look and he just said I didn't get the gig, sorry. Didn't play one note. My buddy was a bit ticked, but his hands were tied.

So I'd have to say that the reason you see alot of people fall back to Fender instruments is just so they don't have to give up music as a career once their start fades.

And thus how my hatred of most all things Fender started... And also the start of my "not playing for money anymore" protest started..

A lot of people bring Fender basses - or just simply a passive bass of any type - to recording sessions because they supposably "track better." Now, I'm not a recording engineer, so I have no idea if they really do track better or if engineers and producers just have a subjective preference for Fenders because that's probably what they've been hearing on their favorite records for the past 30 or 40 years. With that said, I did some recording at Data Music in Altoona, and I have a track that I used an Ibanez SR305. Damn, I couldn't have been more happy with my bass sound for that particular track.

This thread keeps reminding me of the Jeff Berlin signature Dean. Now, I majorily tip my hat to Jeff for working with Dean to produce a bass that's playable and affordable for players just getting into bass. Also, major props to Jeff for playing his own model with no after-market upgrades. But damn if that bass isn't one of the most fugly and cheap-looking things with four strings. Of course, I've never played one, so it might actually be the bee's knees.

[VENTGtr]

And thus how my hatred of most all things Fender started.

Whhhhaa??????

[JackANSI]

And thus how my hatred of most all things Fender started.

Whhhhaa??????

Fender makes GREAT amps But I just never played a J or P bass that made me want to buy it.

[Wiggus]

3). The most imporant point is that gear is merely a tool.

Well said, well said. Now I don't even need to post.

[KyleMayket]

i remember seeing Blink 182 on SNL and they have all of their Fender stuff out and a whole backline of Fender amps... but then they showed a view from behind, and all the heads were empty 5 sided boxes with open backs, and the most inward "amp box" had a Marshall head facing backwards in it... I wonder if SNL made them lose money by showing that shot?

[BURK]

i remember seeing Blink 182 on SNL and they have all of their Fender stuff out and a whole backline of Fender amps... but then they showed a view from behind, and all the heads were empty 5 sided boxes with open backs, and the most inward "amp box" had a Marshall head facing backwards in it... I wonder if SNL made them lose money by showing that shot?

In the mid 90's I used to work at the Nashville Arena... Lets just say that the "Amp Box" is not new or uncommon. Anytime I tell people about that stuff they almost seem like I'm full of shit but thats exactly how they used to do it... at least when I worked there. A lot of the time the stacks of cabs were all just empty plywood boxes. I also saw a lot of riders while I worked there and they would almost always specify at least one amp or cab/head combination that was mandatory and had to be the exact model... and then it would say "(6) 4 X 12 Marshall Cabinets, preferably in good condition..." or something of the sort. A lot of the people looked like they were still playing their favorite gear from high school hidden in their sponsor's "boxes" and the tour rider had a backup on it in case it went down... Always seemed to see a lot of Peavy combos too...

-BURK

www.myspace.com/burk1