Bonamassa Fender??

hubobulous

Dear Joe

We'd like to offer you an endorsement. As part of the deal, there will be exposure of your music/tours and possibly money for using our gear, not to mention support on the road as you move country to country.

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Dear Fender

Thanks but no thanks. Apparently I have my name on too many products out there for the discerning punter. Many reviews of this gear are really favourable in terms of playability and tone, but it just seems to be getting under people's skin. I've never met most of them, but that doesn't stop them having a derisory opinion as to me wanting to earn money.

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I just don't get the hate. So he wears sunglasses. So he wears a suit. So his name is on a number of products. So he's making a living. It appears like its a car crash mentality for some. They just can't look away.

I get that some out there don't like the Bonamassa brand. Perhaps this is in conjunction with not liking the music, perhaps the two are separate. Perhaps anyone out there could give the precise number of items that its ok for an artist to lend their name to? Is there one?

For example: Satriani wears sunglasses, endorses a range of Ibanez guitars, endorses a run of Vox pedals, endorses a Marshall amp, has signature picks, has signature straps. Heaven forbid, he even has a website, FB page, Twitter account and YouTube channel all to market his brand. Is that within the boundaries of acceptability?

I just don't get the hate.

Jalapeno

Surely a Bonnamassa Fender is like a Hendrix Les Paul

The only thing that really bugs me about JB (as distinct from guys like Satriani) is the tone of his PR on facebook - "the worlds best ever guitarist" and such like. In contrast Satch is very self-effacing and humble.

hubobulous

^^^^ Well, Bonamassa is known for his LPs for sure, but early recordings are all Strat. And isn't this an amp deal anyway?

I dunno about the FB page. I'm not attempting at all to be argumentative, but I've just looked at it and I truthfully didn't get that vibe at all. There's some promotion of the album, some pics of his guitars, some promotion of his radio station and Tribute store, but nothing that screams that he's an arrogant self-believer.

Maybe I just love Joe and can't bear anything said against him ;-)

Philly_Q

I do remember seeing a TV documentary about a very young (13 or 14) Joe Bonamassa, at the time he was playing a '54 hardtail Strat.  So maybe he's coming full circle?

I'm not really a fan, but he's obviously a guy who has a lot of different gear and likes an endorsement deal, so most people will take this with a pinch of salt anyway.

hubobulous

.......I just also had a thought.

Is this an endorsement deal? Or is he just saying that he's taking the amps on the road? It might lead to a Bonamassa Fender amp, but this just looks like him having a Fenderwall behind him at the moment.

downbytheriver

I'm ambivalent about JB.

I like the guy, no problems with his image, admire his gear, even his tone, love the work he's done running clinics with local schoolkids before gigs etc etc etc.

Don't like his musical style.

dilbert

hubobulous said:

I just don't get the hate. So he wears sunglasses. So he wears a suit. So his name is on a number of products. So he's making a living. It appears like its a car crash mentality for some. They just can't look away.

I get that some out there don't like the Bonamassa brand. Perhaps this is in conjunction with not liking the music, perhaps the two are separate. Perhaps anyone out there could give the precise number of items that its ok for an artist to lend their name to? Is there one?

For example: Satriani wears sunglasses, endorses a range of Ibanez guitars, endorses a run of Vox pedals, endorses a Marshall amp, has signature picks, has signature straps. Heaven forbid, he even has a website, FB page, Twitter account and YouTube channel all to market his brand. Is that within the boundaries of acceptability?

I just don't get the hate.

=D> Excellent post.

stonevibe

For me both Satriani and Bonamassa are musicians that are great at doing what they do.

Just its a little boring hearing variations on a theme year after year.

So I appreciate the talent, but don't enjoy the music.

Dave_Mc

downbytheriver said:

love the work he's done running clinics with local schoolkids before gigs

Wow, I didn't realise he was in medicins sans frontieres...

Adam_MD

stonevibe;382335" said:

For me both Satriani and Bonamassa are musicians that are great at doing what they do.

Just its a little boring hearing variations on a theme year after year.

So I appreciate the talent, but don't enjoy the music.

Totally agree, they're really great players but their music just doesn't float my boat... Deep breath... I also don't really get Steve Vai or Yngwie either. Again phenomenal players but i don't like their music.

Now if you'll excuse me I'll get my coat.

stonevibe

Adam_MD said:

stonevibe;382335" said:

For me both Satriani and Bonamassa are musicians that are great at doing what they do.

Just its a little boring hearing variations on a theme year after year.

So I appreciate the talent, but don't enjoy the music.

Totally agree, they're really great players but their music just doesn't float my boat... Deep breath... I also don't really get Steve Vai or Yngwie either. Again phenomenal players but i don't like their music.

Now if you'll excuse me I'll get my coat.

Ditto.

And I'll add SRV to that list as well.

Great player, but I find the music boring.

shuikit

I've never really understood guitar endorsements, it's not like sports where, for example a tennis player is endorsed by a tennis stick brand and the player uses that tennis stick in a match, then breaks a string and goes into a tennis bag (same brand) full of exactly the same tennis stick. Then when they train, they use the same stick etc..

Guitar players on the other hand, happily say they use all this different gear in the studio and on the road etc. I'm pretty sure I've seen a couple rig rundowns where the endorsee doesn't even at least say they use the gear they endorse. I find it all a bit mad tbh.

Loobs

Bonamassa needs a stylist and a team of songwriters more then he needs any more guitars.

Loobs

Do you think once the generation of baby boomers is gone this horrendous regurgitated white man blues rock will finally die?

Elx

Loobs said:

Do you think once the generation of baby boomers is gone this horrendous regurgitated white man blues rock will finally die?

I don't know but I do hope I live long enough to see it...

koss59

Probably, I've been to many gigs where ive been stood behind several older gentleman wearing prs bomber jackets. I'm also worried that if it kills it off, what will be left......I just watched later with Jools, there's not much hope!

Loobs

PRS bomber jackets, lol

koss59

Spend 8 grand on a guitar that looks like a table that's painted blue, get a free bomber jacket...makes sense no?

hubobulous

And bashing Bonamassa segways neatly into disdain of PRS ;-) What would the world look like if Bonamassa became a PRS endorsee and wrote a song with Chappers :-)

RocknRollDave

So, JoBo's on about changing his backline...and he's already on record saying Kevin Shirley nagged him out of his usual "stock" giutar licks on this latest albums (you know, those Eric Johnsonisms)...I'm getting the sense of a guy that feels he has painted himself into a corner, musically.
And I agree with him.

I think part of the problem is how prolific he is. Hard not to repeat yourself when you're releasing records so close together. Think of all those times when a band has taken a sharp left turn, musically, and an album has a new sound that seemingly comes from no-where...Almost always happens when a band has taken some time out of the albumtouralbum cycle for a couple of years.