To be fair to both you and Lee, this has definitely been dealt with in a manner which is both professional and amicable. I enjoy the Andertons content for a bit of light entertainment but I never really cared about any commercial interest as I understood they're a music shop first and foremost. As you said, a resolution has been made and I think Lee made a fair apology. Keep holding the industry to account lad.
yeah me too. never cared for the commercial interest. honestly I didn't even know or had any idea of his involvement with victory. My only introduction to victory was through richie kotzen and martin kidd. and at the end of the day the product speaks for itself. great amps.
Except for the fact that it wasn't disclosed and how many amps were sold under the guise that the reviews had nothing to do with being a part owner. Admitting it now is fine, but saying it wasn't intentional is not true
@@mhsandifer Fortunately Victory amps are actually good and people don't feel robbed. Imagine if they were junk, this would be a whole ordeal on a much different level.
Who cares who owns the company. If you like the amp buy it, if you don't like it, don't buy. It makes no real difference to the quality of the product. Just seems like people looking for something to complain about.
I think Lee learned from his friend Rob and responded to all this in a much better fashion. Kudos to all parties involved for being professional, civil and doing the right thing.
@@thegoodguy44lying by omission is not some horrible sin. And we’re lucky the U.K. has laws that would force him to disclose such ties. I don’t believe he would be legally forced to do so in America.
@@Riggy931 I don't see why he did it?, Surely it woulda bin no big deal... I think of he'd have said he was one of the owners or investors it wouldn't have affected sales?. He could have just put it in the description box if he didn't want the bother of saying the disclaimer or conflict of interests. This kind of stuff happened with Chapman guitars, it's daft really. Anyways, I went off Chapman and Lee long ago, after they shamefully slaughtered the Dan electro hollow bodied guitars... Just the level of snobbishness on Lee's part was pretty bad, it was the only jam were they sounded good too!, I got tired of Chapman's wank fest and Andertons dull playing generally.
I worked at Andertons around the time Cornford ended and Victory came in just as I was getting ready to leave (I was there in the guitar department for 3 years) . I will say this, he's being genuine when it comes to his respect for Cornford and the amps they built as well as the jobs that were under threat at the time. Some staff definitely knew there was some involvement with getting Victory up and running because that's what I was told by a colleague when we first setup the demo space during the store's refit around that time. Having worked with Lee for a long time and being personally interviewed and hired by him for the job in the first instance, I will say I believe what he says about keeping it a bit hush so as not to harm the brand by making it "an Andertons brand". I agree with what you've raised though. He should have just come out and said it in the videos. The product is good, so it would still have faired well against the competition on it's own merit in the relevant price brackets. You live and learn I suppose but yeah, I don't think he was of the mindset of "If I tell the viewers, they'll not buy the amps." As far as I could see, the entire point of those amps was to continue on the path of what Cornford would have wanted to do design wise had they not suffered a catastrophe at the factory and had they had the finances to withstand such an event. My interview with Lee was the best interview I've ever had. He wanted to see if I'd A: Give the customer choices they really wanted and B: Whether or not I'd unnecessarily BS them. He really came at it as "I want this to be a genuine helpful exchange amongst players with honest helpful advice so the customer make make an informed decision." He never ever pressured me to try squeeze the customer for anything. In fact, he'd actually be more generous giving deals than his managers would often prefer if he was on the sales floor. He does love the business and the interactions. I think he's handled this well considering the mis judgment on his part. It'll serve as a warning to others as well that in the modern age, you should just be clear from the outset because if you aren't someone else is going to come and roll that rock over instead. So you may as well do it on your terms. Thanks for putting your video together fairly and taking the initial step of contacting Lee to give him an opportunity to explain before making the video. He's a decent guy and you didn't have to do that, but I think it probably took the edge off for him. The Family's name over the door means a lot too him and I'm sure he's grateful it was a TH-camr like you tackling this without sensationalism and so on. That guy threw me a bone in my darkest hour, so I've got soft spot for him I guess.
awesome hearing from someone who knew him personally. Those personal interactions go a long way. Cant blame the guy for not wanting to mix up businesses, but fair promotion will always be key in product reviews. Glad to see this ended as admirably as it could have, for now.
Thanks, this is interesting and shows things in a slightly better light for Lee. It was a misjudgment without question, but the motives were perhaps not as Chapman-like as a lot of us initially assumed.
Wouldn’t be surprised at all if Victory amps sales drop after this. Guitarists can be very parochial when it comes to brands. I don’t think Lee did anything wrong by not announcing to the world that Victory was an in house brand. But KDH has carved out his little niche and left real controversies to youtubers like Coffeezilla.
@@blastofo so if Lee didn’t do anything wrong, how come the Advertising Standards Agency have enforced a ruling that he needs to label his videos differently going forward?
Respect to Lee for being so forthcoming and to KDH for giving him the freedom to speak openly and without reservation. All respect to Lee in his future endeavors and to KDH to his honest inquiries.
The guy got caught pushing product on his review and promotional channel that he didn't disclose he owned. I have watched Lee gush over that brand in many videos as if the company or products had nothing to do with him, and Rob, for that matter. Not only is that a conflict of interest, but one hell of a breach of trust, and pretty damn slimy.
The explanation is an advertisement, failing to admit to the full details and "downrounding" some of the issues. Followed by a statement that "oh, they said that this is resolved now, and I don't have to fix any old videos". I'm sure Lee is smart enough to realize that a negative reaction to getting caught is going to result in a much worse outcome. he still comes across to me like a life insurance salesman selling annuity products to elderly people and smiling while doing it. That's just my opinion.
@@daw162He doesn’t seem to be failing to admit the full details. He basically said KDH was right about everything in his video. And of course, as a public figure it’s important to keep controversy under control. He owned up to his mistake, that’s all he can do. I agree the old videos need to be edited however.
Wow this has been really interesting. Phenomenal job looking into this and also being so fair to Lee, allowing him to respond and set the record straight. Very professional, kudos to both of you. Much respect
Agreed. Imagine how utopian our society would be if everyone treated disputes like this. Always a breath of fresh air when you see people behaving respectfully
‘Fair play’, lol … err, no … withholding your financial interest in products you are ‘comparing’ for an audience, and maintaining a pretence that you are not more directly involved, is not only unfair play - it’s against the law, precisely because it is unfair and misleading/deceptive conduct …
less impressed by Lee's response that he's only going to do the absolute minimum that he's forced to and "they said it's resolved now" which is sort of a "F. O., this is wrapped up, go away" kind of thing.
This is honestly one of the most incredible pieces of journalism I've seen, and it's not even the first time I've seen such excellent work from your channel. The fact that this is one of the better response videos to what seems to have been deliberately hidden interests in products that he was shilling on his TH-cam channel is a very sad commentary on the state of advertising and the surrounding ecosystem. Keep on rocking 😃
You are either too young or too naive to call this the most incredible piece of journalism, maybe you should read more instead of watching TH-cam videos.
I've had times in my life where I've avoided being straight up honest about something, felt crap about it on some level and then found it harder and harder to own up to it as time goes by. Seems like lee is relieved to get this off his conscience. Real shame it took being caught red handed. Lesson learnt hopefully.
I never knew where Victory Amps came from and this makes me curious to try them out at my local dealer. I would have thought that Lee having a genuine connection with trying to make a great amp was a plus not a deterrence.
Andertons features other brands to a huge degree. It appears your drinking KDH's kool-aid in thinking that there is now some sort of conflict of interest that has been exposed. No. I have mentioned that all of the information about the relatinship can be found on the internet and please do not believe that KDH is a white knight for consumer advocacy. He has a youtube channel, wants more subscribers, and via innuendo has "created the problem" so he can look like the savior/saviour for the consumer. While suggesting that Andertons is the "huckster", KDH is the one strongly trending in that direction.@@jorismak
Victory amps were so ubiquitous in their videos that I just assumed that Lee and Rob Chapman were involved in Victory, and never really thought much about it past that. Interesting piece of research, and what seems to be a good, frank response from Lee.
honestly though, who would buy a signature amp by youtubers like Rob, and his friends???? its not a cheap investment, no matter how much i like the youtubers, i would never spend more than 30usd on a merch by a youtuber
I respect him for responding in a civil manner, let's cut him some slack, he does a lot of good for the amp, guitar and pedal community, his vids are way above others in the way they compare products, he's been a huge help to me. My respect to Lee.
The problem is he was comparing Victory to other amps whilst keeping it a secret that he’s an owner of Victory. And this went on for a decade. That is really poor behaviour.
I’ve been completely blown away by the professionalism you’ve displayed during these videos and it’s a shining example to the majority who sadly fall short in this respect in many walks of life.
New subscriber here! Good professional reporting. Also, good to see (Lee) Andertons responding professionally and openly. I watch a lot of their videos and am a returning customer.
I think that you have presented the issues and arguments superbly and very professionally. It’s good to see strong investigative journalism conducted online in a polite, dignified and respectful manner.
I like how a bunch of people were ripping on you in his Instagram video talking about minding your own business and this and that. This is what investigative journalism is. If no one does it, then no one's ever held accountable. So thank you KDH for your fair and honest investigative journalism. Edit: Also, respect to Lee for taking the criticism and being open and honest about it..
I disagree and will explain why. This whole thing is so petty, Kdh has made something out of nothing a mountain out of a molehill. He should really just become a policeman and be done with it the absolute weapon!
@@james1658becoming a policeman would only make him even less helpless in holding people accountable. Why do you think a man telling people amps are great and worth buying shouldn't have to disclose that he's making money off them?
Oh my god, you got this solved and taken all the way to the top to be dealt with in a matter of DAYS. Magnificently done my guy, your work to bring transparency to the industry makes it a better place for everyone.
Total respect to KDH for his investigative journalism and the way the initial video was presented... and to Lee for his response. Very professional all round
this whole thing was handled so well! There were no wild accusations thrown out. There was genuine concern of consumers being misled, and the response reflects ownership of those mistakes and a look to being better in the future
Well, Lee would have no leg to stand on if he wanted to get aggressive in his responses - like a certain other person close to him, who got his sizeable behind thoroughly roasted by his own online "firespitting" that way - because he did this advertising-masked-as-reviews spiel for a whole DECADE. If it had been a year and two or three videos where he "just forgot" to disclose his involvement before his public clarification, that would be a different matter. Ten years and dozens of videos with carefully worded misleading "the guys over at..." verbiage along with glowing "reviews" for the products? That was 100% intentional.
"this whole thing was handled so well! " Like if Lee was another victim, and dealt with the bad cards he was handed well........ Dude, he deceived his audience for 10y and got caught.................................. What's crazy is that some people prefer to praise him rather than deal with the fact they were lied to and deceived by him for the last 10 years.
I think both your videos and Lee’s response has been pretty professional. This is refreshing. Lee didn’t say everything I hoped he would have said but he clearly took this seriously and at least appears to be reasonably interested in doing the right thinf
The good fight? Lol, he's nothing more than a little snitch. Lee Anderton shouldn't even give an explanation, his business is his business, he's not doing anything illegal..
Lee still has my full respect and admiration. Anderton's has exceeded all expectations on things I've bought from them and also very helpful on the phone too. I still want to know what happened to Cornford and whether their amps will fade into obscurity or become collector's items.
Its a perfect reminder not to believe everything you see, hear or read online - if something grabs your attention go and try it and make your own mind up !
I think it’s admirable keeping these people real. Your videos have often raised interesting questions and sometimes questionable actions by the music industry.
Professional on all sides! KDH, nice job and continue to seek the truth. Lee, you've helped so many players with your gear, videos and insight, so I appreciate the disclosure. Let's all just Rock Out 😎
I see the comments saying well done to Lee for his response, but remember, there were a lot of years promoting Victory Amps on TH-cam where he didn't say he had a financial interest in them, that is the issue here! That's it, plain and simple!
I’m not at all surprised captain lee , I’ve been watching your videos since 2015 and I kinda knew that you were involved with victory it was obvious , and I never really cared as far as I’m concerned visiting your store is still on my bucket list !!! I would like to thank you and shake your hand in person for your entertainment !!!
I'm a long-term customer of Anderton's, they're a great institution who have fantastic products and have given me really good customer service. I'm glad this issue is out in the open and hope it's been resolved now.
@@literalghost929 It's not that I don't mind. I was one of the people who was deceived. (I haven't bought Victory, but I did take their positive reviews as relatively unbiased.) But given how business men usually respond to these things? I think he was pretty straightforward, answered the questions, admitted he was in violation, and is altering the way he's doing things. So yeah, he messed up, but it's resolved in less than a week. Which is basically record time for something like this.
@@sagittated "he messed up" He didn't mess up. He chose to lie and deceive his audience, for 10 years. It was a 100% voluntary decision. He knew it was wrong, but cared more about money than being honest.
Beside everything as guitar community we should be greatful that this channel exists. I'm so happy that even the ones that are under scrutiny are respectful and don't dismiss everything saying "LA LA LA LA LLA I CANNOT HEAR IT"
Well done KDH and Lee! I like happy endings and Lee has learned a lesson and accepted responsibility for his actions. I like both Lee and his Anderton TH-cam channel and now with his reviews having full disclosure I will appreciate them even more.
What still pisses me off is he says that everyyone knew, except the viewers of youtube. Which means other brands,knew th audience didnt know. So they definately all kept that a secret
Nice for Lee to respond in a nice way. I went to the shop a couple of months ago to see if I could catch some of the regulars and Lee came down the stairs and gave me a hi slash scowl, I guess he was a bit busy making videos lol. I loved the Rabea blind amp pedal challenges, fantastic videos showing no bias.
This has been really interesting from a consumer perspective. I always wondered why some of the other major retailers in the UK didn’t push the Victory products. However, I really appreciate the Captain’s response here and thankful that he invested in the product because the Victory range is fantastic imo. Martin is a genius and designs sick amps!
It puts Lee's thinking into perspective. Because obviously he WANTS other retailers to push Victory. So he was treading a line between lie of omission on one side, and undermining the amps (which deserve more recognition). He chose the lie, and to be honest most people would. That's why the ASA exists.
Martin is one of the kindest and most genuine people too. He lives down here in East Kent and he always had time to talk to me when I was kid at his concerts and will bend over backwards to help you if you have any issues.
I do not play guitar but Lee and the team got me watching video after video. I am not sure if anyone really cares too much about this issue. 3 complaints is nothing. Lee stikes me as genuine and of course he knew he was self promoting. That content he puts out cost time energy and money folks, dont be naive. I watched this and the bulid up "investigation". I also watched the "Chapman" investigation. I really think there was probably a better use of your time-unless....... you realised that the people watching thier videos might watch yours and monetise your channel? No ones been murdered, no one has bought a dodgy product. Everyone should move on nothing to see here.
Of course disclosures matter! I’m also disappointed to hear that people don’t understand that! It’s the reason why product manufacturers, designers, collaborators etc don’t review their own products. Very well done video, I applaud your professionalism 👏
You both are doing great things in the space and It's nice this was handled amicably on both accounts. It has to be said that Lee's response and humility was nice to see given the context.
@xRickAstleyx He probably didn't know how to. There was a genuine reason for secrecy originally, but after 10 years it had become pointless. A cynic might think that the whole event had been staged 😅
@@johnbriggs3916 its just crazy how often this situation happens with products being promoted on youtube. and its also wild to me that it always gets exposed by a third party, then cleared up by the person involved afterward. i dont believe for a second that lee wasnt trying to passively give people the impresion that his reviews and demos for victory were objective. especially given the previous issues he and chappers have had with this same stuff
Not really. His response is posted on his own account, not Anderton's because this investigation was about him as an investor/co-owner, not about mentioned brands being Anderton's-owned brands not being disclosed.
Yeah he didn't mention he was an owner of the product. He was pushing it /promoting it on andertons videos. If he wasn't pushing it on andertons This video wouldn't have been made. He is keeping that off the andertons youtube intentionally due to less viewers on Instagram. Good damage control
Excellent overall investigation, response and conclusion. I get Lee’s reasoning that 11 years ago he was concerned that other retailers being aware of his involvement in a product could jeopardise potential sales, but obviously once that decision had been made it then made it difficult to reveal it at a later date. But transparency and openness is always the best policy.
Was just about to say exactly the same thing, nothing underhand, just a sensible business strategy... Maybe some (or all) of the other investors are also retailers or distributors. At the end of the day does it really make any difference?
@@charmandrews Some people like to feel cheated over something that makes no actual difference to them at all. People are going to complain about everything, that's kinda what people do.
I've always held *Lee Anderton* in high regard. Absolute respect to his response. And Kudos to you for sticking to facts. Love your work. Please never sell out.
You’ve done some excellent journalist muckraking on this and you were rewarded. Well done. I like the Anderton’s channel and I still like Lee. I will continue to watch the Anderton’s channel.
And with your wording admit there was “muck” to be raked up. And as always someone has to do it. I like Lee too and will continue to watch him, but everyone is accountable for their actions.
I’d just like to say, that I can imagine that making this content and dealing with what I’m sure is a wide range of responses is quite stressful. I really rather admire your tenacity and fairness in this. I have no particular interest in throwing Lee under the bus, but you raise perfectly valid points regarding ethics and disclosure, and this stuff is important. Well done.
Yeah. The responses from many guitarist were concerning, as they are basically "why would he (KDH) do that? Idc" without any regards for business ethics
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Great piece of work. Well done and keep up the good work.
He's still trying to minimize and justify it all like a drug addict trying to justify and minimize their addiction and problems 👎 it could have been much much better. It's a start but he's still not taking full responsibility for what he did all these years.
@@J.C... Every time I see your profile pic under s guitar video I know I'm about to read some class A boomer bullshit. You and that DMS productions guy, can't seem to ever be satisfied with anything
@@ileutur6863What? He's right though.... 🤷 Yes, Lee handled it way better than some other people. But that's still just the bare minimum we should require. I don't think he should get hate but he definitely shouldn't get credit when he literally did a crime...🤷
As someone that lives in the USA, I was a little thrown by the civility and professionalism displayed in this investigation which led to a mutual understanding and positive resolution. I believe the proper English way to say it is, 'good show, mate.'
Yep, two gentlemen coming to a resolution. Both KDH and Lee have gone up in my estimation, fair play to them both. This is how investigative journalism should be done (KDH) and handled (Lee).
@@Davey-Boyd Wow you really owned and destroyed that gentleman and his use of the word "dude." I have sent you a medal of honour in the post. However I notice you were unable to refute the fact that this channel is in fact just an obnoxious dumbass pretending to be a journalist.
Fair criticism from KDH and professional response from Lee. It’s a shame so many people commenting on Lee’s Instagram video have completely misunderstood the point and interpreted it as an attack on a public figure with whom they have a parasocial relationship. It’s also unfortunate that those who see no issue with this are likely most susceptible to dishonest advertising practices. Good work, KDH!
Many of the people who don’t care about this disclosure already take what the salesmen say about products they’re selling with a grain of salt. He already makes money from selling everything that he talks about. “He makes more money from victory? My God this changes everything!” No, not really.
@@darksu6947 😂 based on what? What are you even talking about? Other than low intellect individuals like you and the OP thinking it’s a sick burn, what is your evidence for that? Do you know how many products I’ve bought based on Anderton’s videos? I literally just posted a comment saying you’ve kind of daft if you base your opinions on the word of any salesman, and your rebuttal is “ClEaRlY yOu’Re SuScEpTiBlE tO dIsHOnEsT mArKeTiNg!!!!” You’ve failing at logic.
Just to add my own tiny contribution, I did not know that Lee and Victory had any involvement. I just thought it was one of the brands they really liked, and showcased more. I don’t know that it would affect any decisions I made in purchasing one, but I 100% value being told this information. If anything, it’s the sort of thing that would build my trust (in its transparency) and probably encourage me to get one.
KDH you are needed 💯💯, I respect your work. I don’t watch andertons or any other related channel lately except yours, your real genuine. I’ll keep tuning in.
Great video KDH…fantastic journalism,fair play. Good to see Lee Anderson explain and clear things up,but as you say,should have been done years ago.The winner here is us,the public,who spend our hard earned on these products. Keep up the great work. Mark.
This is the most important and most underrated channel in the TH-cam music gear-verse. Kudos KDH. Don't ever stop, don't ever falter, don't ever lose heart. You care for the herd. Someone needs to. The reward transcends the tangible human experience and into something deeper and far more satisfying. 💪🏻🤘🏻
Give that man a break. I actually picked up the guitar again after 20 years of isolation thanks to Anderton's videos, and, upon discovering this, and hearing that he actually saved some jobs and made a solid product and a competitive UK brand, I am now more keen to buy a Victory amp once I have the money. Instead of putting him down for a single mistake (he is not a rabid dog), why dont you help promote the variety and ingenuity and education he brought to the community? Can you be 100% sure you have never intentionally hid or lied on youtube as well? Did he unfairly gain financially or did you not this past 10 years? This whole thing should have been moderated in context.
@@wiziek If you think Anderton broke the law, go sue them or report them to the authorities, and let them handle it. And if he really did break the law, why isnt he getting sued? Use some logic and stop being so hateful.
I'm glad Lee has responded in a sensible way. Obviously the best outcome would've been to be more open from the start and maybe put something together earlier to get ahead of things but it hasn't put me off shopping with Anderton's which is pretty impressive considering how these things usually go. Nice work in achieving a positive outcome for the consumer in all this and not totally torching a relationship in the process. Not an easy feat.
As always, Great job KDH 🙌 Still want a victory amp
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You're right to be suspicious of those who 'knew' from outside the industry. I had assumed he was involved in some way with Victory, because it seemed wedded to most of the content creators on Andertons a few years back. There seemed to be a golden triangle of budding creator/Chapman/Victory, so I assumed some level of ownership. Also, when referring to the builder, there were often pauses in videos where Lee was reaching for the way he wanted to present Victory, which wouldn't have been an issue if it was simply a third party brand. As a jaundiced old hack, it had my bullshit meter twitching, if not actually swinging. Anyway, as I said before, great work.
When a brand comes out of nowhere and is suddenly the best thing since sliced bread, it's kinda obvious that there's a thick level of marketing going on. So when those around the hype are in marketing, it's a given. Maybe I'm inherently cynical but I'd assumed some 'interest' in Victory.
I think business wise, I lean toward’s Lee’s justification. Sometimes, people who are passionate about Guitars and Amps are keen to make a home brand against other powerhouses - without upsetting his own business. Whilst, yes, maybe to an extend sometimes it’s necessary to know. So long as the products are great at competitive price, I think it’s a fair go.
To add: it’s not easy to run a music store - especially this year. Our global economy isn’t fantastic. So long as his passion it’s giving us the opportunity to play music, he has my vote.
Its so refreshing to see this handled in such a candid and straightforward way. Issues like this always seem to devolve into a shit flinging match (you know who) in the TH-cam guitar community, and it would’ve been very easy for this to have dragged on.
Good job keeping these guys honest. The big problem was that those "review" videos were essentially sponsored advertisements without being announced as such.
Are you serious? It's a channel for a music retailer, there's always an aspect of advertising when a "review" is done under that circumstance. Even if Anderton's had no financial interest in the brand, it's still an advertisement- which they did for many brands that they did not own. No matter what- anything Anderton's sells is something they make money on. Just to be clear, disclosure about financial interests is important- but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that there is malicious intent just because it wasn't disclosed properly. I think the big takeaway in all of this is that this doesn't have to turn into a s&*# show- I see no reason to believe Lee Anderton isn't doing anything but running a proper business and it doesn't need to be harmed because of this issue. Seems to me that his company is doing very well in a rather tough industry. And quite frankly, Anderton's has done a lot of good things that makes it a far better environment than it used to be 30-40 years ago.
Of course their videos are ads, they're a bloody music retailer. You think they're gonna go 'hey there's all these products that we sell but they're all crap so don't buy them'?
Excellent job on this. You have a knack for this, for sure. You did your research, were always respectful and fair, and you fostered a positive conclusion.
In regards with the buying group Lee doesn't have any involvment with those products besides getting the name of the product whatever he wants. Him not disclosing Landlord pedals was not a violation of the ASA. Buying groups is standard retail.
Lee lied about his involvement for over 10 years and only disclosed it ‘in a civil manner’ (gee wow congratulations) after KDH called him out about it. It doesn’t mean he is any less guilty of intentionally misleading the audience.
I would recommend not watching or shopping from Anderson’s then and move on. What else do you want to happen? You want him jailed? Lose his business? Lol
As someone who has enjoyed Andertons videos, spent ten years in sales and owned a business in the past, Lee is one of the good ones. They’re pretty upfront with the fact that he obviously runs a store, is interested in selling you products and that he has other business interests going on. There are times in business where you want to not be so open because they’re COULD be conflicts of interest. Let’s say for example the factory that makes victory amps also makes Marshall amps. If Lee goes on TH-cam saying victory is great and Marshall’s suck ass… well that factory won’t be happy and neither would Marshall since Lee sells Marshall’s too. I understand why people involved wouldn’t want to open those cans of worms. Lee’s been open about pretty much everything else and by salespeople standards the dudes an angel. I’ll let this one slide… personally, but I understand if everyone else doesn’t. Honestly, Victory amps are in the background of every single video and we’re debuted on Andertons. My assumption was there was a relationship there. Seems kinda obvious. At the end of the day though I agree with KDH that the laws should be followed and honesty is the best policy. I just wanted to throw in my two cents from someone who has some experience in the business world. The business world is far more ruthless and just flat out insane than anything most of us can imagine and let’s not bag on Lee too much cuz he’s one of the good ones.
if you are concerned that there may be a conflict of interest because of an action you take, it is probably better not to take that action than to be dishonest. That said, I agree with you that Lee is one of the good ones.
I agree that this association should have been disclosed. I do have a question regarding the partnership form. The definition of UK partnership you presented was for a general partnership wherein the partners are jointly and severally liable. However, the UK also has a LIMITED partnership form (Limited Partnerships Act 1907) wherein partners do no take part in the active management of the business and are not jointly and severally liable. Can you confirm that Lee was a general rather than limited partner? If not, he was simply an investor as a limited partner.
An LLP would be on companies house, so it would show under Lee's name there. That said, depending on a partnership agreement, he may be telling the truth. Only if there is no partnership agreement the Partnership Act 1890 the sole governing document.
So glad you played the auditor and keep people/companies accountable. There are so many shady business deals, today, that account for many transaction, that otherwise, should not happen. I have been a fan of Anderson's, and at least Lee was able to come clean and admit things, says volumes. However, it also say that many, many companies/Online Stores, tend to hid their affiliations. Lee got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and tried to expect la n his short comings. He knew, all along, what he was doing, and when he got caught, because of KDH, came clean and tried to explain that it was just a mistake. We all know it wasn't a mistake, but rather a way to sell a brand he was financially associated with.
So, here's a problem. If Lee Anderton was asked directly and denied it, and only now is acknowledging it, that's not okay. That goes directly to the question of his honesty. I would never knowingly do business with somebody dishonest. If he denied being a partner/owner of Victory in the past, that still needs to be addressed.
He didn't. He was asked if andertons (ie the company that runs the shop) owns it. He truthfully answered "no" but didn't go on to say that he personally owns a stake in the business. So not a lie but another occasion and opportunity missed to declare his interest.
There's no accusation that he directly lied when asked about it. In KDH's first video, he answered directly. The only accusation is that he had a duty to inform, and did not.
10 years ago he made an understandable but questionable decision. He's been called out and came clean about it. Case closed. Looking at some comments, I looks like some of you would like to see Lee branded as dishonest person forever. I guess you never lied, made mistakes in your whole life? Let it go, people...
Keep doing what you do, KDH! Ignore the haters. Lee is slippery as hell in his 'response' and has turned me off MORE - now, that's a shitty apology! As you said: the people being advertised to, DIDN'T KNOW! That is the crux, and he still is weaseling around it, soft-pedaling his blatant lack of transparency. You are a unique person in the guitar/music space, a genuine activist! Bravo for your balls, your due diligence, your innate fairness, intelligence, decency, and humor.
Nice job! Good on you for calling this out in a totally fair and respectful way, and good on Lee for responding the way that he did. You’re like the Gamer’s Nexus of the guitar world. :P
@@Lif-999 One short video where he says 'yeah I fucked up, here's all the stuff I'm involved in and I'll do better in future' counts as 'desperately backpeddling to save face'?
@pvtts05 What did he get caught or "Exposed" doing? I've always known Andertons was somehow involved with Victory anybody who's paid close attention would. KDH self-servingly turned this into an agenda driven internet tabloid hit-piece. Why? because Lee Anderton didn't go out of his way to let the world know he lent some startup money to one of the best amp designers in the business which resulted In a line of some of the best amps in the industry at a reasonable price? Tell me again, with succinct clarity, what did he get "exposed" doing again? KDH It's a s*** stirring fraudster hiding behind the shield of consumer rights. Just because there may be some paltry level of clarity revealed doesn't make two wrongs right... And in my opinion somebody prancing around town self-servingly stirring up trouble and getting paid for it while purporting it to be in the best interests of the greater public is more dangerous and the biggest fraud of all.
There seemed to be a few people commenting in the last video who thought Andertons TH-cam Channel was a genuine gear review channel and not a vehicle to sell Guitar Products!
well done KDH for nailing Lee over this. Imagine if you took your investigative skills over to the world of politics and current affairs - you could catch some really big fish.
It does not matter to me what Andertons advertise on their channel. I will buy the product I want after exhausting all sources of information and then getting the best deal. We are not talking about the US Stock market where 3 hedge funds control 83% of the S&P500 companies, managing about 70 Trillion US Dollars. The US GDP is around 25 Trillion US Dollars by comparison. We are speaking about Andertons selling a few more products maybe due to his channel. Big Deal. He also employs 150 people stated in one of the Andertons videos. A far more important point don't you think?
Fantastic job, and thank you for bringing this into the light. In the end however, I get the legal requirement, but I don't think it makes a huge real life difference in this case. When I watch Andertons, I know he wants to sell products, it doesn't make a difference to me if he makes some of it from running a music store and some of it from being co-owner of a company that makes products. I know the guy is advertising thats the main thing. With regards to his use of "the guys at Victory" my gut feeling was that he wasn't saying it to deceive, but in some way to avoid taking credit for something that he had less to do with than the "true" Andertons house brands. It was part of the deal from the start that Victory was not to be an Andertons brand, I assume that was important to the other 8 owners, possibly also to Lee. So in not fully disclosing his involvment, he was probably respecting the manner that they had agreed to treat the Victory brand. It was never an Andertons house brand, and it was important thay people didnt think of it as such, for whatever reason. Of course, that turned out to be in breach of advertising standards, and when informed of that fact, he changed his procedure. I don't have a problem with any of this.
In general you're bsolutely right that it's obvious, Andertons being an advertising channel and Lee's intention may always be to sell us stuff. But the difference is in the detail, where he wants to sell some stuff more than others, because his earnings come twice with it. With Vivtory items he is making money with simply selling it, plus he gets revenues from being a co-owner of the brand. He simply gains more profit from Victory products than from the other brands he's not owning partially. So he has an interest to push this brand more than others. So it should make a difference, how he's making his money.
If only the thoroughly decent and respectful attitudes of both you guys could be put on the shoulders of our politicians, then maybe we’d have a better country to live in. Thank you both very much.
hey man, i'm just getting back into playing after some health problems sidelined me for a few years, and then i ended up getting focused on eurorack back in its nascency, and spending some years learning that side of things... but found you quickly after i started browsing guitar content and you're the best... so i just wanna thank you immensely for what you do. having been outta the game, I don't know which way is up or down here while I'm trying to get a baseline knowledge of the developments in the industry over the last few years I've been gone, and your channel's been invaluable in helping me sorta see what's going on, and make an informed decision. there are so many ppl making boilerplate "review" vids that read like ads, bc essentially they are, and i wish i could find a gear review channel w your focus on integrity (mainly pedals, thoi need an amp too, sold my AD30 4x12 combo, and looks like you're an Orange fan too. respect). doubt you'll see this, sorry for the wall of txt, just seeing some negative reactions to this and kinda baffled about it, so i wanted to chime in. keep being honest, and you'll grow audience and retention organically. far more sound than tryna crank out sponsored reviews and still keep chasing the algo, just to be a glorified sales rep
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To be fair to both you and Lee, this has definitely been dealt with in a manner which is both professional and amicable. I enjoy the Andertons content for a bit of light entertainment but I never really cared about any commercial interest as I understood they're a music shop first and foremost. As you said, a resolution has been made and I think Lee made a fair apology. Keep holding the industry to account lad.
yeah me too. never cared for the commercial interest. honestly I didn't even know or had any idea of his involvement with victory. My only introduction to victory was through richie kotzen and martin kidd. and at the end of the day the product speaks for itself. great amps.
This pretty much sums it up. Respect to both sides.
Except for the fact that it wasn't disclosed and how many amps were sold under the guise that the reviews had nothing to do with being a part owner. Admitting it now is fine, but saying it wasn't intentional is not true
@@mhsandifer Fortunately Victory amps are actually good and people don't feel robbed. Imagine if they were junk, this would be a whole ordeal on a much different level.
Who cares who owns the company. If you like the amp buy it, if you don't like it, don't buy. It makes no real difference to the quality of the product. Just seems like people looking for something to complain about.
I think Lee learned from his friend Rob and responded to all this in a much better fashion. Kudos to all parties involved for being professional, civil and doing the right thing.
Lee is a far far more shrewd operator than chapman.
Yes RC is a lesson in how not to do it.
Lee still lied about his involvement for over 10 years and only told the truth after KDH reported on it.
@@thegoodguy44lying by omission is not some horrible sin. And we’re lucky the U.K. has laws that would force him to disclose such ties. I don’t believe he would be legally forced to do so in America.
@@Riggy931 I don't see why he did it?, Surely it woulda bin no big deal... I think of he'd have said he was one of the owners or investors it wouldn't have affected sales?. He could have just put it in the description box if he didn't want the bother of saying the disclaimer or conflict of interests. This kind of stuff happened with Chapman guitars, it's daft really. Anyways, I went off Chapman and Lee long ago, after they shamefully slaughtered the Dan electro hollow bodied guitars... Just the level of snobbishness on Lee's part was pretty bad, it was the only jam were they sounded good too!, I got tired of Chapman's wank fest and Andertons dull playing generally.
I worked at Andertons around the time Cornford ended and Victory came in just as I was getting ready to leave (I was there in the guitar department for 3 years) . I will say this, he's being genuine when it comes to his respect for Cornford and the amps they built as well as the jobs that were under threat at the time. Some staff definitely knew there was some involvement with getting Victory up and running because that's what I was told by a colleague when we first setup the demo space during the store's refit around that time. Having worked with Lee for a long time and being personally interviewed and hired by him for the job in the first instance, I will say I believe what he says about keeping it a bit hush so as not to harm the brand by making it "an Andertons brand". I agree with what you've raised though. He should have just come out and said it in the videos. The product is good, so it would still have faired well against the competition on it's own merit in the relevant price brackets. You live and learn I suppose but yeah, I don't think he was of the mindset of "If I tell the viewers, they'll not buy the amps." As far as I could see, the entire point of those amps was to continue on the path of what Cornford would have wanted to do design wise had they not suffered a catastrophe at the factory and had they had the finances to withstand such an event. My interview with Lee was the best interview I've ever had. He wanted to see if I'd A: Give the customer choices they really wanted and B: Whether or not I'd unnecessarily BS them. He really came at it as "I want this to be a genuine helpful exchange amongst players with honest helpful advice so the customer make make an informed decision." He never ever pressured me to try squeeze the customer for anything. In fact, he'd actually be more generous giving deals than his managers would often prefer if he was on the sales floor. He does love the business and the interactions. I think he's handled this well considering the mis judgment on his part. It'll serve as a warning to others as well that in the modern age, you should just be clear from the outset because if you aren't someone else is going to come and roll that rock over instead. So you may as well do it on your terms. Thanks for putting your video together fairly and taking the initial step of contacting Lee to give him an opportunity to explain before making the video. He's a decent guy and you didn't have to do that, but I think it probably took the edge off for him. The Family's name over the door means a lot too him and I'm sure he's grateful it was a TH-camr like you tackling this without sensationalism and so on. That guy threw me a bone in my darkest hour, so I've got soft spot for him I guess.
awesome hearing from someone who knew him personally. Those personal interactions go a long way. Cant blame the guy for not wanting to mix up businesses, but fair promotion will always be key in product reviews. Glad to see this ended as admirably as it could have, for now.
Thx for sharing. Fits. Lee never came across like the greedy type. Let's move on.
Thanks, this is interesting and shows things in a slightly better light for Lee. It was a misjudgment without question, but the motives were perhaps not as Chapman-like as a lot of us initially assumed.
Wouldn’t be surprised at all if Victory amps sales drop after this. Guitarists can be very parochial when it comes to brands. I don’t think Lee did anything wrong by not announcing to the world that Victory was an in house brand. But KDH has carved out his little niche and left real controversies to youtubers like Coffeezilla.
@@blastofo so if Lee didn’t do anything wrong, how come the Advertising Standards Agency have enforced a ruling that he needs to label his videos differently going forward?
There's a British phrase: "A long walk on a windy beach to a cafe, that wasn't open."
There's another British phrase: "Oi m8, you got the proper loicense to be walking to 'at cafe, bruv?"
Exactly. Who cares? Just make music.
Respect to Lee for being so forthcoming and to KDH for giving him the freedom to speak openly and without reservation. All respect to Lee in his future endeavors and to KDH to his honest inquiries.
The guy got caught pushing product on his review and promotional channel that he didn't disclose he owned. I have watched Lee gush over that brand in many videos as if the company or products had nothing to do with him, and Rob, for that matter. Not only is that a conflict of interest, but one hell of a breach of trust, and pretty damn slimy.
Respect? He got caught out…. He had nowhere else to go other than fess up….. tragic how naive his followers are
@@wordragon Yeah, he was "forthcoming" because he got caught!
Lee did a proper explanation....no threats ,like someone else did...great job KDH.!!!
Proper pack of lies.
@@benjaminsavage4204 what was the pack of lies? From Lee? Who and what?
The explanation is an advertisement, failing to admit to the full details and "downrounding" some of the issues. Followed by a statement that "oh, they said that this is resolved now, and I don't have to fix any old videos". I'm sure Lee is smart enough to realize that a negative reaction to getting caught is going to result in a much worse outcome. he still comes across to me like a life insurance salesman selling annuity products to elderly people and smiling while doing it. That's just my opinion.
@@daw162He doesn’t seem to be failing to admit the full details. He basically said KDH was right about everything in his video. And of course, as a public figure it’s important to keep controversy under control. He owned up to his mistake, that’s all he can do. I agree the old videos need to be edited however.
@daw162 I like how he said he would like to thank KDH for posting the video.
Crikey! Two people solving an issue in a professional and sensible manor online, the internet is healing! Excellent stuff KDH.
"oopsie I got caught" is kind of a bullshit response, though. He wasn't as stupid as Rob Chapman, at least.
Lee just got caught and he’s clever enough not to respond like Chapman, that is all.
Begs the question as to why this couldn’t be done privately
@@martinwedge4696 the answer being that this is all information that the buying public deserves to see out in the open. Quite simple really.
@@martinwedge4696 isn't it clear? lee wasn't swindling privately... he used a public youtube channel... it's only fitting he was outed publicly
Cant believe Lee was behind the mask afterall, great work Shaggy.
He would have gotten away with it too...
@@morganbebell9003
...If it weren't for you meddling kids!
Very good job KDH. I am glad that you did take the time to do this video. Very good information.
Wow this has been really interesting. Phenomenal job looking into this and also being so fair to Lee, allowing him to respond and set the record straight. Very professional, kudos to both of you. Much respect
Agreed. Imagine how utopian our society would be if everyone treated disputes like this. Always a breath of fresh air when you see people behaving respectfully
Fair play to Lee and credit to KDH for keeping the guitar business on its toes
‘Fair play’, lol … err, no … withholding your financial interest in products you are ‘comparing’ for an audience, and maintaining a pretence that you are not more directly involved, is not only unfair play - it’s against the law, precisely because it is unfair and misleading/deceptive conduct …
Damn, I'm very impressed by how quickly you got the record set straight.
less impressed by Lee's response that he's only going to do the absolute minimum that he's forced to and "they said it's resolved now" which is sort of a "F. O., this is wrapped up, go away" kind of thing.
@daw162 what's the point in going on about it if he's not doing it anymore
@@shocko77 yeah I'm all good leaving this behind us. Justice was served.
@@daw162what did you want, a hand written apology?
@@daw162 Stop being a biatch.
This is honestly one of the most incredible pieces of journalism I've seen, and it's not even the first time I've seen such excellent work from your channel. The fact that this is one of the better response videos to what seems to have been deliberately hidden interests in products that he was shilling on his TH-cam channel is a very sad commentary on the state of advertising and the surrounding ecosystem.
Keep on rocking 😃
While its great researching and a relevant subject, calling it one of the most impressive pieces of journalism is a crazy stretch my dude. 😀
You are either too young or too naive to call this the most incredible piece of journalism, maybe you should read more instead of watching TH-cam videos.
an autistic piece of journalism.
@@Tombking2exactly. The only actual evidence was Lee Anderton’s own admission
Journalism? This has been fairly obvious for a few years.
I've had times in my life where I've avoided being straight up honest about something, felt crap about it on some level and then found it harder and harder to own up to it as time goes by. Seems like lee is relieved to get this off his conscience. Real shame it took being caught red handed. Lesson learnt hopefully.
I never knew where Victory Amps came from and this makes me curious to try them out at my local dealer. I would have thought that Lee having a genuine connection with trying to make a great amp was a plus not a deterrence.
yeah, i wonder how much KDH was payed to give great publicity to all the products mentioned?
For consumers , maybe. But he has a retail store to run , so he doesn't want to put off other brands. Which IS allowed, even if not 100% transparent.
HAHA!! @@richardclark.
@@richardclark. Plot twist: KDH is one of the undisclosed owners.
Andertons features other brands to a huge degree. It appears your drinking KDH's kool-aid in thinking that there is now some sort of conflict of interest that has been exposed. No. I have mentioned that all of the information about the relatinship can be found on the internet and please do not believe that KDH is a white knight for consumer advocacy. He has a youtube channel, wants more subscribers, and via innuendo has "created the problem" so he can look like the savior/saviour for the consumer. While suggesting that Andertons is the "huckster", KDH is the one strongly trending in that direction.@@jorismak
Victory amps were so ubiquitous in their videos that I just assumed that Lee and Rob Chapman were involved in Victory, and never really thought much about it past that. Interesting piece of research, and what seems to be a good, frank response from Lee.
honestly though, who would buy a signature amp by youtubers like Rob, and his friends???? its not a cheap investment, no matter how much i like the youtubers, i would never spend more than 30usd on a merch by a youtuber
I don't really like that Frank guy. He has a squishy face.
@@LedZeppelinHK Why?
@@LedZeppelinHK If it sounds good then it is good.
Transparency, facts, and civility. Gotta love it!
I respect him for responding in a civil manner, let's cut him some slack, he does a lot of good for the amp, guitar and pedal community, his vids are way above others in the way they compare products, he's been a huge help to me. My respect to Lee.
yeah. I think he's been fair even to brands he's not involved with.
I agree 100%
Exactly. Which is why this will be a blip on the radar
Broadly agree but he was adding some classic corporate PR techniques in there too.
The problem is he was comparing Victory to other amps whilst keeping it a secret that he’s an owner of Victory. And this went on for a decade. That is really poor behaviour.
I’ve been completely blown away by the professionalism you’ve displayed during these videos and it’s a shining example to the majority who sadly fall short in this respect in many walks of life.
New subscriber here! Good professional reporting.
Also, good to see (Lee) Andertons responding professionally and openly. I watch a lot of their videos and am a returning customer.
Great job. I enjoyed your first video and to your credit Guitar World even carried your story. Excellent work.
I think that you have presented the issues and arguments superbly and very professionally. It’s good to see strong investigative journalism conducted online in a polite, dignified and respectful manner.
I like how a bunch of people were ripping on you in his Instagram video talking about minding your own business and this and that. This is what investigative journalism is. If no one does it, then no one's ever held accountable. So thank you KDH for your fair and honest investigative journalism.
Edit: Also, respect to Lee for taking the criticism and being open and honest about it..
I disagree and will explain why. This whole thing is so petty, Kdh has made something out of nothing a mountain out of a molehill. He should really just become a policeman and be done with it the absolute weapon!
@@james1658 you don't think people should disclose if they own part of a company and are biased when they sell products?
@@james1658becoming a policeman would only make him even less helpless in holding people accountable.
Why do you think a man telling people amps are great and worth buying shouldn't have to disclose that he's making money off them?
@@james1658also you say you'll explain why you disagree and then don't explain why😂
@@peterklein5861 I'm assuming he disagrees because it's "petty"
Oh my god, you got this solved and taken all the way to the top to be dealt with in a matter of DAYS. Magnificently done my guy, your work to bring transparency to the industry makes it a better place for everyone.
Total respect to KDH for his investigative journalism and the way the initial video was presented... and to Lee for his response. Very professional all round
this whole thing was handled so well! There were no wild accusations thrown out. There was genuine concern of consumers being misled, and the response reflects ownership of those mistakes and a look to being better in the future
Well, Lee would have no leg to stand on if he wanted to get aggressive in his responses - like a certain other person close to him, who got his sizeable behind thoroughly roasted by his own online "firespitting" that way - because he did this advertising-masked-as-reviews spiel for a whole DECADE.
If it had been a year and two or three videos where he "just forgot" to disclose his involvement before his public clarification, that would be a different matter. Ten years and dozens of videos with carefully worded misleading "the guys over at..." verbiage along with glowing "reviews" for the products? That was 100% intentional.
"this whole thing was handled so well! "
Like if Lee was another victim, and dealt with the bad cards he was handed well........ Dude, he deceived his audience for 10y and got caught.................................. What's crazy is that some people prefer to praise him rather than deal with the fact they were lied to and deceived by him for the last 10 years.
I think both your videos and Lee’s response has been pretty professional. This is refreshing. Lee didn’t say everything I hoped he would have said but he clearly took this seriously and at least appears to be reasonably interested in doing the right thinf
He had NO choice
After the Advertising Council pointed out the rules he was flaunting which are there for Consumer Protection.
Fight the good fight, KDH. Thanks for all you do, create, and share with us.
The good fight? Lol, he's nothing more than a little snitch. Lee Anderton shouldn't even give an explanation, his business is his business, he's not doing anything illegal..
Hey good for you!
Lee still has my full respect and admiration. Anderton's has exceeded all expectations on things I've bought from them and also very helpful on the phone too. I still want to know what happened to Cornford and whether their amps will fade into obscurity or become collector's items.
Its a perfect reminder not to believe everything you see, hear or read online - if something grabs your attention go and try it and make your own mind up !
I think it’s admirable keeping these people real. Your videos have often raised interesting questions and sometimes questionable actions by the music industry.
Professional on all sides! KDH, nice job and continue to seek the truth. Lee, you've helped so many players with your gear, videos and insight, so I appreciate the disclosure. Let's all just Rock Out 😎
I see the comments saying well done to Lee for his response, but remember, there were a lot of years promoting Victory Amps on TH-cam where he didn't say he had a financial interest in them, that is the issue here! That's it, plain and simple!
Quite, hoodwinked for years, and would have continued to be hoodwinked for more years yet unless it was exposed.
Did you complain about the other brands? East Coast, Landlord, Tourtech???
Meh.
He spent years promoting products that his business sells, shock horror.
@@iamme625 Whoosh - it all went straight over your head I guess.
Thank you, both of you. I feel like this legitimately cleared the air on some questions and showed truly good character.
I’m not at all surprised captain lee , I’ve been watching your videos since 2015 and I kinda knew that you were involved with victory it was obvious , and I never really cared as far as I’m concerned visiting your store is still on my bucket list !!! I would like to thank you and shake your hand in person for your entertainment !!!
I'm a long-term customer of Anderton's, they're a great institution who have fantastic products and have given me really good customer service. I'm glad this issue is out in the open and hope it's been resolved now.
I'd call all this a massive success! I even further respect Lee for his responses. KDH has done all of us a big favor, including Andertons's.
Why? He never apologized and claimed any wrong doing.
So you don't mind having been lied to and duped for 10 years?
@@literalghost929 It's not that I don't mind. I was one of the people who was deceived. (I haven't bought Victory, but I did take their positive reviews as relatively unbiased.) But given how business men usually respond to these things? I think he was pretty straightforward, answered the questions, admitted he was in violation, and is altering the way he's doing things.
So yeah, he messed up, but it's resolved in less than a week. Which is basically record time for something like this.
@@sagittated "he messed up"
He didn't mess up. He chose to lie and deceive his audience, for 10 years. It was a 100% voluntary decision. He knew it was wrong, but cared more about money than being honest.
@@literalghost929when did he lie?
Well done everyone involved. This is how these things should he handled. Thank you Lee and KDH for restoring some of my faith in humanity.
I wouldn’t thank Lee. He’d still be covering things up if it wasn’t for KDH.
Beside everything as guitar community we should be greatful that this channel exists. I'm so happy that even the ones that are under scrutiny are respectful and don't dismiss everything saying "LA LA LA LA LLA I CANNOT HEAR IT"
Well done KDH and Lee!
I like happy endings and Lee has learned a lesson and accepted responsibility for his actions. I like both Lee and his Anderton TH-cam channel and now with his reviews having full disclosure I will appreciate them even more.
Come on..... Does it really make a difference to you, if you knew it or not 😅
What still pisses me off is he says that everyyone knew, except the viewers of youtube. Which means other brands,knew th audience didnt know. So they definately all kept that a secret
Nice for Lee to respond in a nice way. I went to the shop a couple of months ago to see if I could catch some of the regulars and Lee came down the stairs and gave me a hi slash scowl, I guess he was a bit busy making videos lol.
I loved the Rabea blind amp pedal challenges, fantastic videos showing no bias.
This has been really interesting from a consumer perspective. I always wondered why some of the other major retailers in the UK didn’t push the Victory products. However, I really appreciate the Captain’s response here and thankful that he invested in the product because the Victory range is fantastic imo. Martin is a genius and designs sick amps!
It puts Lee's thinking into perspective. Because obviously he WANTS other retailers to push Victory. So he was treading a line between lie of omission on one side, and undermining the amps (which deserve more recognition). He chose the lie, and to be honest most people would. That's why the ASA exists.
Martin is one of the kindest and most genuine people too. He lives down here in East Kent and he always had time to talk to me when I was kid at his concerts and will bend over backwards to help you if you have any issues.
KDH you are the only critic i can find on this marketing BS(chapman/andertones etc.)
Tx man.
I do not play guitar but Lee and the team got me watching video after video. I am not sure if anyone really cares too much about this issue.
3 complaints is nothing. Lee stikes me as genuine and of course he knew he was self promoting. That content he puts out cost time energy and money folks, dont be naive. I watched this and the bulid up "investigation". I also watched the "Chapman" investigation. I really think there was probably a better use of your time-unless....... you realised that the people watching thier videos might watch yours and monetise your channel?
No ones been murdered, no one has bought a dodgy product. Everyone should move on nothing to see here.
Of course disclosures matter! I’m also disappointed to hear that people don’t understand that! It’s the reason why product manufacturers, designers, collaborators etc don’t review their own products.
Very well done video, I applaud your professionalism 👏
Well handled, I've met Lee a couple of times, and he always seemed like a genuine guy. Good stuff as usual dude, keep it up!
You both are doing great things in the space and It's nice this was handled amicably on both accounts. It has to be said that Lee's response and humility was nice to see given the context.
lmao. lee never would have come clean about this.
@xRickAstleyx He probably didn't know how to. There was a genuine reason for secrecy originally, but after 10 years it had become pointless. A cynic might think that the whole event had been staged 😅
@@johnbriggs3916 its just crazy how often this situation happens with products being promoted on youtube. and its also wild to me that it always gets exposed by a third party, then cleared up by the person involved afterward.
i dont believe for a second that lee wasnt trying to passively give people the impresion that his reviews and demos for victory were objective. especially given the previous issues he and chappers have had with this same stuff
-100 pts for lying and deceiving his audience for 10 years, + 5pts for making a nice "sorry I got caught" video. Total: -95 points.
so this is what happens when adults communicate in a civil manner , well done to both of you for mature approach . Thanks for all your work KDH
Great advertising for Andertons. Well done.
Interesting that Lee only posted his rebuttal on Instagram and not on Andertons TH-cam channel. Since he was happy that KDH brought it up.
Not really. His response is posted on his own account, not Anderton's because this investigation was about him as an investor/co-owner, not about mentioned brands being Anderton's-owned brands not being disclosed.
Yeah he didn't mention he was an owner of the product. He was pushing it /promoting it on andertons videos. If he wasn't pushing it on andertons This video wouldn't have been made. He is keeping that off the andertons youtube intentionally due to less viewers on Instagram. Good damage control
Fair play...At the end of the day ,we as customers should rightly know these things.
👏👏👏
Excellent overall investigation, response and conclusion. I get Lee’s reasoning that 11 years ago he was concerned that other retailers being aware of his involvement in a product could jeopardise potential sales, but obviously once that decision had been made it then made it difficult to reveal it at a later date. But transparency and openness is always the best policy.
Was just about to say exactly the same thing, nothing underhand, just a sensible business strategy... Maybe some (or all) of the other investors are also retailers or distributors. At the end of the day does it really make any difference?
@@charmandrews Some people like to feel cheated over something that makes no actual difference to them at all. People are going to complain about everything, that's kinda what people do.
You put it better than me! @@iamme625
Great analysis and great response from Lee. Respect all round
I've always held *Lee Anderton* in high regard.
Absolute respect to his response. And Kudos to you for sticking to facts.
Love your work. Please never sell out.
You’ve done some excellent journalist muckraking on this and you were rewarded. Well done.
I like the Anderton’s channel and I still like Lee. I will continue to watch the Anderton’s channel.
And with your wording admit there was “muck” to be raked up. And as always someone has to do it.
I like Lee too and will continue to watch him, but everyone is accountable for their actions.
I’d just like to say, that I can imagine that making this content and dealing with what I’m sure is a wide range of responses is quite stressful. I really rather admire your tenacity and fairness in this. I have no particular interest in throwing Lee under the bus, but you raise perfectly valid points regarding ethics and disclosure, and this stuff is important. Well done.
dude i get anxious just watching. KDH is brave
Yeah. The responses from many guitarist were concerning, as they are basically "why would he (KDH) do that? Idc" without any regards for business ethics
Great piece of work. Well done and keep up the good work.
This is how those kinds of things should be handled. Everyone involved in this is a goddamn class act. Respect to all of you!
Agreed
He's still trying to minimize and justify it all like a drug addict trying to justify and minimize their addiction and problems 👎 it could have been much much better. It's a start but he's still not taking full responsibility for what he did all these years.
@@J.C... Every time I see your profile pic under s guitar video I know I'm about to read some class A boomer bullshit. You and that DMS productions guy, can't seem to ever be satisfied with anything
@@ileutur6863What? He's right though.... 🤷
Yes, Lee handled it way better than some other people.
But that's still just the bare minimum we should require.
I don't think he should get hate but he definitely shouldn't get credit when he literally did a crime...🤷
Class act?
After doing it for 10 years he got caught and to save face made a video.
Class acting,more like.
Good journalism, sweet job!
I really wish more journalism was done in this spirit... Firm but fair.... good job amigo...
As someone that lives in the USA, I was a little thrown by the civility and professionalism displayed in this investigation which led to a mutual understanding and positive resolution. I believe the proper English way to say it is, 'good show, mate.'
Yep, two gentlemen coming to a resolution. Both KDH and Lee have gone up in my estimation, fair play to them both. This is how investigative journalism should be done (KDH) and handled (Lee).
It all seems so "adult."
Whatever dude. As a fellow American I can say you’re watching the wrong type of news.
@@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT "Dude"? are you a ten year old?
@@Davey-Boyd Wow you really owned and destroyed that gentleman and his use of the word "dude." I have sent you a medal of honour in the post. However I notice you were unable to refute the fact that this channel is in fact just an obnoxious dumbass pretending to be a journalist.
Fair criticism from KDH and professional response from Lee. It’s a shame so many people commenting on Lee’s Instagram video have completely misunderstood the point and interpreted it as an attack on a public figure with whom they have a parasocial relationship. It’s also unfortunate that those who see no issue with this are likely most susceptible to dishonest advertising practices. Good work, KDH!
Many of the people who don’t care about this disclosure already take what the salesmen say about products they’re selling with a grain of salt. He already makes money from selling everything that he talks about. “He makes more money from victory? My God this changes everything!” No, not really.
@@NewnodrogbobYou're one of the people that are more susceptible to dishonest advertising practices. Thank you for giving us an example.
@@darksu6947 😂 based on what? What are you even talking about? Other than low intellect individuals like you and the OP thinking it’s a sick burn, what is your evidence for that? Do you know how many products I’ve bought based on Anderton’s videos?
I literally just posted a comment saying you’ve kind of daft if you base your opinions on the word of any salesman, and your rebuttal is “ClEaRlY yOu’Re SuScEpTiBlE tO dIsHOnEsT mArKeTiNg!!!!” You’ve failing at logic.
@@darksu6947 What a BS interpretation, update your comprehension skills mate..
@@Newnodrogbob brainlet
Just to add my own tiny contribution, I did not know that Lee and Victory had any involvement. I just thought it was one of the brands they really liked, and showcased more. I don’t know that it would affect any decisions I made in purchasing one, but I 100% value being told this information. If anything, it’s the sort of thing that would build my trust (in its transparency) and probably encourage me to get one.
KDH you are needed 💯💯, I respect your work. I don’t watch andertons or any other related channel lately except yours, your real genuine. I’ll keep tuning in.
Thank You Lee, For this response in great detail. Well done.
Great video KDH…fantastic journalism,fair play.
Good to see Lee Anderson explain and clear things up,but as you say,should have been done years ago.The winner here is us,the public,who spend our hard earned on these products.
Keep up the great work.
Mark.
Great piece of work. All handled very professionally and mannerable by both parties 👍
This is the most important and most underrated channel in the TH-cam music gear-verse. Kudos KDH. Don't ever stop, don't ever falter, don't ever lose heart. You care for the herd. Someone needs to. The reward transcends the tangible human experience and into something deeper and far more satisfying. 💪🏻🤘🏻
Stop cock riding. Dude just creates drama for drama sake. Grow up.
Give that man a break. I actually picked up the guitar again after 20 years of isolation thanks to Anderton's videos, and, upon discovering this, and hearing that he actually saved some jobs and made a solid product and a competitive UK brand, I am now more keen to buy a Victory amp once I have the money. Instead of putting him down for a single mistake (he is not a rabid dog), why dont you help promote the variety and ingenuity and education he brought to the community? Can you be 100% sure you have never intentionally hid or lied on youtube as well? Did he unfairly gain financially or did you not this past 10 years? This whole thing should have been moderated in context.
so he is above law? you troll?
@@wiziek If you think Anderton broke the law, go sue them or report them to the authorities, and let them handle it. And if he really did break the law, why isnt he getting sued? Use some logic and stop being so hateful.
Hats off to you and to Lee for this whole thing. Clear and transparent and that's how you should deal with things.
I'm glad Lee has responded in a sensible way. Obviously the best outcome would've been to be more open from the start and maybe put something together earlier to get ahead of things but it hasn't put me off shopping with Anderton's which is pretty impressive considering how these things usually go. Nice work in achieving a positive outcome for the consumer in all this and not totally torching a relationship in the process. Not an easy feat.
-100 pts for lying and deceiving his audience for 10 years, + 5pts for making a nice "sorry I got caught" video. Total: -95 points.
As always, Great job KDH 🙌
Still want a victory amp
You're right to be suspicious of those who 'knew' from outside the industry. I had assumed he was involved in some way with Victory, because it seemed wedded to most of the content creators on Andertons a few years back. There seemed to be a golden triangle of budding creator/Chapman/Victory, so I assumed some level of ownership.
Also, when referring to the builder, there were often pauses in videos where Lee was reaching for the way he wanted to present Victory, which wouldn't have been an issue if it was simply a third party brand. As a jaundiced old hack, it had my bullshit meter twitching, if not actually swinging.
Anyway, as I said before, great work.
When a brand comes out of nowhere and is suddenly the best thing since sliced bread, it's kinda obvious that there's a thick level of marketing going on.
So when those around the hype are in marketing, it's a given. Maybe I'm inherently cynical but I'd assumed some 'interest' in Victory.
I think business wise, I lean toward’s Lee’s justification. Sometimes, people who are passionate about Guitars and Amps are keen to make a home brand against other powerhouses - without upsetting his own business.
Whilst, yes, maybe to an extend sometimes it’s necessary to know. So long as the products are great at competitive price, I think it’s a fair go.
To add: it’s not easy to run a music store - especially this year. Our global economy isn’t fantastic. So long as his passion it’s giving us the opportunity to play music, he has my vote.
I admire your courage, integrity, intelligence and persistence. Journalism at its best.
Its so refreshing to see this handled in such a candid and straightforward way. Issues like this always seem to devolve into a shit flinging match (you know who) in the TH-cam guitar community, and it would’ve been very easy for this to have dragged on.
Another fantastic job! All the best chief!
Good job keeping these guys honest. The big problem was that those "review" videos were essentially sponsored advertisements without being announced as such.
Are you serious? It's a channel for a music retailer, there's always an aspect of advertising when a "review" is done under that circumstance. Even if Anderton's had no financial interest in the brand, it's still an advertisement- which they did for many brands that they did not own. No matter what- anything Anderton's sells is something they make money on. Just to be clear, disclosure about financial interests is important- but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that there is malicious intent just because it wasn't disclosed properly. I think the big takeaway in all of this is that this doesn't have to turn into a s&*# show- I see no reason to believe Lee Anderton isn't doing anything but running a proper business and it doesn't need to be harmed because of this issue. Seems to me that his company is doing very well in a rather tough industry. And quite frankly, Anderton's has done a lot of good things that makes it a far better environment than it used to be 30-40 years ago.
@@mcdingus5081 for the win! this is the biggest tempest in a tea kettle i have seen in ages. and KDH and co. just keeps looking for a bigger burner.
Of course their videos are ads, they're a bloody music retailer. You think they're gonna go 'hey there's all these products that we sell but they're all crap so don't buy them'?
Excellent job on this. You have a knack for this, for sure. You did your research, were always respectful and fair, and you fostered a positive conclusion.
In regards with the buying group Lee doesn't have any involvment with those products besides getting the name of the product whatever he wants. Him not disclosing Landlord pedals was not a violation of the ASA. Buying groups is standard retail.
Lee lied about his involvement for over 10 years and only disclosed it ‘in a civil manner’ (gee wow congratulations) after KDH called him out about it. It doesn’t mean he is any less guilty of intentionally misleading the audience.
I would recommend not watching or shopping from Anderson’s then and move on. What else do you want to happen? You want him jailed? Lose his business? Lol
So what, you want more drama instead of a resolution?
As someone who has enjoyed Andertons videos, spent ten years in sales and owned a business in the past, Lee is one of the good ones. They’re pretty upfront with the fact that he obviously runs a store, is interested in selling you products and that he has other business interests going on. There are times in business where you want to not be so open because they’re COULD be conflicts of interest. Let’s say for example the factory that makes victory amps also makes Marshall amps. If Lee goes on TH-cam saying victory is great and Marshall’s suck ass… well that factory won’t be happy and neither would Marshall since Lee sells Marshall’s too. I understand why people involved wouldn’t want to open those cans of worms. Lee’s been open about pretty much everything else and by salespeople standards the dudes an angel. I’ll let this one slide… personally, but I understand if everyone else doesn’t. Honestly, Victory amps are in the background of every single video and we’re debuted on Andertons. My assumption was there was a relationship there. Seems kinda obvious. At the end of the day though I agree with KDH that the laws should be followed and honesty is the best policy. I just wanted to throw in my two cents from someone who has some experience in the business world. The business world is far more ruthless and just flat out insane than anything most of us can imagine and let’s not bag on Lee too much cuz he’s one of the good ones.
if you are concerned that there may be a conflict of interest because of an action you take, it is probably better not to take that action than to be dishonest. That said, I agree with you that Lee is one of the good ones.
wow i just finished your last video and you posted this JUST now haha.
I agree that this association should have been disclosed. I do have a question regarding the partnership form. The definition of UK partnership you presented was for a general partnership wherein the partners are jointly and severally liable. However, the UK also has a LIMITED partnership form (Limited Partnerships Act 1907) wherein partners do no take part in the active management of the business and are not jointly and severally liable. Can you confirm that Lee was a general rather than limited partner? If not, he was simply an investor as a limited partner.
An LLP would be on companies house, so it would show under Lee's name there. That said, depending on a partnership agreement, he may be telling the truth. Only if there is no partnership agreement the Partnership Act 1890 the sole governing document.
So glad you played the auditor and keep people/companies accountable. There are so many shady business deals, today, that account for many transaction, that otherwise, should not happen. I have been a fan of Anderson's, and at least Lee was able to come clean and admit things, says volumes. However, it also say that many, many companies/Online Stores, tend to hid their affiliations. Lee got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and tried to expect la n his short comings. He knew, all along, what he was doing, and when he got caught, because of KDH, came clean and tried to explain that it was just a mistake. We all know it wasn't a mistake, but rather a way to sell a brand he was financially associated with.
So, here's a problem. If Lee Anderton was asked directly and denied it, and only now is acknowledging it, that's not okay. That goes directly to the question of his honesty. I would never knowingly do business with somebody dishonest. If he denied being a partner/owner of Victory in the past, that still needs to be addressed.
He didn't. He was asked if andertons (ie the company that runs the shop) owns it. He truthfully answered "no" but didn't go on to say that he personally owns a stake in the business. So not a lie but another occasion and opportunity missed to declare his interest.
There's no accusation that he directly lied when asked about it. In KDH's first video, he answered directly. The only accusation is that he had a duty to inform, and did not.
It was all hidden from view ....untill now...lets be honest ?
@@timwrigley54 He lied for 10 years pretending he wasn't an owner of the company he was clearly promoting.......................
10 years ago he made an understandable but questionable decision. He's been called out and came clean about it. Case closed. Looking at some comments, I looks like some of you would like to see Lee branded as dishonest person forever. I guess you never lied, made mistakes in your whole life?
Let it go, people...
PLOT TWIST - KDH is a signature artist for Victory and the whole thing was part of a well thought out, covert advertising campaign for the amps.
never mind, people would still be gushing over the 'civilised' exchange, lol!
Keep doing what you do, KDH! Ignore the haters. Lee is slippery as hell in his 'response' and has turned me off MORE - now, that's a shitty apology! As you said: the people being advertised to, DIDN'T KNOW! That is the crux, and he still is weaseling around it, soft-pedaling his blatant lack of transparency. You are a unique person in the guitar/music space, a genuine activist! Bravo for your balls, your due diligence, your innate fairness, intelligence, decency, and humor.
Thank you. Well done. Again. 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
Nice job! Good on you for calling this out in a totally fair and respectful way, and good on Lee for responding the way that he did. You’re like the Gamer’s Nexus of the guitar world. :P
Agreed. 'cept the bit where Lee is desperately backpeddling in an effort to save face.
@@Lif-999 One short video where he says 'yeah I fucked up, here's all the stuff I'm involved in and I'll do better in future' counts as 'desperately backpeddling to save face'?
This whole exposé was done the right way. I also appreciate Lee's response and your drive to teach others.
@pvtts05 What did he get caught or "Exposed" doing?
I've always known Andertons was somehow involved with Victory anybody who's paid close attention would. KDH self-servingly turned this into an agenda driven internet tabloid hit-piece. Why? because Lee Anderton didn't go out of his way to let the world know he lent some startup money to one of the best amp designers in the business which resulted In a line of some of the best amps in the industry at a reasonable price?
Tell me again, with succinct clarity, what did he get "exposed" doing again?
KDH It's a s*** stirring fraudster hiding behind the shield of consumer rights. Just because there may be some paltry level of clarity revealed doesn't make two wrongs right... And in my opinion somebody prancing around town self-servingly stirring up trouble and getting paid for it while purporting it to be in the best interests of the greater public is more dangerous and the biggest fraud of all.
The rob chappers ❤ comment in support to lee had me laughing. Like chappers was saying, right here with you bro this kdh fella is brutal
INB4 he sends his "army" to deal with KDH again 😂😂😂
There seemed to be a few people commenting in the last video who thought Andertons TH-cam Channel was a genuine gear review channel and not a vehicle to sell Guitar Products!
well done KDH for nailing Lee over this. Imagine if you took your investigative skills over to the world of politics and current affairs - you could catch some really big fish.
It does not matter to me what Andertons advertise on their channel. I will buy the product I want after exhausting all sources of information and then getting the best deal. We are not talking about the US Stock market where 3 hedge funds control 83% of the S&P500 companies, managing about 70 Trillion US Dollars. The US GDP is around 25 Trillion US Dollars by comparison. We are speaking about Andertons selling a few more products maybe due to his channel. Big Deal. He also employs 150 people stated in one of the Andertons videos. A far more important point don't you think?
The way that this was handled was exemplary.
Fantastic job, and thank you for bringing this into the light. In the end however, I get the legal requirement, but I don't think it makes a huge real life difference in this case. When I watch Andertons, I know he wants to sell products, it doesn't make a difference to me if he makes some of it from running a music store and some of it from being co-owner of a company that makes products. I know the guy is advertising thats the main thing. With regards to his use of "the guys at Victory" my gut feeling was that he wasn't saying it to deceive, but in some way to avoid taking credit for something that he had less to do with than the "true" Andertons house brands. It was part of the deal from the start that Victory was not to be an Andertons brand, I assume that was important to the other 8 owners, possibly also to Lee. So in not fully disclosing his involvment, he was probably respecting the manner that they had agreed to treat the Victory brand. It was never an Andertons house brand, and it was important thay people didnt think of it as such, for whatever reason. Of course, that turned out to be in breach of advertising standards, and when informed of that fact, he changed his procedure. I don't have a problem with any of this.
In general you're bsolutely right that it's obvious, Andertons being an advertising channel and Lee's intention may always be to sell us stuff. But the difference is in the detail, where he wants to sell some stuff more than others, because his earnings come twice with it. With Vivtory items he is making money with simply selling it, plus he gets revenues from being a co-owner of the brand. He simply gains more profit from Victory products than from the other brands he's not owning partially. So he has an interest to push this brand more than others. So it should make a difference, how he's making his money.
Well done Taytozilla, cracking journalism. Fair play to Lee.
If only the thoroughly decent and respectful attitudes of both you guys could be put on the shoulders of our politicians, then maybe we’d have a better country to live in. Thank you both very much.
hey man, i'm just getting back into playing after some health problems sidelined me for a few years, and then i ended up getting focused on eurorack back in its nascency, and spending some years learning that side of things... but found you quickly after i started browsing guitar content and you're the best... so i just wanna thank you immensely for what you do. having been outta the game, I don't know which way is up or down here while I'm trying to get a baseline knowledge of the developments in the industry over the last few years I've been gone, and your channel's been invaluable in helping me sorta see what's going on, and make an informed decision.
there are so many ppl making boilerplate "review" vids that read like ads, bc essentially they are, and i wish i could find a gear review channel w your focus on integrity (mainly pedals, thoi need an amp too, sold my AD30 4x12 combo, and looks like you're an Orange fan too. respect).
doubt you'll see this, sorry for the wall of txt, just seeing some negative reactions to this and kinda baffled about it, so i wanted to chime in. keep being honest, and you'll grow audience and retention organically. far more sound than tryna crank out sponsored reviews and still keep chasing the algo, just to be a glorified sales rep