Re: Cranky Kim

[msottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

On Thursday, August 28, 2003, at 12:14  PM, Kim Flint wrote:

>> If you can sell as many EDPs as you can make, why lower the price?  
>> Makes sense.  But consider this:  What if EDPs were *actually* in 
>> stores and Gibson did something to advertise and market them?  What 
>> might happen then?  We'll probably never know.
>
> Well, we might find out now. I hope so!
>

I do too.  I suggested this to people at Electrix, but I think they 
were already dead by the time the Repeater shipped.  Anyway, my 
suggestion is to put the muscle and talent of people on this list into 
actions.  Andre doing a show at Kim's house is great, but it's kind of 
preaching to the choir.  It would be great if Gibson could sponsor a 
tour to dealers all over.  Or have different EDP artists in each 
region.  What I saw from these events is that not only did it turn on 
people who were in the store to the product, but it educated 
salespeople to the possibilities of the product which made them better 
sellers of the item because A) they knew more about it and B) they 
loved it.

I remember a month after the Repeater was shipping I asked a sales 
person at Guitar Center if they had them and he took me to it and said, 
"Yeah, here it is.  I guess it's kind of cool but it doesn't seem to do 
much."  He clearly had no idea what it did or how you would use it.  My 
fear is that this is also the case with the EDP.  (except in the case 
of Rik Elswit at Banana's at Large.  A list member and expert EDP user) 
I can see Joe salesperson pluging into it and saying, "Huh.  I don't 
hear an echo... What no presets?"  Education could go a long way.  If I 
were an EDP user I'd offer to do this for free, but I'm not.  I bet a 
bunch out there might be into it though.

Mark Sottilaro