Hendrix Approved

[Big Poppa]

Ok Kids

Im fiesty this morning and want to tackle a subject that no one wants to talk about. The posthumous monetizing of Jimi Hendrix.


Ten years ago the fine Goldrich Family of Manny's Music sold their store to San Ash. In cleaning up they discovered a invoice for Jimi Hendrix's purchases. The invoice included Jimi buying our strings. When Jimi Passed away many people claimed that Jimi used their strings but we knew that he used ours and that he bought them. Having this invoice validated that. The Goldriches suggested that I frame the invoic efor my office and I said Ill make it into an Ad and a poster. "Jimi Bought them, Shouldn't You?

In order to do this we had to become the official Jimi Hendrix guitar string and gladly paid the Hendrix family a fee for the right to let the public know.

Now I look in the guitar mags and the biggest endorsee seling products has been dead for 40 years. I think that it is aceptable if these companies align themselves if they were actually in business when Jimi was alive and Jimi really used their stuff.

Now I am calling out a competitior. One of the string companies major push is Jimi Hendrix Guitar Strings. They have paid a fee to be able to say in essence that if Jimi were still alive he would be playing their strings. They dont mention that they werent even in business when Jimi was alive.
Is the public really that stupid?

 

[Ali]

In answer to the final question? Not quite...

Because the majority of them have no knowledge of what they're buying. They see a name, they buy it. It's the same with celebrity endorsements. They see someone they know and like saying to buy something and think "wow, if they use product X, it must be good". They never seem to be able to see the truth of "wow, if they use product x, it's because they get paid a substantial amount of cash to say they do".

It's not public stupidity. It's public naivety.

 

[jazzbo jim]

Short answer: yes

And if Hendrix were still alive he'd be playing my Axis!!!! (ooops, do I have to pay a fee now to somebody?)

 

[adamrogo]

"Feeling sweet feeling, drops from my fingers. The original formula to give you a taste of what the man's fingers touched. Play it ninety miles an hour or fall for a million days. Just a little voodoo to help you burn the midnight lamp.

"Maybe you can't hear them now, but you will if you just take hold of my hand." - James Marshall Hendrix (1942-1970)"

If the man's fingers touched slinky strings, then this be false advertising!

And if it counts for anything, xxxxxxxxxxxx strings always sold the worst at our shop, and EB strings are pretty much the industry standard. Shame though...

 

[Oldtoe]

[
That's the goofiest marketing campaign I've ever seen.

Where's my thesaurus? I need synonyms for "pathetic."

Are they going under or something?

 

[SteveB]

Sterling,

Unfortunately, people started trading on Jimi's name the minute he died and it has not stopped since. IMHO, the Hendrix family, since gaining the rights to his estate a few years back, have pimped poor Jimi out more than anyone before them.

Just think, Jimi released four offical albums (Are You Experienced, Axis:Bold as Love, Electric Ladyland and Band of Gypsys), and his label put out one compilation (Smash Hits), while he was still alive.

He made more albums after he died than he did while he was ailve!

Why would the Hendrix family allow any company to claim that Jimi would be buying a particular product "if he were alive today"? That is horse manure!

Now if it was Viagra that made this claim, I might buy into it.

 

[Ali]

******’s Jimi Hendrix Pure Nickel strings come in four gauged sets (.009–.038, .009–.042, .010–.046, .01–.052), and are based on the type of string Hendrix played in his earlier days. We say "based on", in that they're shiny, and long, and kind of...well...stringy. Jimi Hendrix Nickel Plated Steel strings are also available in four gauged sets (.009–.038, .009–.042, .010–.046, .011–.052), and reflect the type of string used by Hendrix later in his career. In so much as they're strings and made of metal, and kind of the same size, except the ones that aren't that is.....

I fixed their copy....

 

[Big Poppa]

Lets edit and keep the "offending" string companies name out of it .. It is just free publicity if we name them.

 

[TwAn]

Right.... stop that.... that's just plain silly!

"...which deliver the string qualities the guitarist would look for were he playing today"

Are they really serious about this?? That must be a joke... I guess the public is pretty stupid...

 

[augustyn]

the same things happen with SRV and many others. yes. IT IS SILLY!

 

[tristan]

They have paid a fee to be able to say in essence that if Jimi were still alive he would be playing their strings. They dont mention that they werent even in business when Jimi was alive.
Is the public really that stupid?

I think all is in your last words...it seems to be businness and nothing else, the same way that picasso's family sales its name now.

I would not say it's sad or non honnest against customers, because peaple are not stupid and know that...ok it's business and that's all... but I don't think it's correct against jimi's hendrix memory...

the only people to judge and decide are jimi's family but I am not agree with the fact that a mythic genius has become a trademark.

just my opinion and my bad english does not really express the deepnes of my idea ...

 

[Oldtoe]

Lets edit and keep the "offending" string companies name out of it .. It is just free publicity if we name them.

Got it, Boss.

 

[Quarter]

If it were me, I'd place a full page counter add in every publication the posers were in.
Given the truth, I think most people can make an informed decision.

 

[Psychicpet]

+1 on the finding synonyms for pathetic.

Synonyms: affecting, commiserable, crummy, deplorable, distressing, feeble, heart-rending, heartbreaking, inadequate, lamentable, meager, melting, miserable, moving, paltry, petty, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, plaintive, poignant, poor, puny, rueful, sorry*, tender, touching, useless, woeful, worthless, wretched

 

[Psychicpet]

**and, I think it might be time to do a run of those Jimi posters again BP

 

[Jimmyb]

I think mis-informed rather than stupid.

 

[jeffrey]

Is the public really that stupid?

Unfortunately, pretty much.

 

[Smellybum]

Whilst I totally agree 1000000% poppa, i do wonder if all this "signature" stuff - (I think there will be a Brian May & Jimi washbag christmas set released yet!) had maybe got outta hand.

I'm all for artists having guitars made for them and then up minor mortals able to buy the same guitar - that's half the fun of owning them right?

But..... it never seems to stop.... amps well I suppose, pedals,.....mmmmm getting a bit silly -the artist never had the signature pedal they used the vanilla one and now they've put a name on it and then suddenly it's a signature pedal....

straps, ? strings ? picks ? - it's gone to far... but is it all to combat the giant increase in used equipment sales globally?

 

[GHWelles]

I like the idea of running the poster again with the strings Jimi really used. Is that the original in Bill's office?

 

[koogie2k]

It's a shame that people will try to "cash in" on the death of someone famous when they know what they are trying to do is "shady". If brand XXX states "He would be using them today if he were alive" basically makes it sound like Jimi had no idea what he was talking about when he was alive using EB strings. You have the invoice of what he bought...plain and simple. He bought EB strings. In today's day and age of artists "product swapping" it is too easy to move to another company. One individual will remain nameless as we know who he is. However, Ernie Ball Musicman has many artists who have been with the company for years...Steve Morse really comes to mind. Think about that. How many guitar companies would love to have Steve as an endorsed artist? He has been with EBMM for 20+ years. I think that is a testament of how great the products are. I haven't even mentioned all the other great artists who have been with the company for years now. We know who they are.

Brand XXX is trying to cash in on a "wish". Their wish (this is my opinion) is as follows:

1. XXX wishes they sold more strings than EB.
2. XXX wishes more people would buy their strings.
3. XXX wishes they had the Customer Service of EBMM
4. XXX wishes their CEO would wear Hawiian shirts, shorts and bottle opening flip flops.
5. XXX wishes to sway the public's opinion into buying their products.
6. XXX wishes the public to be stupid to revert back to point 5.
7. XXX wishes to cash in on a guitar icon and his passing.
8. XXX wishes to be invited to Big Poppa's parties.
9. XXX wishes Koog would stop making these points.

Shame that the family of Jimi did not do some research on this before sticking out their hand for a check. My opinion and I could be wrong.