History of endorsements

[Chris P.]

I'm just curious. I guess endorsementdeals are from all times. But what were the first brands to make signature series? Gibson has the Les Paul, Gretsch was quite early with Chet Atkins and the Monkees. Framus had some artist models early..

[Dave W]

Gibson made guitars, Hawaiian guitars, ukes and banjos endorsed by Roy Smeck as early as the mid-1930s. Here's one.

[Droombolus]

The Mary Kay Stratocaster springs to mind .... somewheres 1956/1957 .......

[Dave W]

The Mary Kay Stratocaster springs to mind .... somewheres 1956/1957 .......

I don't think you can consider that an endorsement, her trio was photographed for a Fender brochure with her holding her Strat which was in that finish, and it said "The Mary Kaye Trio uses Fender exclusively" or something close to that. So it's fair to say they endorsed the brand. But her guitar wasn't an endorsed model, and that finish had already been around since the first year. Over the years that finish gradually became known as the Mary Kaye Strat, but it wasn't issued as such until a Custom Shop "reissue" a few years ago.

[mc2NY]

Gibson made guitars, Hawaiian guitars, ukes and banjos endorsed by Roy Smeck as early as the mid-1930s. Here's one.

The Roy Smeck and also Roy Rogers guitars from around the same time are some of the earliest ones I can think of.