ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 14   Go Down

Author Topic: Brand name cost me gigs  (Read 63942 times)

jasonfinnigan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 329
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #20 on: April 17, 2014, 03:21:54 PM »

If I'm renting some powered speakers and someone offers me some JBL Eons, I'm gonna pass.

I think everyone would agree with that.
Logged

Richard Turner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 551
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #21 on: April 17, 2014, 04:22:42 PM »

I'd just turn it back on them , Meet with whoever in the band is the booker at a neutral place outside of a gig and put it to them bluntly, If they require improved gear will there be a improved fee for you  and will they sit down and book up the next 6-8 months of gigs on the spot. If they wont discuss it they already have someone else lined up to do the work and just aren't man enough to tell you straight up.

If $3k was all that stood in between me and $5k or more of bookings in 6 months I'd sure find a way to lease or finance the gear.

Not sure who would still spec out a ls808 for a modern PA but if you are interested I have 4 of them and 2 crest CA12 amps I would be more than happy to sell them at an agreeable price.
Logged
Looking at retiring. Local PA market has shrank to 2 guys with guitars and bose l1 compacts or expecting full line array and 16 movers on stage for $300... no middle left going back to event DJ stuff, half the work for twice the pay.

Lyle Williams

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1558
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #22 on: April 17, 2014, 04:27:15 PM »

One of the major distributors here says that the failure rate on B amps is significantly lower than the more expensive brands.  That doesn't point to a quality problem; but it might also be the result of B amps generally living a quieter life of less gigs and less road time.

That said, when someone wants a Coke sometimes a Pepsi just won't do.
Logged

jasonfinnigan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 329
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #23 on: April 17, 2014, 04:31:03 PM »

One of the major distributors here says that the failure rate on B amps is significantly lower than the more expensive brands.  That doesn't point to a quality problem; but it might also be the result of B amps generally living a quieter life of less gigs and less road time.

That said, when someone wants a Coke sometimes a Pepsi just won't do.

Anyone can say any brand as a lower failure rate.. It also could be because the gear is not as widely in use, or it's used less often IE not touring than other brands. There's a lot of factors in that.
Logged

John Roberts {JR}

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 17176
  • Hickory, Mississippi, USA
    • Resotune
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #24 on: April 17, 2014, 04:40:01 PM »

One of the major distributors here says that the failure rate on B amps is significantly lower than the more expensive brands.  That doesn't point to a quality problem; but it might also be the result of B amps generally living a quieter life of less gigs and less road time.

That said, when someone wants a Coke sometimes a Pepsi just won't do.

That is heresay (cough) and not even the real issue.

The band is judging the book by the cover, or guilt by association. Something we all do numerous times every day.

There is a chicken/egg aspect to this, about how do you get from doing low-end low-dollar bar gigs that only support using the cheapest gear you can scratch together, to being a mid/hi level sound company that supports buying premium gear.

Maybe you need to sit down with your accountant, or talk to the man in the mirror.

It is not easy to just pull this off with sweat equity alone, and there are bad jokes about starting out with a big pile of money (to make a smaller pile of money). The same availability of modern cheap gear that does not suck, also makes it easy for more weekend warriors and bottom feeders to compete and keep prices low. 

I don't know any easy answers.

JR

Logged
Cancel the "cancel culture". Do not participate in mob hatred.

g'bye, Dick Rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7424
  • Duluth
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #25 on: April 17, 2014, 04:43:33 PM »

I just lost a deal with a local "supergroup" (band made up of various members of very well established local heavy hitters) because I use Behringer power amps.

I'm personally very happy with the amps, other than the fact they're a little noisy in an empty room, but the income they cost me would have more than made up for the price difference to buy a more acceptable brand name. Ouch.  Really makes me rethink me equipment list. I know my rig sounds great, but if potential clients are discounting me based on their opinions of the equipment I own I have to wonder how many phones calls I never got because the equip list on my website isn't "good" enough.

Yeah, they said as long as I was using those amps they could not use me. At least they were honest about it. They also said I needed to have (4) LS808s instead of the 2 I currently use. That one puzzled me a bit as there are no rooms(they'd be only playing bars and clubs) in my area that would require 4 of those cabs for live music.

Tell them they should play the brand of instruments you like...
Logged
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

Bob Leonard

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6807
  • Boston, MA USA
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #26 on: April 17, 2014, 05:53:05 PM »

The band get's what they want, and that's really the end of the subject. Right or wrong, true or false, yes or no, it's their money and they want it spent on something they feel comfortable with. Let's not forget that regardless of this acts level they have the right to stand on a stage and feel competent that the system they're putting their music through won't shit the bed. Who can say? Maybe these guys are being looked at by a label? No one wants to fail because of cheap equipment, and no one wants to hear "I told you so."

And I would use an Epiphone knowing it won't hold a candle to any of my historic Gibsons, but it doesn't mean I'll be happy. Just content in knowing it won't fail me and will get the job done.

And if everyone is so proud of their X32's and Behringer amps why cover the logo with anything?

A country band with no Peavey on the rider? 90% of the country bands I've worked with have a Peavey guitar amp somewhere on the stage. who would have thunk.
Logged
BOSTON STRONG........
Proud Vietnam Veteran

I did a gig for Otis Elevator once. Like every job, it had it's ups and downs.

Lee Douglas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 685
  • 47.662615, -116.756954
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #27 on: April 17, 2014, 06:28:34 PM »


And if everyone is so proud of their X32's and Behringer amps why cover the logo with anything?


No kidding.  I'd be pretty pissed off if I were mislead into thinking I was getting something I wasn't.  I mean more mislead than photocopying the design to begin with!  :)

And kudos to the OP for getting "it" and not just stirring up (yet another) self-justification pity party.
Logged
This space for rent

Russ Davis

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 341
  • South Central VA and Pittsburgh PA
Branded
« Reply #28 on: April 17, 2014, 07:35:40 PM »

A country band with no Peavey on the rider? 90% of the country bands I've worked with have a Peavey guitar amp somewhere on the stage. who would have thunk.

Betcha a lot of the big country stars who proudly have Peavey amps on stage still have "No Peavey" on the PA rider.  ::)
Logged
"Garbage in, louder garbage out"

eric lenasbunt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 861
    • Bunt Backline Event Services, LLC
Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #29 on: April 17, 2014, 07:42:49 PM »

The question is, how well does the gig(s) pay? This sounds like one of these deals with picky locals but they only want to pay $200 for a rig and a guy. I say no to a lot of these. I say no because I bring name brands and semi-pro and pro gear, so can't do it for that kind of money.  If I had entry level gear and no payroll, low insurance, rent, etc, then itay be a different story.
Logged

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Brand name cost me gigs
« Reply #29 on: April 17, 2014, 07:42:49 PM »


Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 14   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.033 seconds with 24 queries.