That Didn't Last Long - Stu Hamm goes to Warwick

[stuntbass77]

We opened for him, him and his crew walked "Through" us like we weren't even there (like we were obliged ot get out of his way). I'd be willing to bet that he wouldn't remember it now and would likely apologize in retrospect - like I said, we were really young then - it was the late '80s.. But by contrast, when we opened for Tower of Power, Rocco came over and chatted me up after out sound check - REALLY friendly guy.

That sucks, back in the day my band opened for Exodus and they were the same way (and I gave less than a $&@? About them), still would have been nice if they would have at least so much as waved at us I would much rather meet Rocco, so glad he was cool with you

 

[cnltb]

What are you trying to say, here? Do you think Stu is some no-name off the streets that nobody has heard of? Do you think he was only a well known bass player for a couple of years but has now gone out of fashion? One look at the number of posts in this thread shows that bass players know the name well.

What will Warwick gain? They will sell more basses.

Whether any of you individually like Stu's playing and music or not makes no difference at all. There is a large body of players who do, and also many players who will be interested in this pickup configuration and design.

I am not trying to say anything. I am saying something, namely that I am not sure that his name will sell many basses.
I may be wrong and maybe he is still 'hip' enough to do what warwick hopes him to, but maybe teh fact that he has moved from company to company might suggest he didn't do it for those that preceded warwick. Of course that may also not be so.
Just having heard of him may not be enough.
I have heard of him but wouldn't be more attracted to a company because they endorsed him.
twenty years ago...maybe. Now not so much.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

i agree Jimmy!

And the funny thing is that there just isn't a lot of money to be made in endorsements. There might be some halfway decent money in doing clinics, but if I were touring the country promoting a brand at clincs, damn right I'd want to be paid, too. And unless you have an immensely popular sig model, there's not a lot of money to be made in sig models, either. Maybe for Geddy Lee there is big money, that's about it. But every little bit does help, especially when you're best known as a sideman who never gets the really big money. I'm not privy to Stu's tax returns, but his career path indicates that he probably makes a comfortable but not spectacular living.

So this whole thread is much ado about nothing.

that said i met Stu once at the NAMM show when he was withe Eric Johnson for a Fender showcase (waaay back when 1983-84) and he was cool peeps.. humble and approachable, they both were.

 

[JimmyM]

I am not trying to say anything. I am saying something, namely that I am not sure that his name will sell many basses.
I may be wrong and maybe he is still 'hip' enough to do what warwick hopes him to, but maybe teh fact that he has moved from company to company might suggest he didn't do it for those that preceded warwick. Of course that may also not be so.

He sure was with Fender as an endorser for a long time. Fender isn't known for keeping dead weight on the endorser list. And he's been with Hartke for even longer.

Just having heard of him may not be enough.
I have heard of him but wouldn't be more attracted to a company because they endorsed him.
twenty years ago...maybe. Now not so much.

Well I'm sure you're Warwick's target audience, and now they're going to drop him because of what you said. I hope you're happy.



Stu can pretty much get a deal with anyone he wants. He has no shortage of suitors.

 

[Happynoj]

Stu can pretty much get a deal with anyone he wants. He has no shortage of suitors.

It seems to be the same with Warwick at the moment. I know it's been mentioned earlier in the thread but they have a pretty impressive line-up of endorsing artists currently.

 

[FretNoMore]

Getting a lot of artists to endorse your product can't be that hard, you just need a big enough marketing budget.

Unless the product really sucks and it would be too much of a blow to the artist's pride and image to take the money or free product sample.

What, me cynical?

 

[JimmyM]

This thread and many others like it are why I once said I would never disclose any future endorsements I may get. Just a bunch of petty, jealous babies whining that it's not them.

Not so much you, FNM...Warwick DOES have deep pockets and has been able to attract some endorsers that way

 

[FretNoMore]

Well I'm sure not saying all artists just endorse products for pay, actually I'm sure most really do like and even use the products, but a bit of money to seal the deal can't hurt.

And of course I'm a bit jealous - though not begrudging - both of the deals and even more of the skill and fame that makes people get them. I'd be very proud if I were ever asked. Not gonna happen though, of course.

 

[hover]

This thread and many others like it are why I once said I would never disclose any future endorsements I may get. Just a bunch of petty, jealous babies whining that it's not them.

Not so much you, FNM...Warwick DOES have deep pockets and has been able to attract some endorsers that way

I didn't really take my comment as a condemnation of Stu or anything..., rather an observation. No jealousy here. hmmm.

 

[wvbass]

All this talk about signature models. Is this the new Stu Hamm signature Warwick, or is this a custom shop one-off that Stu had made to use at Warwick's clinics? For all anybody knows, he might have bought this bass, right?

 

[boomtisk]

All this talk about signature models. Is this the new Stu Hamm signature Warwick, or is this a custom shop one-off that Stu had made to use at Warwick's clinics? For all anybody knows, he might have bought this bass, right?

According to the site, it's a one-off Custom Shop bass they made for Stu, just like they made a Custom Shop Triumph upright for him a while back. If it were a signature bass, it would say so on www.warwick.de.

 

[Kragnorak]

I don't get those of you saying that you wouldn't buy a bass because you saw someone playing it. If you heard a song with killer bass tone that you fell in love with and found out the bassist was playing a Warwick and the bass itself contributed largely to that sound, why would you not buy the bass? Endorsing an artist is a way a company can get their basses heard in nationally and internationially distributed material. I remember the first time I heard Good Apollo I'm Burning Star 4 by Coheed and Cambria and the bass tone was like nothing I'd heard before, and I wanted it more than anything. Low and behold the bassist Mic Todd played a Spector, which is a bass that has a VERY distinctive sound that can't be replicated easily with another brand. I fell in love and have been hooked on Spectors ever sense. Giving Mic Todd 2 free basses got them at least 4 purchases from me, and most likely thousands more. Same concept....

I love TalkBass for the topics, but sometimes the members make me very aggravated with negativity. WHY does it take until Page 4 of a thread for this valid perspective to be voiced?!

I know for a fact that endorsement deals work. When I first heard Steve Bailey back in the day I bought his signature 6-string fretless Aria Pro II bass. Why? Because I sure couldn't create some of those sounds with my Yamaha fretted 5-banger. Hurrrrrrrrrr.

Pretty soon I'm going to be able to endorse DR Strings. Why? I've been experimenting with strings for years and over the last few I keep coming back to DRs. Then half a year ago I played a multi-band gig and one of the bassists (George Pond from Negative Sky) had great tone so I asked him about his gear. He was kind enough to give me a pack of Red Devils which I had previously not tried and they worked great for me (I destroy strings quickly normally). Since then I've been buying DRs whenever possible and have been getting great reviews about my tone. So there you go, I'm hooked, the system works - why gripe?

Maybe Stu keeps evolving his bass needs. But he's been loyal to Hartke so who knows? The only time endorsements are laughable are when an artist endorses something that they clearly never use. The Stanley Clarke example is a good one of that, and I remember cracking up at Yngwie Malmsteen ads where he endorsed Crate amps.

 

[JimmyM]

Endorsements absolutely work. If they didn't, companies wouldn't be trying so hard to land them.

 

[cronker]

But is there a difference between endorsing and signature?

I would hope that a sig model somehow involves the input of the artist. For example, the pup configuration, neck radius, electronics etc. I wonder if the very popular Geddy Lee jazz was just Fender techs taking a look at his pawn shop beauty and trying their hardest to replicate, or whether Geddy had some involvement in the process?

 

[JimmyM]

Usually sig models do have the input of the artist, although sometimes they get overruled. For example, on the Marcus Miller sigs, they used a Fender preamp instead of Marcus' usual preamp.

 

[Feral Feline]

^^ he doesn't look real happy about it...maybe he is sad because his strap was heisted.

Warwick got the wrong shade of red, too "lipstick" – Stu wanted something like his old Fender's darker candy-apple red, but without the candy (flake) - Kubick he's mellowing with age. I was chatting with him about it while he and Hartke were Hammering me for an endorsement. I like Hartke's stuff just fine, on slab, but Factor in the Hartke sound for DB and it just doesn't cut it, so I had to turn Larry down via SMS. Thanks to Stu's Urging Hans-Peter, my signature Warwick Triumph should be out in 2015, though... Sell out? Sure, I Wilfer the right price!






Seriously though, I like Stu, 'cause he Hamm's it up during his solos. When I first saw him live, with Satriani, he did his usual two-handed tapping classical-segue-way-to-country-hoe-down solo. The heavy-metal meatheads in the audience (but not the heavy-metal dudes) booed his amazing display of technical/musical prowess... he just shrugged it off. He's always been a bit geeky, an underdog, but one that can shred – for all of that, he's all right in my books. Power to him, I say.

Oh, and if he was ever a jerk to anyone, he's entitled for the mere fact that he's just another human after all. Who amongst us can say they've never had an off day or never treated someone rudely while tired or in a bad mood, step forward and cast the first bum note. I tried to get Jimmy Haslip to sign a copy of a mag he was in, he blew me off, but he was probably tired from touring and just needed some space; I don't hold it against him. I've blown people off, but never intentionally, was just too wrapped up in my own melodrama. Doesn't make it right, but c'est la vie it just "is". Take a deep breath. Zen. Ommmmmmmm...

 

[hosebass]

Ive worked with Stu in the past. He is a great guy and an excellent bass player. PERIOD.

Anyone who says they wouldn't welcome an endorsement is lying.

 

[okcrum]

I can't believe how petty some of these posts are! The Internets are ridiculous.

Clueless might be closer. I have to think most people have never thought about how actual musicians actually make a living.

 

[StayLow]

Anyone who says they wouldn't welcome an endorsement is lying.

False.

 

[Jared Lash]

Looks like he's rocking a Warwick now. I guess the Washburn wasn't the tone in his head after all?

My theory is that Stu Hamm and Mike Mills from R.E.M. are gradually turning into the same person.
Link Removed

And when that happens Hamm will only play Pbasses from then on out.