# False advertising...



## Cort Strummer (Feb 16, 2009)

I was just wondering what is with the false advertising? I am just wondering why guitarists put their name on products they dont even use. I will just use Zakk Wylde for instance, on his Gibson Bullseye he has "EMG" pickups. They are just EMG covers over Bill Lawrence hand wound pickups. 

MXR\Dunlop also have Zakk Wylde pedals, I am no 100% but I dont think he uses them either (he might use some of their products but not the ones with his name on it). Another that comes to mind is Dimebag, SD has the dimebucker which DB didnt even use. He as well used BL hand wound pickups.

I also saw that MXR made a EVH wah pedal.... I dont think EVH even used a wah.

I am sure you guys can name a ton more, but why do they do this?


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

Cort Strummer said:


> I was just wondering what is with the false advertising? I am just wondering why guitarists put their name on products they dont even use. I will just use Zakk Wylde for instance, on his Gibson Bullseye he has "EMG" pickups. They are just EMG covers over Bill Lawrence hand wound pickups.
> 
> MXR\Dunlop also have Zakk Wylde pedals, I am no 100% but I dont think he uses them either (he might use some of their products but not the ones with his name on it). Another that comes to mind is Dimebag, SD has the dimebucker which DB didnt even use. He as well used BL hand wound pickups.
> 
> ...


for money dude-
MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:smile:


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

I do believe Fraser nailed it.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

For a mere eleventybillion and seven dollars (rounded up, saying eleventybillion and six - ninety nine is just awkward), you too can own the keto SPECIAL EDITION Bad Monkey, tuned to my liking and with the knobs hot-glued in position so YOU TOO can RAWK with the tone that made me famous!

Disclaimer: Do not read this fine print. Famous in my own house, only famous for how out of tune and clammy I play, when I play those two songs I know parts of over and over and over ad nauseum.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

keto said:


> For a mere eleventybillion and seven dollars (rounded up, saying eleventybillion and six - ninety nine is just awkward), you too can own the keto SPECIAL EDITION Bad Monkey, tuned to my liking and with the knobs hot-glued in position so YOU TOO can RAWK with the tone that made me famous!
> 
> Disclaimer: Do not read this fine print. Famous in my own house, only famous for how out of tune and clammy I play, when I play those two songs I know parts of over and over and over ad nauseum.


see- thats the spirit! now we can all rock with keto! excellent post my friend!


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Do you really think that Billy F Gibbons was really playing through those Crate Amps on stage?


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Hmm

Second post without coffee so please bear with me here (unless thats the neked bear I manage to mangle that one all the time!)

If a performer supported a product such as the ZEN Overdrive with loads of accolades and wowzers from the adoring money spending public, it is a fraudulent act to gut the Zen and put a Rat overdrive inside the box. (having only heard these pedals in samples both sound to be good pedals so I pick on them XDD)

I think that is what the OP's point is. 

Not that I would ever EVER sound like the performer if and when I bought their endorsed gear (I sound like crud on half awake at the best of times); *but* if BILL FRED said he used ZEN then I expect that BILL FRED *did indeed use ZEN* and not a studio guitarest on a Ibanez because Bill was tired that day and missed the recording sessions but oh well BILL FRED really will use whatever the last band left behind when playing live anyways so it doesn't matter...

I guess I have to say "use what you endorse or don't endorse it", it feels as much a lie as lip synching otherwise.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

*endorse: to recommend (as a product or service) usually for financial compensation* 

Most endorsers say something like "I highly recommend....". In that case I don't have any expectation that they actually _use_ the unit. However if they categorically state that they use Brand X, then I expect that they have. Keep in mind that endorsement deals have an expiry date, so it is not uncommon to see the same performer hawking something else down the road. 

Some performers have non-exclusive endorsement deals, meaning they are free to hawk more than one brand of the same product at the same time. In one issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine Phil Keaggy was endorsing 3 different guitar companies; Olsen, Charis and Langejans. He does happen to perform on studio and stage with those guitars.

In some cases an endorser may very well use one product for a certain application (studio), but use a different product in another application (stage). 

It's Theatre folks. The actors get all dressed up, go on the stage and say their lines. The curtain falls, they collect their money and they go home....


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

I have an old poster of Clapton endorsing Ernie Ball strings that I'm planning on sticking on the wall beside a package of Clapton Martin strings in the hopes that my students will learn to question advertising and think for themselves.


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

kat_ said:


> I have an old poster of Clapton endorsing Ernie Ball strings that I'm planning on sticking on the wall beside a package of Clapton Martin strings in the hopes that my students will learn to question advertising and think for themselves.


That's kind of a bad example.  Clapton has used Earny Ball super slinkies on his electrics and martins on his acoustics throughout most of his career. DigiTech does have a pedal with his name on it that he doesn't use, but I'm not sure he's ever actually claimed to.

Product endorsments are just another source of income. They can be pretty shady sometimes but honestly, who's going to turn down free money?


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

Brennan said:


> That's kind of a bad example.  Clapton has used Earny Ball super slinkies on his electrics and martins on his acoustics throughout most of his career.


Good point, but that's exactly the sort of question I'm hoping to get my students to ask. I don't want the kids to become complete cynics, I'm just hoping they'll go looking for those explanations instead of blindly buying everything with a name attached to it.


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)




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## Cort Strummer (Feb 16, 2009)

I just thought they would be a little more honest and endorse products they actually use.


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

Cort Strummer said:


> I just thought they would be a little more honest and endorse products they actually use.



I first ran into this in the 80s when Level 42 became popular on this side of the pond. Mark King was an insane new bass player and was all over bass & guitar mags. He had full page ads for ZON basses, yet I could find no video or picture of him actually using Zon basses. He had for many years used and endorsed (in album credits) 2 English bass manufacturers. I saw him a couple of times, and never a Zon to be seen.

I found out years later (when the interwebs were invented) that he apparantly he used the Zon on 1 song on the first album to be released in N.America.


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