Brand Loyalty

mwalluk

New member
If you are like me, you stick to a certain company.

For acoustics I will only buy from Taylor or Martin.
For Electrics, I was a bigger supporter of ESP LTDS, but starting my GIbson collection now.
AMPs: WIll always have a marshall

how about you?
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

Great opinion post!

I think people are brand lucky. I used to work in construction and people would swear by a certain brand of appliance that they never had a problem with for the past many years, while others had nothing but problems with the same brand. This would situation would be repeated several times thoughout the years, as I heard people tell me their stories.

I'm pretty new to the music scene, three years, and I'm still searching for my brand. So far I've been pretty impressed with Ibanez (their starter guitars are phenominal for the price), Michael Kelly and Blackstar Amps.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

I'm pretty new to the music scene, three years, and I'm still searching for my brand. So far I've been pretty impressed with Ibanez (their starter guitars are phenominal for the price), Michael Kelly and Blackstar Amps.

Ibanez makes a solid guitar. Their lower to mid range guitars, do not have the best resale value. Their S series is a phenomenal line. They are very gig worthy and dependable. Their trem system is pretty decent too.

I always liked their acoustics. I rank them 4-5 right behind Taylor, Martin, then Gibson out of your typical brands at a store like GC. To me Taylor and Martin are inter-changeable.

I haven't played Blackstar but heard good reviews. The same could be said for Michael Kelly.

being fairly new to the scene you should check out Schecter and the ESP LTD line. Quality stuff.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

Electric Guitars: Some style of Gibson guitars... not Gibson but those style guitars in general.
Classical: La Patrie they make wonderful guitars.
Acoustic: not really anything but I do love my Washburn.

Effects: Analogman makes greta stuff and has amazing CS. EH has some cool stuff. John Spina makes a great wah.

Amps: Fender, I don't limit myself to that brand but they are pretty awesome, both tone and CS wise.

Pickups: Duncan, again tone and CS.

If you haven't been able to tell... I'm a huge sucker for customer service. You can make the best guitar I have ever played and sell it for $500 but if you are an asshole I won't even think about buying it.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

No brand loyalty . . . get the tool that best suits your uses at the best price. I've noticed that following this advice has netted me a bunch of stuff from Canadian manufacturers. Godin guitars, Traynor amps, Empress effects pedals . . . all are great and reasonably priced (at least around here) for what they do. I'm never opposed to trying something else though . . .
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

Ibanez makes a solid guitar. Their lower to mid range guitars, do not have the best resale value. Their S series is a phenomenal line. They are very gig worthy and dependable. Their trem system is pretty decent too.

Yeah, I love my Ibanez too. For shred guitars they are my go to brand.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

Horses for courses. I am a big fan of companies like Rivera, Hamer, Carvin, and Alvarez, but I also own stuff from Epi, Peavey, Fender, Fernandez, Godin, Marshall, and Crate.

I'm loyal to good gear.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

I'm a huge fan of MXR/Dunlop products. To me, they make some of the best efx pedals out there.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

For acoustics I will only buy from Taylor or Martin.

This is not my idea of brand loyalty. Buying from Taylor or Martin is giving your business to two competing brands

This to me is a desire to buy top shelf products.

AMPs: WIll always have a marshall

This is brand loyalty in my mind

And, to answer your question, I have no brand loyalty. I buy what I like, regardless of the name on it, although I may be swayed by reputation or past experience
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

If you haven't been able to tell... I'm a huge sucker for customer service. You can make the best guitar I have ever played and sell it for $500 but if you are an asshole I won't even think about buying it.


True but keep in mind, if you buy a product from a store, the store's customer service is in no reflection to the company of said product. Say I buy or want to buy a MArshall from GC and I receive piss poor CS from their so called sales person, that is no reflection on MArshall.

Now I don't deal with individual companies CS. I goto personal guitar techs.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

I just play what I can afford and what sounds good in the price range I can deal with. I'm actually more interested in building my own stuff, tweaking my own gear and trying to get sounds that are ME.

I'll probably never buy an off-the-shelf corporate guitar again. I'll likely just build my own from parts. I might buy a set-neck someday though.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

Ibanez makes a solid guitar. Their lower to mid range guitars, do not have the best resale value. Their S series is a phenomenal line. They are very gig worthy and dependable. Their trem system is pretty decent too.

I always liked their acoustics. I rank them 4-5 right behind Taylor, Martin, then Gibson out of your typical brands at a store like GC. To me Taylor and Martin are inter-changeable.

I haven't played Blackstar but heard good reviews. The same could be said for Michael Kelly.

being fairly new to the scene you should check out Schecter and the ESP LTD line. Quality stuff.

Thanks! I know the ESP's are great, a music shop that I frequent carries them because they have very few problems with them. I kind of have a hard time with their 12th fret inlay, it just seems cheesy to me (not a good reason to exclude them). I'm about to recieve shipment on a mint 2001 PRS Santana SE, the neck just feels very comfortable to me. I think my next guitar will be an Agile 3100 and I'm looking for another outstanding amp.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

This is not my idea of brand loyalty. Buying from Taylor or Martin is giving your business to two competing brands

This to me is a desire to buy top shelf products.

No necessarily. I used to own a Taylor 314CE which is hands down one of the best guitars they make up until you hit the 600 line. I also have a MArtin DX1 which is more mid range.

Reason I put both is depending on the situation or style of music, they both are great at what they do. Taylor's CE line is awesome for a lot of types/styles of music, they have more sparkle, mmore upper mid range warm tone. Martin is awesome for lower end rock.

I prefer Taylor tho.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

Thanks! I know the ESP's are great, a music shop that I frequent carries them because they have very few problems with them. I kind of have a hard time with their 12th fret inlay, it just seems cheesy to me (not a good reason to exclude them). I'm about to recieve shipment on a mint 2001 PRS Santana SE, the neck just feels very comfortable to me. I think my next guitar will be an Agile 3100 and I'm looking for another outstanding amp.

What's your price range? You looking for new or used? STyle?

Amps to check out based off my personal experiences are Carvin Legacy I, Marshall DSL, VOX AC15, Mesa Rectoverb, Randall RM series,
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

True but keep in mind, if you buy a product from a store, the store's customer service is in no reflection to the company of said product. Say I buy or want to buy a MArshall from GC and I receive piss poor CS from their so called sales person, that is no reflection on MArshall.

Now I don't deal with individual companies CS. I goto personal guitar techs.

Yeah, I know. Peavey is a good bunch of guys but I once visited a Peavey Dealer I will never go back to. The manager was a straight up dick. Making fun of peoples playing when hey were trying out stuff, talking about politics and getting all pissed off in the store because some little kid knocked over a couple straps... I barely talked to him, He said Can I help you? I just said no thanks and walked out. Funny how people are sometimes.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

First, I wanted to ditto that Michael Kelly makes some great guitars! I love my patriot custom. And since this ties in with a prev post, Im pretty certain that they are made by the same factory that makes LTDs and Schecters. The build and feature set are similar.. Price is less as they are a lesser known brand. But my custom had the wires all nicely bundled and zip tied in the cavity. That atten to detail suprised me.

As far as gear, Im really all over the place. I have certain brands I love, but my gear is what gives me the sound/playability I want, that I can afford.

Accoustics, I am very partial to Taylor and if I bought more, that would be my first choice. Great product and a good company. If I wasnt so gear fickle, Id get another Taylor solidbody and be an all Taylor guy. Maybe when I mature..
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

Some but not much. I like my old Godin but a lot of the newer Godin electrics are not for me however I do like the Multiac.
I'm very keen on Tech 21 NYC for amps but one of those lasts forever, however the european in me would like to try out the AER Cheeky D (I don't think one has made it to the UK as yet)
I don't use effects and have had the same acoustic for about 15 years which is a good Washburn were it need replacing I would probably go for a Seagull or a Martin. As Washburn don't make anything in that size anymore.
 
Re: Brand Loyalty

any loyalty is due to years of abuse and the resilience of the item. these brands always get first shot:

dunlop tortex and ultex picks
dr pure blues strings although i have been quite happy with the snake oil strings i have
seymour duncan pickups
george l's and monster cable jazz & studio
eminence, weber, and english made celestion speakers

thats about it. i use fender amps, but from the 60's. various guitars that are all modified or custom made. i have expensive martin and taylor acoustics but dont love any of them
 
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