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How do you feel about signature models?
- Thread starter The Wiz
- Start date
Bass player from The Killers plays a Geddy Signature. John Mayer played a Stevie Ray Vaughan Strat for a long time before getting his own signature model. Lots of pros play the Lakland Darryl Jones model (Juan Alderete and Adam Clayton are the first that comes to mind) Dave Grohl played a Gibson Trini Lopez guitar before getting his own signature model. Tons of metal guys play Joe Satriani and Steve Vai signature models. Pete Townsend played Eric Clapton strats for a long time. I've also seen several Jack Casady signature basses at pro level performances.
Don't forget about all those guys (Page, Allman, Slash, Clapton, Beck, Townsend...) that play "Les Paul" guitars...
I think the reason you don't see a lot of legendary players playing signature models is that they are often expensive compared to a similar stock instrument and by the time they are recognized as a truly great player they may very well have a production signature instrument of their own or an instrument that they have become linked to as their "signature model".
They'd be gritting their teeth and wincing every time they looked it it, though, like 99.87% of those who bought the original Sting simply because at the time of its introduction it was the ONLY Fender SCPB in the entire FMIC catalogue (later followed up by the MIJ Paisley).
FMIC would have sold lots more of them if they'd simply marketed it as a '54RI.
You've never seen a great musician playing a Gibson Les Paul?
A good instrument is a good instrument. I don't care if it's a signature model. A lot of times sig models will have interesting features not available on other instruments from the company.
I often try Fender Jazz basses at music stores, mostly because I keep being curious as to whether I'll find one I like quite enough to add to the stable. One of the best I've tried was a Fender Geddy Lee signature.
They'd be gritting their teeth and wincing every time they looked it it, though, like 99.87% of those who bought the original Sting simply because at the time of its introduction it was the ONLY Fender SCPB in the entire FMIC catalogue (later followed up by the MIJ Paisley).
FMIC would have sold lots more of them if they'd simply marketed it as a '54RI.
That may be your hang up, but not all of us face the same "philosophical" issues that you seem to have. I pick my basses based on the way the sound, feel and look.
I have a Geddy Lee Jazz which I love, but not because of the name. I don't care about signatures at all. It's hard enough to find the perfect bass without getting hung up on marketing tricks.
I'm fine with them. When they're an excellent bass, who cares if someone's name is on it? The Fender Roscoe Beck V is arguably one of the best passive basses Fender ever built. Are you going to let that little signature on the headstock keep you from buying a great instrument?
Then you've got the double signature models - the Zakk Wylde Les Paul, for instance.
Then you've got the double signature models - the Zakk Wylde Les Paul, for instance.
With the exception of Les Pauls, but that's a substantially different case -- he actually designed them from scratch.
They deeply offend me as wannabee kid-stuff fanboy nonsense, plus -- supporting this premise -- they're just gimmicks about 95% of the time with little that's really technically distinctive. The worst case I can think of offhand was the "Sting," which was nothing but a FJ '54RI they effed-up with that moronic inlay that everyone rightfully despises so much.
Considering they're aiming this stuff at immature players, it's always struck me that having an artist's name appended to it is more of a sales negative than a positive, as fannish young people tend to like one or two groups and hate everything else with a political-grade passion. Note the hate these things get here from all the more juvenile users who don't hate the bass, but the putative signatories, and have to point out they hate the celeb and his band before they continue on with saying that in spite of that, the bass is kind of cool.
It's a mistake to assume that this concept is successful marketing beyond a certain low price point aimed at kids -- if it even works there. The big makers are foundering, and lots of their models introduced simply to give the illusion of constant change and novelty fail to be profitable.
I can't imagine anyone over seventeen buying a bass because some bozo's name is on it.
So your telling me that kids are buying custom shop Jaco, Geddy Lee and Dusty Hill relics?
Perhaps the signature model offers something outside a regular production bass? I would buy a Jaco bass because I love the look of it and I would like a fretless jazz with an epoxied fretboard. It doesn't matter that its a signature or not but I think it would be wrong of Fender to release a bass like that without somewhat acknowledging Jaco (he did popularize that particular mod).
I don't care for signature models that aren't a clone of an instrument an artist is already using however. His name escapes me but the bass player from Strung Out has a signature bass that Squier designed for him. Only problem is he just played regular P Basses before that. If a player plays a stock, off the shelf (for the most part) I don't see any reason for a signature model other than maybe wanting to offer a specialty neck profile.
Either way, I like walking into a shop and trying out some different versions of P and J basses when there is a signature model out.
When all is said and done though, if you don't like em, don't buy em.
It really depends on the bass. For example I wouldn't want an Alex Webster Spector cause the customization is partly because of the color but I might want a Doug Wimbish or Ian Hill.
- Jul 3, 2004
- 1,300
- 641
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Ernie Ball MusicMan Guitars
Other than being cranky that nobody cares about ME enough to ask me to my name on one, cuz no one gives a Rats Furry Butt.
What's wrong with it again?
The Roscoe Beck V was one of the coolest 5s out there...and have kept their value and then some.
The Darryl Jones / Joe Osborne / Duck / Glaub / Scheff...were (are) killer.
The Sad/Will Lee 'seems' popular with the rich folk..
I own the Fender Sting Bass...and like posted before, I got it when Fender was NOT offering the 54, unless it was custom shop. It's great..and I don't get my undies in a bunch about the inlay either.
This thread was set up to trash Brands...thus the possibility of the closure of it and others like it.
What's wrong with it again?
The Roscoe Beck V was one of the coolest 5s out there...and have kept their value and then some.
The Darryl Jones / Joe Osborne / Duck / Glaub / Scheff...were (are) killer.
The Sad/Will Lee 'seems' popular with the rich folk..
I own the Fender Sting Bass...and like posted before, I got it when Fender was NOT offering the 54, unless it was custom shop. It's great..and I don't get my undies in a bunch about the inlay either.
This thread was set up to trash Brands...thus the possibility of the closure of it and others like it.
No, friend. Different people buy things for different reasons. Some may (like those 16 and under buyers you disparaged above) may buy a Geddy Lee Jazz simply because it has his signature on the back. Others may by the bass because of the unusual neck profile. I would dare say there were a few guys that bought a Lakland Duck Dunn or a Darryl Jones because these basses offered great features, and maybe a few others that just liked the name associated.
Isn't is crazy how that works......people doing the same thing for different reasons??
No, these people are, as claimed by our friend Bongo, clearly wringing their hands, gnashing their teeth with every note they play...........
Imo .. You're thinking about this the wrong way. Signature instruments are great, not because they have the mojo of the original artist, but because they give you more options to choose from. You got your vanilla standard models and then you are offered the same with twist and turns.
I don't mind the signature models as long as the name isn't celebrated some place on the face of the instrument a la the Sting Precision on the 12th fret; that's obscene. Back of the headstock or neck plate signature is the perfect spot.
TBH I bought the Jaco custom shop relic when I was 17 solely because I idolized (and still do) Jaco and I got it for a good deal from GC, only $2300 used. Ended up being the best bass I ever played, is still to this day my main bass, and actually turned me into a preferably fretless player. The only other bass I like anywhere near as much is my geddy lee sig. And to be honest I would probably buy one of the new geddy lee custom shop basses if one ever turned up used and I am 100% sure that it would be a fantastic bass. But then you get into the topic of american and mexican sigs vs. custom shop sigs and that opens an entirely new kind of flame thread
My favorite ones are those basses that the player never uses, and just slapped his name on the headstock. Take a stock model, slap on a signature, add $150, and BOOM you have a signature model!
I personally don't care for most artist basses... However I play a Victor Bailey Jazz Bass!!
It's got a Koa top, with a Rosewood middle and Mahogany back... As far as I know, There aren't too many Fenders around with Koa bodies, and it plays like a dream!
As well as this, Victor's name isn't splashed all over the bass. It's got a tiny little logo on the headstock and that's it. I get heaps of comments about it, but nobody ever recognises it!
It's got a Koa top, with a Rosewood middle and Mahogany back... As far as I know, There aren't too many Fenders around with Koa bodies, and it plays like a dream!
As well as this, Victor's name isn't splashed all over the bass. It's got a tiny little logo on the headstock and that's it. I get heaps of comments about it, but nobody ever recognises it!
