Years and years ago I was reading thru some promo material of one of the magazines. Included in the promo pack was a 'reader survey'. One of the questions was, if they buy instruments that are related to famous names using the? I would have thought this to be a biggie response wise but no, it wasn't. The biggie was that they but what they like after feeling and testing it out themselves.
This was back in the early '80s when I had time to read these 'bull crap' surveys. A persons ego filling out a form wont let him say he need to see a star playing it because his own judgment was superior to that of a rock star he would lick the feet of if given the chance. This was a Guitar Magazine focused mostly on Rock and as you know back in the '80s and even today, if some guy with fast licks, tight pants and a pin cushion face makes the cover of a magazine, those kids at home reading the magazine will jump up yelling "mommy, mommy, I want that!".. lol
Sad, but true!
Now, in my business when the magazines would approach me about that type of player ad or even a top player asking for an endorsement my answer was "Anthony Jackson doesn't care what Stanley Clarke plays!"
As at that time, they were both Smith customers and neither gave a rats behind what tools the other used. My Basses were mainly over 2k then and even though people bought them because they were seen, it wasn't because of 'who' was playing one but more like 'what' was that guy playing!
Around 1983 or so I was in my booth at the Chicago Namm show when a Japanese guy came up to me and said "your Bass is the most Famous in Japan". I was thinking how? I never sold any there. BUT, a few guys who had them like Anthony, Stanley and maybe one or two more had traveled to Japan using them. No names were mentioned about who played my Basses, just that the Bass itself was Famous.
It was around that time if not earlier that I took on the belief that making famous players models was
not in my best interest. The Basses we made for Anthony would not at all be something I would market. Also, my BT model made then was a better playing Bass than what Anthony had requested so he could have his own one-of-a-kind Bass.
Hey, let the Chef Cook the way he knows how to!
So, going with your gut feelings is sometimes the best voice you have to listen to! 'Go with what you know' as they say...
