Covering up bass drum logo

drumr0

Silver Member
A little pet peeve I have is seeing a group on tv (whether they are faking it or not) with the drum manufacturer logo taped over. I understand that they would be giving that particular brand of drums free advertising (in most cases) but who really cares?

A non-drummer won't care, and a drummer can usually figure out what kind of kit it is anyway by looking at the lugs or badges.

I haven't typically seen any other instrument with their logo covered up, except maybe a keyboard, but I can't recall guitars or basses having tape put over their logos.

Once again, drums are picked on!

I apologize for my rant, and it's certainly not the end of the world, but just a little pet peeve.
 
Maybe it's in their endorsement contract to not be filmed or photographed with a competitor's logo on the kit. You sure it was that drummer's kit or did a professional sound company provide the backline and the drummer covered the logo to comply with his contract?
 
Maybe it's in their endorsement contract to not be filmed or photographed with a competitor's logo on the kit. You sure it was that drummer's kit or did a professional sound company provide the backline and the drummer covered the logo to comply with his contract?

There could be many things that would have prompted a drummer to cover up a brand name, but I would suggest that this would be the most likely reason.
 
A little pet peeve I have is seeing a group on tv (whether they are faking it or not) with the drum manufacturer logo taped over. I understand that they would be giving that particular brand of drums free advertising (in most cases) but who really cares?

The company endorsing the drummer. That's who.
 
I think it's only the people who don't have endorsements but are seeking one that do this type of thing. If the drummer is endorsed there's usually no reason why he would have to use a different manufacturer. Drum company's will happily stick a kit in the van to an artist endorsing their gear who is about to appear on tv.
 
A little pet peeve I have is seeing a group on tv (whether they are faking it or not) with the drum manufacturer logo taped over. I understand that they would be giving that particular brand of drums free advertising (in most cases) but who really cares?

A non-drummer won't care, and a drummer can usually figure out what kind of kit it is anyway by looking at the lugs or badges.

I haven't typically seen any other instrument with their logo covered up, except maybe a keyboard, but I can't recall guitars or basses having tape put over their logos.

Once again, drums are picked on!

I apologize for my rant, and it's certainly not the end of the world, but just a little pet peeve.

It is usually either due to the drummer having endorsed another brand which wasn't available for backline or simply the drummer doesn't want to give the drum company any free advertising because he doesn't have an endorsement deal with the company.

That is why the logos are there and all over cymbals, heads and sticks; it is a very subtle form of free advertising for the manufacturer.

Mike

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Its all about lawyers, contracts, etc! Pay it no attention!
 
If the drummer is endorsed there's usually no reason why he would have to use a different manufacturer.

Nope - Willie Green is Pearl endorser and tours with the Neville Brothers, playing Pearl Drums. When the Neville Brothers were on Conan O'Brien, Willie was playing a Yamaha kit with the logo covered up. This was probaby due to the appearance was a fly in and the backline company had no Pearl drum kits suitable or ready. In this situation, it is a courtesy from the endorsing artist to make certain that they are associated with only the brand that they are endorsing.

Drum company's will happily stick a kit in the van to an artist endorsing their gear who is about to appear on tv.

No, not really. And this isn't a given - definitely not these days. This is why backline companies exist; to make certain that the right level of gear is available for rental for artists to use. Anton Fig was playing in Nashville with Oz Noy, using a backline kit from a rental company and they were Yamaha Maple Custom Absolutes, sounding fantastic! They were not his drums but they were top of the line Yamahas.



Mike

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It wasn't a joke, We see brand names blurred and blacked out on TV all of the time. Tee shirts are blacked out on Cops when people are arrested for fear of sponsors legal retaliation. If there is no contract, there is no brand logo shown on TV. The agents and the lawyers for the performers and the TV network rule on this sort of thing. This is all legal stuff.
A pearl endorsed drummer is going on TV. Pearl doesn't want to pay for the logo to be shown. The logo is blacked out.
A movie is being made with a drummer in it. The manufacturers are contacted and they have to pay for their logo to be in the movie. Whom ever pays, gets their name in the movie. Beer Companies, etc do this also.
A UPS truck drives by during a street scene in a movie or a TV show, The logo can be plainly seen, That's no random accident!
Let's put in perspective how poor drum companies are. One Budweiser add on primetime costs more that a drum co makes in profit in a year! Musical Instruments are a small market. There aren't many drummers. Everyone uses shampoo!
 
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Definitely several good points made. Some I have never thought about. I can understand an endorsed drummer having to use a different brand of drums because an acceptable kit wasn't available. But, if that drummer was endorsed by Yamaha and he was playing a Pearl kit, I would still know that it was a Pearl kit by looking at it. Of course, it's not as obvious, but still identifiable.
 
Definitely several good points made. Some I have never thought about. I can understand an endorsed drummer having to use a different brand of drums because an acceptable kit wasn't available. But, if that drummer was endorsed by Yamaha and he was playing a Pearl kit, I would still know that it was a Pearl kit by looking at it. Of course, it's not as obvious, but still identifiable.

You would, as would a lot of other gear heads. But the vast majority of the music going public wouldn't know a Pearl from a Ludwig if not for bass drum logos. For non-drummers, no advertising just means they see another drummer playing drums......simple as that.

There's no hiding the reality that he/she may be playing a kit other than that which they're paid to endorse. But there's no need to advertise it either.
 
It wasn't a joke, We see brand names blurred and blacked out on TV all of the time. Tee shirts are blacked out on Cops when people are arrested for fear of sponsors legal retaliation. If there is no contract, there is no brand logo shown on TV. The agents and the lawyers for the performers and the TV network rule on this sort of thing. This is all legal stuff.
A pearl endorsed drummer is going on TV. Pearl doesn't want to pay for the logo to be shown. The logo is blacked out.
A movie is being made with a drummer in it. The manufacturers are contacted and they have to pay for their logo to be in the movie. Whom ever pays, gets their name in the movie. Beer Companies, etc do this also.
A UPS truck drives by during a street scene in a movie or a TV show, The logo can be plainly seen, That's no random accident!
Let's put in perspective how poor drum companies are. One Budweiser add on primetime costs more that a drum co makes in profit in a year! Musical Instruments are a small market. There aren't many drummers. Everyone uses shampoo!


Actually, it has less to with this and more with the endorsement game. As I stated ealier, it has to do with a drummer not be associated witht a brand he doesn't have an endorsement with. When Vinnie Colaiuta left Yamaha, it was the weekend of his playing for Sting on Saturday Night Live (Sting's Mercury Falling Album). His using the white Gretsch kit from Manny's was his subtle (or non-so subtle) way of telling Yamaha "goodbye".


Mike

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Definitely several good points made. Some I have never thought about. I can understand an endorsed drummer having to use a different brand of drums because an acceptable kit wasn't available. But, if that drummer was endorsed by Yamaha and he was playing a Pearl kit, I would still know that it was a Pearl kit by looking at it. Of course, it's not as obvious, but still identifiable.

It's obvious to many of us drummers; it isn't obvious to the other 99% of the world's population who deosn't play drums.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.facebook.com/mike.mccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw
 
You would, as would a lot of other gear heads. But the vast majority of the music going public wouldn't know a Pearl from a Ludwig if not for bass drum logos. For non-drummers, no advertising just means they see another drummer playing drums......simple as that.

There's no hiding the reality that he/she may be playing a kit other than that which they're paid to endorse. But there's no need to advertise it either.

And let' say that drummer X is endorsing Pearl and Pearl has been very generous to drummer X. Then the artist relations director at Pearl sees drummer X on Letterman playing a drumkit that says "Mapex" on the bass drum head. Someone would be in a heap of trouble. The point of the endorsement, from the company's standpoint, is to get the advertsing solely for their product over the other companies.

Yes, back in Buddy Rich's day, he got stuff for free! That was along time ago and times have changed. Slingerland and Ludwig would give Buddy drums and then old man Slingerland might show up at one of Buddy's shows and Buddy would be playing a Fibes snare drum!

The days of free stuff are pretty much over; most companies require the artists to pay at least cost. Or the gear is a loaner. The company does its best to provide support to the artist when the artist is in need. Such would be the case if you were a DW endorser and were appearing on Saturday Night Live but had to fly in the night before because you were in Europe or the west coast. DW would either have a backline company provide a set or they would have a shop like Manny's (when it existed) provide a drum kit for you.

Backline companies exist for the purpose of having an acceptable level of equipment for the entire band to use for instances when the band's personal gear can't be available such as when they have to fly to the show rather than travel by bus. It isn't a perfect system but it is one reason why you see this from time to time.


Mike

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I also think endorsment is the most likely reason to cover it up.
But I personnaly hate this huge brand logo thing. When I got my sonor kit, it came with this black reso head sporting a huge sonor on it. Now, I really like sonor, they make amazing drum but I don't like my instrument to look like a roadside commercial. So I had an artist friend of mine cover it up with a cool design.
Just like I don't care if my cymbals logo gets washed out with age.
Why do we have to sport suche huge logos? I mean I never saw a guitar with a huge GIBSON written all over it... so why should we?
 
Why do we have to sport suche huge logos? I mean I never saw a guitar with a huge GIBSON written all over it... so why should we?

= MONEY!!!!

True, you'll not see 10" tall Gibson logos on guitars, but they don't have a whole bass drum head size of free advertising space.

Think back to when you were young.....what drums did your favourite drummers play? I'll bet at least half the time the logo was visable and you knew what brand they were. All the aspiring drummers around the world all wanting to play "(insert brand)" drums because "(insert drummer)" was playing them.

Pure and simple....marketing = advertising = sales = profit!!

Sad but true.
 
sad but true indeed.
Guitars sure don't have as much space for huge logos as we do, but look at double bass, pianos etc... they have a lot more room than we do, but they don't look like a giant commercial :D and it's great that way.

I sure remember drooling over some great drummers kit when I was younger... marketing is a powerful tool :D
 
I also think endorsment is the most likely reason to cover it up.
But I personnaly hate this huge brand logo thing. When I got my sonor kit, it came with this black reso head sporting a huge sonor on it. Now, I really like sonor, they make amazing drum but I don't like my instrument to look like a roadside commercial. So I had an artist friend of mine cover it up with a cool design.
Just like I don't care if my cymbals logo gets washed out with age.
Why do we have to sport suche huge logos? I mean I never saw a guitar with a huge GIBSON written all over it... so why should we?

Ah, the Ringo effect...the day after the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, Ludwig drums sales went through the roof. Ever since then, companies have tried to capture that with the artists that have endorsement deals with them. It makes sense IF the artist has a deal...it's an exchange...free or cheap gear for advertising.

With that said, I think it looks so dumb when drummers put advertising stickers on their heads without an endorsement deal. If you aren't compensating me for my advertising space, I'm not sticking your logo on my kit.
 
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