Who here is endorsed?

[pawel]

Originally Posted by Ibanez-Mag

You are right; there are sometimes things behind it that can be other things then money.
That they get dropped by the brand, that they don’t get along with the brand, that they change there taste in gear and so on. And that is completely cool with me, but when you do it for the fifth time, then I get suspicious.

But your Rusty example is really bad.
Why sign an endorsement deal with Ibanez if you don’t like that RG shape in the first place?
Or maybe I should say, why sign a deal with any brand if you think they need to be changed for you to play them?
Already there have he proven to be a prostitute in my eyes, especially sins he have been with Jackson just before that (and some short trip with some custom guy).
Loads of guys think it is super cool, and brings loads status and fortune, to have signature guitar, and goes to any brand that are willing to make them one. I think that is the only reason for the change in this case. Small guys (not meaning it in a disrespectful way, but he is not a super star) who demand a little too much.

Argreed, I was just responding to nuno's claim that the endorsers leave just for the money.

As for Rusty, well, for all we know he might be still looking for that perfect guitar, or he might be after the money/exposure what not. I was just giving an example of a non-money-related reason for switching brands.

Originally Posted by nuno

ask JD...

Ok, so if you know more than me, fair enough.

Originally Posted by nuno

so why didn't he play them since the beginning?

Because he played Ibanez too (at least that's what I gather from some old pictures of him) and later wanted to play teles? I don't know what the reason was for switching, but I doubt that he just took the offer from the "highest bidder".

Originally Posted by nuno

yea, and he made sure he's got zillions from Ibanez before starting playing his fave brand. wow, nice guy...

Now you are making it look like the endorsers are exploiting companies by deciding to switch. I don't know what the endorsement contracts look like, but I would think the company makes sure that they do not lose too much if an artist switches endorsements.

If you look at this forum, even if it's Ibanez-oriented, some people constantly buy different guitars, and often completely overhaul their arsenal. I remember bduersch here, who went from having about 30 Ibanezes to about 30 PRSes. I don't see why this shouldn't be the case with endorsed artists, sure sometimes there might be other opportunities involved, but that doesn't need to be the case. And what makes the least sense is for the artists to play one thing, and endorse something completely different.

[Ibanez-Mag]

Originally Posted by pawel

Argreed, I was just responding to nuno's claim that the endorsers leave just for the money.

As for Rusty, well, for all we know he might be still looking for that perfect guitar, or he might be after the money/exposure what not. I was just giving an example of a non-money-related reason for switching brands.

Yeah, I can completely understand the hunt for a perfect guitar; we all do or have done.
But I don’t understand the “signing a deal” until you found it thing.
I can see the benefits of the exposure you might get from an endorsement deal, but to the price of loosing your credibility (is that the right word to use? I’m Swedish), I just don’t think it is worth it for a free guitar or two.
There is no money in endorsement on the level where he is.

And for most people with endorsement deals does it not even mean free gear, just gear to a reduced price.

/Magnus

[Karl Hungus]

I don't know about anyone else, and I won't second guess anyone's reasons, but for me, I'd love to be an Ibanez endorsee because:

1. I love Ibanez guitars.

2. Access to the LACS, of course.

3. Exposure.

[nuno]

Originally Posted by pawel

I was just giving an example of a non-money-related reason for switching brands.

i'm not saying that ANY "betraying" endorsee does it just for the money, i named a few that did it for sure. JD named them on the ibanezcollector forum as the ones that switched just for the money. there have been many switching endorsees in years, but i think that if JD named THOSE only, then there's a good reason.

Originally Posted by pawel

I would think the company makes sure that they do not lose too much if an artist switches endorsements.

i think when a company puts your own Signature model on the market, you never play it AND you appear on ANY videos and ANY mag covers with another brand guitar, then i'll call it big lost for the company. also, don't forget that his Sig and his face have appeared on the catalogs till 2 years after the switch. and everytime you buy a new DMM Ibanez pays big $$$ to the f*cker. an even bigger lost...

[Ibanez-Mag]

Originally Posted by nuno

i think when a company puts your own Signature model on the market, you never play it AND you appear on ANY videos and ANY mag covers with another brand guitar, then i'll call it big lost for the company. also, don't forget that his Sig and his face have appeared on the catalogs till 2 years after the switch. and everytime you buy a new DMM Ibanez pays big $$$ to the f*cker. an even bigger lost...

That’s for me one of the coolest thing with Ibanez and there endorsers, that most of them always play the guitars they endorse.
And 99 % of all the ones with signature guitars play them, exclusively, all the time.
I mean, when to you see Vai with something other then a JEM?
When do you see Satriani with something other then a JS?
When do you see any of the other guys with different gear, Gary Willis, Pat Metheny, Gorge Benson, Korn and so on, you never see them with other guitars.

So many other brands that make “signature” guitars (that really are more like idol look alike guitars) do you never see the guy playing them.
Who have seen Yngwie play his Fender?
I could name loads of examples.

/Magnus

[fettouhi]

Originally Posted by pawel

How do you know if some of them simply didn't want to play these instruments anymore and couldn't keep the endorsement while playing a different brand on stage?

Take Rusty - he got an Ibanez endorsement, but they refused to change the RG shape (from what I heard) and he went to Dean, who built him a complete custom. John 5? From what I know he has always liked Teles (or so he says). Malakian? Being in a band like SOAD, I don't think his endorsement income is really that much of a selling point for him. For all we know, he might have just decided that he prefers Gibsons.

Ah was that the reason why he suddenly was with Dean.

Regards

André

[pawel]

Originally Posted by nuno

i'm not saying that ANY "betraying" endorsee does it just for the money, i named a few that did it for sure. JD named them on the ibanezcollector forum as the ones that switched just for the money. there have been many switching endorsees in years, but i think that if JD named THOSE only, then there's a good reason.

Ok, fair enough.

[Jempy(HoTrOd)]

Originally Posted by Ibanez-Mag

Wow, thousand thanks, man!
Very, very nice of you to take the time to listen it out.
That sort of words means more then any endorsement deal in the world.

Endorsements are great and a massive honour, sort of like a confirmation of having achieved something good (and from someone ells then mom). But it is normally very far from what people think it is.

/Magnus

I just love the way you play and sound!! Also i also really like your guitar tone. The tone is fat enough for tapping, sweeping and lots of legato, but not to fat to get muddy.

Your site is at my favorites now!!

So many good players here.. Just amazing

Originally Posted by Ibanez-Mag

Who have seen Yngwie play his Fender?/Magnus

Actually... Yngwie does play his Sig models. Along with his vintage strats.

[nuno]

Originally Posted by Jempy(HoTrOd)

Actually... Yngwie does play his Sig models.

i've never seen that. not to mention that the YJM Strat has NOTHING to do with those he plays.

[Jempy(HoTrOd)]

Originally Posted by nuno

i've never seen that. not to mention that the YJM Strat has NOTHING to do with those he plays.

How did you came to that conclusion?

To my knowledge the YJM Strat was build to the specs of Malmsteen himself. Including what type of neck to use (to have that vintage strat feel) offcourse scalloped fingerboard with jumbo frets, brass nut, special Dimarzio pick-ups, etc.

[nuno]

Originally Posted by Jempy(HoTrOd)

How did you came to that conclusion?

To my knowledge the YJM Strat was build to the specs of Malmsteen himself.

this is what they tell you. the YJM Strat is equipped with 3 DMarzio YJMs, right? well, it's well known that he doesn't use the YJM pickups at all, but only DiMarzio HS-3s. also, the center pickup is disconnected, and both the tone knobs are skipped. also, he's got a 3-way switch, not 5-way as on the YJM. so, electronic-wise, we have a completely different situation. then, the scallop is different, cause the standard YJM has kind of a flatter scallop (not shallower, just flatter), while his Strats have a very round, semi-circular scallop. also the YJM has sparkling new white pickup covers with black DiMarzio logo on mint-green pickguard, while his Strats have (white turned) creme pickup covers with no logo, on white pickguard. i wouldn't call the YJM a "realistic" Signature guitar.

[Jempy(HoTrOd)]

Originally Posted by nuno

this is what they tell you. the YJM Strat is equipped with 3 DMarzio YJMs, right? well, it's well known that he doesn't use the YJM pickups at all, but only DiMarzio HS-3s. also, the center pickup is disconnected, and both the tone knobs are skipped. also, he's got a 3-way switch, not 5-way as on the YJM. so, electronic-wise, we have a completely different situation. then, the scallop is different, cause the standard YJM has kind of a flatter scallop (not shallower, just flatter), while his Strats have a very round, semi-circular scallop. also the YJM has sparkling new white pickup covers with black DiMarzio logo on mint-green pickguard, while his Strats have (white turned) creme pickup covers with no logo, on white pickguard. i wouldn't call the YJM a "realistic" Signature guitar.

Malmsteen does use the YJM pickups. As he does the HS3 version (all his old guitars are equipped that way). The difference between an HS-3 and a YJM is almost nothing soundwise.
Malmsteen disables his middle pick-ups because he doesn't use them. Offcourse a customer might want to use a middel pick-up..
If you don't use a middle pick-up, why use a 5 way switch? A ordinary 3 way works just fine with 2 pick-ups.
The front of the dimarzio pick-ups from the sig model is just advertisement. I see them also on my 7VWH. If you don't like it, for a few bucks you can have a different pick-up cover. As you can imagine, people hear but also want to see that there are DiMarzio pick-ups on their axe. It's all advertisement here...

I totally agree with you with the neck! I've heard that Fender made him do that because of sales. It's more difficult to play with scalloped fretboards if you are not used to it. So i can imagine you put a less scalloped fretboard on the guitar, just so possible customers won't walk out on the guitar. Ritchie Blackmore has the same problem here...

Anyway.. In my opinion a cool signature model. Even though i still stick my beautifull Universe