Signature guitars. Discuss.

[Toshiro]

You'd be better off worrying about what shoes you're wearing on stage, wouldn't want your fans to think your a skater wanna be, or something....

Or maybe you'd better wear plain color shirts over band ones, as you don't want anyone to think you like anything...

Just don't wear your own band's shirt, as that's fucking pathetic.

These are the things the shallow fools in the crowd might be interested in.

Seriously, I can understand not liking the UV7/Jem for cosmetic reasons, or hating the K7 inlay, but not buying a guitar that has the features you want/like because it's someone else's sig model? Fucking stupid.

I use a bunch of Vai's pickups, but not a fan of his. Does that bother me? No. Am I worried someone's going to go: "OMGZ, LOLZ You play Breeds, you must be a Vai clone! Fanboi!". No.

I really want a Xiphos, and I wouldn't want one less if i was a full sig model, just wouldn't be able to afford it.

You talk in another thread about wanting a Bue Voodoo 120 just because Friedman had one, even though I doubt you'd ever even played one before. I find that stance and this thread to be more than slightly hypocritical of each other.

 

[Naren]

You'd be better off worrying about what shoes you're wearing on stage, wouldn't want your fans to think your a skater wanna be, or something....

Or maybe you'd better wear plain color shirts over band ones, as you don't want anyone to think you like anything...

Awesome.

 

[Cancer]

I've never owned a sig, and I wasn't going to chime in but I did want to share some thoughts. Sig guitars should only be a concern for guitar players who are trying to make a name for themselves in the music business (and to avoid flame let's just assume when i say "business" I mean selling your brand to fans or consumers of your music).

In rock IMO, Van Halen was arguably the first, and epitomized the correct way, to do "sig". In his early days his guitar was in a constant state of flux, so really it was the graphic that really identified him, and not the guitar itself. Try doing the Van Halen graphic today, and I guarantee someone will recognize it even if their not a rock fan, as that graphic has(rightfully so, I might add), reached the level of social icon.

Dimebag also did "sig" correctly, only he did it in reverse, keeping the shape of the guitar (more or less, depending on the manufacturer) consistant, and painting on it whatever suited his fancy at the time.

His memory in still fresh in the minds of rock and metal fans, so that Dean shape will continue to invoke his memory until someone else comes along and becomes bigger than him.

Both of the above did the one thing that I belief is a absolutely vital in order for the sig thing to work with the general nonplaying masses, they kept up a level of consistency throughout their careers in terms of the brand (either the graphic in EVH's case, or the Dean shape in Dime's case).


Steve Vai, IMO, in terms of "sig", is only really going to be remembered among guitar players and related aficianados, why, inconsistency. Only in the last decade of so has he kept a particular guitar, and in that time other RG players (Gilbert for instance) have "borrowed" the shape, and his graphic is nothing to speak (it's white...big deal). Personally I get the impression from his interview that he's ok with that, as he's done the rock star thing, and he can walk into any GC, and get another copy of his guitar if need be.

Someone here mentioned Noodles's guitar, and I think I mentioned this before but, that could very easily become his sig model using the Dimebag example, especially if Division was to get BIG (ie, record deal, magazine covers, yadda yadda), of if Dave was to say, go solo and do like G3 for example.

Clearly, for a sig to work, you only need 2 things, a brand that can be tied to a particular player/band, and consistency.

For me, I don't mind sigs, but I would rather have something that could be tied to me, something where people see it and go "Hey, that's Cancer's guitar", it's all part of the business, and a sacrifice I am quite willing to make, since it kinda frees youi to do what you want musically. I actually had that level of recognition back in the death metal days with my white Carvin V220, since no one else had one. My other guitar player went through like a half dozen models, but I stuck with my V220, and people remembered it, an thus recognized me, which helped to have people recognize the band.


That's actually part of the reason I wish I could get a 7 string version of it now, to invoke that connection, instead of starting the process over.

 

[tonyhell]

vbn

 

[GiantBaba]

psyphre have you seen this:

 

[Stitch]

Is that a Carvin? It looks like a V220

 

[Cancer]

psyphre have you seen this:

Yup, that would be my beloved V220...


WAIT, HOLY SHIT IT HAS ANOTHER STRING, YOU FOUND THIS AT THE CARVIN MUSEUM ??????

 

[Stitch]

Me wants.

 

[Rick]

Well, I play an Ibanez 7 string with one EMG pickup. I guess I'm a Dino clone.

 

[stuz719]

Well, I play an Ibanez 7 string with one EMG pickup. I guess I'm a Dino clone.

I eat too much. I guess I'm a Dino clone.

 

[Stitch]

I eat too much. I guess I'm a Dino clone.

Not on dude. I don't think that was really appropriate... Not meaning to sound like an aloof prick, but i gotta say that I, personally, thought that was in pretty poor taste.

 

[stuz719]

Not on dude. I don't think that was really appropriate... Not meaning to sound like an aloof prick, but i gotta say that I, personally, thought that was in pretty poor taste.

Why? I am overweight, just like Dino. Not meaning to sound critical, but I note you didn't chip in with any comments about the Randy Rhoads aeroplane post...

EDIT: And I note that your mood is "DEAD".

 

[darren]

It probably wouldn't be difficult at all to make a V220 from one of Carvin's 7-string neck-thru blanks.

 

[Cancer]

It probably wouldn't be difficult at all to make a V220 from one of Carvin's 7-string neck-thru blanks.

I was thinking about that. I'd have to find a builder though. I tried building a guitr once, didn't turn out so good.

 

[Rick]

Does anyone know anyone who uses sigs besides Dimebags, Vais, or Carpenters? It seems like there's a shitload of sigs made but I never see anyone using them.

 

[Stitch]

Why? I am overweight, just like Dino. Not meaning to sound critical, but I note you didn't chip in with any comments about the Randy Rhoads aeroplane post...

EDIT: And I note that your mood is "DEAD".

Dammit! Cornered!

I dunno, I just remember how on Jemsite you can't have a thread about Dino or Fear Factory before the fat jokes start coming in. Just seems a bit juvenile. But then it is because i have a lot of respect for the guy (and i am not trying to suggest you don't!)

Ignore me.

 

[stuz719]

Dammit! Cornered!

I dunno, I just remember how on Jemsite you can't have a thread about Dino or Fear Factory before the fat jokes start coming in. Just seems a bit juvenile. But then it is because i have a lot of respect for the guy (and i am not trying to suggest you don't!)

Ignore me.

Don't worry about it!

That's why I refer to J*msite From what I've seen of the forums over there... well, let's just say I'm proud to say I'm a member of ss.org!

No problem, although I am a bit sad that no-one noticed the Joe "Stumpy" Pepys reference I managed to sneak in...

 

[Unknown Doodl3.2]

I eat too much. I guess I'm a Dino clone.

If people saw me play my jem and went "what a vai wannabe" well I'd rather not have those ignorant idiots listen to me anyways... I don't mind signature models at all, my baby is a Jem7vwh and I have massive gas for a JP7 right now..

 

[skinhead]

I like signature guitars, because are different from the other stock guitars, you bring a signature to a gig, and it's the different from the rest, they look good, and the most important of all they have some exellent setup of pups and hardware when you buy them.

 

[Seedawakener]

I like signature guitars, because are different from the other stock guitars, you bring a signature to a gig, and it's the different from the rest, they look good, and the most important of all they have some exellent setup of pups and hardware when you buy them.

Frank, haha sometimes I really dont understand how you think. Sigs arent always like that. Guitars that are not sigs have just as good specs and setup as sigs most of the time, you just gotta spend the right kinda money. If you by an expensive version of someone signature guitar you get good hardware, if you spend a small amount of money buying maybe an LTD SC-207 you get less good hardware, pickups, and wood etc.

Anyway, my experience with sigs is that they sell. I would NEVER have bought my schecters if it was not for Jeff Loomis. First the 007 blackjack, which I wanted a couple of years ago when Loomis played 007 elites, and then the hellraiser when he started playing them.

Names do sell... hmm, never thought of it as something important before, but now when I think of it I realize big names are good for business. Always thought of it as rubbish haha... I dont know why but that is the case.