Who's right?

[faelcks]

Originally Posted by hover

I've seen a few instances where players started off with the tres-spendy signature models, then had subsequent ones offered on the "lower tier" line...does your brother think that means the player was awesome then got really bad so they punished him/her? Thoughts?

He thought something on this line. Actually, this signature series never was an gibson. Always was epiphone. The player(nick valensi) play the epiphone Riviera since the early days of the band. And other question:
Can this guitar be used on the recording? or the sound is "bad" and the studio make the guy trade his "live" guitar and use another more suited for studio?

[hover]

John Lennon played an Epiphone. Can't get much better than that, imo. Your brother is crazy-cakes.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

People can record with whatever instrument they want in the studio.

They might be recommended some equipment but you aren't limited to the instruments the studio has.

[MakiSupaStar]

[LiquidMidnight]

But to answer the question about whether or not price is an indicator of quality...in short, without getting into a huge discussion about micro-economics, yes it is. However, in my experience, a law of diminishing returns starts to kick in around the $1200 price point for basses and guitars. That is, a $1200 bass is probably going to decimate a $300 bass in terms of build quality, sound quality, and quality of materials, but the difference between a $1200 and a $2000 bass is going to be negligible. With that said, you may not personally like a certain piece of gear, regardless of its price.

I can't recall all of Epiphone's endorsers at the moment, but I'm pretty sure the company has had some rather notable players throughout the years. If you really want to split hairs, the Les Paul is technically a signature model. And Epiphone has definitely made a couple of those throughout the years.

I've never had a studio require that I use its instruments, and I've never heard of any studio requiring its clients to use its instruments. The studio works for you (or your label), not the other way around.

[TolerancEJ]

Jeff Waters (Annihilator) is an excellent guitarist and has an Epiphone signature Flying V.

Zakk Wylde, while he does have a number of Gibson's to his name, also has his Graveyard Disciple, which is only based in the Epiphone line.

[bolophonic]

My advice would be to stop listening to anything your brother says about musical instruments.

[hrodbert696]

Personally, as far as I can see the market is saturated and competitive enough that price usually is a pretty good measure of quality - usually. But I think it's only a 10% quality increase every time you double the price, and there are jewels and lemons in any given model. Which is to say you could barely tell the difference between a $350 CV Squier and a $500 MIM Fender.

Endorsement deals and signature models are two different things. The artist endorses the company, not vice versa. If the company wants the endorsement enough, they may give the artist free gear, road support, or pay them outright. Signature models, on the other hand, are marketing devices aimed at the fans of the artist. There's a reason that Will Lee's signature bass is with Sadowsky while Pete Wentz's is with Squier. It's not because Will Lee is a better bassist than Wentz (though of course he is), but because Wentz' fans are the kind of teenagers with limited cash who are more likely to afford a Squier. If they had heard of Will Lee, there would be a Squier Will Lee signature. Lee's admirers are adult professional or semi-pro musicians who are more likely to be interested in investing in a Sadowsky.