Author Topic: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?  (Read 435 times)

jazzyvee

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Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« on: January 21, 2019, 04:27:14 PM »
I was at an event this evening for a musician friend of mine who has recently passed away and whilst there got chatting to the manager of a band I used to be a member of.  He said he had a great connection at Lakland and could sort me out an endorsement deal with them. but  before I could open my mouth my mate told him, "it's pointless asking him that as he won't play anything other than what he plays now!".
He knows me well and I declined the offer after explaining that it would indeed be pointless as I would still want to play my current basses and would not want to be constrained from playing them live.


Anyone else have an interesting story relating to endorsement deals? (I had to rewrite this as some of the text i wrote did not appear and it didn’t read right sorry.)
« Last Edit: January 21, 2019, 11:12:59 PM by jazzyvee »
The sound of Alembic is medicine for the soul!
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_ktwins.html

edwardofhuncote

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Re: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2019, 06:23:30 PM »
Closest I ever got was a deal we had playing at trade shows for Gibson one time. The band much preferred my upright to the Epiphone 'El Capitan' bass guitar they had design on me gigging with, but I kinda' liked it. If that job had turned into something more than it did, I'd have taken them up on a more permanent arrangement.

That said - these days I can't imagine a set of circumstances by which I could be convinced by anyone to play anything other than my Alembics. Easy for me to say, cause it ain't happening, but still... even if I had a full-time gig again, which I very well could one day, there isn't much way I'd be likely to play anything else.
« Last Edit: January 21, 2019, 06:30:17 PM by David Houck »

elwoodblue

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Re: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2019, 07:22:31 PM »
...I can't imagine a set of circumstances by which I could be convinced by anyone to play anything other than my Alembics.

 A Martin ABG maybe, if there was no power grid ?  ::)
 

edwardofhuncote

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Re: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2019, 04:17:57 AM »
...I can't imagine a set of circumstances by which I could be convinced by anyone to play anything other than my Alembics.

 A Martin ABG maybe, if there was no power grid ?  ::)
 


Okay, I suppose that's one...  ;D

gtrguy

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Re: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2019, 12:54:44 PM »
I knew a bass player who had a nice endorsement deal with Yamaha, but then switched to another fine company. He then could no longer be seen on stage with his fine Yamaha bass, so he sold it to me! There are usually some strings attached to deals! At the least, you might get gear at cost (or even free), but you also have to market the product.

goran

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Re: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2019, 01:20:16 PM »
I kind of don't like endorsements, today it's all about posting yourself on social media. I see people having endorsements without even being on the stage which for me is bad for music.
I rather see people playing one or two basses for long period of time then seeing people having multiple signature models from other companies.

Don't know maybe I'm wrong, but I like being attached to one company which is hard because of playing different styles and music. More and more people think that having a jazz bass is still the greatest idea of bass guitar. I have nothing against jazz bass (I even own 1966), there is no such thing as the best bass.

Maybe I'm now of track here, but people should be hired by their playing (their voice) not by their bass and yet we are still fighting which bass is the best and yet, music around us has less and less meaning as 20, 30, 40 even 50 years ago, and then there is endorsement :), fighting to own a bass that you have no money to buy, or for any other reason. If you had money you wouldn't even think about endorsement, you would just buy that bass you love (need).
That's what's weird about endorsement, if you become famous and have money, then "they" give you free strings, why they don't do that while you are a kid and going to school and learning, you can easily se if someone is doing great.

Maybe I just wrote too much, sorry it's getting late here.

Just want to say one more thing, this is only community that I saw in last 20 years that is so nice, sharing experience, sharing music, sharing pictures (like scenery topic), sharing their basses, sharing thoughts, fixing peoples gear problems, everything is just great. As good as company is, that's how their community is.

g.
The bass player’s function, along with the drums, is to be the engine that drives the car… everything else is merely colours.

cozmik_cowboy

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Re: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2019, 05:25:23 PM »
! There are usually some strings attached to deals! At the least, you might get gear at cost (or even free)

You want strings attached?  My friend Jim Post had an endorsement deal with GHS; got all the strings he wanted for free (nyuk nyuk).

He changed them every set (guitar, not bass).

Peter
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jacko

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Re: Would you accept an endorsement for a non alembic bass?
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2019, 12:54:21 AM »
Does Stanley still endorse those ugly-as-sin Lowenhertz (sp?) basses?  Don't believe he was ever seen playing one.

Graeme

jazzyvee

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The sound of Alembic is medicine for the soul!
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_ktwins.html