just wondering

[Gio_Force_One]

When an artist has his name on a guitar and has a signature model do they have to buy them from the companies or do they get the guitars for free. And do guitar companies go after the guitarists or do the guitarists go to the companies. always wondered how it worked. After playing EBMM for a few months now i would think the guitarists would go to music man , they are amazing guitars who wouldnt want one.
The guitarists who have signature models seem like they are really dedicated to EBMM and only use them. I see other artists who say they are endorsed by such and such a company but then you see them live and they are using something else.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

The steve Morse Y2d is the only sig. model guitar i have ever owned and you can tell Steve Morse and EBMM but a lot of work and heart into this guitar.

 

[TNT]

1. Free
2. Either or

 

[Colin]

Sterling will probably answer this but no contracts are drawn up. The EBMM signature guitars are totally done on a handshake and are absolutely what the artist wants and plays. I'd say BBQ, friendship and respect are also involved in the process somewhere

 

[Slingy]

I'm gonna guess and say that alot of artists will just go with the highest bidder which is probably not the case with EBMM. They must play em cause they love them. Then there are also phenomenal players who don't even have a signature guitar.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

like i said i was just wondering, the guys that play EBMM you always see them playing them. but some of these guys they endorse one thing but play another.

 

[Big Poppa]

I can speak for the other companies...but I wont....hahahaha

We have no contract with our artists...if we do our job they are not necessary and somtimes even when you do your job it isnt enough and why get lawyers involved of force someone to play something that they dont want to play because of a contract?

Colin you forgot Godfather....It would be hard for Steve Morse, ALbert Lee, and Steve Lukather as I am the godfather of at least one if not all in some cases.

 

[Colin]

Colin you forgot Godfather....It would be hard for Steve Morse, ALbert Lee, and Steve Lukather as I am the godfather of at least one if not all in some cases.

Good point I knew I'd leave something out. It really is like a family with EBMM

 

[Gio_Force_One]

it really does seem like the artist wants to be with EBMM because they want to not because a contract tells them to. but does the artist approach music man or do you or do you approach them. I was just always curious how a signature model comes to be made.

 

[Big Poppa]

I have never approached an artist for a sig guitar. They either came to me or it evolved out of the string relationship

 

[beej]

Colin you forgot Godfather....

So you make 'em a guitar they can't refuse

 

[fogman]

lol

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I have never approached an artist for a sig guitar. They either came to me or it evolved out of the string relationship

you do make some great guitars , cant blame them.

 

[leftyguitarblue]

So you make 'em a guitar they can't refuse

 

[Gio_Force_One]

This is great

 

[NorM]

Lefty that was the coolest thing I will see this month.

 

[bazxkr]

Looks like you guys reckon JP came home one night to find a horses head in the bed huh

Guess stranger things have happened

Cheers
Baz

 

[straycat113]

gforce Sterling told you how he conducts business and may be the only CEO in the guitar making world that has it like that, and to be honest in today's world conducting business that way is as rare as it gets.

I think you are just interested in how endorsements usually work, well like anything else the bigger the star the bigger the deal.There are different types of endorsements, most companies do not give gear away for free and give an artist a pricing discount usually in the 40% range.Usually a manager will try and make those contacts for a player and the bigger you get then maybe you may get an amp or guitar endorsement and get a free ax or amp, but then you are tied to that company and also have to do promo work for them and can also forget about pulling out your favorite Ball during a show if say you had a deal with Fender,lol

Then you have signature artist which means you are a guitar God of the highest form which means you are being paid like a royalty deal, and varies from artist to artist and company to company. This is for the very elite who by the time they have this status are very well off and do not need free gear.lol

 

[Gio_Force_One]

gforce Sterling told you how he conducts business and may be the only CEO in the guitar making world that has it like that, and to be honest in today's world conducting business that way is as rare as it gets.

I think you are just interested in how endorsements usually work, well like anything else the bigger the star the bigger the deal.There are different types of endorsements, most companies do not give gear away for free and give an artist a pricing discount usually in the 40% range.Usually a manager will try and make those contacts for a player and the bigger you get then maybe you may get an amp or guitar endorsement and get a free ax or amp, but then you are tied to that company and also have to do promo work for them and can also forget about pulling out your favorite Ball during a show if say you had a deal with Fender,lol

Then you have signature artist which means you are a guitar God of the highest form which means you are being paid like a royalty deal, and varies from artist to artist and company to company. This is for the very elite who by the time they have this status are very well off and do not need free gear.lol

yes just interested in how it worked , one of my bar customers who is a guiatrist is endorsed by parker. and since his band doesnt play that much and arent really the best around just wondered how an endorsment got done. i didnt believe him at first but then went to the website and there he was.

 

[Big Poppa]

OK an endorsement is a lot like a backstage pass....It appeals to the ego and is used to tie consumers and low level artists to a product...There is one string company who offered all guitar center accessory salesmen an 'endorsement" he sent them a shirt and let them buy at a discount. He profited and got the countermen to tell people that they use such and such because they have an endorsement....like the Backstage pass where you just are put in a holding pen with others just like you whow thought they could slam a few shots with the stars and become best friends Meanwhile the stars are either huddled up hiding or in the limo on to the next gig. On a major tour there are at least 4 levels of backstage pass. I dont go unless it says "family" or "all Access"

Stray it is almost never the manager involved....they are busy eating sushi and talking on their blackberry to more important people...it is the Techs that line up most o0f the deals and many times when the tech changes you run the risk of losing the artist as these techs like to work with the team that they have the best relationship with. We lost KEith Richardson the Silo because the tech that came on board didnt like our stuff and was in a strong relationship with Fender.