# Endorsements - "HOW TO"



## Guitarholic (Aug 19, 2011)

Hey fellas,

I saw threads about this popping up on a few different forums so I thought I'd put it all together in just one nice little post. To give you guys a little background information about myself: I work for Outerloop Management (Periphery's management), where I work as the Executive Assistant to our CEO and also handle all of our clients' endorsement requests. I've been to NAMM, Musikmesse, yada yada yada bla bla and I am friends with most of the A&R reps out there. 

All the information I list below has been compiled from the artist application forms for companies like Mesa, Orange, Sennheiser, Yamaha, Ibanez and many many more. So ... Like I was saying in an earlier thread, the word "want" never works well when pursuing endorsements. (I'm just gonna copy/paste from that older post of mine, haha) I very often find that even well known musicians very often do not really understand why a company endorses an artist. Why do gear companies sign artists to their roster? What's the philosophy behind it?

A quick detour on terminology (say thanks to the Mesa A&R rep for this!!!): Endorsement typically refers to a partnership where the artist is provided gear at either a generous discount or at no charge in exchange for the visibility gained with that artist playing the gear at their level of exposure.

From a business stand point, a manufacturer endorses an artist because that artist is popular enough to influence many consumers. Basically, a manufacturer signs an artist so that the buying public will be influenced to buy more of their instruments. Now, in a lot of cases a contract is drawn up that locks in the artist to use the gear exclusively for a predetermined amount of time. But there are also companies that understand that being bound to use one brand might bind the artist creatively and offer non-exclusive contracts.

In either case each party benefits from something:
&#8226; The artist receives professional equipment that he/she believes is the best in supporting or representing his/her musical voice. In addition they receive the support needed in all relative circumstances.
&#8226; The manufacturer receives more sales due to the overwhelming amount of exposure and fans the artist influences. Here are some of the considerations for most endorsements:
&#8226; Excessive amount of hits on a Social Website i.e. MySpace
&#8226; CD/Record Sales approaching Gold Status or above
&#8226; Television, studio, movie and video credits
&#8226; Participation in high visibility tours
&#8226; Other Endorsements
&#8226; Teaching credentials from major university or education systems
&#8226; Major influence on musicians in a specific genre of music

So, what are the criteria to get an endorsement?
1) Popularity. As listed above an artist&#8217;s popularity is essential. How much will
that particular artist influence the buying public?
2) Company Player. Does the artist already play products of company XY? All
companies love signing artists who truly believe in their products and have
already chosen them as tools to make their music.
3) Personality. Each and every artist has their own personality, but do your
homework on the companies you want to be endorsed by. It is fine if you are not totally familiar with all their products, but at least know the general terms. And be humble and patient!
4) Talent. All companies love a talented artist. Not too much to explain here.

So again: Very few companies, if any, provide full endorsements (ie. give stuff away for free). Most actually now work from an artist pricing stand
point, which is very important. There has to be an actual value for any company to give away free gear.

I highly recommend to read this, it's Tim McKee (A&R rep for Mesa Boogie) talking about endorsements (Tim McKee from Mesa Boogie talks endorsements | Mark LaFay Dot Com). Now, even though Tim says that he does not prefer having managers call him, it depends on the management agency. A lot of the management agencies out there do have ppl now who actually specialize in endorsements and sponsorships. For example, my good buddy Michael Eaton (who works for The Artery Foundation). He's put together a NEAT little website about endorsements (PLIKM - Curious About Endorsements) Really great stuff!!!

And watch this: 
And watch this: 

And Fred_the_Shred nailed it on the head: "[Endorsements] do require a lot of work, visibility, and networking, as well as a business / career plan, and *something that presents value*."
That's what it's all about. YOU have to provide something of value to the company you want to be endorsed by. 

Don't get discouraged, just know what's expected before you apply  Feel free to shoot me questions, if you have any!

Jan


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## ZXIIIT (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks for this Jan, really great info here!!!!


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## Fred the Shred (Aug 19, 2011)

Excellent article, mate!


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## brootalboo (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks for this. I've been in the dark about endorsements. My other guitarist is endorsed by Peavey, Line 6, and EMG but he doesn't tell us how. He's really not that great a player, and we are not a HUGE band so I don't know how he get's all the endorsements. I wonder what these companies thought by endorsing him? hm


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## anne (Aug 19, 2011)

Good stuff. Endorsees are salespeople, most visibly through example, not just dudes who get cool free stuff. :S


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## Pchink (Aug 19, 2011)

Great post, thanks!


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## BrianUV777BK (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks for taking the time to post this for us, Jan.


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## bulb (Aug 19, 2011)

Thread should be stickied! Invaluable info here


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## BrianUV777BK (Aug 19, 2011)

brootalboo said:


> Thanks for this. I've been in the dark about endorsements. My other guitarist is endorsed by Peavey, Line 6, and EMG but he doesn't tell us how. He's really not that great a player, and we are not a HUGE band so I don't know how he get's all the endorsements. I wonder what these companies thought by endorsing him? hm





Maybe he's yankin your chain...?


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## themike (Aug 19, 2011)

brootalboo said:


> Thanks for this. I've been in the dark about endorsements. My other guitarist is endorsed by Peavey, Line 6, and EMG but he doesn't tell us how. He's really not that great a player, and we are not a HUGE band so I don't know how he get's all the endorsements. I wonder what these companies thought by endorsing him? hm



So you should order some new gear off of Musicians Friend and when it arrives open it in front of him and be like "Dude I got endorsed last week".


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## technomancer (Aug 19, 2011)

Stickied


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## Guitarholic (Aug 19, 2011)

Wow, thanks! Lost my stickyginity


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## technomancer (Aug 19, 2011)

Guitarholic said:


> Wow, thanks! Lost my stickyginity



Was it good for you?


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## Guitarholic (Aug 19, 2011)

technomancer said:


> Was it good for you?



Actually yes! After being on this board for how long ... almost 6 yrs? It did feel good indeed, hahaha


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## BrianUV777BK (Aug 19, 2011)

This thread should put an end to alot of our delusions of granduer.


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## richardgstudios (Aug 19, 2011)

Awesome Read! Thank you


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## brootalboo (Aug 20, 2011)

BrianUV777BK said:


> Maybe he's yankin your chain...?



That's what I was thinking too, but he actually is on their websites+ I've seen him talk to the company reps at our shows.


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## Dan_Vacant (Aug 21, 2011)

I am surprised most people asked about endorsement deals, the only thing that I wondered was do the players get stuff free but I figured each company does it their way.


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## bulb (Aug 21, 2011)

Dan_Vacant said:


> I am surprised most people asked about endorsement deals, the only thing that I wondered was do the players get stuff free but I figured each company does it their way.



Depends not only on the company, but the individual deal. Many companies have a tier system, where certain ones get better discounts, things for free, or even paid to use their gear.


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## cronux (Aug 24, 2011)

just one question (maby it was mentioned before)

i heard that some company's "lease" their equipment for let's say a guitar player that's their endorsee, like 1-3 years depending on the contract. (heard it's more about amps and cabs than guitars but still)

is this true?


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## Guitarholic (Aug 25, 2011)

cronux said:


> just one question (maby it was mentioned before)
> 
> i heard that some company's "lease" their equipment for let's say a guitar player that's their endorsee, like 1-3 years depending on the contract. (heard it's more about amps and cabs than guitars but still)
> 
> is this true?



I think you're talking about tour backline support. Never heard of any "lease" agreements.


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## cronux (Aug 26, 2011)

could be


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## 7 Dying Trees (Aug 30, 2011)

Some companies agree to supply equipment as a "permenent loan" where if you leave they ask for it back, effectively a loan stock agreement.

All other endorsements, really, play what you like, not what's free, i've always just wanted specific brands because I love playing their stuff, and I do not mind part paying to use it and have it. Basically I'd rather stand behind a product i l;ove, and a company I think makes awesome stuff rather than just play whatever comes free and not be happy with it.

Best thing to do with getting endorsements is be able to honestly say that you have played it for ages, do love it loads, and be enthusiastic about along with all the other stuff


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## ShadowFactoryX (Aug 30, 2011)

good thread is...


























great and highly informative!


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## JPMike (Aug 30, 2011)

I am so printing this!! 

Really nice read, with lots of info to consider.

Thank you very much, sir.


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## Quantumface (Aug 30, 2011)

interesting


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## CurTro-P (Aug 31, 2011)

this is really good, especially how an artist has to provide something of equal value to the company of the equipment they want to use.


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## Neptical (Aug 31, 2011)

Very informative! I've read this a few times in my life.


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## Guitarholic (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback guys. Let me know if you still have questions and I'll try to answer as best as I can.


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## degge (Sep 2, 2011)

Super useful, thanks!


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## melb_shredder (Sep 14, 2011)

Fantastic post. As someone who has been lucky enough to gain endorsement with some of my favorite companies (and even lucky enough to deal with Tim McKee) I've also learned a few things.

1. Its one thing to try and sell yourself to a company, but remember that every band out there is trying to do the same thing. I firmly believe that you need to balance yourself in showing what you can do for them, but also, and I think more importantly is to shortie gratitude for what that companies gear has done for you. I know my contact with my first few were purely bought on by me thanking certain companies for creating such perfect gear for me

2. Some companies (I won't name names) don't mind shit talking, eg, that it's obvious you're hounding for an endorsement but that's ok so long as you can sell their gear. But most I've worked with prefer to talk to a 'person'. Not Johnny rock star... Be sincere and honest about what you are hoping to achieve for both yourself and the company if they choose to honor an endorsement.

3.... Make good music! Yea, this may not always apply however, a few of mine have been tipped in the scales just because of how confident the a&r people were in our music/ band.

At the end of the day, what can YOU do for them?? And if you can provide adequate answers for that, then you in return will most likely get something back  and for me, the honor of officially representing a company you already love is still the coolest feeling


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## Eaten (Sep 16, 2011)

ok so now I know I will never be endorsed...

great post btw!


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## Thedanishdude (Sep 19, 2011)

Great article man! Highly informative, and well written.

Really nice to hear these things from a pro, as most of the people who posts about these things online, seem like they are just repeating something they heard "somewhere".


Also, i love that chappers vid. First one i ever saw, and i've been a minion of the monkey lord ever since!


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## cypher_xl (Sep 20, 2011)

great post! but however from musicians from small, lesser known countries like mine, its kinda hard and we still have to fork out a large chunk of our earnings and only dream that one day we'll be endorsed by the major players..for now, getting a real good discounts at our local music supplier/store will do


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## Evil7 (Sep 23, 2011)

As soon as I read the title of this thread.. I thought of the Chappers Video first  I was hoping to post it... lol


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## Dan_Vacant (Sep 25, 2011)

if some one got a endorsement from Charvel would the endorsement also be for Jackson?


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## daddyfabreezio (Sep 27, 2011)

Shibby, will be showing this to my drummer ha.


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## Andromalia (Sep 27, 2011)

The thing to remember is that an endorsement isn't really about money. By the time you get free gear, you'll likelely earn enough to buy it yourself anyway.
The point is, you get _support_. Broken amp ? A dealer nearby can lend you one for the show. Moving a lot in a tour ? No need to carry an amp and a voltage transformer across the atlantic, a dealer can lend you one for your european leg. You also can phone them for tech/dialing advice. Use an uncommon set of strings ? You'll get what you need without having to scout the shops when you're short of strings in another country.

That is the point of endorsment. You don't get money per se, you still pay for the stuff, but you get an awful simplification of your touring life.


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## Guitarholic (Sep 27, 2011)

Andromalia said:


> The thing to remember is that an endorsement isn't really about money. By the time you get free gear, you'll likelely earn enough to buy it yourself anyway.
> The point is, you get _support_. Broken amp ? A dealer nearby can lend you one for the show. Moving a lot in a tour ? No need to carry an amp and a voltage transformer across the atlantic, a dealer can lend you one for your european leg. You also can phone them for tech/dialing advice. Use an uncommon set of strings ? You'll get what you need without having to scout the shops when you're short of strings in another country.
> 
> That is the point of endorsment. You don't get money per se, you still pay for the stuff, but you get an awful simplification of your touring life.



Write this down folks!!!


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## 7 Dying Trees (Oct 17, 2011)

Andromalia said:


> The thing to remember is that an endorsement isn't really about money. By the time you get free gear, you'll likelely earn enough to buy it yourself anyway.
> The point is, you get _support_. Broken amp ? A dealer nearby can lend you one for the show. Moving a lot in a tour ? No need to carry an amp and a voltage transformer across the atlantic, a dealer can lend you one for your european leg. You also can phone them for tech/dialing advice. Use an uncommon set of strings ? You'll get what you need without having to scout the shops when you're short of strings in another country.
> 
> That is the point of endorsment. You don't get money per se, you still pay for the stuff, but you get an awful simplification of your touring life.


This.

For touring having the company supply you with an amp so you don't have to ship it, one that is the correct voltage is a godsend. Getting strings so you don't have t panic is a godsend. Having the support to fix guitars etc when they break is a godsend. 

When you're out on the road, finding guitar shops is difficult, Finding ones that have specialised stuff is impossible.

Endorsements is all about tour support to be honest, as you cannot get caught short when you're out there as putting on the show is the most important thing, not having to deal with masses of stress because everything has gone to shit whilst you're tired, have been away from home for weeks is priceless.


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## Jesse Zuretti (Oct 31, 2011)

Endorsements are virtually useless unless you're touring 2-5 weeks at a time, to both the endorsee and the endorser. Endorsing a musician touring parts of the country is hiring a "salesman" to a degree. Getting endorsed by a company (if you are doing well, musically) can also mean that the company (more than likely just as popular, if not leaps and bounds more popular than the band being endorsed) will be producing publicity for the band/musician.

I've heard hundreds of kids across the country talk about being endorsed by companies like it's a social status statement. Focus on your music - and if it makes waves, you'll be hearing from the companies first. 

Also, a real endorsement - in the long run - is a professional partership. If you're paying the company money, you're still a consumer, not an endorser. Bands on a very small level of underground success have acquired gear for free based on their potential. So it's not impossible, and you don't have to be in a huge band to receive support from a company.

Just my two cents


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## Captain_Awesome (Nov 10, 2011)

I think the main point here is popularity or 'presence.' I've seen people with endorsements simply through uploading videos to youtube, but, they are also talented.


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## Samarus (Nov 11, 2011)

I looked at this a while ago and it helped me get the 5 endorsements that I currently have 

William Jeffrey Jones Guitars
Lundgren
Sfarzo
Pick Smith
Analysis Plus


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## Holicx (Dec 3, 2011)

Very informative, thank you , i was kind of confused when it came to endorsments but im clear now.


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## Grimbold (Dec 21, 2011)

this answered a lot of my questions
thank you very much!


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## warhead (Apr 19, 2012)

Quite nice topic.
However, people still need to know that getting an endorsement is really hard and not dream too much about it.
I will tell my story. I use Framus amp for 10 years. Bought it at full price at a store with a matching cab.
Have used it on all the gigs I played since I have it(4 European tours in the last 3 years, with 2 more coming up this year, festivals, etc.....), as well as in the studio for an album released by a UK label.
I wrote to the company about what I do and that I would like their permition to put "proudly uses Framus amps" in the CD booklet.
I didn`t ask anything, as I already have what I want to have.
But didn`t even got a reply.
So, people, dream less, think about the reality more.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Apr 24, 2012)

warhead said:


> Quite nice topic.
> However, people still need to know that getting an endorsement is really hard and not dream too much about it.
> I will tell my story. I use Framus amp for 10 years. Bought it at full price at a store with a matching cab.
> Have used it on all the gigs I played since I have it(4 European tours in the last 3 years, with 2 more coming up this year, festivals, etc.....), as well as in the studio for an album released by a UK label.
> ...


 
Did you send your letter to the Framus distributor for your country or to a contact that was taken from the official Framus website or otherwise? 

Usually, when applying for endorsements, you'll want to contact the country's distributor for said brand. With you band history, they should gain interest and ought to give you a level of endorsement based on it. 

And once you're endorsed, you're still going to be liasing with the distributor a lot when it comes to your entitlements and other options.


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## warhead (Apr 24, 2012)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> Did you send your letter to the Framus distributor for your country or to a contact that was taken from the official Framus website or otherwise?
> 
> Usually, when applying for endorsements, you'll want to contact the country's distributor for said brand. With you band history, they should gain interest and ought to give you a level of endorsement based on it.
> 
> And once you're endorsed, you're still going to be liasing with the distributor a lot when it comes to your entitlements and other options.



On Framus` website, the endorsement requests are devided by territories....I sent a mail to the "rest of the world" guy, as there was no contact listed specifically for my country.....
And to point it out again, I wasn`t even asking anything from them, just a permition to say publically what I use.....


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## Guitarholic (May 4, 2012)

warhead said:


> On Framus` website, the endorsement requests are devided by territories....I sent a mail to the "rest of the world" guy, as there was no contact listed specifically for my country.....
> And to point it out again, I wasn`t even asking anything from them, just a permition to say publically what I use.....



That is never a problem. I don't think you have to ask permission for publicly saying that you use XYZ brand. Why would they stop you promoting their products for free? Wouldn't make sense! 

Distributors are a hard nut to crack, they usually don't care cuz they got other stuff to worry about (like the quarterly statement )


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## Guitarholic (May 4, 2012)

Found two interesting articles. One on Artist Endorsements Usfeul?

Artist Guitar Gear Endorsemenets - Useful or Useless?

Many guitar gear companies use artist endorsements as a marketing tool. The idea is that guitarist's gear buying decisions will be influenced by the fact that certain artists use and formally endorse a manufacturer's product.

The question is: do guitarists care?

I have created a 2 minute survey to find out what YOU think!!

Does the fact that an artist endorses a particular piece of gear influence your buying decisions? If the artist gets their gear for free in exchange for endorsing it, does that mean the endorsement has less impact on you? Does an endorsement have more influence if the endorser is a 'big' name? Do you care at all about endorsements?

I think these are interesting questions from my perspective as both a long term guitar player and as an amp manufacturer.

Take 2 minutes to fill out this SURVEY and let me know what you think. As always, next month I'll publish the results!
Mack Amps Artist Endorsement Survey Results!

As you will see below, the simple answer posed by the title of this article (Artist Gear Endorsements - Useful or Useless?) is unequivocal: USELESS!

Statistically, the responses from 175 guitarists (as of when this article was written) overwhelmingly indicated that artist endorsements do not directly influence buying decisions.

However, the comments written by 92 of the respondents seem to me to indicate that although formal endorsements might not directly influence gear purchase decisions, guitarists always check out other player's gear (duh!) and that, in the context of their own sound and guitar playing objectives, they pay attention to what gear is making what sounds.

So what?

Well, from a manufacturer's perspective it might still make sense to pursue endorsements because the exposure of advertising that a certain player uses your gear helps to get it out in front of that artist's fans. 

Yes, it appears that when asked guitarists say they don't buy gear just because artist "X" endorses it, but they do pay attention to that artist's gear. I gotta believe that creates a least some influence - simply by exposing a prospective customer to the artist and the gear if nothing else.

The other thing to consider, which may be somewhat controversial, is that perhaps respondents took a side on this issue simply because they were asked to - and that they chose not to admit to being influenced by marketing!

This is technically called the "Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle". This is a theory related to quantum mechanics - physics - that states that measuring or observing something actually alters what is being observed or measured. Put another way, when something is measured or observes it changes from its normal state. Enough with the physics!

What I'm getting at is that maybe up until they were asked to take a hard position - are your gear purchase decisions influenced by artist endorsements or not - the survey respondents didn't really have much of an opinion and happily checked out the gear used by artists they are interested in and, in turn, bought gear that they are interested in - the genesis of that interest coming from a multitude of sources including artist endorsements.

That might be a self-serving bias coming from a gear manufacturer, but I am curious as to why respondents were so adamant that endorsement have no impact on their gear purchasing behavior. 

Personally, over the 30 years plus that I have been a guitar player I have to admit that I have formed my opinion of what is good/bad tone and how to get what I believe to be good tone through trial and error, listening to a lot of music and, yes, checking out the gear used by the guitarists I like - some of who endorse certain products. 

Artist endorsements have at least made me aware that a certain player has - for whatever period of time from minutes to years - used a particular type of gear. That knowledge has caused me, from time to time, to perform at least a cursory investigation of the endorsed gear.

Having said that I cannot recall ever rushing out and buying a piece of gear because I learned that artist "X" played it. That is what I believe the survey results indicate.

From a manufacturer's perspective, mine at least, I think that endorsements also help to establish a company's brand: what musical genre is the gear suited to, what type of player is the gear designed for, etc. And, of course the biggie is simply exposure.

I don't think we'll ever see the demise of artist endorsements simply because it is another vehicle for a manufacturer to expose their products to potential customers - however directly or indirectly it influences buying decisions.


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## Guitarholic (May 4, 2012)

And another one here How Music Gear Endorsements Work&#8230; &#8212; Steve Lawson&#58; Bass 2.0 &#8212; the soundtrack to the day you wish you'd had


It&#8217;s one of those perennial questions on bass forums and in emails I get &#8211; how do you get an endorsement deal with a bass company? The latest endorsement related discussion revolved around a very friendly chap on on of the bass forums I post on sending me a message to say he was friendly with the owners of a particular company and could put in a word for me for an endorsement deal with them.

Which was very nice buy wholly unnecessary, given that

a) I knew the company owner already,
b) don&#8217;t really like what they make b) wouldn&#8217;t switch from what I&#8217;m using now just because I was offered lots of money (something that&#8217;s really not going to happen to a player in my position) and
c) LOVE the stuff I&#8217;m using.

Let&#8217;s make it clear, getting paid to play someone&#8217;s particular product is very rare indeed. Becoming a demonstrator happens occasionally to lesser known players, but that&#8217;s just a job like any other &#8211; it&#8217;s not really a perk, more a cool job. It involves a lot of work, and usually pretty grueling sessions at trade shows. There&#8217;s rarely a retainer, and the rate of pay is pretty good, usually, but certainly not something most people could live on&#8230;

The Big Boys (probably about 5-10 of them in the world) are on a retainer - signature product sales often incur a royalty for the person whose name is on the front, and there are all kinds of deals struck to get HUGE name players using the gear, which range from split ad campaigns (promoting the gear and the artist&#8217;s new album) through to high profile clinic tours that follow the band&#8217;s tour, and even stands at arena shows for the company.

Next down are those that get instruments &#8211; these are rarely &#8216;free&#8217;, even if you don&#8217;t pay for them. They are in exchange for promotional services. They are usually there because the company in question can&#8217;t really afford to pay what you&#8217;re worth for clinics and appearances and being in ads, so instead they give you gear, which is worth a lot more in hard cash terms to you than it is to them. So I&#8217;ve had a few bits of free gear, and in exchange they get the exposure for me using the gear on clinics and masterclasses&#8230; it&#8217;s more of an acknowledgement thing for what actually happens &#8211; my students get to see the gear cos it&#8217;s what I play through&#8230;

When I left my previous amp deal, and started using AccuGroove, I was offered &#8216;deals&#8217; of sorts with a host of companies. It was rather nice being courted (no one actually phoned me to schmooze me, but it happened to be around the time of a couple of trade shows and at those trade shows, word got round that I was no longer using the amp I had been using, and I was told by the owners and A & R people from about 6 companies that they would like to &#8216;work with me&#8217;. One of them offered a paid position as demo guy as well. Most of them were much higher profile than AccuGroove, but all had one thing in common &#8211; they didn&#8217;t get close to the sound I was looking for in my new rig. I knew it had to be stereo and MUCH higher fidelity than it was before. Add to that that I already knew the AccuGroove guys and was friends with them, knew what their speakers could do, I decided to go with quality and friendship over (potential) money and exposure.

Is this because I&#8217;m some kind of puritan? No, it&#8217;s as much a longer term commercial decision as it is one of &#8216;integrity&#8217;. The guys on the high dollar deals with companies that mass produce cheap crap in China tend to switch fairly often &#8211; when someone comes along offering more money, they jump ship, and every time they do, their reputation slides just that little bit further. If I was play in a Nu Metal band to 10s of thousands of people a night, that wouldn&#8217;t really filter through, the kidz would just go out and buy the new signature bass and all would be happy.

However, if you&#8217;re a solo bassist, you tend to be scrutinised more by the tech-heads. I got loads of emails when I changed my amp set up, asking me what was wrong with the old one, people who&#8217;d bought the old one because of me, and wondering if they&#8217;d make a mistake etc. The geeks were watching, and I realised that if I was changing every 18 months or so, my credibility was going to disappear pretty damn quick.

So I went with the one that offered me the best possible sound. To get any better, I&#8217;d have to go to the pro audio world, and start using studio monitors on stage. Problem with that is, they&#8217;d be WAY too heavy, and far too fragile. There genuinely is nothing that could do what I&#8217;m doing with these speakers. The nearest direct comparison would be PA companies like Mackie and JBL, but they both tend to optimise their speakers for vocal projection, sacrificing low end and tonal sweetness. They work fine as PAs, not so great as bass amps.

Same with Modulus &#8211; I&#8217;ve been playing a Modulus bass for over 13 years, the only non-Modulus bass I&#8217;ve owned (still own) in that time is my Rick Turner, and their instruments do just about everything I need them to do. They like what I do, I love what they do, and the relationship is mutually agreeable. Add to that that Modulus are, as far as I&#8217;m aware, the only bass building company who are striving to use 100% independently certified eco-friendly wood, and you&#8217;ve got yourself a match made in bass heaven. it&#8217;s the same all the way round.

So if you&#8217;re thinking about such things, have a bit of a profile and something to offer a company, my advice would be to forge a friendship with the people who make the gear that you LOVE, rather than just trying to schmooze the A and R people at companies that take out huge ads in magazines.

For the record, the companies that I have some kind of &#8216;deal&#8217; with [as of Oct 7 2006] are:
AccuGroove Speakers
Modulus Basses
Looperlative
East UK Preamps
Bass Centre Elites Strings
Evidence Audio cables


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## Guitarholic (May 4, 2012)

I copy/pasted them in case they take them down at some point


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## Rick (May 4, 2012)

Great info, thanks, Jan!


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## warhead (May 10, 2012)

Guitarholic said:


> That is never a problem. I don't think you have to ask permission for publicly saying that you use XYZ brand. Why would they stop you promoting their products for free? Wouldn't make sense!
> 
> Distributors are a hard nut to crack, they usually don't care cuz they got other stuff to worry about (like the quarterly statement )



I wanted to put their actual logo in the CD booklet...and you can`t use any trade mark logo without a permition...at least this is what I think......


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## Stealthdjentstic (May 10, 2012)

I think that point the mackie guy touched on about endorsements being effective is a good one. I feel like spending money on say..admins of large forums to help push you brand and whatnot would make more sense instead of smaller bands being endorsed. After all, how many of us ask this forum what we should buy? 

Food for thought I guess.


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## SuperShredderDan (Oct 7, 2012)

so i did this



how can i turn this into a deal with ibanez, daddario, zoom, whatever


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## m3l-mrq3z (Oct 8, 2012)

I don't think Thiago della Vega (the guy who also held a speed record) got any endorsement deals from major companies...


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## Rick (Oct 8, 2012)

SuperShredderDan said:


> so i did this
> 
> 
> 
> how can i turn this into a deal with ibanez, daddario, zoom, whatever




Did you even bother to read any of this thread?


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## SuperShredderDan (Oct 9, 2012)

m3l-mrq3z said:


> I don't think Thiago della Vega (the guy who also held a speed record) got any endorsement deals from major companies...


actually he did. sik pick, carvin, orange, daddario,


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## Bloody_Inferno (Oct 10, 2012)

SuperShredderDan said:


> actually he did. sik pick, carvin, orange, daddario,


 
He also has 2 albums with 2 bands and a solo album under his belt. 

As the thread as already stated earlier, you'll need a musical product that will promote yourself, and enough visibility and exposure to promote the brands you wish to endorse.


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## feraledge (Oct 11, 2012)

I have one endorser currently: Curt Mangan Strings. I couldn't be happier with a company. Their strings are fantastic and Curt not only knows strings, but he answers the phone fairly often and loves talking about them. 
I got the endorsement because my drummer's old band was picked up by them and I just used that as an in. As a smaller company, he was really easy to work with and I've been rampantly promoting them since. I've done some work to get touring friend's bands on board, but hit these places up while you're touring. 
Ironically, I've gotten more people sold on these strings when I sell guitars with them on.

I was talking with Vader cabs for a while and it was left off with hit him up when I'm touring more and looking to buy a new cab. That's really the biggest thing most of these smaller companies are looking for. Solid enough bands that are touring, easy to work with and really behind their products. 
The Vader deal not happening wasn't the end of the world though, I can't find anything as solid as my Marshall 1960BV - 300 watt version 4 x 12".


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## Jimby Pearadoople (Nov 9, 2012)

I think the real concern lies with how Rappers can get endorsements easily and make tons of loot off of them...yet as a Rock-based musician it's ridiculously difficult and elusive and all ya get is a discount or free gear. I mean: Atheletes make so much. Especially the X-Games people. No, it's not about money but it IS about securing a future where all one has to do to sustain their life is play music.


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## Andromalia (Nov 13, 2012)

Rappers are used to sell clothes, among other things, not just music. Their target marketing audience isn't musicians. (as evidenced by the fact that Beats headphones DO sell)
You can'y compare the costs either. A mass marketed consumer scratch table costs way less than an amp and its maintenance, and those brands also sell generic consumer products. A Gibson endorsee won't help sell fridges, while a rapper with Samsung headphones actually will.


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## taysil11 (Nov 29, 2012)

always a business!


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## XBIGJIMX (Dec 10, 2012)

Great post full of great info. But I can give a different point of view. In my opinion the number one factor in getting an endorsement is being a able to be friendly and shoot the shit with people and luck. Mind you talent and being popular never hurts  
I can only give my story as an example, this is who I have deals with (none of these are full rides. Unless you are in a top tier band you are not getting it for free but you are getting it for cost or close to it)

Mesa/Boogie
Ernie Ball Strings
Intune GP


Now other members of my band had Ampeg, Crate, Ibanez and Esp/LTD.

How did I get the mesa Deal? The small label i was on mentioned that all the bands on his roster got Mesa discount. I asked how well his best friend in HS was now the head of a & R at Mesa. So I asked him to introduce me. He did we shot the shit for a couple of hours. He asked what gear i was using and told him. He asked for some pics of the gear 20 min later I had a mesa deal.

Ernie Ball. We met sterling ball at the warped tour got him drunk a couple of nights he asked do you have a string deal? Nope you do now

Intune was totally legit like described on the first page. We filled out the forms gave them show lists and they reviewed it and approved us. (great people)

But my point is never underestimate being friendly and talking to people when you are nice to people, people tend to be nice back and help your band


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Dec 15, 2012)

This was VERY helpful. My band probably isnt near any possible endorsements yet. But meow i have a better idea of how to go about it. 

Just for fun, here are my dream endorsers:
Orange for the 4x12 cabs
Engl for their amazing amps, mainly pre amps like the E570
Fryette/VHT for the 2/90/2 power amps
Esp for axes. I want custom Forest bodies with pointed headstocks, Hipshot bridges, and Bare Knuckle Pickups. 

One day........


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## Phrygian (Dec 15, 2012)

Great read, thanks!


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## Aztec (Dec 18, 2012)

Great thread, thanks!


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## theonetruematt (Jan 16, 2013)

Great thread with great information. My endorsement fantasies were crushed when I was teaching at a guitar store a few years back and one of the sales guys told me he had a Mesa "artist account." Which, as far as I know is as good as Mesa gets with endorsements. And the artist discount is basically the same as the retail sales dealer accomodation pricing, so if you're looking for "endorsement" prices, just start working at a guitar store! 

I actually work at one again now (in sales) and its definitely made me less anxious to try to get endorsed, since I can get the same prices already on anything we carry. And there's definitely some value in being able to play anything you want on stage.


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## ZXIIIT (Jan 16, 2013)

What about just being on their roster list and promo stuff? (don''t want custom shop stuff or "discounts")


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## Draceius (Feb 2, 2013)

Didn't see anyone post this here, so I thought I might contribute, this is from Schecter's blog.



> Musicians performing at all levels consider acquiring endorsements at some point in their career. Some play with the idea; others move on it. Ultimately, it is the reasoning or motive behind ones actions that determines success as an endorsing artist.
> 
> From the manufacturers point of view, endorsements are designed to help promote the credibility of a companys instruments or accessories. They also exist to give the appropriate support to established artist and to help the company sell more instruments.
> 
> ...


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## MeriTone Music (Apr 15, 2013)

well said!! Rock on


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## SebastianGrosu (Apr 19, 2013)

Really great post. I have learned a lot!


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## Joseph Kimbrell (May 11, 2013)

Thanks Jan, good read! This is something lots of musicians are curious about


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## Carnage (Sep 5, 2013)

thanks for posting, was a great read


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## jonesjane (Oct 5, 2013)

Nice videos.......Keep sharing this,,guys...


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## Pat Olson (Nov 18, 2013)

Thanks so much for the insight!


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## JeremyRodriguez5544998 (Nov 22, 2013)

Thank you very much for the post. This is a super great starting point for musicians like myself who are interested in partnering up with a great company.


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## Ryan Duke (Dec 12, 2013)

Simple straightforward basics. Good post.


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## Gregory Frus (May 25, 2014)

Great info!! Thanks for posting!!


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## Mellott (May 29, 2014)

Awesome post, thanks so much for taking the time to put this down


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## BxRandon (Sep 16, 2014)

My band Planetary Cataclysm. Our EP is REE!

https://planetarycataclysm.bandcamp.com/releases


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## jhkfjhmgk (Sep 17, 2014)

I saw threads about this popping up on a few different forums so I thought I'd put it all together in just one nice little post. To give you guys a little background information about myself: I work for Outerloop Management (Periphery's management), where I work as the Executive Assistant to our CEO and also handle all of our clients' endorsement requests. I've been to NAMM, Musikmesse, yada yada yada bla bla and I am friends with most of the A&R reps out there.


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## Zsharp (Nov 7, 2014)

Very good article! I feel like I've recently been in endorsement limbo..wanting to reach out badly to companies I'm seriously interested in, but still wondering if it's the right time. I'd hate to reach out too early to a company when a year or so down the road I might seem more desirable. I currently play more shows/year (around 130 shows/ yr of original music) than a lot of endorsed musicians, but not as large (usually 50-200, unless it's s summer festival). Is it best to try and get my name out there while growing or should I wait until attendance grows??


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## FRETPICK (Dec 29, 2014)

You don't need endorsements, it's what products you endorse that's important.

I'm vetoing cap in hand.


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## SamRussell (Jan 13, 2015)

Great read - I'll enjoy watching those videos later, thanks!


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## jamesfarrell (Jan 27, 2015)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXwSdTaTmHM

Dave talks about endorsements.


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## Daniel Vasconcelos (Feb 8, 2015)

Awesome info, thanks!


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## SilentCartographer (Feb 28, 2015)

awesome!! Good read and great insight, thanks!


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## Robert_Rayvid (Apr 9, 2015)

thanks for this! its really informative.


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## Guitarholic (Jun 19, 2015)

New article about "How To Get An Artist Endorsement". Really good stuff. Bev and Rich are wonderful people, so listen up, they got yeeeeeears of experience doing this:

How to Get an Artist Endorsement Deal, According to an Actual Artist Relations Exec


At some point in a musician's career, one starts to ponder the thought of seeking an artist endorsement. This is a very common thought for an aspiring musician, especially taking into consideration all of aspects associated with getting your name out there, acquiring the necessary gear, covering travel expenses, etc. As Director of Artist Relations for PRS Guitars, I thought it might be helpful to provide a few tips on what AR executives look for in artists, and what artists should look for from brands.

First, ask yourself why it is that you want an endorsement. Are you looking for support from a promotional standpoint? Are you looking for gear or tech support? Are you looking to establish a relationship with a company that you believe in? From my standpoint (and you can sub in any other brand for "PRS" here), why PRS? Are you knowledgeable about the product offerings? Are you already playing PRS? Are you willing to enthusiastically promote PRS products socially and publically? *Basically, what are you going to do for the company you are endorsing?* If you're looking for free gear, you should rethink your approach and ask yourself the above questions. For the most part, the days of free gear are long gone, and if you have the expectation of receiving free gear right off the bat, you will likely be disappointed. But there are many other benefits that come with the endorsement relationship.

I often refer to an artist endorsement as a "marriage." It's a commitment that involves loyalty and dedication. It's a two-way street and should be mutually beneficial to both parties. The moment that the two-way street becomes one-way, the relationship is compromised. I'm happy to say that things don't come to this point often, but if you approach your endorsement with a company as an investment or marriage, the desire to commit and support should be at the top of your priority list  not free gear!

My advice to a musician seeking an endorsement is to first take a good look at yourself and the state of your career. You should be prepared to convince us that we need you! Believe me when I say that we're constantly seeking new artist endorsers to add to our roster who will be influential for our brand. It's common that big-name artists are highly influential, and we invest a lot of our time seeking out artists who have the big names; however, we offer several different levels of endorsement. For example, we work with numerous pro players who are well-respected in their markets but are not of national renown. We also seek out emerging artists, session players, and influential educators in various markets. We aren't a company that puts all of our eggs in one basket, and we value all of our artist endorsers regardless of the level at which they are endorsed. More often than not, making a decision on an artist endorsement is very tough for us. We get hundreds of endorsement inquiries on a monthly basis, and it's extremely time consuming to review the requests, materials, music, etc. If you can answer the "why PRS?" question, you'll be one step further in the right direction of being considered.

So, some questions you should ask yourself before approaching us for an endorsement:

*Do you sound good? Are your peers impressed with your skills?*
C'mon, let's face it, of course you think you sound good! And you probably think you understand many aspects of music, but this is the time to be completely honest with yourself. What does the public think about your playing? Have you received any media acclaim?

*What kind of reputation do you have within the industry? How would you describe yourself as a person?*
We aren't solely interested in your influence as a musician, but also how you would describe yourself as a person. Are you a positive, outgoing, and easy to get along with? Are you a giver or a taker? You'd be surprised to know just how often artist relations folks talk to one another, and we can usually get a good feel on a potential endorser just by having a quick chat with our industry peers.

*We live in a world of social media. What's your social media presence like?*
The old saying of "don't judge a book by its cover" is not applicable here. First impressions are important, and we want to see how you're engaging with others. A strong social media presence is highly recommended. This will most often be the first place we look when trying to determine whether or not to consider extending an endorsement to an artist. Your social media pages should show a sizable influence (i.e., number of followers), but it should also show us that your followers are engaged with you (i.e., ratio of likes/comments/shares per post to total followers). Remember, your goal is to be perceived as influential, and the connections should be meaningful rather than just numbers.

*What do you bring to the table as an endorser? How are you going to help us with our business needs?*
Artist testimonials are important and influential to consumers. You are an important voice of PRS whether it's through your guitar playing, the tones you're getting from your amps, or a simple verbal/written statement that attests to the quality and reliability of the instruments and/or the PRS brand. We need you to "wave the PRS flag" on and off the stage and let the world know why you play PRS. Think about what projects you have on the table and how a relationship with our brand could mutually benefit both of us. Can we help get the word out on what you are doing? Can we be a part of your project in a way that gets our products and your support of them in front of a broader audience? And because content sharing is the name of the game right now, remember that if you can produce good content with our products, we'll share it across our networks (which reach more than 725,000 unique people per month right now).

When starting out the relationship, it's also important for you to ask yourself if and how much you're willing to support the company's goals. If you're open to supporting the products that are important to our brand at that moment in time, we're going to be way more interested in working with you.

*Helpful tips*
You will need a press kit. It should be available in print but also as an EPK. Ideally, it should be available in a format that you can email (Sonicbids makes this super easy!) as well as make available for download via your website. Your press kit should provide a brief overview of who you are and any major accomplishments. Consider including some impressive photos that represent your onstage presence and embed links to relevant online content (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.). You should have a dedicated website with an active performance schedule that includes everything mentioned above as well as audio samples of your playing.
Be patient and allow time for a response to your endorsement inquiry. You should anticipate a three- to six-week response time, as most companies receive hundreds of simultaneous requests.
Be realistic with your expectations and open to any opportunity that you may be given. Remember, this is the beginning of a relationship. It's a starting place from which to grow.


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## mrjones_ass (Jul 7, 2015)

Great thread! Will watch videos... as soon as I get home!!


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## FRETPICK (Jul 7, 2015)

I have a similar article myself called "How to get out of a pub alive".


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## JeremyRodriguez5544998 (Mar 3, 2016)

WHAT A THREAD. I'm going to be coming back to this often to study this. Thank you very much.

Btw, Outerloop Management? I don't know if Volumes is still with them, but this is how I found out about them. That is freakin cool!


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## Dredg (May 16, 2017)

Fantastic article!

Also, I don't know if this applies to the industry anymore, but when I was younger, I wanted to get endorsements to impress the local music hall bookies (they tended to want to showcase "recognized talent" as they called it), so I dialed up the brands I played and simply asked for stuff I could wear or use during shows. Black Diamond sent me a banner that I hung in front of my 4x12 via thumbtack + a good amount of free strings, and Raven West sent me shirts and a crapton of stickers.

Definitely not the same thing as actual endorsements, definitely not trying to compare the two, but it helped get us headlining spots, and that was pretty cool with us.


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## HungryGuitarStudent (Jul 8, 2017)

Just stumbled on this post. Thanks a million for the endorsement primer ! Well written and very useful !


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## Andrew Lloyd Webber (Feb 28, 2018)

Bump.

Would someone summarize this for me so I can repeat what I misremember in the Kiesel thread? I need to act informed.


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## Reasoning Reflections (Dec 15, 2019)

Thanks a million for all the pointers, those are really helpful pointers for bands with established fanbase but also something to look forward for newcomers, like us, as well! Kudos


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