Ronnie McCoury on Eastman?

[Drew Streip]

Scrolling through the Eastman Artists page, I found this:



Anybody care to comment? I could see it if it were an auxiliary instrument like a guitar or octave mandolin, but that's the same 515 I play. Could they not even hook him up with the 915?

[Willie Poole]

I assume that a lot of the pros try different brand mandolins when they visit a shop that sells all models and someone just took that photo of Ronnie, When I visit a shop I play every mandolin that is on display, of course I am not a star so no one has ever taken my picture with one....

Willie

[Luna Pick]

I think it just goes to show the 515 is a fine, playable mandolin for the masses, and enjoyable for all players, even Ronnie. No ego involved.

[Drew Streip]

Willie: This is specifically written by Eastman to imply that Ronnie McCoury regularly plays an Eastman 515 as a primary instrument.

While I agree with Luna Pick about the quality, and while I don't get the impression that Ronnie has much of an ego...

I don't think we'd ever see him putting down the Gilchrist or his Loar in favor of the 515 (unless he needs an instrument specifically for bad-weather gigs).

We know that Giacomel and Dawg authorized the Eastman copies, but did Dawg ever actually play one on the road?

[Ivan Kelsall]

I totally agree with Drew. The implication re. Ronnie McCoury is misleading,& may very well be for all the musicians photographed holding an Eastman instrument. I can't say that it's deliberately 'dishonest',but i view all such claims by any large manufacturer as 'iffy',
Ivan

[Mark Gunter]

There's nothing on that page that indicates that these artists use the pictured instruments as their main axe.

The page indicates that they love "Making instruments for a large variety of artists in a wide range of genres" and that their "favorite artists" enjoy their instruments.

I'd assume these companies compensate artists for the use of their photos, and I don't know but I imagine there are many levels of "sponsorship deals" allowing them to use these photos - as long as they don't make baseless claims - maybe even some as insignificant as presenting the artist with a gift instrument, and obtaining a signed release on the photograph. If anyone is more curious about the facts of it, ask Ronnie. He probably would respond to a letter.

[Willie Poole]

A few banjo player were playing some Stelling banjos on festival shows to showcase and advertise for Stelling and all of them went back to their original banjos after a short period of time, the ones that I know of were Ralph Stanley, Eddie Adcock, Chris Warner and I think Bill Emerson, so it is not uncommon for a pro to feature a different instrument but I`ll bet a dollar to a donut that Ronnie never played the Eastman at any of their big shows...

[Timbofood]

Now I want a doughnut!

[allenhopkins]

Don't forget Bill Monroe's Ibanez endorsement. Several pics of him and band members playing Ibanez instruments. My theory has always been that a Monroe tour of Japan was underwritten by Ibanez, and Monroe posed with an Ibanez mandolin in exchange. Perhaps he played Ibanez, or some band members did, in Japan.

I have no real evidence source for this, other than dimly-remembered discussions at the time. I do remember seeing Ibanez ads with Monroe pictured playing an Ibanez F-model mandolin.

[Tomando]

dammit, me too…!

[Ivan Kelsall]

Ralph Stanley did play a Stelling banjo for quite a while - however,he had his own brand, the ''Stanleytone' banjos,so it was more important to 'push' them for sales. Bill Emmerson,as far as i know still plays his trademark Stelling ''Red Fox''. Eddie Adcock was playing a Stelling prior to him having the brain op.to cure his right hand tremor. As with all top pickers,i suspect he has a choice of banjos,
Ivan

[Eric Platt]

Not that unusual. Tacoma did a similar thing when they introduced the Papoose. Ads showed folks like GE Smith and Norman Blake holding one. Didn't mean either owned or played it, though.

No plans on getting rid of my Eastman octave because of the ad, that's for sure.

[Todd Bowman]

I could be mistaken, but I seem to remember a Flatiron brochure in the 80's with DAWG playing a Flatiron Army-Navy model with an "I love these mandolins..." quote/caption. Never saw him play one at a show though.

[F-2 Dave]

I see it as just being an advertisement that associates a famous player with their product. What that may or may not infer to the reader is subjective, but it sells mandolins. Ronnie McCoury may well own an Eastman mandolin. He may even play that mandolin, sometimes. Is it his main rig? Probably not. I do know that he held one once. I saw the picture.

[jim simpson]

I saw Ronnie last night, it looked like he was playing a Michael Kelly, lol! It looks like his Gilchrist to me. Great show with The Travellin' McCourys, The Dawg and Del for a 3 plus hour show!

[Northwest Steve]

Saw him a couple of months ago in a small venue and he was playing his Gilchrist that David Grisman gave him.

[Tony Dillingham]

Don't forget Bill Monroe's Ibanez endorsement. Several pics of him and band members playing Ibanez instruments. My theory has always been that a Monroe tour of Japan was underwritten by Ibanez, and Monroe posed with an Ibanez mandolin in exchange. Perhaps he played Ibanez, or some band members did, in Japan.

I have no real evidence source for this, other than dimly-remembered discussions at the time. I do remember seeing Ibanez ads with Monroe pictured playing an Ibanez F-model mandolin.

I don't have the book any more but in Bob Black's "Come Hither to go Yonder" he recounts something along those lines.

[vetus scotia]

I could be mistaken, but I seem to remember a Flatiron brochure in the 80's with DAWG playing a Flatiron Army-Navy model with an "I love these mandolins..." quote/caption. Never saw him play one at a show though.

Probably this one:


Source:

[dhergert]

A few banjo player were playing some Stelling banjos on festival shows to showcase and advertise for Stelling and all of them went back to their original banjos after a short period of time, the ones that I know of were Ralph Stanley, Eddie Adcock, Chris Warner and I think Bill Emerson, so it is not uncommon for a pro to feature a different instrument but I`ll bet a dollar to a donut that Ronnie never played the Eastman at any of their big shows...

Don Reno played his Stelling regularly. He played it so regularly that he put a hole in the head.

Actually Stelling and Deering banjos are both often seen on stage, they both make respectable banjos and with Gibson out of the banjo market, they are the most well known names. That said, I could never play a Stelling, they're way too heavy for my back. Sound good tho.

[Chris Daniels]

Probably this one:


Source:

Very likely this, which is indeed from a Flatiron brochure I will post the entirety of one day. Same pic and quote, but it includes bonus endorsements from many other well known pickers!



Gotta say, I don't know which of the "What they play" header at Eastman or Dawg's "I wish I'd had one when I started" statement is more confusing as to what each player actually thinks of the respective instrument.

C.

[JeffD]

The "deception" goes a step further in some cases. Some rock guitarists for example, may get a guitar made perfectly to their specs and desires, quirks and preferences, by some uber luthier they trust and work with. Then the guitar is made to look like a more or less off the shelf model from the manufacturer who pays the highest bid to sponsor the artist.

I read that here on the cafe (so it must be true) and then I checked with an acquaintance of mine in an industry peripheral to the rock and roll performance, who corroborated the story. Anyway, I have no reason to doubt it.

[KEB]

In at least one case, he played an Eastman on stage that was given away as a Delfest raffle on a song with Del to help sell raffle tickets. I can't recall him doing it the last few years, but I'd guess there was some connection from their sponsorship at Delfest where hey have a tent and generally give away an instrument.

--

I remember one year at the DF Academy he borrowed someone's older Washburn played it for a bit and said "I'd play that on stage."

I think he can probably make most well-set-up instruments sound fairly good.

[zookster]

I just emceed a bluegrass festival here in NC, and Ronnie turned to me and said "this here Eastman puts my Gilchrist to shame!" His band mates agreed.


Now that I have your attention..........Ronnie was playing his Gilchrist, as he has every time I have introduced the McCourys at MerleFest. While Eastman no doubt makes a serviceable instrument, guys of THAT caliber know what tone is, and it often is from Australia. I would love to see him with his Loar in public, but it hasn't happened yet.

If I see him pull any other brand out of a case, I will let you guys know promptly. For the record, my mando buddies made sure I gave a report back afterwards as to Ronnie's choice for the evening. And yes, it did sound great.

[musicofanatic]

I was backstage at a Ralph Stanley show years back. I overheard someone talking to Stanley, noting that Ralph was playing a Stelling now and asking how he liked it. Ralph replied, "I'll show you what I like about it", opening the case and indicating the the extra long accessory compartment that ran the entire length of the neck. He opened the lid to the compartment and said, "See, I could never fit a fifth of Crown Royal in any other banjo case".

[JEStanek]

Considering we don't have the facts on how or why a mandolin celebrity is on the official Eastman page (I'm pretty sure the legal teams would be involved if it wasn't cool) don't read anything more than what the text says, "Making instruments for a large variety of artists in a wide range of genres is a labor of love. Nothing makes us happier than seeing our favorite artists enjoying our instruments as much as we do." That's not a statement of where he plays it or anything. It's also not in an ad on FB or anywhere for marketing. We don't know if Ronnie was compensated for it.

Jamie