fifteenohms
Well-Known Member
NEVER OBSCURE YOUR LOGOS!!
I think I was 7 when I first saw Hendrix on KABC7, in a look-back segment about Woodstock and what happened in his life.
If it’s similar to Yngwies Marshall discovery story, that’s fine because I tell you it’s about discovery and not about advertising! And it’s not unique, I’ve heard the same plot curve a dozen times from other players.
Okay I recall seeing the logos. Into the years those same iconic badges would crop up: the “Smoke On The Water” guy had em too. Blue Cheer had em.
Then one day I saw on Don Fishnets’ Rock Concert a band I could care less for - AC/DC suddenly sounded good and had a couple videos - and there they those Marshall logos are. Again.
As a pre-guitar kid I was NOT interested in this metal sound, but the obvious social cueing over the years left a deep impression that if you were any good at music you’ll eventually be around others who use this stuff and get to try it yourself. Eventually.
And so it was in Southern California in the 1970’s where lots of diverse backyard parties I hit, had Marshall gear.
But I resisted. In 1980 a Harmony 400 3-watter and a distortion pedal got me close enough, so maybe I didn’t need to “be that loud” until I got a drummer.
After 8 years of buying-trying-unliking then flipping thru recycler stuff that was no good, Ronnie Montrose traded in a near mint JMP100, 1982B & 1960 A.P. towards a Martin acoustic, and I got all 3 pcs $1000 & tax.
Up to this point nothing was good: but I gave into the social cues and by 85 knew why Marshall was very decent and very different.
Could I have bypassed a lot of wasted time by going directly to a used Marshall to a shorter music development? You bet. But like Bruce Zinky and Jim Seavall have said before me sometimes if you can’t make the connection you’ll exhaust every other excuse “why not” till the other paths fail.
Ok getting to the obscuriation-of-the-brandings-point:
* I go to CBS once and their paperwork says “no logos you gotta cover them.” Can’t even wear your T-shirt but you’re the band~ whut... Doesn’t make sense to me.
Same thing over at Universal!
How does a kid today, looking back as I once was, clueless yknow, figure out what today’s good players use to get good sounds?
It never used to be like this: bands were gear-proud and would laugh if someone said “tape off the Marshall logo.”
When did I first notice this? 1994-5 with Nirvana on MTV. Kurt has 8 cabs on his side, but the prominent classy Marshall brand is patched off w black gaffers tape! Hashtag: #Sellout.
I wondered then, Why do a stupid thing like that: is it a punk rock trend or what? De-branding gear is cool now? A $50 4X12 and a $900 one coequal - depending on talent?
Then ffwd>> today’s filming releases.
And you know what? Everybody must be signing them - bc look - from now on after I’ve pointed this out, watch your late night and daytime promo performances for logo banning and you’ll draw the same conclusion: it’s harmful to kids and pervades the advertising value a band has toward factory sponsorship.
And: it doesn’t stop with our back lines, either, when you see electric tape over the Gibson or Jackson logo.
This trick might have worked in the pre-VHS day’s, but not in the dying age of fake news & clickbait: for example-
1. I know Butterslax likes his Friedman’s right? Suppose Mastodon play Coachella and the main live sponsor preselected Orange UK and GC websites as in-video banner advertising to undermine Freidman to drive traffic off Dave? They cobble some old compelling Mastodon pics w Orange and all you gotta do is cover up live logos.
2. Ditto bass gear: it looks like Aguilar bass gear but I can’t tell under gaff tape, placed there beforehand so YouTube can adsell some 15-sec ad of a Beardy Fatdude you can’t click off for Musicians Friend and their ponderous assortment of combos that make dreams come true. Ugh!
3. Same with keys: You know the Nord is red, or the Roland backpanel is a Roland but wait - what model? Can’t tell, it’s been knobknocked up w tape!
4. Same w Percussion, that’s a huge trigger there (no Leppard jokes ok)
I think knowing what tools the older kids used to become professionals happens to be important to the clueless getting started.
I’ve provided my own curve as an example because we didn’t have inter webs then, and the pre-vhs photographic record is now online after the fact which SHOULD BY ALL REASON DEFEAT the notion this “logo blocking” has any benefit to the advertiser when the public know better now.
And even if they didn’t know, it’s downright devious to run say, Line6 ads for example over online content indelibly created w Marshall. Images search is one click away - yet AdSense has yet to give it up.
I’m against it.
It’s got to stop.
Why do people give in to that?
I never signed for that and I hope none of you guys do either. It’s an issue that begs open discussion!
I think I was 7 when I first saw Hendrix on KABC7, in a look-back segment about Woodstock and what happened in his life.
If it’s similar to Yngwies Marshall discovery story, that’s fine because I tell you it’s about discovery and not about advertising! And it’s not unique, I’ve heard the same plot curve a dozen times from other players.
Okay I recall seeing the logos. Into the years those same iconic badges would crop up: the “Smoke On The Water” guy had em too. Blue Cheer had em.
Then one day I saw on Don Fishnets’ Rock Concert a band I could care less for - AC/DC suddenly sounded good and had a couple videos - and there they those Marshall logos are. Again.
As a pre-guitar kid I was NOT interested in this metal sound, but the obvious social cueing over the years left a deep impression that if you were any good at music you’ll eventually be around others who use this stuff and get to try it yourself. Eventually.
And so it was in Southern California in the 1970’s where lots of diverse backyard parties I hit, had Marshall gear.
But I resisted. In 1980 a Harmony 400 3-watter and a distortion pedal got me close enough, so maybe I didn’t need to “be that loud” until I got a drummer.
After 8 years of buying-trying-unliking then flipping thru recycler stuff that was no good, Ronnie Montrose traded in a near mint JMP100, 1982B & 1960 A.P. towards a Martin acoustic, and I got all 3 pcs $1000 & tax.
Up to this point nothing was good: but I gave into the social cues and by 85 knew why Marshall was very decent and very different.
Could I have bypassed a lot of wasted time by going directly to a used Marshall to a shorter music development? You bet. But like Bruce Zinky and Jim Seavall have said before me sometimes if you can’t make the connection you’ll exhaust every other excuse “why not” till the other paths fail.
Ok getting to the obscuriation-of-the-brandings-point:
* I go to CBS once and their paperwork says “no logos you gotta cover them.” Can’t even wear your T-shirt but you’re the band~ whut... Doesn’t make sense to me.
Same thing over at Universal!
How does a kid today, looking back as I once was, clueless yknow, figure out what today’s good players use to get good sounds?
It never used to be like this: bands were gear-proud and would laugh if someone said “tape off the Marshall logo.”
When did I first notice this? 1994-5 with Nirvana on MTV. Kurt has 8 cabs on his side, but the prominent classy Marshall brand is patched off w black gaffers tape! Hashtag: #Sellout.
I wondered then, Why do a stupid thing like that: is it a punk rock trend or what? De-branding gear is cool now? A $50 4X12 and a $900 one coequal - depending on talent?
Then ffwd>> today’s filming releases.
And you know what? Everybody must be signing them - bc look - from now on after I’ve pointed this out, watch your late night and daytime promo performances for logo banning and you’ll draw the same conclusion: it’s harmful to kids and pervades the advertising value a band has toward factory sponsorship.
And: it doesn’t stop with our back lines, either, when you see electric tape over the Gibson or Jackson logo.
This trick might have worked in the pre-VHS day’s, but not in the dying age of fake news & clickbait: for example-
1. I know Butterslax likes his Friedman’s right? Suppose Mastodon play Coachella and the main live sponsor preselected Orange UK and GC websites as in-video banner advertising to undermine Freidman to drive traffic off Dave? They cobble some old compelling Mastodon pics w Orange and all you gotta do is cover up live logos.
2. Ditto bass gear: it looks like Aguilar bass gear but I can’t tell under gaff tape, placed there beforehand so YouTube can adsell some 15-sec ad of a Beardy Fatdude you can’t click off for Musicians Friend and their ponderous assortment of combos that make dreams come true. Ugh!
3. Same with keys: You know the Nord is red, or the Roland backpanel is a Roland but wait - what model? Can’t tell, it’s been knobknocked up w tape!
4. Same w Percussion, that’s a huge trigger there (no Leppard jokes ok)
I think knowing what tools the older kids used to become professionals happens to be important to the clueless getting started.
I’ve provided my own curve as an example because we didn’t have inter webs then, and the pre-vhs photographic record is now online after the fact which SHOULD BY ALL REASON DEFEAT the notion this “logo blocking” has any benefit to the advertiser when the public know better now.
And even if they didn’t know, it’s downright devious to run say, Line6 ads for example over online content indelibly created w Marshall. Images search is one click away - yet AdSense has yet to give it up.
I’m against it.
It’s got to stop.
Why do people give in to that?
I never signed for that and I hope none of you guys do either. It’s an issue that begs open discussion!
