How mad do luthiers get when signed artists play another brand?

[Sephiroth]

I've seen Dave Gilmour play a Gretsch Firebird, James Hetfield play his "Maltese cross" Gibson Les Paul, Dave Murray play a Les Paul, and Alex Lifeson play a Telecaster and PRS while having their own sig models elsewhere.

I've always wondered if there's a rage-gasm over it from the guitar-makers or if they just generally try to blow it off. I know ESP in particular does get mad and tries to get artists to play ESP's exclusively except when recording. Then artists are free to use anything they want so as long as those artists are seen with their ESP's for ESP to get the credit for the recorded sound qualities.

Still, with one of the most expensive production guitars ever built by Fender, Fender has got to be cheesed when Gilmour in particular picks up something else........

[Devotee]

These kind of deals work with contracts and with big players like Gilmour and Hetfield, i think the terms of the contracts are pretty flexible if they want to keep them on their roster.

[markD]

plus fender owns gretsch, so at gilmour is still in "the family"....

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

If it were the case that I could only be "seen" with certain guitars or whatever, and I was as rich as any of those guys, I'd be like "Nah, I'll buy my own guitars, thanks."

[Sephiroth]

If it were the case that I could only be "seen" with certain guitars or whatever, and I was as rich as any of those guys, I'd be like "Nah, I'll buy my own guitars, thanks."

A lot of Euro-metal guitarists flat-out live off the ESP money in between summer festival tours on top of getting expensive gear for free. Plus artists like Steve Vai no doubt see a huge chunk of their income come from their sig model guitars. Most signed artists are not rich enough to be able to play what they want in spite of deals with certain makers.

[atomic charvel guy]

write great songs and sell tons of albums and you can tell the guitar companies to fuck off i'll use what i want.

[Devotee]

write great songs and sell tons of albums

You do realise that nowadays these two things are mutually exclusive right?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

A lot of Euro-metal guitarists flat-out live off the ESP money in between summer festival tours on top of getting expensive gear for free. Plus artists like Steve Vai no doubt see a huge chunk of their income come from their sig model guitars. Most signed artists are not rich enough to be able to play what they want in spite of deals with certain makers.

Did you honestly take "any of those guys" to mean that I am under the impression that all guitarists who have an endoresement deal are rich?

I'm talking about Gilmour, Hetfield, Murray, and Lifeson.

[markD]

i was poking around fender's site the other day and noticed that dave murray is not a fender artist. even the description of his sig model makes it seem more like it is a "tribute" model based on dave's loyalty to fender. i mean, we all know he mostly plays strats anyway, but i still found it interesting that he is not listed as an artist....

[jgcable]

It depends on what their contracts state. They are all different ranging from exclusively using the endorsers equipment to never having to use the endorsers equipment.
Some only have to use the gear at clinics and trade shows. Some.. for advertising... some live exclusively and some for only a percentage of a live gig and even then it varies from photo shoots pre or post gigs to certain songs only.

[bratfink]

I would pay some bands not to play Jackson's!!!

[Musician78]

I would pay some bands not to play Jackson's!!!

Because you wouldn't want a substandard band being seen with a great guitar??

[Chad]

All depends on the contract. And the big guns are likely gonna get more freedom.

[tonemonster]

they get this mad.

[SixstringKing]

they get this mad.

I see you're talking about Ibanez.