Lewk Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 just having a wonder on how many of us have taken that next step from bieng just a customer. any bad experiences with companys etc? Ive bin with lakland for quite a while now there a bunch of great guys Dan Lakin and the hanson guys after the takeover heres the link for me... [url="http://lakland.com/luke-weston.htm"]http://lakland.com/luke-weston.htm[/url] p.s. this isnt me boasting at all im just very proud of myself to be honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapbassSteve Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'm not endorsed but it's something I'd love to look into- how does one go about getting an endorsement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Three points on my licence for speeding ... oh no ... wait ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I was, but respectfully 'resigned' last year. I'm still on their artists page though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Define 'Endorsement'?! I have great relationships with Fender & Newtone strings Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeystrange Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 [quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1340190758' post='1700612'] I'm not endorsed but it's something I'd love to look into- how does one go about getting an endorsement? [/quote] I currently have a few endorsements, mostly through our manager. My old band had a few that we got ourselves though. If you don't have a manager or anyone to do it for you then just try it for yourself. Of course, if you do have a manager it helps but it is do-able. We just e-mailed a load of companies (try and find their artist relations contact if you can) and basically asked them directly. Tell them what you're doing, what you've done and what you have planned (it always helps to word it well and big yourself up a bit too) and ask if they can do you any kind of deal. If it's a company who's gear you already use then tell them that and send pics etc. If not then just tell them you really like their gear. Some never got back to us and some offered us great deals! By doing this we got deals with some really good companies including Hiwatt, Gibson, and a custom drum company. We just figured we had nothing to lose by trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 So endorsement doesn't mean free then? Unless you are called geddy lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeystrange Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 It's generally only the big guys that get stuff for free. Although that does have a downside too. Just ask Dave Mustaine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 [quote name='Lewk' timestamp='1340185191' post='1700472'] just having a wonder on how many of us have taken that next step from bieng just a customer. any bad experiences with companys etc? Ive bin with lakland for quite a while now there a bunch of great guys Dan Lakin and the hanson guys after the takeover heres the link for me... [url="http://lakland.com/luke-weston.htm"]http://lakland.com/luke-weston.htm[/url] p.s. this isnt me boasting at all im just very proud of myself to be honest [/quote] nice! [quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1340190758' post='1700612'] I'm not endorsed but it's something I'd love to look into- how does one go about getting an endorsement? [/quote] usually after doing tv work you can apply through dealers or the company direct. [quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1340195086' post='1700749'] So endorsement doesn't mean free then? Unless you are called geddy lee [/quote] Its usually an artist discount. For example Aguilar's is 50% off. Some endorsements are just material costs, and some are free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I don't have his number anymore. Whats the story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Guess that technically I'm a [url=http://www.gusguitars.com/]Gus Guitars[/url] endorsee, seeing as I have an artist page on their site, have appeared in one of their ads and I've had favourable pricing when buying my instruments. However most of that was from my work as guitarist in a previous band. ATM I have pretty much all the gear I need and the only deals that would be worth my while would be an amp/speaker one that would put a rig on any stage that I was playing or something for decent band transport! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeystrange Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 [quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1340195412' post='1700758'] I don't have his number anymore. Whats the story? [/quote] He was Jackson's main poster boy in the 80s so he got given a load of guitars for free. Apparently, more often than not, in this case the goods are still owned by the manufacturer as no money has changed hands for the goods. When his career took a bit of a nosedive he sold a few of the Jacksons to raise a bit of money. Then Jackson decided they wanted their guitars back seeing as his face wasn't doing them much good at that point in time. Seeing as he'd sold them when they technically weren't his he had to pay Jackson full price for each one, which he obviously didn't have at the time. I've heard of similar things happening to other, lesser known, musicians too. So the downside to a 100% endorsement is that they can ask for everything back whenever they want whereas if you get gear at a discount then it's yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 ouch. I noticed he plays Deans now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Endorsements are funny things. Only top names get 100% free gear. But in return for this, they have to appear at trade shows for the said company, photo shoots, press shoots etc... So it's not technically 'free' as you have to give back time for it. It's much more common to have artist discounts and then other benefits from companies, but this varies from each company to the next. There's no set artist discount either, some have a set discount for everyone, others have a tier system depending on who you are and what you do. Companies get lots and lots of requests for endorsement as people generally think it's free gear so fire off to every name they find. It's not. My personal opinion is you should endorse gear you trust & have used for a while. Not just send emails out/phonecalls then pick the company that gives you the best deal. I endorse EBS & Mono cases. Prior to contacting these companies, i'd been playing EBS amps for a good 5 years and been through almost the entire range (hd350, Fafner, TD650, Proline 410/210/212 Neoline 112/110 & 2 classic 410). I knew they were the company i wanted to work with & it had been my preferred 'sound' for enough time for me to make the decision. The reason i initially got in touch was to get information on there Reidmar when it wasn't released and it came from there. What had to do to be offered the discounts is not really a set science. I'm on a tour that has dates until summer 2013, i get thousand of hits on my website a week for my transcriptions, tens of thousand video views & regular questions on what gear i use. I'm not on their sites yet but that through my own tardiness of sending a photo & bio through. Jake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 [quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1340199355' post='1700890'] My personal opinion is you should endorse gear you trust & have used for a while. Not just send emails out/phonecalls then pick the company that gives you the best deal. I endorse EBS & Mono cases. [/quote] So here's the quandary. If you only endorse gear that you are already using what is the benefit to you? For instance I have a Mono case I think it's great, but I don't need another and if it was to wear out any time soon and need replacing then I wouldn't be impressed with it any more and would probably get another make of case instead. I can see the possibilities for consumables like strings and picks, and the idea that if I was gigging outside of the UK I could guarantee that a rig from the amp/speaker company I endorsed would be available to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Endorsements are a two-way street - you get discounted (or occasionally free) gear, and the manufacturer gets publicity by having more visibility for their products. It has to be mutually beneficial. However, don't get tempted to endorse stuff you don't like, just because it might be free or cheap. A band I know scored themselves an ESP endorsement - the whole shebang, publicity, free guitars, everything. But the guys in the band actively disliked all the instruments they received (especially the bass player), so they muddled through for a while, but ended up having to give them all back. I had a short-lived endorsement with Warwick back around 2003, when MAD were running the show for Warwick in the UK. A lot of their higher-profile UK endorsers had dropped off the radar at the time (people like Stuart Zender, Glen Diani, etc) so they were looking for bands to do deals with. The band I was in at the time was doing fairly well (just put a CD out, played a big festival, done some touring, etc) so I approached them. They offered me a Streamer Jazzman 5-string at a serious discount, so I went for it. It was alright, but I just couldn't get along with it (it had that HUGE Warwick neck). So, in the end, I called it off, and sold the Streamer for pretty much what they cost in the shops, so I made a few quid on the deal too. I think it's unlikely that I'll ever be in a band again where the possibility of an endorsement might arise, but, even if I was, I'd probably give it a miss. At the end of the day, I'd rather play the gear I actually like, rather than gear that someone pays me (in kind) to like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 This is why I asked for a definition of 'Endorsement', they end up being very complicated, with the expectations on either side rarely matching up. Often this is because some people simply approach any old company for freebies, as opposed to wanting to work with the companies who's gear they already have a relationship with. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 (edited) [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1340200267' post='1700915'] So here's the quandary. If you only endorse gear that you are already using what is the benefit to you? For instance I have a Mono case I think it's great, but I don't need another and if it was to wear out any time soon and need replacing then I wouldn't be impressed with it any more and would probably get another make of case instead. I can see the possibilities for consumables like strings and picks, and the idea that if I was gigging outside of the UK I could guarantee that a rig from the amp/speaker company I endorsed would be available to me. [/quote] Most recent example, going on tour taking two basses with me. Need a double case to save space/both on your back for load in. Call mono, get case. Edited June 20, 2012 by JakeBrownBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 [quote name='Lewk' timestamp='1340185191' post='1700472'] just having a wonder on how many of us have taken that next step from bieng just a customer. any bad experiences with companys etc? Ive bin with lakland for quite a while now there a bunch of great guys Dan Lakin and the hanson guys after the takeover heres the link for me... [url="http://lakland.com/luke-weston.htm"]http://lakland.com/luke-weston.htm[/url] p.s. this isnt me boasting at all im just very proud of myself to be honest [/quote] Bit annoying they spelled your band name incorrectly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 (edited) This is a hugely interesting thread. Thanks for starting it, Lewk. I doubt i'll ever be involved myself, but you guys are making sense of quite a few memories I have of events and situations. Edited - apologies for misspelling, Lewk! Edited June 20, 2012 by bluejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooks79 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Not endorsed but I could do with getting a string company on side, as i cant afford to change them if only! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I am lucky to have endorsing deals with Rotosound and Cleartone cables. They are my only consumables really as I have used the same Mesa Boogie rig for 23 years now and they don't make the gear I'd want now (RIP the Diesel cabs). My basses are all Fender models which aren't current either (except the Japanese reissues). The Rotosound deal was as a result of a speculative email to the company when I found myself headlining the Isle of Wight Festival last year (literally) and Cleartone are run by a chum of mine who happens to make exceptional cables and is an all round great guy. I keep buying SKB cases so maybe I should approach them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rommi Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 [quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1340216553' post='1701290'] I am lucky to have endorsing deals with Rotosound and Cleartone cables. They are my only consumables really as I have used the same Mesa Boogie rig for 23 years now and they don't make the gear I'd want now (RIP the Diesel cabs). My basses are all Fender models which aren't current either (except the Japanese reissues). The Rotosound deal was as a result of a speculative email to the company when I found myself headlining the Isle of Wight Festival last year (literally) and Cleartone are run by a chum of mine who happens to make exceptional cables and is an all round great guy. I keep buying SKB cases so maybe I should approach them! [/quote] What band was that? (If you dont mind me asking!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 A band from the US called It's A Beautiful Day. We played the Garden Stage on the Sunday night as Beady Eye played the main stage and the Manics were on the Big Top stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Strictly speaking, you're [i]endorsing[/i] a company's product for a special deal or if you're lucky, free stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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