The Power of Endorsement

Smallmouth_Bass · #1 05-08-2006, 04:03 PM

How much influence do you think a popular bassist has by playing particular equipment? Obviously, they must have quite a bit because most large manufacturers seem to have at least a few endorsers.

I remember back when I was a teenager, I was (and still am) a big Rush fan. At that time, Geddy was playing Wal basses and I wanted his black 4-string Wal bad for a couple of years. I had never even seen one out of print or even tried one, but it was such a cool looking bass. I had his picture posted up on my *wall* and looked at it constantly. That wore off after a while and now I just buy equipment I like and I am not so much influenced by the ads or players.

Tell us any stories you may have that includes the "power of endorsement".

tplyons · #2 05-08-2006, 07:31 PM

Never influenced me too much, however endorsements have made me more aware of some gear that I've tried and loved.

Smallmouth_Bass · #3 05-08-2006, 07:56 PM

And do endorsers really play all the equipment they endorse?

I saw Will Lee play with his Beatles tribute band The Fab Faux; he used two basses - a Hofner and a Ric. I thought for sure he'd be switching them through the Radial Bassbone (which he advertises), but it was nowhere to be found. He did have other pedals though...

malicous · #4 05-08-2006, 08:06 PM

I was a big Roscoe Beck fan about five years ago, and wanted to get all the same gear he used. I started with the strings (La Bella Hard Rockin'), which I still use because they help me achieve the tone I want. I wanted to get his signature Fender, but when I played his own personal bass at NAMM (about an hour before he did a clinic) I realized that it was quite different from the production model. That kind of killed the whole endorsment thing for me. The only other gear I got because of endorsements (by Marcus Miller, John Patitucci, and Roscoe Beck) was the Sadowsky outboard preamp, which I am extremely happy with.

The Golden Boy · #5 05-08-2006, 09:06 PM

I think the 80s were the worst time for endorsements, dudes put their names on ads and didn't even pretend to use the stuff they "endorsed."

Do endorsements work? I'll full on admit I got a Telecaster and Les Paul because of Jimmy Page. I got a natural Rick because of McCartney and Lemmy. I'm sure there's been other stuff too.

**bassman314** · #6 05-08-2006, 10:54 PM

Hmmm...

I can't think of any of my rig that I got simply 'cause someone else liked that item or that brand or whatever...

I like the effects I have 'causeof the tone... I play Lakland 'cause it was the 5-string that 'sang' to me...

I guess Flea being a GK player had a small factor in why I looked at GK for myback-up amp, but if there had been a comparable head I liked better, I would have bought it.

*L*ok.. I admit I'm getting a fretless so I can learn some weather report songs. I'm not getting a fender J and then defretting itmyself, nor am I spending $3k on a 'distressed' J *L*

steve21 · #7 05-08-2006, 11:21 PM

What I don't like about endorsements... I like GK amps the most, and I enjoy EB/MM products, as well as the Modulus Flea basses my guitar center carries.

Whenever a GC stooge seems me playing GK's with a 'ray or the modulii they think I'm just some flea wannabe... Now, with the Flea bass that's kinda understandable, but it's a bit annoying to ohave any EB/MM + GK action assocaited with Flea.

pfft.

Bard2dbone · #8 05-09-2006, 08:38 AM

I think I do it wrong, because whenever I have gotten gear that was distinctively identified with a particular artist, I got the gear because I liked it and/or I got a good deal...then I got told "Oh. You must like ___________."

I've had a black Ric 4003 and a natural 4003 copy by Univox that was actually paradoxically a better bass. But Geddy and Sir Paul didn't have much to do with either.

I've had an assortment of Jazzes and my main bass is a fretless Jazz. But Jaco had nothing to do with that choice. Although you could say Mark Egan did influence me to get a fretless, and one of the songs that he did it with was Jaco (with Pat Metheny)

I think I saw an ad several years back for SWR where someone had my exact rig (Redhead into a Triad). But I can claim innocence becasue I don't even remember who it was.

I don't think anybody influenced me to get my Guild Pilot. It was just the only bass I found with an even faster neck than the one I was actually looking for at the time, a Kubicki X-factor.

And when the Guilds' neck started getting too wobbly I got a Spector NS2a, because I'd always liked Spectors and this was the cheapest good-playing one I'd ever seen.

The closest I come to actually getting an instrument because my musical hero plays it would probably be my Taylor 12-string. I love Leo Kottkes' 12-string work, and he has a signature Taylor. I didn't get an LKSM-12. I got their closest thing to a budget model of that same guitar, though. The 355ce is similar to the LKSM-12, but without the scalloped bracing(mine are left un-shaved.), the Honduran mahogany back and sides (Mine is an African mahogany. I think it's sapele.) and with a pickguard. (the Kottke sig has no 'guard.)

I suppose that my Les Paul-equivalent guitar looks a lot like Carlos Santanas' signature model, but his is a PRS, and mine is a Hamer.

I'm not going to even get into how many poele play a strat. I didn't get mine because of any of them.

SteveC · #9 05-09-2006, 09:16 AM

Back in high school I bought a Ric for one reason - Geddy Lee. I am much older and wiser now.

Woodchuck · #10 05-09-2006, 09:19 AM

I first got into 'Wicks because of Stu Zender.

Nino Valenti · #11 05-09-2006, 09:23 AM

I don't care what other bassist are playing Look at my basses:

Nino Valenti · #12 05-09-2006, 09:23 AM

Pruitt · #13 05-09-2006, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve21

Whenever a GC stooge seems me playing GK's with a 'ray or the modulii they think I'm just some flea wannabe... Now, with the Flea bass that's kinda understandable, but it's a bit annoying to ohave any EB/MM + GK action assocaited with Flea.

pfft.

Hey, I have a MM and GK. Of course I bought them in 1980 before anyone had any idea who Flea was. lol...

JAUQO III-X · #14 05-09-2006, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malicous

I was a big Roscoe Beck fan about five years ago, and wanted to get all the same gear he used. I wanted to get his signature Fender, but when I played his own personal bass at NAMM (about an hour before he did a clinic) I realized that it was quite different from the production model.

Could you be more specific in regards to what made is personal sig Fender different from the Roscoe Beck model that Fender offers?

Bard2dbone · #15 05-09-2006, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nino Valenti

I'm always amazed at how huge Geddys' basses look when he is playing them. He must be seriously small.

Lazylion · #16 05-09-2006, 05:23 PM

I once bought one of those Kramer metal-neck basses with the forked peghead because I saw a poster of Johnny Cash and his band, where 3 of them were playing Kramers, in the GC in Santa Ana CA. Johnny's bass man must have had flatwounds on there, or maybe tapewounds, because with rounds on, its the most zingy, high-endy, un-Johnny-Cash-like bass I've got! Looks cool, though.

Smallmouth_Bass · #17 05-09-2006, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bard2dbone

I'm always amazed at how huge Geddys' basses look when he is playing them. He must be seriously small.

That's why his nose looks so big! It all makes sense now.

malicous · #18 05-09-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Could you be more specific in regards to what made is personal sig Fender different from the Roscoe Beck model that Fender offers?

The neck was less chunky and the string spacing seemed narrower than the production model (there was one hanging close to his one). There was also a ramp, which isn't a big deal because it is a simple mod, but it was some sort of see-through material, so you wouldn't really notice it unless you played it. It played and sounded wonderful. Want Stambaugh to build me a six string version of it when I can afford it.

JAUQO III-X · #19 05-09-2006, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malicous

The neck was less chunky and the string spacing seemed narrower than the production model (there was one hanging close to his one). There was also a ramp, which isn't a big deal because it is a simple mod, but it was some sort of see-through material, so you wouldn't really notice it unless you played it. It played and sounded wonderful. Want Stambaugh to build me a six string version of it when I can afford it.

It is wack when the artist promots a sig model but the sig their playing is nothing like the production model.

Smallmouth_Bass · #20 06-01-2006, 09:51 PM

I bet you Geddy's roadies love him for his stage washers!