Jackson Endorsements

[joshulator]

Actually that conversation would go more like this:

Musician: "Here, I'm in a nationally recognized band, I'll advertise your guitars and potentially bring in a few million in extra sales if you give them to me free! Free advertising for you, free guitars for me."

J-C: "Ummm, no. If you like Jackson guitars, buy them and play them like everyone else does."

Musician: "Ok. Then I won't bother endorsing you, just like everyone else. Hey, can you hold on a second? ESP is calling on the other line."

[markD]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! yeah, really...

[zenridaz]

do you reckon jenna gets a guitar or a discount.

[MEX3]

After paying Jenna, they don't have any money left over to give to "all the little people" that sell their guitars.:ROTF:

[Spivonious]

I do have to wonder what the point of endorsing is if Jackson gives no major discounts. If I'm in a band that is just starting to break into the mainstream, I'm sure going to appreciate a free guitar sent my way. No wonder everyone is moving over to ESP. Get arguably equal-quality guitars (I've never played a real ESP, just LTDs, so I don't know for sure) for $2k-$3k less.

[Jack Napalm]

The post only said that Jackson isn't the place for free guitars. Not 'were going to bleed you try for every cent we can get out of you.'

[joshulator]

Btw, don't get me wrong. I think the fact that they don't just give out guitars for free says something. But I also wonder then what exactly the endorser gets out of being an endorser. Someone mentioned the advertising, and I guess that's plausible. If I was in a nobody band, being endorsed with no free gear would still be cool just for the ego trip of being endorsed. But let's say that same band becomes a somebody band. I'd play Jackson until another company offered me equivalent gear for free. Seems to me that would be a no-brainer.

But it would have to be a guitar I would actually use. I find it interesting to see all these guys endorsing the Eclipse, and playing them live. But their studio shots all show Gibsons.

[Bengal]

Well, if they want artists to pay for guitars, they better be the best friggin' guitars money can buy. That's where the problem lies. I know a dude who was endorsed by them for a while. Before he was, he put electrical tape over the logo to not give advertisement. I told him, and he already knew, that the brand was very identifiable by the shape of the headstock.

But he got a few custom pieces that were not all they were cracked up to be. That was the problem. No worries paying for a guitar, but it better be able to stand up to the hectic life of a touring guitarist. So that and a few other things led him away from Jackson to another brand.

If I remember right, I think they ask for cost. About 1/2 price of what we would pay. But I may be wrong on that.

[Larz]

Someone at Jackson probably figures if they make artists pay for them, then they don't have to have some endorsee gestapo follow all these bands around and make sure the free Jacksons are being played at every gig to get their advertising maximized or that they aren't ending up on ebay so someone can get money to buy a Gibson custom shop or something.

[Hellbat]

If these brand "Gestapo" exist I think FMIC probably would be as likely as any company to have a few under contract...

[Newc]

Yes, for Fender endorsees. I doubt seriously Brian Setzer has to be told to play his Gretsch

And if someone wants to bail on Jackson for another company just because they expect free guitars, fuck 'em.

[Bengal]

I find it interesting to see all these guys endorsing the Eclipse, and playing them live. But their studio shots all show Gibsons.

I think you'd be very, very surprised to see who plays what when they record.

Live playing is one thing, recording is something totally different.

[eakinj]

Just for the record, when Jackson started out, they didn't pay their endorsers and they paid for their guitars. They wanted the guitars to stand on merit ..

Actually I remember an interview with the guys from Ratt where they said they went to Jackson for b-stock stuff and Grover gave them a couple guitars for free because he didn't want low end stuff being seen at the time. So someone either got free stuff from jackson back in the day or the guys in ratt were lying. I will go research this tonight and find it.

[eakinj]

I think the idea of actually making artist buy their gear is a good thing. *IF* they quality is there. I think the other thing people have to realize is that Ibanez and other brands probably have an extremely cheap work force building their stuff. It's nothing to give away a guitar that costs them 200 dollars if it's going to give them a return of thousands of dollars. Considering Jackson is starting to take years to build QS orders, obviously they don't have a giant talent pool working for beans. They have (I assume) five or six guys who build these. If fender/jackson doesn't pay these guys what they are worth there's other places that'll snatch them up quickly (In fact didnt Shannon leave Jackson for Fender well before they got bought out?)

I'm not sure really endorsers really do anything for a company anymore. I'm not sure a lot of the kids coming up can actually tell the difference between crap and quality.

I also have to wonder, is EVH actually paying for his guitars? Has his endorsement of Fender/Charvel whatever actually raised any sales? The guy is a f-n icon and can even make guys wet, if anyone can raise sales you would think it's him.. but is he?

[wreckingcrew]

I know a dude who is endorsed by Jackson, he plays in the band Zilch. they're the loudest fuckin band I've ever seen that wasn't a a national act