I have been sponsored (not endorsed) by Warwick for 6 years. I didn't approach them...they approached me. Well, when I say they approached me, it was actually their artist rep for the UK that worked for the UK distributor at the time. I was supporting my friends band in London and Glen had recently secured an endorsement deal with Warwick. The artist rep was at that gig and was pleased to see that I was also playing a Warwick Corvette Proline. Anyway, Glen introduced me to him and we started talking. My band was not working with a record company at that time, but Ben said he would like to support the band by offering me a sponsorship. An endorsement was out of the question purely for the reason that I was not a known player and neither was the band well known. I still have to pay for my basses and amps, but at a very high discounted price. When the paper work was recieved at HQ in Germany I sold my battered and worn basses and I ordered a Streamer Stage II Custom and a Dolphin Fretless Custom. Unlike so many bass and amp manufacturers out there, Warwick has a very good sponsorship program for supporting up and coming new players, but I was at the right place at the right time. When my band finally signed our record contract they provided me with two more basses and a huge backline. The guys at Warwick some of the nicest and craziest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet I consider myself to be very blessed.I am currently talking to another bass manufacturer about a possible new endorsement. I can't give the game away too much as it is not set in stone yet, but they would like me to be their main endorsee which is both very flattering and very exciting! There are a couple of things in the contract which I am not too happy about because it could mean that I may lose my sponsorship with Warwick and I am not too happy about that. Warwick have been very good to me over the years and I don't want to show a lack of gratitude towards them, especially as I am also switching amp brand very soon too. This is a new company based here in Cardiff, Wales specialising in custom made to order instruments. The guy that owns the company is a big fan of my last band and he recognised me whilst I was playing in my friends music store about 6 weeks ago. He invited me to his workshop two days later and offered me the deal! He is really an acoustic guitar maker, but started to buile electric guitars 12 months ago and he has had more people asking for basses...figure that one out!? So, he has asked me to help him develop a bass guitar model. I have a proto-type at the moment and I am helping with the development with their flagship model. They have a stock of some really unusual exotic woods that I have never seen before, so you should see some pretty interesting results when we decide on a final design. I am also in the process of designing their website, so I will be able to show you more about what is happening early next year. Hopefully, the design for the bass will be finalised by then and they will be taking orders when the website is up and running. I can tell you for sure, prices will not be cheap! A standard model will retail at £2000 (approx $4000)!!! He is a great builder with lot of energy and imagination and I really hope that we will find a way to work with each other and build a good creative relationship.Tips on how to get endorsement/sponsorshipAs you can see from my experience I was very blessed to be approached, but I also believe that God put me in the right place at the right time. I have seeked sponsorships and endorsements elsewhere with some results with string manufacturers and a flight case manufacturer (it's not always about the instrument...every little helps!). Not every endorsement/sponsorship is FOA (free-of-charge) or paid either. I know a lot of well known musicians that are endorsed to the teeth and I know of none that are actually paid as a part of their deal. You have to treat it as a way of helping you along your musical career and has no bearence on your musical stature. Companies are using you as a point of sale and mobile marketing. There is still a lot of business happening in the background, so you must be aware of their intentions despite how kind they might be to shower you with equipment and products. Here are a few tips to help you to hunt down an endorsement/sponsorship:Don't aim too high! - Larger companies that hold a huge prescence in the market place are the hardest to break into. They tend to be snobs too by doing deals with 'name known' artists. If you are not signed to a record deal, not in the Billboard charts or not playing bass for publiciity hungry artists skip companies such as Fender and Ibanez. My last record company hounded many manufacturers on my behalf and those two were the worst. Even though they may have the monopoly they don't just give their stuff away easily. These are the kinds of companies that approach you if it means that your name will help sell their product! Some companies do sponsor unsigned bands, but these deals are not easy to come by either. Get a PR pack together - If you want to chase companies for an endorsement/sponsorship deal then you must need one of these otherwise they will not talk to you. If you are in an unsigned band knocking on record companies doors then you should have one of these already. If you are not too familiar with this basically it's a small, well presented pack with a CD/DVD of your music, a brief bio of yourself, an account of acheivments and a small presentation of photo's. If you are not signed to a record deal or a well known name then you will struggle to get any kind of interest from most companies without a PR pack.Go to music conventions - Attend conventions like NAMM, sit down at a stand, plug in and give them your best! I have seen many people getting their endorsements or sponsorships that way...it does happen! Don't fiddle around with the equipment too much. Companies are impressed with players that can walk in and make their products sound good immediately. If you have their attention just tell them about yourself, your ambitions and tell them positive things about their company and products. Do not brown nose them!Behave yourself! - This is very important. If you do come into contact with a manufacturer make sure you are humble and polite. Being arrogant, self-rightious and rude turns people off immediately. If you think of yourself to be the next big thing or that the world owes you a favour they will see straight through that very quickly. They see talent and promise a lot better than you think! Don't come across desperate either. Keep your cool, be friendly and more importantly...be yourself! Personality goes a long way.Smaller things in life are free! - Anything that is perishable such as strings should never be ignored when it comes to endorsement/sponsorship. It's nice to have several basses to tour and play with, but it costs a lot of money to maintain and protect them. You will find that seeking endorsements from companies that produce strings, straps, cases, cleaning products etc...that's where the real cost is! Companies that make all the other smaller, but just as important things to do with keeping your axe on one piece are a lot more approachable than instrument and amp manufacturers.God will open the doors! - I have a lot of equipment that I could not have possibly afforded on my own. Before, during and after I was a professional musician I didn't have much money to buy quality equipment, but God provided when it really mattered. If you stay on his path then he will povide and you will be blessed. He provides in lots of other ways than just endorsements and sponsorships. Whatever is provided for you give thanks to him every time!Anyway, I hope that my experiences and advice has helped. I'll see your photo on MTD's website soon!
