Zakk Wylde and his amp endorsements..

[dave_mc]

^ good link jonathan. I've never had any contact with the guy (obviously enough), but I know about his reputation. I also know, from the little I've read of his rants (in addition to yours), that a lot of them make sense.

I think he kind of suffers from saying the right thing, but in the wrong way, kind of thing.

:drink:

[mattisfrommars]

Supposedly i have the "Keith Richards" squier. I don't think i've seen the stones touring with squires.

[screamingdaisy]

Angus has used Gibson SGs for his whole AC/DC, same with Malcolm and Gretsch - it's hardly like either are turning their backs on the respective companies.  They've had MANY years of free advertising on the back of the Young brothers.

Iommi uses his signatures as well.....even the Epiphone.

As for Zakk, he seemingly uses old JCM800 2203s but he'll take the cash and run these days.  All those ZW cabs on stage are not used (most likely empty), he has four old Marshall 4x12s infront of the drum riser that he actually 'uses'.

The JCM800ZWs are copies of his modified amps.  Why would he use a copy of his amp when he already owns the real thing?

In addition, when playing with Ozzy the center ZW head is a backup....the two outside ones are the old JCM800s he uses most of the time.  When playing with BLS the ZW heads are used by the other guitarist.

Is Zakk a whore?  Yes.

But....he does use the shite he endorses.

[jordan]

no offence zakk but your an endorsement whore!

+1.

I was recently reading a Guitar One magazine, and in the first 20 pages, Zakk had seperate adverts for Marshall amps, Gibson guitars, MXR overdrive pedal, Dunlop Wah, GHS Boomer strings, and something else which I forget right now....

[stuckin93]

It's the same with guitars mate.  Anyone ever seen Angus Young play his signature SG, Malcom Young play his signature Gretsch or Slash play his signature Les Paul?

Zakk has used a customised JCM800 in the past and I guess the signature model is his reward for the money Marshall has made from that tie up.  Same with the guitars - how many SGs have Gibson sold off the back of Angus before the signature model?

not to correct you but slash does use his custom les paul & marshalls. the custom guitar was made for his stage use with a peiso saddle pickup to play acoustic stuff on his electric. and his amps were copies of his old silver jubilees so he didn't have to worry about breaking em when touring! (bit of a slash fan/geek!!) other than that - wholeheartedly agree!

[Simon D]

Pete Towshend from The Who is another high profile endorsee of equipment he never uses too.

As Guitarist Magazine pointed out last month, he has signature guitars from Rickenbacker, Gibson, and Schecter - seven different ones in total, but yet live he only seems to use a modded red Strat.

I can't really see the point in bothering to endorse something you aren't going to use. I mean, it's not like Townshend needs the money is it?  

[nfe]

It's the same with guitars mate.  Anyone ever seen Angus Young play his signature SG, Malcom Young play his signature Gretsch or Slash play his signature Les Paul?

Zakk has used a customised JCM800 in the past and I guess the signature model is his reward for the money Marshall has made from that tie up.  Same with the guitars - how many SGs have Gibson sold off the back of Angus before the signature model?

not to correct you but slash does use his custom les paul & marshalls. the custom guitar was made for his stage use with a peiso saddle pickup to play acoustic stuff on his electric. and his amps were copies of his old silver jubilees so he didn't have to worry about breaking em when touring! (bit of a slash fan/geek!!) other than that - wholeheartedly agree!

But almost all of Slash's Les Pauls aren't made by Gibson, they're made by a chap called MAX from California, so while he will use his signature instruments, his versions of them aren't built by the same people that build what you or I could buy.

[Davey]

well.. if we're going that way

vais guitars are ghostbuilt too... i think currently he has a neck made by tom anderson on EVO

[Philly Q]

Pete Towshend from The Who is another high profile endorsee of equipment he never uses too.

As Guitarist Magazine pointed out last month, he has signature guitars from Rickenbacker, Gibson, and Schecter - seven different ones in total, but yet live he only seems to use a modded red Strat.

To be fair, all those guitars are recreations of guitars he did use in the past - SG Specials from the late 60s (I have one myself  :) ), LP Deluxes from the 70s, Schecters from the 80s.  Nobody's claiming he uses them now, and I doubt he asked anyone to make them (although I guess he receives royalties for use of his name and image).

What's surprising is that Fender haven't come up with a modified EC model as a Pete Townshend signature he does use.

[Simon D]

That is a fair point. Perhaps my beef is more with the guitar companies for marketing them as signature models per se, rather than reissues.

You're right about the Fender thing, they seem to have made a sig guitar for just about everyone else who has ever picked one up.

I have read a certain D Gilmour is next on the list, which is fair enough as far as I'm conerned! :)

[Philly Q]

They could do several Gilmour models - maybe Custom Shop "Tribute" reproductions of his old black Strat and/or the white #001 Strat, and a cheaper signature model with a short trem arm and EMGs.  :D

[Simon D]

I think the idea is to do a reproduction of his black strat as a straight sig model, with the option to put out a tribute custom shop job later on.

I'd love to see a custom shop version of the #001, that would look so sweet, even though it would be so far out of my price range it wouldn't even be funny!

[Kilby]

They could do several Gilmour models - maybe Custom Shop "Tribute" reproductions of his old black Strat and/or the white #001 Strat, and a cheaper signature model with a short trem arm and EMGs.  :D

I saw a Fender built repro of the 001 a few weeks ago in Denmark St.

Hmmm, I wonder if the black one will have all the body holes from te ghaler trem which was apparently fitted during the early 80s ? I wonder is fome of his playing ability will be packaged with it ?

Hmmm regarding the Townsend signiture Ric, there where only 250 made, and the f hole (Rose Morris) model very rare (only 25 12 string versions where ever made in the 60s 22 of which still exist). I doubt if he got much money from them as they wher not priced much highrt than the regular models at the time.

[broken cord]

I saw Johnny A. play a small cafe on Tuesday night and he had three of his signature Gibsons there, but only played two of the three. Brilliant!

[carlaz]

I know what you are saying but if someone is offering a huge wad of cash to say that you use a particular product, 9 times out of 10 most people will take it.

I would certainly take it now. :)  If I already had a huge wad of cash ... then I might consider whether accepting another one might start to dilute my brand image .... ;)