Johnny Hiland left PRS because they wouldn't pay him enough?

Prages said:
rotflmaolol-049lol-058lmbo:houra:
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Good enough for these guys:

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:shrug:
 
aliensporebomb said:
Prediction: he's going to Fender. It would seem in line with his intention to head to traditional country music. Prediction: some kind of telecaster.

I suppose he'll go with Gibson though.
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He started with Fender, and apparently there's some bad blood there - people who claim to know him say there's zero chance of him signing with Fender, though I don't know any details.
 
Maybe it's just me but the whole idea of having to have a guitar company pay you to play their instrument is counterproductive to my whole idea of what music is
about.

In my world (admittedly not at Hilands level here he's actually got a deal and real prospects going on) I buy what I want to play and play it and don't give a damn if the people who listen to my stuff expect to see a particular thing.

I can understand if I had a signature model and I wanted a cut from each guitar with my name on it, but the whole idea of getting paid to play a model that I wasn't really into doesn't really jibe with me.

If XYZ was willing to pay a bunch that I could play an instrument would only work if that particular guitar made me want to pick it up and play it.

Dunno, just a weird thing with the industry and endorsements I'll never get.
 
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aliensporebomb said:
Maybe it's just me but the whole idea of having to have a guitar company pay you to play their instrument is counterproductive to my whole idea of what music is
about.

In my world (admittedly not at Hilands level here he's actually got a deal and real prospects going on) I buy what I want to play and play it and don't give a damn if
the people who listen to my stuff expect to see a particular thing.

I can understand if I had a signature model and I wanted a cut from each guitar with my name on it, but the whole idea of getting paid to play a model that I
wasn't really into doesn't really jibe with me.

If XYZ was willing to pay a bunch that I could play an instrument would only work if that particular guitar made me want to pick it up and play it.

Dunno, just a weird thing with the industry and endorsements I'll never get.
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Musicians gotta eat. :shrug:
 
Kerouac said:
Musicians gotta eat. :shrug:
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Pretty much, although I would have a really hard time HAVING to play something I didn't dig. When I was selling guitars I even had a hard time selling instruments to students that I thought were jive....needless to say it was a good thing I was good at teaching because I would have starved as a salesman...

:embarrassed:
 
Several of the BAM members have met him and said he and his wife are just about the nicest people in the music biz. His wife has posted on the forum and seems very nice.


My gut feeling is that the recession is affecting PRS like any other small company... they had to let 50 or so employees go and reassign some of the lines. That's why their product lineup changed so they could concentrate on their anniversary lines, ones that are selling really well, and some new products. Anything that wasn't bringing new sales in the door was cut.

I can't say for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if they've changed how they pay artists... as Johnny has left and reportedly Dave Navarro has as well. I think many of the other guys who are signature artists would play PRS guitars regardless of if they had an artist relationship or not.
 
My guess is that the ridiculous Dave Navarro model has sold nil, and had zero impact on revenue for the company.

Anyone remember the guy from Third Eye Blind's PRS model? Yeah, didn't think so. No volume knob, just a kill switch. Bet that sold a ton.
 
Psychotronic said:
My guess is that the ridiculous Dave Navarro model has sold nil, and had zero impact on revenue for the company.
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I've never understood why Navarro has had a career since 1991, either. Much less endorsement deals with PRS and Boss.

Psychotronic said:
Anyone remember the guy from Third Eye Blind's PRS model? Yeah, didn't think so. No volume knob, just a kill switch. Bet that sold a ton.
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:markfacepalm:

I'll have to look that one up.


Apparently such a hit I couldn't find a google picture of one.
 
Musicians gotta eat - yeah, if you can't get by on your CD sales and merch (t-shirts, hats, anodized aluminum bait buckets) with your name on it why not?

I thought the Navarro PRS was just a white painted body with two 'buckers and an unadorned neck. Kind of ..... featureless. You don't buy a PRS like that, you get a super gaudy one with amazing flametop or whatever.

Yeah I suppose if the Hiland PRS wasn't selling big (I honestly admit I've never seen one in person although I've seen just about everything else in their line locally - only difference is the Hiland had a maple neck if I remember right) may as well drop it or change it to make it more marketable perhaps.
 
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I saw Johnny at a clinic a couple years ago, and he was really a jaw-dropper. What was amazing was how many different sounds he could get out of a PRS-you'd swear it was a Tele, Strat or Les Paul at various times.

A real gentleman, and able to describe what he does articulately and in detail, he was an excellent spokesman for PRS. Seemed 'heart and soul' to love the instrument he was using.



Larry
 
larryguitar said:
I saw Johnny at a clinic a couple years ago, and he was really a jaw-dropper. What was amazing was how many different sounds he could get out of a PRS-you'd swear it was a Tele, Strat or Les Paul at various times.

A real gentleman, and able to describe what he does articulately and in detail, he was an excellent spokesman for PRS. Seemed 'heart and soul' to love the instrument he was using.



Larry
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I actually saw him at NAMM this year at the VooDoo Lab booth and he he was an especially nice guy. I've seen him play before (as jaw dropping as you say) but it's always nice to meet someone like that and have them be a cool person, too :)

And welcome! :Wave:
 
Overall that press release was a pretty positive, "hey things don't work out sometimes" big hugs all around/thanks for the memories. Except this part:

Sometimes you are faced with raw facts about people you work with, that while you try to ignore, they become very self evident. Such was the case here.
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What's he getting at here?
 
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