Signature models

[Darren Bailey]

I realise that sometimes the signature model is aimed at people who want something "similar" to their idol's instrument but could never afford the real thing. But out of interest, does anyone know of a musician who regularly plays one of their own signature models?
Each time I see one of those Grisman designed Eastmans a little voice in my head says "yea, but what does he choose to play?".

[jjboone101]

Good question. I raised a similiar one a while back regarding the Adam Steffey model from Gibson. There is also the Bibey, Lawson. I believe Sam Bush uses one of the Gibson Bush models as a back-up to his Hoss and for alternate tuning songs (like Get Up John) and Tim O'Brien sometimes uses one of the Nugget/Collings TOB models on the road. Can't say I've seen the other guys regularly playing their Signature models.

[Johnny60]

Going off mandolins for a moment (sorry!), I know that Brian Setzer often gigs with his own signature model Gretsch Hot Rod guitars.

[MacStevenXIII]

Going off mandolins for a moment (sorry!), I know that Brian Setzer often gigs with his own signature model Gretsch Hot Rod guitars.

Sticking with Gretsch Guitars, Chet Atkins (did), Jim Heath of Reverend Horton Heat, Tim Armstrong, Billy Zoom, G-Love, Patrick Stump as well all play their signature guitars.

[barney 59]

Steve Earle seems to always perform with his Martin signature model these days,figuring how many guitars that Steve has - being one of the truly great instrument hounds, I find that interesting. I also saw his son recently and he had one. I know that Martin signature models actually have the artist spec out and design the guitar, at least up to a point. They are always identifiable as Martins when they are done. Steve Earle's was designed by Steve and Matt Umanoff after a Martin Conversion that Matt did years ago for Dave Bromberg. I don't know if Gibson does the same with their signature models. Some artists I notice have signature guitars that are based on the guitar that they actually usually play. Kenny Sultan's signature 00018 is based on his 1936 00018 that he seems to favor, for example. I think it's a good idea,musicians able to take a stab at designing an instrument.

[Ed Goist]

* Warren Ellis - Eastwood Warren Ellis signature Tenor Guitar
* Kenny Wayne Shepherd often plays one of his signature Fender Strats (in addition to his 61 & 58 Strats)
However, the most applicable and high-profile example that I can think of of an artist using his or her own signature instrument is:
* Eric Clapton and his signature Fender Strat. He regularly uses two or three of these (completely stock according to his tech, no less!) during a performance.

[Willie]

There was/is a Gibson Doyle Lawson mandolin listed in our classifieds for sale that was the original mandolin that Doyle played, at least that is waht the ad said...If I owned a Loar I wouldn`t play a signature model either....Ralph Stanley played a signature banjo on some shows but only for a few songs and then he went back to his regular banjo.....I guess if they get them free of charge they should at least show them off on occasion....

Willie

[f5loar]

I remember back when a guy named Loar played his signature model on the road. I'm thinking these guys like Benson,Steffey,Bibey,etc. only used their signature models for a few months to say they did it and then went back to what they liked the best. I think Terry Balcum has more signature model banjos then anyone but he can only play one at a time. Crowe has quite a few too but usually you see him with a prewar flathead. How about Earl Scruggs? He had a bunch of signatures out there too but he is only known for that one prewar flathead Granada.

[barney 59]

Besides getting one do the artists get royalties? It's a feather in your cap to get an instrument named after you,( as it would be for a bricklayer to get a brick named after you) but it's also an endorsement and free advertising for the manufacturer if the artist actually plays it on stage. I wonder what Taylor Swift gets for playing that big old Taylor guitar that she plays with "TAYLOR" written across the fretboard . I once read that if Michael Jordan walked across the stage on The Tonight Show it was the equivalent of $15,000,000 in free advertising for Nike.

[Charles E.]

Jethro played a Washburn signature model, with a piece of electric tape covering the name. At one concert I saw he said at the beginning, " The Gibson company would like for me to announce that for tonights show I will be playing a Washburn mandolin".
I guess he was under contract.

[Willie]

I`ll be better to answer this question as soon as Gibson contacts me to make my "Signature" Model....I was sure someone would post that so since they didn`t I will....

Willie

[allenhopkins]

Marcy Marxer playing her Gold Tone "Marcy Marxer Model" cello banjo:




I own one of the MM signature models. One of the nicest people in the world...

[Ed Goist]

Marcy Marxer playing her Gold Tone "Marcy Marxer Model" cello banjo:

(snipped video embedded in post #12)

I own one of the MM signature models. One of the nicest people in the world...

Man, that was fantastic!
Allen, thanks so much for posting that video. Great stuff!

[almeriastrings]

I know Jack Lawrence (flatpicker) often used (or still uses) his Martin Sig model on stage. Nice guitar. I've played it.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I've seen video clips where Doyle Lawson & Adam Steffey have played their signature model Mandolins (Gibson & Mowry respectively),but ultimately they'll play whichever Mandolin they feel is the 'best' for any particular purpose. Some Mandolins will be great for a live show,but maybe not so great for recording regarding the subtle nuances of tone that the players might want. It could be just that they have several instruments & need to keep playing them in some sort of rotation. I feel that the real purpose of a 'signature model' is exactly as you say,to give the fans of those players an instrument that associates with their idol.That doesn't mean to say that those instruments won't be good,but i feel it's more of a marketing ploy that anything else,in the same way that we have 'stars' of all sorts doing ads.for all sorts of products,in an effort to persuade the buying public that they actually eat/drink/drive/use them - we know different though,don't we ?,
Ivan

[trevor]

Cello banjo! They say you learn something everyday, I've learnt something today.. guess everybody else knew?

[Charles E.]

Man, that was fantastic!
Allen, thanks so much for posting that video. Great stuff!

Uh oh, Ed might be adding a Cello Banjo to the group.

[allenhopkins]

Man, that was fantastic!
Allen, thanks so much for posting that video. Great stuff!

Marcy is, as I stated, one of the world's true sweethearts. She and her long-time partner Cathy Fink have won a Grammy for children's recordings. She also is a good mandolin player and guitarist, and has a slew of YouTube vids teaching ukulele technique.

The Gold Tone "Marcy Marxer" cello banjo comes in both four-string and five-string models. It's a niche instrument; I don't use mine every day (or every month), but it's a neat baritone banjo voice.

[JeffD]

I got to talking with a buddy who in a former life has been a guitar tech for some well known acts. He tells me, and I have seen this elsewhere too, that the great guitar stars' machines are often their own specific design, built to their specs by their own respected and trusted top of the line luthier, and then made to look like a product from which ever guitar company is endorsing them. Apperently this is done pretty often.

[pglasse]

I've been fortunate enough to have two signature instruments with my name attached to them. Yes, I play and perform on them regularly. They're stellar instruments.

Michael Stevens, of Stevens Guitars, makes the Paul Glasse Model 5-string electric mandolin. He completed the first one in 1982, after extensive discussions about what we each thought needed to happen to make the ultimate electric mandolin -- especially for that fat jazz-guitar-like tone that I love. I played that original prototype for many years and have for the last 10 years or so played a newer, fancier, version which incorporates various refinements based upon years of our experience with these instruments. A few great players who've bought these Paul Glasse model mandolins are: Don Stiernberg, Tom Rozum, Aubrey Haney and Barry Mitterhoff. I'm honored. My current personal mandolin is the bottom (blonder) mandolin pictured at the above link. Of course I think these are the best electric mandolins on the planet.

More recently Paul Lestock of Arrow Guitars has been selling a Paul Glasse Model Mandola. Though the design is very much Paul Lestock's, I know we talked a number of times about the various tradeoffs in mandola construction, personal preferences, experience with other mandolas, etc. He seems to feel these discussions were helpful to the refinement of his mandola. I think he's come up with a really great product and am honored that he offered to put my name on it. I've owned two previous mandolas and moved both of them along to their next owners many years back, as they just didn't work for me. I love my signature model mandola. No, I don't gig on mandola as much as I do on acoustic or electric mandolin but when I do this is what I play and believe in. Let me add that Arrow instruments are surprisingly affordable. Paul Lestock can be contacted by personal message through the cafe forum and he's on Facebook too.

Sorry for the long-winded answers. I want to be clear, these are top-quality, pro-level, instruments. I play them because I believe in them. I'll follow up with some video links in another message.

[pglasse]

Here are some decidedly low-production-quality videos of my playing my Stevens Paul Glasse Model electric mandolin and my Arrow Paul Glasse Model mandola.

Pennies From Heaven


Softly As A Morning Sunrise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YxITUceBPk

Mandola Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQFh5Fb64hE.

Mandolin Cafe also has the following audio link of me playing the same electric mandolin: Air Mail Special

Thanks for listening!

[barney 59]

Jethro played a Washburn signature model, with a piece of electric tape covering the name. At one concert I saw he said at the beginning, " The Gibson company would like for me to announce that for tonights show I will be playing a Washburn mandolin".
I guess he was under contract.

Jethro had a sticker that said "Elderly" that he placed over the Washburn logo when I saw it. Actually it said
"Washburn" until just before some photographs were to be taken then he covered it. Jethro said that he made the deal with Washburn because he couldn't convince Gibson to build a mandolin that a mandolin player could afford. I don't know if something went wrong with the arrangement he made with Washburn for him to hide it in public but he sure played the hell out of that thing!

[Mark Seale]

That's a powerfully good trio there Paul. Those videos deserve lots of views and shares among everyone's friends and social networks...

Seriously, the tone of the Stevens e-mando combined with your amp is as good as it gets. There's a quality there that just escapes everything else. It's my pleasure to get to hear that rig on a regular basis.

[pglasse]

Mark, thanks for the kind words.

On another front...it's my understanding that, at least during a certain period of time, many of the Fender endorsement instruments were made in the Fender Custom Shop, with then-Senior Design Engineer Michael Stevens working directly with artists (including Eric Clapton and Danny Gatton) to realize their dream guitars. For a certain time period the Eric Clapton Model Strat and Danny Gatton Model Tele that each of those guys played were made specifically by Michael Stevens. These were distinct from any production models that bore those artists names. Whatever came off of the factory production line may have been inspired by and shared some traits with the artist's actual guitars but often concessions had to be made to work in a mass production situation.

This history is well documented. That said, I certainly have no idea what Clapton plays now.