Are you a sucker for....

[Darin]

...a sucker for endorsments and reviews?

I do check harmony central a lot regarding gear I'm looking at. After reading review on some obscure tire website, I just bought tires for the truck. I got the Bridgstone Dueler A/T Revo. I don't look as much for what people liked about something as I do what they hated about it or had problems with. I also just put on layaway an Ampeg bass amp for my daughter. After reading reviews of 2 similar models, I was glad to see I had chosen one used by a lot o giggin bass players who are very happy with it.

But the tire reviews are funny. Sometimes I think its flooded by Good Year tire guys just giving phony bad reviews of Bridgstone.

Back in high school I started using GHS because my favorite player did. And when I got a job, bought too much Mesa stuff...because he also played Mesa. I didn't even bother to check which Mesa though. I was young, dumb, and had a credit card.

[mike570]

Originally Posted by Darin

But the tire reviews are funny. Sometimes I think its flooded by Good Year tire guys just giving phony bad reviews of Bridgstone.

Actually, the internet is filled with schills who are reimbursed with goodies to post on message boards and review sites. You see them more associated with entertainment promos like movies and music, though.

Combine that with the "haters" and I tend to lean away from "reviews". Best to try it out yourself... or find a board like this where you get more honest opinions.

[Silver Sable]

I read a ton of reviews on a ton of different sites, then talk to friends and/or other trusted acquaintences before I make big purchases. But sometimes my history with a company conquers all. I REFUSE to buy anything made by Bridgestone or Nissan. I know how they treat their workers and what the conditions are in their plants here in TN and I could not in good conscience participate in their conduct. Same for Wal-Mart... only on very RARE occassions to I force myself into Wal-Mart to buy something.

I know that some companies are great and have only one or two problems with the way they treat their employees... more like a fluke than anything else. But these three have an inhouse practice that applies to everyone and it is downright aweful.

So yeah... my social conscience outweighs my wanting to get the best deal most of the time. I just find other comparable products and go with that.

[Out Of This Swirled]

everyone gets dooped sometimes, its just good to not do it too often. the last one i did was buy a R.V of a guy named simpson, the siren should have warned me.

[Tom Gilroy]

Living in Ireland, ad far from the few decent music stores here at that, I have to be somehow influenced by reviews and endorsements. Generally speaking I try to find out as much about the rigs of players I like and what each piece adds to their tone. Then I consider as many similar products as possible, reading reviews to find out about reliability issues etc, and then I make the decision to buy, though usually this only extends to pickups and effects. I wouldn't have bought a JEM had I never played one, nor would I have bought a Cornford.

[Darin]

Lets hear that Jem/Cornford!!

[Tom Gilroy]

Originally Posted by Darin

Lets hear that Jem/Cornford!!

I finished my exams today, so I might have time to make a demo video soon.

[bammbamm]

An endorsement I guess would make a difference, but it's not my defining reason for buying an instrument or amp.
If the stuff does what I want, then that is the selling point.
if Joe Vai Van Malmencourcci plays one, cool factor exists, but I actually didn't buy the JPMs because it was too fan-boyish for me, despite how I thought they'd perform for me. My jem has enough diversity and 1-off-ness to it, that I don't feel like I'm being a Vai wanna-be by owning it.

[ken_r152]

Sometimes it helps to know what equipment someone famous uses so that it gives you a good starting point in obtaining a particular sound, like a quirky piece of equipment that is long out of production.

[funkdubious]

Yep,I guess I am.I got my Strat because John Frusciante plays them,got my Jem because of Vai and got my Gibbo ZW because Zakk plays it.Despite this though if I didn't like their sound then wouldn't have bought the guitars...
Now for that RK tele!