So which of you guys are endorsed?

[Huw Foster]

I'm currently endorsed by [url="http://www.vanderkleyamp.nl"]Vanderkley Amplification[/url]. Marc actually got in touch after seeing one of my youtube videos, which was cool! Like many people here, this means it's a discount (and my name on the site) rather than free stuff.

Working on others as I type this!

[BassTractor]

Don't know it this is possible at all in the UK, but just in case:
Here in Norway, as long as I could provide proof that I was a professional musician, I got to buy directly from the importers at reduced prices. On some occasions this 'gotten' me as much as a 40% discount. Deal was: NO tape to cover the brand name.


np: [b]AMTP[/b]

[rogerstodge]

Not an endorsement but we played on a bbc1 tv show, i phoned orange amplification and told them about it, when i got to the studio there was a 200w orange head and cab waiting for me which i used for the time we were there

[ThomBassmonkey]

I'm endorsed by GK and Polar Audio (PA are the UK Dist for GK gear, I'm technically endorsed directly to GK so I get a decent discount on their stuff but I can get smaller discount on anything PA sell), our drummer's endorsed by SJC and technically we're endorsed by a string brand too but none of us like the strings so we've never really made use of it.

My endorsement is basically cheap gear and I help out them when I can, I'm around here a lot pimping them out (I would do it anyway because I love GK stuff, but I know a bit more about them after having played all their stuff so can help out with a bit more accurate advice) and I've done a trade show for them (LBGS last year) and hopefully I'll be bugging a local shop to start stocking their stuff and helping them learn about it, which'll help everyone.

I got my endorsement after buying a (retail) GK 700RB-II and a couple of 210RBH cabs and loving it, then going to Warwick about a bass endorsement. They offered me a crap amp endorsement instead which I turned down, so I went to Polar and asked if I could have a GK endorsement and they sorted it out for me. Our drummer got endorsement offers simply by emailing around and finding a company he wanted an endorsement from that replied to him.

Some endorsements can sound fancy but actually they're not great. Warwick offered me 50% off RRP on any of their amps, but after you take into account that RRP is usually 30%+ more than street price and that you have to pay shipping from Germany, I was only saving about £50 on an amp that would've set me back £800 from a shop.

This reminds me, now my band's on Kerrang, I wonder if it's time to get in touch with EB again...

[chrismuzz]

Interesting... Never had an endorsement myself but ontop of my two current bands I am getting involved in a project later this year that has a record deal and an album on the way... Might be time to pop a email to Peavey, Markbass, et a soon..l

[Bassman Steve]

Always worth the price of a stamp (or time doing an email). I did Children In Need a few years back and was offered a deal just on the basis of that (rather similar to Rogerstodge above).

[ped]

I'm endorsed (or I endorse?) Vigier. There's no contract but basically I spoke to them when I got my first Vigier and we had some interesting chats about their basses and forthcoming designs. I bought two more vigiers (though privately) and see the 'endorsement' as a mutural respect.. I could get a discount on a new bass, but frankly I am never going to replace my 1988 bass with anything so it's fairly redundant. I guess it's nice to be able to say, but in reality it doesn't mean anything. Perhaps if I went on tour then they would be helpful but I can't see that happening, can you?