# Balaguer Hyperion Ryan "Fluff" Bruce signature guitar



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 2, 2016)

> Ryan 'Fluff' Bruce's signature model:
> 
> The Hyperion.
> 
> Vintageburst over Flame Maple. Mahogany body, maple neck, Ebony fingerboard. Stainless steel frets, tonepros bridge, Balaguer locking tuners, and @fastbackcustom unshaven pickups! More info available soon. $799 for the tier 1 production model, not pictured here.





> Pricing for this guy is still being finalized.


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## ImNotAhab (Mar 2, 2016)

Damn! That's a nice looking guitar, Fluff has pretty nice taste.


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## TheStig1214 (Mar 2, 2016)

They're still working out pricing on their higher end import model and you can get a USA custom version. Can't wait for the official pricing. I sold my own RD to get the silverburst model. 

I already plan on placing the first order lol.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 2, 2016)

ImNotAhab said:


> Damn! That's a nice looking guitar, Fluff has pretty nice taste.



I agree. I really dig it. Combines the best parts of an RD and a Firebird.


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## JD27 (Mar 2, 2016)

Looks nice, I've never heard of the company though. Wonder where the imports are made?


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## TheStig1214 (Mar 2, 2016)

JD27 said:


> Looks nice, I've never heard of the company though. Wonder where the imports are made?



Fluff reviewed one of their guitars earier, basically an HH baritone Jag. 

If I had to imagine it's a World Music guitar. I know their imports are MIK. Maybe the factory that makes Electras? (That would be funny for me if I got one)


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## JD27 (Mar 2, 2016)

TheStig1214 said:


> They're still working out pricing on their higher end import model and you can get a USA custom version. Can't wait for the official pricing.* I sold my own RD to get the silverburst model. *
> 
> I already plan on placing the first order lol.



Sir, I am going to ask you for your official "Siverburst RD" card and may the Guitar Gods have mercy on your soul.


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## JD27 (Mar 2, 2016)

TheStig1214 said:


> Fluff reviewed one of their guitars earier, basically an HH baritone Jag.
> 
> If I had to imagine it's a World Music guitar. I know their imports are MIK. Maybe the factory that makes Electras? (That would be funny for me if I got one)



If they were from WMI, I would definitely be interested at that price.


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## TheStig1214 (Mar 2, 2016)

JD27 said:


> Sir, I am going to ask you for your official "Siverburst RD" card and may the Guitar Gods have mercy on your soul.



Can I still be in the club if my SB RD isn't a Gibson? Lol


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## Randy (Mar 2, 2016)

Where do I get in line to get signature gear for demoing stuff on YouTube?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 2, 2016)

Randy said:


> Where do I get in line to get signature gear for demoing gear on YouTube?



Find a company that's less well known than your youtube channel.

Was waiting for this response. 

As long as the guitar actually ships, is good quality, stays a decent price, and the maker doesn't lie about the specs, I'm cool with it. The thing that sells me on it the most is that it isn't another ....ing Superstrat, but I hope the company knows what the hell they're doing and doesn't pull another Washburn or anything.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 2, 2016)

Randy said:


> Where do I get in line to get signature gear for demoing stuff on YouTube?



It was inevitable. 

Gear has replaced music as the driving force for playing guitar for a lot of folks. 

Can't blame Balaguer though, the dude has a following.



HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> but I hope the company knows what the hell they're doing and doesn't pull another Washburn or anything.



Or pull an Acacia. 

Too soon?


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## Zalbu (Mar 3, 2016)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It was inevitable.
> 
> Gear has replaced music as the driving force for playing guitar for a lot of folks.


I'm kind of in this position myself, I almost spend more time on making sure that my guitars have absolutely flawless setup so I can't blame the guitar for my ....ty playing instead of actually practicing. I wish I could stop doing it and just play but it's hard to get out of.


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## Demiurge (Mar 3, 2016)

Randy said:


> Where do I get in line to get signature gear for demoing stuff on YouTube?



It seems that every so often someone starts a thread in General asking how to get a following without playing shows... and apparently this is the answer. If that's the way the market is going, then it is what it is. 

At the same time, though, I think that a gear reviewer having signature gear is problematic in terms of neutrality. If a reviewer is demoing an amp or pedal with their signature guitar, isn't there a motivation to make sure it always sounds good since they're simultaneously promoting a part of the signal chain? Especially nowadays when "mini composition"-style reviews are popular, with guitars being multi-tracked and potentially tweaked by god-knows-what-else, leaving very little transparency as it is.


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## Sumsar (Mar 3, 2016)

^Well even if it is not signature gear many of these guys are afraid to bash companies for putting out sh!t. Writting "review" in the title of a youtube video is pretty much false marketing these days.

What I find surprising is that Ryan has managed to grow a channel and get into the signature gear level of subscribers. Maybe it is just me but neither his guitar playing, writting or quality is that good. 

I am still a sub of his though, just because, well it is guitar and production related, so call me a hypocrite


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## GuitarBizarre (Mar 3, 2016)

Spectre Sound Studios wasn't afraid to .... all over the Mesa Cab Clone for what it's worth. Integrity isn't completely dead it seems.

(Unless it's a false flag operation against mesa! OH NO)


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## Petar Bogdanov (Mar 3, 2016)

GuitarBizarre said:


> Spectre Sound Studios wasn't afraid to .... all over the Mesa Cab Clone for what it's worth. Integrity isn't completely dead it seems.
> 
> (Unless it's a false flag operation against mesa! OH NO)



Nothing stopped Glenn from making a ton of mediocre sounding Positive Grid demos, though.


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## FantasyMetal (Mar 3, 2016)

Zalbu said:


> I'm kind of in this position myself, I almost spend more time on making sure that my guitars have absolutely flawless setup so I can't blame the guitar for my ....ty playing instead of actually practicing. I wish I could stop doing it and just play but it's hard to get out of.



This describes me so accurately it hurts.


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## Mathemagician (Mar 3, 2016)

Fluff is engaging to watch, and just comes off as a nice dude. So you want to watch another video 'cause he seems cool. He openly admits any company he works for/represents with "we wanted to show you our newest pedal/etc" instead of a pseudo-neutral "pedal review" description. So you know up front how much salt to spice it with, IMO. 

That's just good capitalism at work there, if he can spec out a cool model & move units, it works for the company, and if he can get a sig then it's awesome for him. 

Anytime I see comments bashing ANYONE for having something they don't I just immediately file it under "jealousy". Man, metal-heads always seem to be some of the most elitist people out there. There's often a lot of whining from guys who listen to music about graveyards, dragons, warfare, and ...., lol.


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## GuitarBizarre (Mar 3, 2016)

Petar Bogdanov said:


> Nothing stopped Glenn from making a ton of mediocre sounding Positive Grid demos, though.



Sure, but no review is an island.


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## Fluff191 (Mar 3, 2016)

Randy said:


> Where do I get in line to get signature gear for demoing stuff on YouTube?



You have to make videos people watch first 


To clarify, I also play guitar in Rest, Repose and will be touring this Summer. I took the opportunity to have a signature guitar because I simply don't want to take both of my 40 year old Gibsons on the road. Thats reasonable, right? I got asked to be part of something cool, and I said yes. Come to a show some time, you can check the beastly fiddle out. 

Oh and I DEMO stuff, not review. There is a massive difference.

Love you guys!


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## JoeGuitar717 (Mar 3, 2016)

JD27 said:


> Looks nice, I've never heard of the company though. Wonder where the imports are made?



My imports are built at Mirr Music currently. They build Reverend, Duesenberg, and a few others. Great group of people ran by a 3rd generational guitar builder.

For the record, not that any of you care haha, but I approached Ryan because I'm a fan of what he does and we have similar taste in gear and music. He's my dude, and I wanted to build/design something for him that he'll dig and want to play.


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## Bearitone (Mar 3, 2016)

It makes sense that fluff has a signature guitar. He's seen as a skillful rhythm guitarist with specific sound and style that's easily recognizable. He also continuously contributes something to the guitar community via youtube. Balaguer is a new company and Fluff can offer them exposure to the right audience.

Basically Fluff has something to offer the company. From a business standpoint it makes perfect sense. Am I crazy or does that make sense?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 3, 2016)

JoeGuitar717 said:


> My imports are built at Mirr Music currently. They build Reverend, Duesenberg, and a few others. Great group of people ran by a 3rd generational guitar builder.



So, all the imports are South Korean-built?

That's awesome to hear. Heard nothing but good things about Reverend Guitars.

But yeah, the shape quickly grew on me, which is why I'm interested in this guitar. I love the RD-meets-Firebird-meets-Explorer aesthetic and am glad we don't have another signature Superstrat.  If this ends up being really solid and actually ships out, then it'll be a winner.



kindsage said:


> Basically Fluff has something to offer the company. From a business standpoint it makes perfect sense. Am I crazy or does that make sense?



Nah. Youtube musicians can't get signatures. Because... reasons.


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## Randy (Mar 3, 2016)

Fluff191 said:


> You have to make videos people watch first
> 
> 
> To clarify, I also play guitar in Rest, Repose and will be touring this Summer. I took the opportunity to have a signature guitar because I simply don't want to take both of my 40 year old Gibsons on the road. Thats reasonable, right? I got asked to be part of something cool, and I said yes. Come to a show some time, you can check the beastly fiddle out.
> ...



I'm just ball busting. 

As a couple other people pointed out, the relationship between the music industry, gear companies and YT has kinda moved this way (Merrow's situation being similar and one of the earlier examples I can think of?) I'm a progressive, forward thinking kinda guy, so I'd be the last person to say it's _wrong_ the fact things are the way they are right now... just something some of us are still getting used to.

Congrats on the guitar and very cool specs.


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## JD27 (Mar 3, 2016)

JoeGuitar717 said:


> My imports are built at Mirr Music currently. They build Reverend, Duesenberg, and a few others. Great group of people ran by a 3rd generational guitar builder.



That is very good news to hear. Any of the Reverend stuff I've seen lately has been pretty solid.


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## warpedsoul (Mar 4, 2016)

> Ryan 'Fluff' Bruce wanted a decent size volute on the back of the neck/headstock transition. Makes a comfy spot when chugging or riffing down on the lower frets!



The bigger volute seems interesting. I'd love to try one out. I know Fluff likes a thicker neck profile than what I'm used to. Fluff, can you elaborate on the neck profile?

And Fluff has a big enough following to warrant signature gear IMO, especially from lesser known companies. I'm sure most everyone hear would accept a deal like that if approached. And kudos to Fluff and Balaguer for not ruining the guitar with Fluff inlays or logos all over it (I'm looking at you Synyster Gates).


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## Mathemagician (Mar 4, 2016)

The inlays would just be a bunch of clouds, which BCR has already done, and we know it looks awesome on a mockingbird....


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## TheStig1214 (Mar 22, 2016)




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## RUSH_Of_Excitement (Mar 22, 2016)

They look so nice. I'd buy one if explorer-esque shapes agreed with my playing style.


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## TheRileyOBrien (Mar 22, 2016)

Don't ignore the fact that his bands album was high on the iTunes charts when it came out. Aside from the videos he also puts out music that a number of people like. Seems pretty deserving to me. 

I am excited for these to come out and hope the quality and everything checks out. There aren't too many of the Gibsons left(Ghost, Fluff, and JD27 own most of them) so this is a great option for the rest of us who like the RD shape.

I'd also love to see Gibson put out a Ghost signature RD. That is no disrespect to Fluff and Balaguer...I think he'd probably buy one himself.


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## kootenay (Mar 22, 2016)

I hope these are still around when I am in the market for another 6 string. I really like the shape and all around looks like a sweet guitar. I have been sub'd to Fluff YT for around 2 years now I think so its cool to see how far he has come with the whole thing. I would love to meet him someday as he does seem like one of the good guys.


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## Zalbu (Mar 22, 2016)

That cutout on the back is gnarly, and I'm always down for more Gibson-esque guitars in Silverburst. I wonder how heavy it'll be? I'm pretty sure Fluff has said he prefers heavy guitars?


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## Sumsar (Mar 22, 2016)

RUSH_Of_Excitement said:


> They look so nice. I'd buy one if explorer-esque shapes agreed with my playing style.



Agreed, but I don't really think a 7 string FR loaded version for playing mainly death and black metal would fly very well


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## Tesla (Mar 23, 2016)

Starting at $799 according to the video and probably an extra hundred or so to get it to me in the UK, not bad! I've always wanted a Gibson Silverburst but it's almost impossible for me to get one here for a decent enough price...I may bend to this!


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## xvultures (Mar 23, 2016)

Fluff191 said:


> You have to make videos people watch first
> 
> 
> To clarify, I also play guitar in Rest, Repose and will be touring this Summer. I took the opportunity to have a signature guitar because I simply don't want to take both of my 40 year old Gibsons on the road. Thats reasonable, right? I got asked to be part of something cool, and I said yes. Come to a show some time, you can check the beastly fiddle out.
> ...



Stop being a genuinely nice guy. You're making it hard for me to be envious.


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## cheepy91 (Mar 23, 2016)

I'm endorsed by Balaguer and they're seriously the best guitars you could ever play! No joke they play like butter


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## drgordonfreeman (Mar 24, 2016)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It was inevitable.
> 
> Gear has replaced music as the driving force for playing guitar for a lot of folks.
> 
> Can't blame Balaguer though, the dude has a following.







Randy said:


> Where do I get in line to get signature gear for demoing stuff on YouTube?





^^^ this 

these "signature" guitars are getting sort of ridiculous. even my dog has a signature guitar coming out in a few months.

it is a cool looking guitar, so i'll give them that. when does PewDiePie get his own signature guitar? i heard he was working with acme guitars to release a model next year.

in today's world, gear is without a doubt the driving force for people, rather than the music. there's probably a treatise that can be expounded upon somewhere in that. nonetheless, playing devil's advocate, i think conspicuous consumption is good for the gear manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. i'd rather fender, prs, ibanez, marshall, mesa, et al have a strong market to keep them at least half way financially healthy.


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## warpedsoul (Mar 24, 2016)

Gear is the driving force. More specifically specs of the gear. I once again stand behind Fluff being more deserving for a signature guitar. But I think it will be the specs of the guitar that drive sales more than the fact that it is Fluff's signature. I know there will still be some to buy it regardless just because they are huge fans of Fluff, and thats fine, but it is a well speced guitar that will hold its own without it being a signature, but will definitely benefit from being Fluff's own specs.

I've owned and still own some signature gear of artists that I don't necessarily like or listen to just because I love the specs. I've also bought signature gear just because of the name and thinking it is what I needed to be like them.


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## TheStig1214 (Mar 24, 2016)

I don't blame people getting signature guitars. If you don't like it then don't buy it. The whole idea of signature guitars is the idea of there not being a guitar previously with certain specs. Now there are other people who likely want those specs and the musician has a following. Musician and guitar company make money, musician gets their guitar, customers get a guitar with the specs they want. Everyone wins.


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## GuitarBizarre (Mar 24, 2016)

I think you guys are all being massively disingenuous, or ignorant of just how much better exposure someone like Fluff is than someone like say, Michael Romeo, who is objectively a much better player.

When a famous player promotes a guitar, a lot of their audience is likely not to actually *BE* guitar players. Even very guitar centric bands and artists have non-musician fans.

When someone whose job is to demo gear promotes a product on the other hand, their whole audience is, necessarily, gearheads who are looking at products they may or may not want to THROW MONEY INTO.

So you already have an audience where promotion turns into sales *WAY* easier than your average shredhead guitar player can manage.

Add into that the actual numbers. The video that was just posted has 20,000 views in TWO DAYS.

Symphony X's last album? That sold 7,000 copies at retail in it's first week.

So, nearly 3 times the eyes on that video, in a third of the time, and all of those eyes are people who are at LEAST window shopping for new gear.

Granted piracy affects this, but the fact is, if you couldn't afford a few dollars for the album, why would you be spending hundreds more on Michael Romeo's signature Caparison, or even a cheap version thereof?

Like it or not people, someone like Fluff is an absolute no-brainer for a company interested in selling PRODUCT. It's about eyes on your gear and money coming out of wallets to pay for it. 

Guys like Merrow and Fluff can do that infinitely more efficiently than someone in a moderately successful and well respected band these days. They're not even really competing with people in bands for signature gear - They're an outright better investment for the company.


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## jamesfarrell (Mar 24, 2016)

Nice guitar, needs a new headstock


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## Zalbu (Mar 24, 2016)

How does more signature gear affect your life negatively in any way? Hell, everybody benefits from it, at least if the specs are somewhat unique. I mean, where are you going to find a Gibson RD in 25.5 inch scale, stainless steel frets and locking tuners?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 24, 2016)

Times are changing. As big as radio is, Youtube is becoming a bigger and bigger place for gear nerds and whatnot. Why not reap the opportunity? 

And as Fluff himself said, he ACTUALLY does have a band and had a purpose for this guitar, so he can replace his old Gibsons without risk of them getting damaged or stolen. Why not make it available for everyone in the process? Unlike most youtube superstar signature models, this isn't a generic Superstrat. It's actually pretty unique and stands out. In a good way.

Also, these relatively unknown companies get a good publicity boost when a big youtuber gets a sig model from them. I doubt a LOT of people have heard of Balaguer before Fluff announced his sig model. Fluff gets a new sig model, and Balaguer can sell more models. It's a win/win for both. 

Now lets hope this doesn't turn into another ....ty situation where a small company bites off more then they can chew and start screwing over customers.


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## Randy (Mar 24, 2016)

GuitarBizarre said:


> I think you guys are all being massively disingenuous, or ignorant of just how much better exposure someone like Fluff is than someone like say, Michael Romeo, who is objectively a much better player.
> 
> When a famous player promotes a guitar, a lot of their audience is likely not to actually *BE* guitar players. Even very guitar centric bands and artists have non-musician fans.
> 
> ...



I'll apologize if this thread took a nosedive just because of my post (even though it was the 800lbs. gorilla in the room, hence why I mentioned it).

That said, I don't disagree with you or anyone else who's said similar in this thread, but I wasn't entirely aware of Ryan's original music (or band) prior to the avalanche of responses in this thread. I always thought he just had a gear demo channel... which is fine, I won't throw any shade on that but I thought his videos were literally just turning on a piece of gear and talking about them. If that varies from the overall perception of his channel, or if it varies significantly varies from reality, my bad.

But, having had the _impression_ his channel was all gear demos, a signature guitar seemed weird to me. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a different industry where guys that publicly demo stuff have a signature gear. That's not to say it doesn't happen or that it's a bad thing, but it's just a different paradigm than I'm used to


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## GuitarBizarre (Mar 24, 2016)

Randy said:


> I'll apologize if this thread took a nosedive just because of my post (even though it was the 800lbs. gorilla in the room, hence why I mentioned it).
> 
> That said, I don't disagree with you or anyone else who's said similar in this thread, but I wasn't entirely aware of Ryan's original music (or band) prior to the avalanche of responses in this thread. I always thought he just had a gear demo channel... which is fine, I won't throw any shade on that but I thought his videos were literally just turning on a piece of gear and talking about them. If that varies from the overall perception of his channel, or if it varies significantly varies from reality, my bad.
> 
> But, having had the _impression_ his channel was all gear demos, a signature guitar seemed weird to me. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a different industry where guys that publicly demo stuff have a signature gear. That's not to say it doesn't happen or that it's a bad thing, but it's just a different paradigm than I'm used to




That is my entire point though - It wouldn't matter if his channel and his entire public output was just gear reviews - If he has the audience and the audience engagement with the products he reviews, to promote sales, then he is no less deserving of signature gear than someone who is twice the player and three times the musical output - He has the power to put eyes and wallets in the direction of the product. 

That is the purpose of signature gear offers, to promote that direction of attention towards your own brand, in so doing, driving sales of not only that gear but also your other products.

It does not matter beyond those metrics - the number of eyes on your product, and the number of wallets that are going to open for you subsequently.

Gear review channels offer tremendous return on investment given that those are the only two seriously important metrics to consider when offering someone a signature guitar. Even if the person has no other musical output at all.


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## Randy (Mar 24, 2016)

GuitarBizarre said:


> It does not matter beyond those metrics - the number of eyes on your product, and the number of wallets that are going to open for you subsequently.



I wouldn't guarantee eyes = sales.

I'm making this argument in a vacuum (because apparently Ryan is an actual recording artist), but if somebody only demos gear... I can see the incentive to them to have signature gear and I can see the incentive to company (for the sake of getting more eyes on the gear), but where's the incentive to the buyers? 

I've bought signature gear before, and the two reasons were 1.)cool features specific to that model 2.) somebody who's playing/writing/tastes I respect enough to assume the gear they'd put their name on is on a comparable level. I have never done it for this reason but, some people buy signature gear because they're a fan of the artist and they just want to own something with their name on it. That makes sense if the artist is someone like John Petrucci? Probably. How about The Tone King? How about Paul from Guitar World?


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## technomancer (Mar 24, 2016)

It's a cool freaking guitar, enough so that I might buy one if the quality is there.

Beyond that, seriously,





Fluff and the company both thought it was worthwhile and it exists, what is the point of debating it? Maybe it's because I have never bought a piece of gear because of whose name was on it but this seems even more pointless than the usual pointless debates and arguments on here


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## JD27 (Mar 24, 2016)

TheRileyOBrien said:


> Don't ignore the fact that his bands album was high on the iTunes charts when it came out. Aside from the videos he also puts out music that a number of people like. Seems pretty deserving to me.
> 
> I am excited for these to come out and hope the quality and everything checks out. There aren't too many of the Gibsons left(Ghost, Fluff, and JD27 own most of them) so this is a great option for the rest of us who like the RD shape.
> 
> I'd also love to see Gibson put out a Ghost signature RD. That is no disrespect to Fluff and Balaguer...I think he'd probably buy one himself.



That is a bold lie, I only own 3 and they are all reissues. I haven't found a vintage model for a good price that isn't beat to hell yet. I've seen one of the guys in Ghost using a vintage RD lately, but the other ones were also reissues that Gibson made for them. Bill Kelliher actually managed to get a hold of one and sold it on eBay recently. They have a slimmer neck than the other the recent reissues and binding on the neck.

I love the shape, so I definitely welcome any new models that pop up, signature or not. Specs look solid, would have been really cool if they were maple body like the originals. I wonder if they are 25.5" like the 77-78 RDs were? The reissues 79-82 models are 24.75".


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 24, 2016)

Fluff said it's 25.5'', like his own '77 RD.


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## JD27 (Mar 24, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Fluff said it's 25.5'', like his own '77 RD.



Well that is definitely another check mark in the "buy" column for me.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 24, 2016)

If I wasn't so deadset on Ibanez Destroyers or Icemans right now, I'd save all my pennies for one.


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## A-Branger (Mar 24, 2016)

I dont get all the hate. ITs not that this guitar has "FLUFF" printed in the body or inlayed on the fretboard lol

ITs another option, cool specs, cheap price. Different shape guitar. A 25,5" "gibson" style guitar, that never happens, every other brand would have done this guitar in a 24,75"

If you like it get one, if you dont, the dont. 


as per the argument if a "gear tester" should have a sig vs a "giging/touring musician", you could argue that a pro musician have enough skills playing and experience in the field to know what really works best on a guitar vs what a marketing dept think we should have. Hence why we had have such cool arrange of specs on sig guitars out there.
But you could also say that someone like Fluff who test gear for a living and record/mix too, he could have enough experience trying different brands and gears to know what a guitar really needs, and what really works best on a studio environment. So if he is designing a guitar, then he would make one that would be readdy for heavy studio use under any different gear trow at it.



At the end of the day its a cool shape, his personal choice of colors, and normal "specs" on the guitar than any of us could have come up with it. Any touring shredrer out there could had come up with the same specs too. Lets say the guy from Ghost since he uses Gibson RD, what difference would have been if he had designed the guitar instead?. Different color, different pickups (maybe even similar voicing), and what else?, 24,75" scale since it would be a Gibson/epiphone, mmmm dot inlays instead of blocks?.... nothing really mayor. If not with Fluff guitar you prob are getting a better hardware and even stainless steel frets than whatever Epiphone would do


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## drgordonfreeman (Mar 25, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Now lets hope this doesn't turn into another ....ty situation where a small company bites off more then they can chew and start screwing over customers.




You can hope in one hand and crap in the other, and let me now which one fills up first.  but seriously, ths is the same story; different chapter. i think we all know how this ends by now.

and let's be clear: this new sig is ultimately a good thing. it's good for all parties involved. it really is a win-win. and that was a great comment someone made earlier about specs driving the gear driving the sells. 

doesn't make these sigs any less ridiculous, though.


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## GuitarBizarre (Mar 25, 2016)

Randy said:


> I wouldn't guarantee eyes = sales.
> 
> I'm making this argument in a vacuum (because apparently Ryan is an actual recording artist), but if somebody only demos gear... I can see the incentive to them to have signature gear and I can see the incentive to company (for the sake of getting more eyes on the gear), but where's the incentive to the buyers?
> 
> I've bought signature gear before, and the two reasons were 1.)cool features specific to that model 2.) somebody who's playing/writing/tastes I respect enough to assume the gear they'd put their name on is on a comparable level. I have never done it for this reason but, some people buy signature gear because they're a fan of the artist and they just want to own something with their name on it. That makes sense if the artist is someone like John Petrucci? Probably. How about The Tone King? How about Paul from Guitar World?



I addressed that in my first post, where I mentioned that Fluff's audience is, by default, looking for stuff to throw money at, to a far greater degree than ANY band's set of fans, just because his entire audience is musicians checking out gear.

I get the feeling you're just not reading what I'm saying man.


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## A-Branger (Mar 25, 2016)

drgordonfreeman said:


> doesn't make these sigs any less ridiculous, though.



what exactly makes them ridiculous?


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## Zalbu (Mar 25, 2016)

Randy said:


> I have never done it for this reason but, some people buy signature gear because they're a fan of the artist and they just want to own something with their name on it. That makes sense if the artist is someone like John Petrucci? Probably. How about The Tone King? How about Paul from Guitar World?


Eh, I don't really think that's a fair comparison. I barely even consider the Petrucci models to be signature guitars at this point with how long they've been around and how many different models there are. The Petrucci models are considered to be some of the best production guitars you can get for your money, it's not like it's a Synyster Gates or Kirk Hammett guitar that are more aimed towards being cash grabs and barely offers anything unique.


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## kootenay (Mar 25, 2016)

Sig guitar or not, that .... is sexy as .... and I will need to have one eventually.


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## tvelt17 (Mar 25, 2016)

Fluff191 said:


> You have to make videos people watch first
> 
> 
> To clarify, I also play guitar in Rest, Repose and will be touring this Summer. I took the opportunity to have a signature guitar because I simply don't want to take both of my 40 year old Gibsons on the road. Thats reasonable, right? I got asked to be part of something cool, and I said yes. Come to a show some time, you can check the beastly fiddle out.
> ...



Fluff's channel is best channel


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## tvelt17 (Mar 25, 2016)

TheRileyOBrien said:


> Don't ignore the fact that his bands album was high on the iTunes charts when it came out. Aside from the videos he also puts out music that a number of people like. Seems pretty deserving to me.
> 
> I am excited for these to come out and hope the quality and everything checks out. There aren't too many of the Gibsons left(Ghost, Fluff, and JD27 own most of them) so this is a great option for the rest of us who like the RD shape.
> 
> I'd also love to see Gibson put out a Ghost signature RD. That is no disrespect to Fluff and Balaguer...I think he'd probably buy one himself.



Right?

How does Ghost not have a highly available signature RD yet from Epiphone?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 25, 2016)

Well besides the Hyperion, we got this guitar as well.

RD Artist - Black - Eastwood Guitars, INC
RD Artist - Sunburst - Eastwood Guitars, INC
RD Artist - White - Eastwood Guitars, INC


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## Tesla (Mar 26, 2016)

As much as I want an RD, I can't get behind that Eastwood Headstock at all.


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## TheStig1214 (Mar 26, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Well besides the Hyperion, we got this guitar as well.
> 
> RD Artist - Black - Eastwood Guitars, INC
> RD Artist - Sunburst - Eastwood Guitars, INC
> RD Artist - White - Eastwood Guitars, INC



Aside from Fluff's review of the Eastwood RD, I haven't heard great things about these. Even the guy that bought my RD said the one he tried has setup and finish issues.


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## Metalworker (Mar 26, 2016)

"Fluff"...lol


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## wakjob (Mar 26, 2016)

Eastwood. Decent guitars at a fair price...

but expect to dump more money into it from the get go for a full setup + fret work.


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## JoeGuitar717 (Apr 6, 2016)

technomancer said:


> It's a cool freaking guitar, enough so that I might buy one if the quality is there.
> 
> Beyond that, seriously,
> 
> ...




 Thank you.

I'm pretty happy with how the import prototypes turned out. Some finish blems here and there, some fret stuff that is easily fixed. All in all, they will be consistently good. 

I'm building a USA Custom version of The Hyperion for Summer NAMM if anyone is going and wants to check it out. I'll start a thread on here once I got some time to snap pics, etc.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 6, 2016)

Do you guys plan on selling a blue or green import Hyperion?

If so, I'm absolutely ....ed.


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## HeadofaHessian (Apr 6, 2016)

JoeGuitar717 said:


> Thank you.
> 
> I'm pretty happy with how the import prototypes turned out. Some finish blems here and there, some fret stuff that is easily fixed. All in all, they will be consistently good.
> 
> I'm building a USA Custom version of The Hyperion for Summer NAMM if anyone is going and wants to check it out. I'll start a thread on here once I got some time to snap pics, etc.



Really interested in a USA Custom version! As a very impatient person I hate waiting but this is the perfect guitar and I really dig fluffs channel and Rest,Repose. So this guitar may be worth the wait!


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## Phantom (Apr 6, 2016)

To bad there isn't a "tag" feature but, if Joe or Fluff read this, I'd like to know what the difference between this sig and a Gibby RD is (other than the obvious "its a Gibson"). Is it slightly smaller or larger, are the neck shapes different, that type of stuff.

I don't see what the big deal is, they look fantastic and don't have some obnoxious "Fluff" branding all over the place. If someone didn't know it was a sig, they'd think it was just an RD inspired guitar.



Randy said:


> That makes sense if the artist is someone like John Petrucci? Probably. How about The Tone King? How about Paul from Guitar World?



 I can see it now... "Hi I'm Paul Riario from Guitar World and I'm here to introduce my new signature model guitar. It's made from the wood of Jesus' cross with a molten magma core, it has EMGs 85/81 with a 1000w mod, it's painted blacker than the blackest black times infinity, 47 strings and it has "shark" tooth inlays made from actual Kardashian teeth... now lets hear how it sounds [plays smooth jazz]"


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 6, 2016)

I think the intention WAS that he was trying to get this as close to his own RD as he could while still staying unique.


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## Unleash The Fury (Apr 7, 2016)

GuitarBizarre said:


> That is my entire point though - It wouldn't matter if his channel and his entire public output was just gear reviews - If he has the audience and the audience engagement with the products he reviews, to promote sales, then he is no less deserving of signature gear than someone who is twice the player and three times the musical output - He has the power to put eyes and wallets in the direction of the product.
> 
> That is the purpose of signature gear offers, to promote that direction of attention towards your own brand, in so doing, driving sales of not only that gear but also your other products.
> 
> ...



Absolutely no one is arguing with you, but in your previous post you compared Symphony X's album sales to Fluffs number of video views in a week; and I'm just trying to figure out.............why?


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## GuitarBizarre (Apr 7, 2016)

Unleash The Fury said:


> Absolutely no one is arguing with you, but in your previous post you compared Symphony X's album sales to Fluffs number of video views in a week; and I'm just trying to figure out.............why?


Actually I've had a couple of PMs about this arguing about it.

I mentioned the numbers because it's the easiest way to demonstrate that someone like Fluff has a broader reach than someone like Michael Romeo, even though Romeo is objectively a much better guitar player.

Romeo doesn't have a Youtube presence as such - he has some VERY high viewcount videos up there, but they've been online for YEARS longer, and they weren't uploaded by him - His two highest viewcounts are a Sea of Lies solo section ripped from one of his DVDs, and a Guitar World Betcha Can't play this. 

Both have more views than Fluff's most viewed video, but one of them predates his Caparison endorsement and the other has nothing to do with his gear (And both all-but obscure the logos through being low resolution). 

So you have two videos with huge viewership that do nothing to promote sales of the products in question, unless the viewer then seeks out further info. The endorsee in question tours constantly and releases constantly but again, a very small relative proportion of the people those things reach, are going to want to buy or even look up new gear because of it.

In comparison, every single one of Fluff's videos is a potential earner for whatever companies are featured or mentioned, because everyone is there to look at shiny new toys, if not there to inform a potential purchase.


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## SDMFVan (Apr 7, 2016)

I never understand these debates about the merit of a signature guitar. A company looked at the numbers, made an evaluation, and determined that in their opinion it would likely be profitable for them to give an individual a signature guitar. Who are we to debate what's best for someone else's business? At the end of the day guitarists should look at it as a win whenever ANYONE gets a sig. guitar because it's 1 more option of an instrument for us to play. People act like every time a new guitar model is released an old one has to be stricken from the Earth.


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## marcwormjim (Apr 7, 2016)

It's the Internet. If the endorsement was announced and people were content to just post that they're happy for Ryan, the world would end.


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## JoeGuitar717 (Apr 7, 2016)

*mod edit: as a vendor you need register for a Vendor account, then limit posts about your products to the Dealers section and PM*


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## TheStig1214 (Apr 26, 2016)

Specs? Specs.

The Hyperion (Coming Soon)


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## technomancer (Apr 26, 2016)

Damnit why freaking satin 

Sorry, I know they're trendy these days but I freaking hate satin finishes


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 26, 2016)

Stainless steel frets, even on the budget version. Nice.


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## Emperor Guillotine (Apr 26, 2016)

So, are the regular and the deluxe models both made in Korea? Or is the deluxe made in the USA or what?


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## TheStig1214 (Apr 27, 2016)

technomancer said:


> Damnit why freaking satin
> 
> Sorry, I know they're trendy these days but I freaking hate satin finishes



I know, right?! Eh, maybe I can do something with some auto polish and a buffing wheel.



Emperor Guillotine said:


> So, are the regular and the deluxe models both made in Korea? Or is the deluxe made in the USA or what?



I believe both are MIK and you can order a USA custom version with pretty much whatever specs you want.


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## timbucktu123 (May 2, 2016)

for the specs i think the price points are excellent, i just wish the budget silverburst version had block inlays gunna have to get a deluxe then


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## TheStig1214 (May 3, 2016)

timbucktu123 said:


> for the specs i think the price points are excellent, i just wish the budget silverburst version had block inlays gunna have to get a deluxe then



Ditto. That's the one thing that drove me nuts about my silverburst RD. Though, unless it's Custom level guitars, Gibson barely puts block inlays on anything. 

Also, preorders were supposed to go up yesterday. Strange.


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## TheStig1214 (May 6, 2016)

Preorder Link: The Hyperion

Ordered my Silverburst Deluxe already. Nice to see I'll get a HSC with it. Also, satin black is a option.


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## technomancer (May 6, 2016)

These really do look awesome but I just can't make myself pre-pay $1300 two+ months in advance for a Korean import 

Can't say I didn't consider it though...


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