Guitar Company Threatens Me With LEGAL ACTION!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2024
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You deserve to know the truth about what goes on behind running a guitar review youtube channel so in this video I share the email i received from a company who threaten to legal action against me and other youtubers if I did my job of evaluating their product honestly and fairly.
I will not mention the name of the company in case this steps over the legal line and I ask you not to do the same or to do anything that could cause legal trouble for you or others.
As always, I am open honest and a little ranty in this but I feel that this needed to be said and that you needed to be told the truth.
𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟
►🤘 Join / @theguitargeek
►🤘 Buy something on Reverb reverb.partnerlinks.io/TheGui...
If you are reading this, you are a real one!
Comment "They'll never take our freedom" so I can notice you!
00:00 Backstory
04:34 Their Email
13:57 My Response Email
14:50 You deserve to know the truth
𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗦
𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚, 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪!
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨. - เพลง
![🔴 [TRỰC TIẾP] U20 Thái Lan VS LPBank Ninh Bình | Cúp VTV9 - Bình Điền 2024 | JET STUDIO](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3wRNdAy3DXs/mqdefault.jpg)
"If you want a perfect review, make a perfect product". Very well said Andy, this company's actions only reasures how insecure they are about their product. This community can't be bought. Period.
Do we always hang out in the same places?
No doubt.
well, andy appears to be scared.
Quite so! Andy has a reputation to protect as well, which should be that he is impartial, and making this video very, very necessary. I'm so glad that he did.
This is not unlike telling a test examiner that if he/she doesn't give you a pass or high score it would damage your reputation, which of course would have to mean that you didn't have a reputation in the first place.
How these people have the brass neck to send Andy this email is frankly mind blowing, yet they lack the confidence in their product for it to receive a genuinely positive review.
If you were a vintner, would you send a less than great tasting wine to a connoisseur and tell him, "By the the way, if you don't give this a good and positive review I'll sue you for damages"? I think not!
@@GeorgeGeorgeOnly so why not call the product out...? what he is doing now seems rather chicken.....
As a US lawyer with 32 years' experience (and a guitar player with 50 years' experience), assuming the company is in the USA, they have no case. They suggest that if you DEFAME their product, they will sue you. But opinions are not actionable, only FALSITIES are. Personally, I would post the video, and if they sue you, it'll give you MORE FAME, and likely, a local attorney in your jurisdiction (who is a musician) will offer to represent you for free! Also, keep in mind that proving in court that YOUR review cost them sales is almost impossible. Lack of sales can be for a dozen other reasons. Stand up to these pricks and do it!
All very good but it could be construed as a breach of a contractual term and a liability for breach of such contract.....and a claim for damages. Easy solution, just buy one of their guitars and say what you like.
Maybe true, but why get into a hassle when you don't need it; life is too short to take on unnecessary battles; unless you think it would be fun !!
@@ScarboroughTourist it will give this channel a TON of publicity!
@@bronchick Yay!
the courtroom is not a place to determine right or wrong. Its a place to make attorneys wealthy. Avoid a courtroom at absolute all costs. The juice is rarely ever worth the squeeze even with a favorable judgement (which can often take years).
Agree with your statement of “want a perfect review, make a perfect product”
I absolutely loved that...
That would be Dusenberg and Framus. I just don't want to drop that much cheddar on a Guitar.
honest manufacturers know that and know they are rolling the dice if I'm reviewing their product...I don;t go out of my way to be mean, and I clarify issues with them before release, but if you lay a balut egg in the electronics cavity, I'll report the smell
couldn't be more spot on!
@@CerealDust-nStuff agreed. Framus makes Warwick basses. I have 2 corvettes: one fretted, one fretless. Tone, ergonomics and playability are excellent. Even had a friend check out the fretless, and he thought it felt great. Can't argue with a blind man on that.
Reveal who they are. Let them try to sue you. This is the last company I would want to buy a product from. Transparency and honesty about a particular product is paramount.
what company is it?
Do a search "guitar for beginners review" and you'll find several videos talking about this guitar.
theres nothing to sue over, hes not reviewing it
MSA. The German guys.
Are you paying his legal fees?
You've sold me! If ever I were to make a guitar, you're the first person I would go to to have it reviewed. Any criticisms you would have regarding the instrument would be taken into account to facilitate its improvement. Honesty wins. ❤ from the UK.
This video came up randomly in my feed, and I was impressed with your professional response to this situation. Your integrity was clearly on display.
Liked and Subscribed.
Professional response? He bent over and let them fuck him. That's not the kind of response I want from a professional reviewer. "I agree not to post a bad review because you strongarmed me". "From now on I will give only good reviews no matter if the product is good or not" is the next step
Here here!
Likewise-- just saw this randomly in my feed, never saw the channel before.
This video makes me feel very much like I'm joining this situation in the middle. The letter from the company makes it clear that they were not offering a product for review. They were offering a product for paid promotion. Under the circumstances, every word in the letter is entirely appropriate. If you hired an advertising agency, you wouldn't let them make ads expressing their honest opinions about your products. You'd tell them what to say, and sue them if they didn't follow your instructions.
Maybe the company sent out a product for promotional purposes without first explaining their intentions to the influencer. If so, that's their mistake. But maybe this particular influencer contributed to a misunderstanding, and if so, there's blame to be shared.
Yep... same here. Popped up on my random feed. I'm not an enthusiast..., I don't even own a guitar. However, honest reviews, from genuine users are a dying art. i really miss the days of when you read a review, or watched a review video it was from someone who cared, someone who loved the product space they were in, and would give their opinion with the least amount of outside influence they could muster. I commend you for working on keeping your integrity and being honest about what goes on outside and inside that work.
Likewise.
I'm 74 and stumbled across your 'very professional' channel, I just love listening to opinions. You sir, are an example of what a true professional product reviewer is, or at least, should be. Any manufacturer that approaches a reviewer of your integrity and professionalism should 'take the bad with the good'. If a product does not live up to what it's supposed to, they should be extremely greatful for bringing it to their attention. What they then should do is this:
They should update their marketing literature to include:
"Based on customer feedback, including from professional reviewers in this industry, we have now carried out further tests and made some design improvements we hope you will enjoy.
We are a company that listens to our customers and those with professional knowledge, this is how we improve our products for you, the end user".
The internet is riddled with bad reviews. I would now refuse their money, and then release the review.
Not naming the company... well I never signed an NDA with these clowns.
that is very true. I just want to be the bigger person here
Waiting anxiously, brother! Only a notification separates me from a piece of your mind about this :)
get 'em Glenn!
o shit. Let Glenn review the guitar... I'll bring popcorn
Scorch 'em Glenn.
What a great articulate video. I'm going to be frank, I haven't seen too many of your videos but you got a new fan here! Well done!
agreed!
Andy is a good dude for sure 🙌🙏
Helll yeah
Glad you found this video Ola, Andy is an amazing human being
When Ola takes the time to comment, it's good content!
For all it's worth, I did not know about your channel and this video appeared on my recommendations.
Thank you for your work and the transparency. If I wasn't a regular viewer, I will be from now on. We need more of this on the field!
What I, personally, gained from this video was respect. For you. Good on you man. Thanks for taking the time to explain core values we can all get behind. Have been subscribed for a while. Just became an avid fan right now.
That’s really good to read man. I’ve not pleased
Everyone with this video but that was never the goal. Glad to have you here
This video was the first of yours to enter my feed. Great job! It’s obvious that this particular company feels that if they are paying you for a review, it should be what they want as an “employer”. I applaud your honesty and integrity. Can’t wait now to dive into some of your other reviews!
Same with me.
Same here! Subscribed!
"honesty and integrity?" The guy is a shill. -definition of a shill
A person engaged in covert advertising. The shill attempts to spread buzz by personally endorsing the product in public forums with the pretense of sincerity, when in fact he is being paid for his services.
He seems upset that a company won't pay him for writing a bad review of their product. If he didn't take the corporate money in the first place, he could write an honest review of a product. Shills has no integrity.
@@amx360 Yes, I realized that by the end of the video. It was very revealing about the entire "review" and "influencer" industry.
Yeah, but they asked him to review it not advertise it, so they are trying to stack the deck in their favour. I find this dishonest at best, morality and legally wrong at worst. Not a company I would EVER deal with.
Just watched the video, dude tell them to fuck off and I’ll happily send you a bunch of Guitars to review in their place - their loss.
You and I have been through so many situations like this in the past, together and separately, I sometimes feel like this industry needs a shake up before it gets rudely woken up…
Love you, man
Hi Rob! Can you send me a Ghost Fret please?! I love my ML3 but it needs a pointy counterpart 😂
Chappers in for the win! Love'ya, Rob-glad to see you back with the Cap'n lately.
Well said, Rob. I’m tired of paid “influencers” in society.
I’d be happy to review a Chapman as well
I bought a crap Harley Benton thanks to you Rob. Keep up the good work 👍
Really enjoyed this video. The term "misinformation" get thrown around a lot lately and always because an organization or government (in the US's case) has something they don't want made public. Absolutely right move on your part to return the product, even better to make this video.
Love your channel Andy. Don't let these companies throw curve balls at you. Just tell them if they want a piece of the pie to go ahead and sponsor you full-time. I love guitars to man. I'm sorry your being threatened. Much respect for not throwing out the company who's messing with you
Watching this bolstered my confidence that I have found the right gear review channel for candid content. I respect the honesty and integrity.
thank you mate.
Totally agree and Andy makes fun and informative videos that nearly always has me watching the whole video.
i entirely disagree based on the premise Andy claims to be in his 40s yet looks 5 years younger than me (31)
Damnit, you got there first.
Well said.
Totally! I generally avoid TH-cam for reviews because they’re so gross and sketchy. I’ve made sure I was subscribed to Geek after seeing this.
Wow, that company must be…
Awful
Evil
Reprehensible
Obtuse
Bullying
Abusive
Nefarious
Dastardly
…and probably a bunch of other terrible things if they try to use threats to control reviewers like that. Whoever they are, I certainly wouldn’t want to do business with them!
I believe it. I saw their ad and thought it was a cheap gimmick, and the only benefit it might have is as a travel guitar to maintain basic skills while, you know, travelling abroad.
thanks
i want the link of that video about that guitar
LOL! Got it. 😂
I knew it would be the minute I clicked on the video
This is how a decent person with integrity acts. They don't bow down to anyone and they know the value of their work. Congratulations!
Appreciate you sharing this buddy! I love meeting honest, hardworking guys like you brother. Keep pumping out the vid's!!!
Well. I‘ve been doing what you‘re doing for 20 years. That was through musicians‘ magazines - before everything was online on TH-cam. What happened to you, happened to me a lot of times. And nothing actually happened to me, even though some US and German companies really turned on the heat with fierce threats like they sent you through their lawyers.
So keep on doing what you‘re doing and don‘t mind these people.
Every single company I‘ve criticized then isn‘t here anymore today. Their products were inferior and no legal battle could make them better. They had to give up the legal battles very soon anyway, because most of them ran out of money. So, have no fear, you‘re absolutely doing the right thing. Helping to neutralize these people is a service to all musicians.
I use to subscribe to that magazine. I problem read your reviews.
I probably have one of the magazines with an article written by you in my closet. Anymore hints? ✌️
Now I have to search them all for Richard Ervins. Gonna be a fun weekend! Thanks!
Exactly. Andy hasn't entered into any contract with these people, and these guidelines are "after the fact" so non-binding with the agreement he already made for the review. They literally don't have a leg to stand on.
Except unlike magazines, he makes money from the MFG, so will not do the review without getting paid. One of issues with this kind of business model
If a company is trolling for positive reviews then their quality is not up to par. If they believe their product is cutting edge and everything they say it is then the product will stand on its own. It won’t require bribery to help increase sales.
I know this because I’m retired from a career in Quality Assurance. Not Quality Control. There is a huge difference between Quality Control and Quality Assurance. Quality Control is essentially sorting the good from the bad. Quality Assurance is to build quality INTO the product by design. Negative reviews should be utilized as an opportunity to improve.
Great video!
Unacceptable behavior on that company's part. Thank you for your honesty and your tempered response. Subscribed.
I'm only sorry you didn't name names. You ARE an influencer TO ME... I've been a professional studio and touring musician and composer since 1983 and, before that, sat around in jam sessions with musicians who were long-time professionals. That's why I believe I too could become one. All of them - and ever since - have told horror stories about some companies and not others, and their naming names did NOT stop me from playing or perusing those 'offending' products. They just alerted me, and I'm thankful they did. But it was always my own experience that sweetened or soured my opinions. I've had cheapo guitars that indeed fell apart in a couple of years but were reparable and became infinitely better (ie, I shoulda replaced parts a lot sooner but I still like to 'get to know' the parts and sounds so I can correctly identify Likes & Dislikes). I'd had expensive guitars whose maker were not upholding "lifetime guarantees" and that soured me on them, and I made sure I brought up MY example of THEIR bad behavior to everyone I could. I'll still watch and evaluate your videos and I'd object to anyone preventing ME from collecting others' opinions about products.
It's actually better not to name names. Not for legal reasons, but because six months later you will see the name, but you may not necessarily remember where you saw it. The saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity" is 100% true.
I can't be certain, but something inside me is screaming "Aeroguitar!!". That thing is a guitar shaped piece of junk.
@@notquitehuman7402 Seems to be this
@@jimhyslop "The saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity" is 100% true."
Bill Cosby. Subway & Jared. United Airlines vs David Dao. United Airline vs Sons of Maxwell's guitars. KFC's Kristallnacht blunder. Chipotle vs E. Coli. McDonalds vs Morgan "Supersize Me" Spurlock. Enron & the late Arthur Andersen accounting firm.
That saying isn't universally true and never has been.
AeroGuitar
Thank you for this video, I’m in my 60’s now and have seen shady companies for about 45 years. Keep up the good work and don’t ever back down. You have a new fan here.
I am a drummer and I appreciate this video for its honesty. If I knew the name of the shady company, I would not hesitate to spread the word among my musician friends, and then inform the company what I was doing. They could send letters or "Liam Neeson", without ever stopping me.
@@boomer3150Aeroband guitar. Search TH-cam, there are loads of terrible reviews 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You GO honest Andy. The guitar community has your back. It is immensely valuable for us players at all levels to have access to a gear review channel that we can trust. Rock on bro ✌️✌️
Andy, thank you for sharing this story and giving us a look behind the scenes so to speak. Surely I am not the only one to be curious about the business side of what You Tube product reviewers and influencers do. It's obvious to most of us that you work hard to do something you enjoy, believe in and that also pays the bills. It's also no shock to your viewers to learn that you go out of your way to share your actual and honest experience with each product and that you don't let anyone put words in your mouth regardless of the money the are offering to put in your pocket.
That being said, watching this video made me realize how hard it might be to remain honest as a reviewer and the amount of pressure product vendors might be willing to apply in order to get you to say what they want to hear.
So thanks for sharing this with us.
First time in your channel. Your integrity earned you one more subscriber. NEVER put up with bullies and assholes. I hope I can find out what company is this one.
Great job, best wishes and a lot of success!
I am sorry you had to deal with this and glad you shared this info. I have only recently discovered your channel and it has already helped me in a few decisions I made about getting a product. I sincerely enjoy your videos and honesty and am looking forward to more. Thank you for doing what you do!
Not only did they send you a rather foreboding email, they unknowingly outed their " no hassle" return policy... Well played, laddies!😂
Lots of manufacturers and retailers use that very same terminology.
@@davitofarito Does not change the fact the company is shady.
This is why that product name needs an honest review by people. A company threatening honest reviews? Their conduct is unacceptable and unprofessional. I am glad you shared their unprofessional email. I would have my lawyer respond in kind to them in a passive aggressive manor promising all emails from them to be shared to the public and they are named for their threats and misconduct. The review would happen and if it performed good or bad, their email would be on screen at the end to expose such threats.
Thank you for exposing this. We need more honest people to stand up to these corporate bullies. The general public has been shafted for the almighty dollar too many times so it's time we all stood up and fought back.
He exposed no one.
Great message, it’s why we love your reviews andy. Honesty & integrity are at the core of this channel for sure. (& bum notes as well😂)
The email is not only a threat, it's a trap. It seems they want to shut you down anyway.
They don't give their own product any chance to convince anyone.
fact is : if a comany produces a bad product IT ALLREADY HAS VIOLATED US LAWS ! ( cant remeber how those were called but MR. Bronchick a lawyer may know to what laws i refer ). as a compnay you are oblidged to deliver a sound and good product that does fullfill quality rules set by those laws. Nowq if your product is not in perfect accordiance with those laws, not only are you ( as example ) the Company to be draged before court but anyone can and is free to publicly anounce that there is a bad product around and that noone should ever give money away for ! As a compnay they must fullfill all reglements set by US/UK/GB laws and if they dont : the state where the company is based , the fedderal state aswell as the US state as such, is absolutly able to sue that company. Now if the producst that company made are so bad that they do not fullfill any rules, is every sold product to be returned or retaken and the buyer is to be refunded even than when he or she retruns the product ( reparation for havind got a bad product ). The nexyt step of the state would be to take that company into deeper investigations: if in case it turns out the company does produce only bad products that do not fullfill any rules set by law: its owner or CEO could easaly face even imprisonment in the worst of all worst case scenarios and the company could get even closed !
everywhere in the world there are several laws in regard to Producing stuff and selling stuff that every company must fullfill. Now UK GB and EU , have of the most hard and harsh rules but the US is not so different : you must deliver qualitiy and if you dont you must refund and if you produce only crap , i know very well in the US ( differs oinly from federal state to federal state ) you could be punished very severly up to even getting your company closed .....
i suggest, if Andy is US based, that the US GOuvernment goes after that company to find out what they are up to and whether or not they do fullfill the rules set by law in regad to production and quality .
I love the use of the word "collaborators", which implies that you are on their side, rather than an independent reviewer,
Yeah that whole letter reads bad, like it was written by an angry 14yr old boy. Absolutely immature and unprofessional.
The company is basically is the position of a beggar, begging people not to give bad publicity, while at the same time trying to act like a bully tyrant. Exactly like a 14yr old might do
It sounds woke .
When you are threatening legal action it shows how much of a scam they are...
I wouldn't call it a scam (except for the lying in a promo video in which the sound is obviously coming from a recorded acoustic guitar), but they obviously believe in the product and have invested a lot of money in it, and now there's a risk of it crumbling and them losing money. However, I don't think that more than 0.001 guitarists would buy that product anyway...
@@nedim_guitar if they are confident in their product, then there is no need to control reviewers opinions and criticisms like this
Well said. Amazing that companies do things like this
@@andym2612 Yes, but as Henning said in his latest video about this, it's like they've had a lot of yes men around them and now they will consult with Henning to see if they can make it better. Henning's ideas for the app that needs a lot of work, could be a step in the right direction. But it's an expensive thing with way too many features for beginners. It's like they didn't know their target market.
@@ky9999 That's true, but that's probably more about damage control now that they've got bad reviews. Sending this out to guitarists was a mistake. Their target market is in the tech interested young people (below 30) who also happen to have money to spend.
I agree with you Andy, a company has no place trying to tell you how to do your job. Your content is awesome and your honesty, quirkiness and massive amounts of information you include in your videos are some of the many reason I watch your channel. Really appreciate you sharing this. 🤘
This video also just showed up in my feed as others have mentioned. I wasn't following your channel before... but I am now. I appreciate you pulling back the curtains a bit on the market place that is TH-cam. Keep following your standards and also get good representation (read a lawyer) to turn threats such as you expose here into apologies from such heavy handed brands. I appreciate the enlightening content in this video. Cheers
It's a pleasure to listen to a man with an unshakable balance 🙂
Im very glad to see how you are handling this and will continue to support this channel. I recently got my first electric guitar based on your truthful and educated opinion, I can only imagine my regret if you ended up promoting a product over reviewing it.
Keeping it honest and entertaining will have people coming to new and old videos for years to come. Just do what you have been doing and keep up the good work man
Came across you channel years back, just surfing. Instantly loved it and subscribed. You are very honest and learned on your topics. Bottom line; when you review a product you are, HONEST, and therefore I TRUST YOUR Reviews and recommendations! Hats off to you ANDY! I stand with you! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🙏😇🙏
The title of this video brought me here, the story kept me watching, the video listed to the right of this video provided the FULL details on the "guitar" you were talking about and I was able to quickly scrub through a couple of negative reviews. All the videos I saw including this one were from upstanding musical reviewers that criticized the instrument, the company that made it or BOTH.
It is nice to see people with integrity and pride in what they do, nice community. I just hope people don't fall for what from my inexperienced eye looks like at best a toy trying to be something more.
Thanks for the informative video, hope all goes well with that mystery company from "unknown" country
Andy, thanks for sharing. We know that you are an honest professional reviewer, it's why so many of us return
to watch your honest video reviews where you share your experience be it good or not so good, this current
situation reinforces your honesty and integrity for me. Best wishes.
Love your work! Love your Code Of Ethics against having reviews reviewed before posting.
Oh boy… I Wonder what happened!
you'll never know.
"I know which brand you're talking about" button 👍
You know who they are
Always do the right thing. You will gratify some, and astonish the rest! - Mark Twain
Thought your review was very fair for that particular product 😁
You are remarkable. I'm not a guitar player (I have tried to teach myself) but I enjoy reviews about products that I'm interested in. I also appreciate honesty and I appreciate you. I have only watched 2 videos produced by you and I can tell you that IF I were a guitar player, I would be a subscriber. Thank you for what you are doing. Peace.
Really well said and heartfelt. I'm jealous that you have found something that you're passionate enough about to work all those hours. I've never watched your channel before. Great video!
Love you man, you always keep it real ❤
Chappers!
Holy shit!
Damn right
Love you guitars specially the ml-3 traditional
Love you too my brother 😍
i'm not a guitar person but you came up in the suggestions, you seem like a chill dude and agree with what you are saying. i hope you get to review a lot of stuff you like and that that will help a lot of ppl make the right choice in buying gear. have a good one.
Love your videos Andy, keep them coming! I just ordered a nice Gretsch that you reviewed, you were spot on, I love it my friend! Honesty is the best policy, someone famous once said!
I've only seen this and another of your videos, the one about the cheap Amazon guitar. You've impressed me with your style, candor, and honesty. The way you present makes me want to see more, which speaks to your character. Keep up the good work, and know that your honesty is appreciated.
Thank you for being so honest with your reviews, I love your content and your personality....you make the music industry a better place, thank you for that.
I am grateful for you and your channel. I have found, over time, that you tend to review products that interest me. Many times I purchased products after considering your review, and others, and I have been generally happy with decision I made based on your reviews. At least for me, you have provided a valuable service and I am happy that I found your channel.
Given the current legal climate and sue-crazy nature of the corporate world, It makes perfect sense not to review products that would result in a negative review. It’s saddening, because negative reviews could enable the manufacturer to remedy product shortfalls and improve the item’s usefulness and profitability, IE GM Corvair VS Ralph Nader.
This nameless company used the word collaboration. If you are “a collaborator”, then you work for that company and they may have the right to dictate the content of your review.
However, since you are an entity the provides truthful, helpful, and reliable independent reviews, the “Company” has no business telling you what to report. That being said, the legal expense of defending you position could end in bankruptcy. Returning the product without review and distancing yourself from “the company” is a prudent move. Thank you for all of your hard work and I look forward to seeing you next reviews.
This is a genuine, well thought video and I loved your honesty. Now you have a new subscriber, so keep up the awesome work. As a luthier, I would NEVER dictate how someone reviews my guitars. I build them because I love to (my hands not so much, but you get used to it). If someone hates one, so be it. Lord knows I would do everything I can to resolve any issue they came across. Regardless, keep up the awesome reviews and have a wonderful holiday.
Love your stance on this. While I was watching, and reading the contents I can't help but think that I have not purchased a new guitar for many years now. I have what I like, and for now what I need, so I have no use for another one at this time. Truly, this is a great tool for looking into a new guitar when I am ready for one, and I appreciate that most reviewers are not just on the company payroll to spread lies. Thank you.
The greatness attitude is yours, keep on being the great guy you are, honesty is the most valuable and precious quality that we can have, also kindness is a plus. I rely appreciated your video and the way you brought it, very good production, even if a so called company 's bad action or philosophy is misleading in a non sens, your presentation is so good that I instantly pushed the subscribe button and the like button being sure to be back on your channel for all your content and honesty, because I am a bass player since the last 53 years and I also love every things about guitars.
This just reassures that there are honest reviews out there! “They’ll never take our freedom.”
You're a real one!
Oh, we goin' William Wallace up in dis B?!
Do you wield a guitar one-handed or two? Do they make hand-and-a-half guitars?
@@sofa_king_koolwait, huh????🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
They already took his freedom, and he is taking ours by not allowing people to name "the company"; if there is really one.
good for you in keeping it real, I appreciate honest reviews even if I disagree but only because of my use cases. I’m an amateur on a low budget but love electric & acoustic with a few electronics to enjoy them further. BYW, love that parlor shaped electric acoustic with the f sound holes & soap bar pups, what is that? Saw something similar on Craigslist real cheap but has a nice vintage vibe, thanks for sharing & take care… 🎸🎶❤️✌️
You are absolutely correct!!! Full support to you and the way you work.
Freedom of what you are saying is even more important than money.
Thank you very much.
We will take a legal action to the company who is absolutely wrong in what they do.
I had no idea being a TH-camr was so difficult: appreciate you even more now. Rock on polite guy!
Editing is insanely time consuming
@@the_hessian__ True, just making a 60+ secs meme videos took me several hours. Imagine editing a 20-30 minutes gear review with multiple camera angles, without live camera switching (Which is what I assume Henning (Eytschpi42) does). Also having to synchronise the audio, adding in the text and extra eye candy effects.
Honestly Andy, you probably should name and shame the company. That kind of corporate bullying is unacceptable, and they should not be able to do so in secret.
The company seems to think it is your job to promote their product, not review it. Unless you have commited to promotiing the product they have no grounds on which to sue.
I understand why you are being so cautious, but sometimes we need to stand our ground.
Keep making the great content :)
We all know it’s that areoguitar thing so him saying the company will only make it worse
Very bad advice.
”Don't let others get in the way of your happiness.". This comes at a time when I'm very much hurt due to someone else's actions. While we all know that this channel isn't about self-affirmation, I truly appreciate this reminder to not let others dictate our emotions or actions. Thank you and much success always.
The channel may be about guitars but I endeavour to make it more than that!
I hope you make it through quickly
Very well said, Stratman. BTW, I'm sorry someone has caused you unjust pain. You gots lots of folks out in the world that could be here for ya if ever needed be. There are WAY more good people than there are horrid, hateful people out there.
@@TheGuitarGeek Wow. Very nice of you, Andy. Class act. Cool Cat! Keep up the great work!!!!
This video popped up randomly on my feed. I'm no musician by any feat, but do love my piano. I also love guitar but have never played one. I loved the way you went through this email and calmly sent the product back. Proper professionalism showing through there. I've liked and subscribed as I love honest reviews on anything. Hoping this brings more brands knocking at your door so you can buy more guitars & tyres 😊😊
I do hope you got from all this the most important part: Have a contract that states clearly what you are doing and what you aren't doing and have them sign it before accepting any gear from anyone. Less drama, more time to concentrate on what you do. It doesn't have to cover everything, just the parts that are integral for your reviews and your channel - and your integrity. If they're not willing to do that, their gear probably isn't worth reviewing in the first place.
I was "fed" this video thanks to TH-cam's algorithm so I came into it blind, but it was a very interesting story. My immediate reaction was to write something similar to your comment, but I'll instead just reinforce it with an "amen" and a gentle suggestion that any agreement an influencer makes with a gear provider makes it clear that the content creator is not a PROMOTER. That word (and its variations) appears a number of times in their threatening email, and it's clear that they thought Andy was such, even if he didn't. Just try to be explicit about it, and if you were and they agreed to your terms, they have no grounds for legal action.
And of course I'd also love to know the product/company, so if anyone reading this know, please reply!
Andy, you should be applauded for this video. It shows your passion, honesty, intelligence and refusal to be bullied. We are very lucky to have dedicated reviewers like you who are prepared to 'stay in the kitchen in spite of some heat'. Keep it up.
Right on.
Glad to have it. People need to stand up for themselves. What's messed up is, it takes one mistake to end it all. They can turn on you. I saw a video like yours. The guy wouldn't do a review in that guitar. He noticed that they were not good and sent the guitar back.
Is this comment a sarcastic joke? The dude was a coward who was illegally threatened and refused to name the company that threatened him.
Here in my country (.br), we have some companies that act a lot like that, unfortunately. Not only in the music business, but any. I'm glad to see you published this video, so you show your transparency with us, this is really good to see.
One thing that has stood out in your videos from day 1......how real and "normal" your reviews are. Just a guy. Sharing his passion. A gear head. One of us.
And this good sir ......simply cements that further. Huge huge respect.
Thanks Laurence. That’s exactly how I approach my videos. Just me having fun, talking with my friends
Hi Andy,
I really appreciate the honesty and integrity you bring to your guitar and music equipment reviews and I value your opinions highly. This company who sent you what can only be described as a threatening letter are absolutely despicable. It is a barometer of how successful you have become with this company running scared of an honest review from you. This tyrant of a company sound like they want to end freedom of speech. Always remember we live in a free society and you can't be arrested for having an opinion. Keep up your brilliant work and never be afraid to give an honest opinion on any product. I sincerely hope that this matter can be resolved to your satisfaction.
Best Regards,
Frank.
Hi Andy, those "Guitar in the Air" clowns don't even trust their own product to act like this. I don't think they have a future in guitar business. Your honesty and candidness honor you. Keep on the good job!
I'm curious. What company did this?
@@masamune9082 🤫🤫🤫🤫
It’s a secret!!!!😆😆😆😆😆
I’m pretty sure it’s the new plastic looking guitar(that’s not really a guitar) with a speaker on it. Forget what it’s called, but it’s a complete joke, a toy guitar for $500!!😆😆😆😱😱Like it should be sold at Toys R Us!!!😆😆😆
I see what you did there !!!
@@masamune9082 Something tells me it is:
an absolutely Appalling company
what they do is Extortionate
trying to sue people like this is Ridiculous
their actions are Obnoxious
outright, it's Bad
a lot of their products are also just Awful
when they try to control reviews like this, it is Notorious
overall, this stuff is Destructive
Do with that information what you will.
Well done Andy. We used to get this all the time reviewing tech products for our magazine. Editorial independence is essential for reader trust. Smart companies discuss their upcoming products informally with reviewers at an early stage to get feedback to avoid this kind of nonsense.
Thank you for your heartfelt honesty and not letting your integrity get steam- rolled by a guitar manufacturer attempting to stack the deck. Merry Christmas!
I admire your stance on being truthful, I subbed for that reason alone. I subscribe to many guitar and music channels, I know the product you are describing as there are more bad reviews then good ones on YT and the way you've handled the situation is far more professional than the manufacturer.
Love that you are holding your ground in a world of internet influencers that are being bullied by brands who are putting their own interests above any truth about how their product really is.
I have very little interest in guitar content, but I appreciate the hell out of your approach to this video and your transparency about the relationship between gear companies and TH-cam content makers. Thank you. 🙏
Your commitment to integrity made my subscribe to this channel right away.
Great video! I’ve only just started to move away from reaction videos and getting into gear reviews so my channel doesn’t become stale. I have been very fortunate to work with some great people so far but if I had a company basically pay me to say something I didn’t find true. I too would not do it. I prefer to stay honest with people and try not to do a hard sell. If I like that product, it’s because I genuinely like it.
Keep up the good work and don’t let companies try to manipulate freedom of speech.
Thank you for the honest transparant reviews. Since there are less and less physical music Store it is a bless to have these honest reviewers.. otherwise we all buy stuff completely blindly and this helps a lot to make a choice. Keep on doing that!
Much respect for you man! You’re earned my respect. You were honest about what you do and why you do it. I wish all others were like you…some are not.
I appreciate your honesty and integrity. You've earned yourself a new subscriber.
I've been following about five guitar-advice channels, including yours, so that I can learn and make an informed choice when I am able to buy a guitar next year. Therefore, only honest reviews are helpful! It is amazing that that company thought they should stifle professional opinions about their products.
Well said and explained. I love your channel and your reviews, but this is my fav video to date. You’ve kept your integrity, and continue to bring us the truth and honesty with which we’ve come to rely on from you. Keep it up. Well done.
100% agree with you. If a company wants a review (opinion) of their product then that’s what they get. It’s not an infomercial! Keep up the great work Andy. I value your channel.
It's not that simple. This "reviewer" admits he is being paid by the company concerned.
@@nationaldemocrat Definitely want to see the contract on that. If it's as TheGuitarGeek mentions "promotional", then the Kickstarter can claim breach for a non-positive "review". If, however, it's supposed to be a real review, then they are paying for someone's time to actually look at their product (like professional beta testers). It sounds like they are changing their request after securing the agreement, and doing so in a really strongarm way.
TheGuitarGeek can refuse the money and buy the device and review it as long as there's $$ coming in elsewhere. After-all, when people review things for magazines or on TH-cam there's $$ coming in hopefully to offset the purchase, and the reviewer can only do the review if they can offset the purchase and make some type of profit (otherwise why do it).
Pointing out what happened in this video is the best review I can think of for this product. Best to avoid (and a quick Google search turns up what the bad product is - when I looked at it it appears to be an extremely expensive Guitar Hero knock-off).
Good fortune Andy, the community needs to have reviewers it can trust.
@@l00k4tstuff You end by saying "the community needs to have reviewers it can trust". And this Andy chap is clearly not one of them, as he, by his own admission, accepts money in return for so-called "reviews". He is hopelessly compromised, and I am betting there are many many more reviewers ouy there we thought were impartial but like Andy, are actually taking the money....
The nerve of these people is unbelievable, you are a stand up guy, keep it up, Of course you got a new subscriber!
It seems that they sent you their product with the illusion of you doing Promotions and not Product Review as you can see in the language of the letter. Their mistake, not yours.. would love to know what shady brand is relying on free online promotion without the confidence that their product would speak for itself. Keep up the great content.. I'm in my third week learning to play guitar and I'm enjoying your reviews. Much appreciated 👍🏻
Your honesty and approach to content are invaluable. Keep on rockin'!
You've just gained a follower. Excellent message, and I'm glad you took this absolutely moral stand 👍
He folded. Stopped making a review because of a baseless threat. Censored anyone discussing it in the replies here.
Whats moral about caving to a liar and then censoring your own subs?
You have earned my respect and my subscription to your channel. I appreciate your honesty. I have been watching your videos for some time, and I have to say that I was returning to it more often than usual, and now I understand why. Keep up the excellent work. Thank you.
Just came across your channel, instantly subscribed. Very impressed with your review process. Keep it real!
Me too! :D
It’s the AeroGuitar, isn’t it? With its silicon “strings”
It's "silicone" not silicon. Typically I'm not the grammar and spelling police, but in this particular instance, the difference between silicone and silicon is huge.
Yes
Hey Andy, I just wanted to tell you I applaud your dedication to being honest and forthcoming with your reviews. The way you stress that what you do is no walk in the park and the fact that you feel you even have to say that sort of thing reminds me of a situation I had once with an IRS employee. I had a business years ago with a band that was exclusively a tribute band for casino cabarets. I played guitar and we did a pretty good imitation, er excuse me, _tribute_ to ZZ Top. Somehow along the way I messed up my taxes filling out tax forms somewhere, so I went to an IRS office to try and fix it. The guy I talked to was nice enough, he didn't accuse me of attempted tax fraud or anything like that. But during our conversation I asked him why my tax rate was so high. His reply totally pi**ed me off. He said _"It's because you play for a living, you don't work."_
I sat there staring at him for a good 30 seconds before I said anything. Then I calmly asked him "Have you ever done any kind of work like we do?" He said no. I replied _"Ok, so let me tell you how it goes. First off, our joke is that our clocks are broken, because your AM is our PM. So we get up at 6:00 PM, do the morning thing, head to the venue and set up the gear, of which there was approximately a ton and a half of..."_
It took me a good 15 minutes to explain our full day and I went into minute detail, and I left out nothing. Now granted, that was a description of one of our days when we were playing one nighters, which we did for 17 years before we started playing in casino cabarets. But I wanted to drive home the point that there is a lot more to playing in a band than playing 20 or so songs and saying "Thank you! Good night!"
He was like "Oh my God, I didn't know..."
On Craigslist there are a few obnoxious people who sell gear that they claim they got for free from guitar gear companies "for their TH-cam channel" but never bothered to review. Why don't these companies go after people like these Craigslist folks? What these people are doing is dishonest. What you are doing is honest.
Didn't know your channel before, got recommended this one. Subbed, bell rung, quality video and love the integrity.
Virtually anybody watching this will have recommendations for the other videos that are reviewing what I'm quite sure is the product in mind. I didn't know it existed, but after watching THOSE videos, and looking at the KS, I can absolutely see what you're saying, and I also agree that it's just not worth baiting potential legal action even if it's very unlikely.
Welcome aboard! I appreciate your input
Good for you man. I appreciate your openness and honesty.
Hey Andy, love what you do and enjoyed the interview bit we did at Mannheim some years back. So as I watched this video a few things became clear. If they paid you for this then the first message they sent says if you decide NOT to promote. So in their mind they are not paying you to evaluate but paying you to promote. The second message says the same. Their next message says they have some guidelines to follow for Influencers again suggesting that some their messaging will help you nfluence. So from what i can see might be a bit careful because they didnt pay you for evaluation. In their minds and in their messaging they are paying you to promote. Its pretty obvious what part of the world invented this product. Im guessing this kind of messaging will start to be for all products coming from their to try enforce promoting versus evaluating and giving honest opinions about crappy products. It wasnt hard to find another review which clearly demonstrates this is a failed product and they know it. Keep on rockn hope to see you at NAMM 2024
Even when you're sharing bad news, you're very energetic. I don't play guitar, but I've enjoyed the three videos I watched (the $75 guitar I & II). Continued Success!
I appreciate that! I hope I put some kind of smile on your face.
This is the first video I have seen from you.
You earned yourself a subscriber.
I appreciate your honesty and class in handling this matter!
Thank you for being genuine!
What a shower of a company. Overpriced crap product receives honest reviews and they try and go strong arm. Lesson 1 in how to ruin your own business. Kudos to you HP and the rest for the honesty and integrity you show to us all Andy. 👏👏👏
Honest and thorough reviews like the ones you provide are not just helpful, but frankly necessary. There's so much new stuff out there, very few of us have the time to run to a store to play and compare everything that comes out. Late night video-watching however, we can all do. Thanks for not giving in to the insecurities of inferior companies!
I have a grandson that started doing what you are doing years ago. We used to laugh at him when he would receive products daily from shippers. There was hardly any room in his bedroom. He was like you, totally honest and forthright.
I JUST ran across your channel. Watched the 'cheap Amazon' one. Very cool! I looked it up even. Then: THIS vid... I know b/c I'm new here, I'm prob WAAAAAAAYYY behind. But, I'd really like to hear the other story you mentioned toward the end of this one. I've been dealing w/ censorship for a lifetime now (which, by appearances, seems like double your 'lifetime' hahahaha) As we're both Creatives, we have to deal w/ all kinds of shit. I've been a guitarist forever... plus a visual artist for even longer. Regardless of if I hear back, the whole honesty think reminded me of my days teaching HS art in a very poor, rural, public school. So, if you can... point me in the 'new' direction of the other story. Thank you for putting out quality vids like this - not many people have any kind of values anymore.