signature equipment

[tom1325]

hey everyone
what are your guys thoughts on using artists equipment like using a jem and a legacy, or a js guitar and a jsx amp, do you ever think that other people watching will think your just being a copy cat of an artist? im just asking this cause i love some guitarists tones but i dont know whether i should buy signature equipment for this very reason.

[jono]

Some other elitist guitarists will think you're a copycat, but most people in an audience won't notice what you're using, or won't have any idea which famous artist's signature model you're using.

Don't worry about it, and buy the gear that gives you the tone you're after

[skins345669]

I wouldn't let yourself be bothered by it, unless the only reason you're buying that gear is because of the endorsment. Otherwise it's just that the person who the gear was designed for had all the right ideas when it was being designed and they made a good piece of kit. I know that I'd quite like a JSX, regardless of it being designed by Satch, it's just a good 3-channel tube amp.

[Vim Fuego]

A friend of mine bought one of the first run Jems, a 777sk. I took the p out of him saying things like " for that money you could have a guitar made to your specs." etc. His response was that he couldn't really think of anything better than the Jem was anyway. I found out he was right when I bought my VWH.
If it's good kit, it's good kit, nuts to the artist association!
Jim

[jono]

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

A friend of mine bought one of the first run Jems, a 777sk. I took the p out of him saying things like " for that money you could have a guitar made to your specs." etc. His response was that he couldn't really think of anything better than the Jem was anyway. I found out he was right when I bought my VWH.
If it's good kit, it's good kit, nuts to the artist association!
Jim

I always say that, the JEM is designed to my specs, Mr Vai just didn't know it!

when you think about it though, when gear is designed to the specification of some of the best guitarists in the world, who better to get involved in the process? These are the guys who should be designing gear as they know what it's going to have to do and what is going to make them sound good.

[scotte_za]

Buy whatever makes you happy

[ken_r152]

Keep in mind that the Gibson "Les Paul" is also a signature instrument, and it is used by many people, for many different types of music.

[THEE HAMMER]

It's annoying when the first person comes up to me after a gig and says "wow, what kind of guitar is that?" but that's just me being annoyed after knowing so much for so long and it can make me smile some days, or roll my eyes on others.

I can see someone doing the opposite being worse though

i can see it now "pssshhht thats a prs se paul allender, do you think you're the king of goth now?", or "nice dimebucker in that les paul, studios still suck"

i'd cry...

I sound good, maybe not vai good, but seeing as most existing guitars are evolutions of existing designs, some more tailored to certain styles than others... choosing the right one is the buyers choice. Maybe a bubblegum pink Peavey vandenburg is your bag, maybe a plain Strat modded to your exact likings i better.... they are all tools of our trade at the end of the day.

Business is always going to be business, labels and names too.

[GLG421]

I've got several "signature" pieces of equipment. And with the satchurator being the only exception, I went in with my mind made up on another piece of equipment, but chose the signature after testing it against others.

Vai got me twice. once with a Jem, and once with a wah. Went in with my mind made up and walked out with Vai's equipment instead.

I think Jono nailed it. If it it meets Vai or Satch's standards, there's a good chance it will be a decent piece of gear. But it's up to you and your ear to determine if it's the right gear for you.

[smooth55]

I've got a JS1200 and I've yet to play anything else that sounded or felt or looked as good as that does to me. It was what I wanted, not because it was Satch's model, but because nothing else gave a Strat style neck with 2 humbuckers and a floyd and with the coil taps I could get a versitile instrament for more traditional sounds to really crazy stuff.
I'll admit that my desire to buy the satchurator was largely fueled from a desire to sound like satch, but I've found the pedal to be a quality peice of equipment and I've got no regrets.
Still, I can understand that you don't want your stuff to be totally artist series equipment. For me, the biggest drawback to sig gear is 2 things: 1. Knowing that some people will think you're a total poser for using sig stuff and 2. Knowing that you're paying more because of the name it has.
I think GLG421 has it right in that it's important if you're going to have sig gear to diversify your artists

[sick-boy]

Also, remember that there is a lot more going on in a certain player's tone than just a guitar plugged into an amp. I'm not talking technique either.
To give you a little info, I'm not the type of player that tries to learn a lot of other bands songs, but I absolutely love reading about their gear and set-ups.
A signature guitar is not the same thing as the artist's actual guitars, usually. Often, lurking beneath a similar exterior are different woods, hardware, and a lot of times custom wound pups. Amps are usually modded. Pedals are usually modded. What you can buy in the store and what the artist actually uses in concert are more often than not two very different beasts.
So, if you are after a certain artist's tone, I would suggest doing some research before jumping in on the equipment.
However, if you are just worried about some sort of stigma being attached to you for "trying to copy" a famous artist, well that's just silly. You can go to Gibson/Fender/Dean/Ibanez/ESP/Whatever and find signature models. If they make sig models, then clearly there's a market that says there is enough demand to support releasing this type of guitar, so you wouldn't be the only one interested.
BTW, I am currently madly in love with the new Dean Michael Amott sig. What a sick looking guitar.