Hey Ben, do you mind me asking a question?
I was wondering, as you have these endorsement deals, do you get discounts on the HBE/Splawn stuff nowadays? If you don't mind me asking, I'm just intrigued 
I don't mind at all. I think the perception is that companies just flip you free gear; with high end products, I haven't found that to be the case. I have no problem paying for gear that I like. The truth is, smaller, high end companies can't afford to give you free stuff, and it kinda devalues what they do in the first place, imo.
There's a lot of mystique and mystery behind what an endorsment is, and I think that part of it is that there are so many different kinds of endorsements.
Basically, the artist endorses the
product, not the other way around. If a company is giving an artist free stuff, then they are
sponsoring the artist.
When I endorse a product, it means just that -- I can stand behind their gear with 100% confidence that it will get the job done, road-tested and mother-approved.
Basically, it works like this:
I will endorse their product; ie, use it live, use their brand on mechanical products (like CDs and adverts), and generally "sell" their amps thru performance and recordings in exchange for goods & services rendered by the manufacturer (like custom options with no upcharge).
