Endorsements

Jaymz

Jaymz

Stymphalian Productions
May 20, 2006
7,425
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38
York
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Ive seen quite a lot of people being endorsed by (usually) Ernie Ball, Jim Dunlop etc ya know strings and picks kinda thing. Thing is they all basically ask that your signed to a record label and have an extensive touring scheme lined up. How do solo artists like me cope being basically a one man band. I cant gig because I dont have any members and Im sure you can get along well without a record label. I can get a CD/Demo/EP recorded, put on the net, sold, website, forum/myspace exposure etc etc..

How do other people in the same situation as me manage with this?

Or am I just plain fucked? :p

:)
 
....not to be a sour puss, but if you're not giging regularly, recording and getting your name out regularly, why would you even need an endorsment? I mean, I play in a band reheasing every week, lately have been playing guitar about 2-3 hours a day and I wouldn't see the need for a string change any more than on a 6 month basis, and picks last about 3-4 months depending on how many gigs and rehersals they go through.
I can't imagine I'd need an endorsment.

Maybe looking at guitar and amp endorsments would seem more logical as you buy those less often. Even then, though, if you're not forcing your name out there, I doubt you would have much luck.
 
You will not get an endorsement.

For the equipment manufacturers, it is a business proposition. They give you discounted (or free) gear in exchange for promotion. Usually that promotion entails you playing regular shows and releasing CDs on a record label. From a business point of view, you have absolutely nothing to offer them.

I can tell you that once you get your first endorsement, the rest come much quicker. Once I got my Boogie endorsement, the Jackson, DR, Svetlana, Dunlop and TonePros fell into place. Also, even though I am not touring or in a band right now, because I have a long standing relationship with the companies, I still have my endorsements (in some cases - in others, I just stopped using the products because I didn't like them). As for guitar and amp endorsements - they're harder to get than string or pick endorsements.

Nebulous - When I rehearsed 3 times a week and gigged 2-3 times a month I changed strings every other week on at least 2 guitars. I went through an order of 800 picks in two years. When I am recording an album I'll change strings every week to keep them fresh.
 
Matt Crooks said:
Nebulous - When I rehearsed 3 times a week and gigged 2-3 times a month I changed strings every other week on at least 2 guitars. I went through an order of 800 picks in two years. When I am recording an album I'll change strings every week to keep them fresh.
Click to expand...

If I was giging that often, I'm sure id be donig much more regular string changes too. Probably not that regular, but still enough to go through more strings in a year than I have in total up untill now.
 
Matt Crooks said:
You will not get an endorsement.

As for guitar and amp endorsements - they're harder to get than string or pick endorsements.
Click to expand...

Damn, I've got a guitar endorsement, an amp-endorsement and am endorsed by neumann mics, but can't get a fucking string-endorsement....

picks i don't need...I'm using pickboy st-4 (stone) exclusively they last forever....

(anyway: dudes at pickboy, if you read this....;) )
 
I am in a band too but its not very active atm due to uni so ive pretty much counted that out. I want to get a whole band together one day to do this stuff but In the mean time im just doing it myself. I know what the companys want, ive just seen shit loads of people with them and you can tell them the same thing if thats the case. I thought amp and guitar endorsements would be even less logical to get, even though I spend a shit load on both often.

Best wait till (if) I get a band and start gigging :\

Thanks for your time :)
 
LSD-Studio said:
picks i don't need...I'm using pickboy st-4 (stone) exclusively they last forever....
Click to expand...

Try some of the smaller companies (DR, SIT, etc.). D'addario is not giving endorsements to anyone new right now, and I don't know about Ernie Ball and GHS. Anyway, I got the DR endorsement because my bass player used their strings so it was easy for me to sign up with them. I used them for six months, and then went back to buying D'addarios because they were much better (IMO) than the DRs which broke alot, and had problems with the core of the wound strings separating from the windings.

Ben - I wouldn't need a new pick every day. But at a gig I'd go through 20 or so picks. They had our logo on them so I'd throw them out at shows, and give them to people after the shows - it's a cheap way to promote the band.
 
Yeh what everyone else has said is true

We barely scraped to get esp n krank. They ideally want you to have a CD out, do a minimum of say 100 shows a year, have good press (we had a pic in metal hammer spanning a page and a half and all you could clearly make out in the pic was a huge ESP guitar with very clear logo haha - think that's what did it haha) and maybe even these days, thousands of myspace friends :erk:.

So yeh, good press in music/guitar mags (or drum mags, whatever u wana go after) and playing lots of shows (preferably tours supporting some bigger artists and going to different countries - if you're playing 3 nights a week at ur local pub it wont count)

They'll only do it if they think you'll be good for promoting their gear and getting it seen in mags etc.

And even if you do get an endorsement there's a few stages and you most likely wont start off getting stuff free - which we dont.
 
Yeah usually discounts at first isnt it? You know ESP and Krank are the best two companies to be endorsed by surely! I love them both :mad: :D hehe

*keeps dreaming*
 
I deal with endorsements with an amp company and the first thing we ask for is a CD, Biog and Press pack. If your not signed to a RECOGNISED lable Im afraid theres no chance (so mates bedroom records doesnt count). Basically we want to know that people will see the gear at credible shows and hear it on released albums and want the same tone. Its all about getting the product seen.

For smaller to medium bands that qualify its artist prices which for us works out at roughly a third off retail. For huge bands its more likely to get free gear, or as we call it 'long term loan'. If a band starts big and then fades away or sign up with another company we reserve the right to take the gear back and yes I have reclaimed gear from stadium level bands. Basically few people get things for free these days firstly because they have to be worth running an add with and secondly if they go round 5 different companies getting free stuff and only use one brand what have we got out of it??
 
Yeah totally, even if I was able to get an endorsement I wouldnt be in it for the freebies really! The name and respect comes firstly too me. Id say to somebody "im endorsed by Ernie Ball" not "I get free Ernie Ball stuff because Im endorsed". Its also good to hear these things from people in the industy that actually know what they are talking about unlike many people. God bless this forum! :kickass: :)
 
How about if I made a trip to London....Climbed up Big Ben while HOLDING one of your amps just before goose-stepping around with a....certain flag in the other hand shouting "I AM HOMOPHOBIC!!!"

Then would you consider it? LOL

*No offence intended*
 
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