Some years back I wandered over to their booth at NAMM. As I began testing a cymbal a rep from the company came over and flat out offered me the endorsement. This guy didn’t know my name, who I was, who I played for. Nothing. For all he knew I could have been a bass player. But than was his first move. “We’ll make you an artist for the company.”
Todd Hoffman here, soultone artist as well! I love the explosion series line! Laura and everyone at soultone has been awesome to me! I was a sabian player for years! I’m soultone for life now!!!
Glad I saw this video, they reached out to me too after applying for their endorsement program. I have to say though, although I 100% understand where you're coming from, their approach so far has been pretty good if I must say, went as far as to actually call and speak to me about my order (test order) which I loved the gesture. I'm still on the fence of accepting the endorsement which I mentioned because I've never tried their cymbals before, especially here in Canada. Hoping that changes soon so I can decide if they're a great fit.
The big thing is you're endorsing them, them not you. They've been around before and had quality problems etc. Not many Canadian retailers out there either at the moment.
@aspiedrummer that's true, I wish they had more retailers around or could send out a test cymbal even if on the cheaper side. To at least get an idea of their feel and sound before committing. Other than that, wish me luck when I get my order, I've had good experience with them so far.
About 7 years ago i was in a band that had a big enough following to get "offered" an endorsement. We actually got sent a free cymbal from yhen to try out (from their Extreme series). The cymbal was nice but it broke fairly quickly (I've always been a Paiste guy and never had anything break that fast). Additionally, i live in the UK and their artist prices were quite bad for here. The prices were lower than RRP, however, with import taxes and VAT added the artist prices ended up being exactly the same as the retail prices, so it was utterly pointless in going for the endorsement.
I am endorsed with Sabian and I must say, I’m a little confused by your video. For clarity , did you not originally say you approached SoulTone regarding an endorsement? If this is correct, it implies you were already familiar with their product line and previously used them. Who asks for an endorsement from a company they’ve never played??? It is not the responsibility of SoulTone or any company to provide talent access with their product line, rather, artists connect with their artist reps and go in person to their reps distribution warehouse. (LA for SoulTone). It is an artist’s decision to choose a product they believe in, have access to try product and provides them the backline distribution they need while on tour. Regarding prices, reduced price lists are very common for lesser known artists. . Neil , Bozzio , Weckl all have signature lines of cymbals. Their names are selling product. It sounds like you enjoy Sabian. Consider an endorsement request with them. Sabian has much better distribution, but everything else will be the same as SoulTone. In conclusion , there is nothing in SoulTones agreement that resembles a scam. Thank you. 🙏🏽
@@AlVelasquezDrums hello there, no I did not approach them. They had actually commented on one of my videos with their endorsement application and I was curious about it and they were also promoting that they do endorsements so I was really curious about what it was. That's all it was
You just opened my eyes , it is 100% true all you say, this is the video I needed to see, they contacted me as well for their “endorsement” program, their only dealer in Georgia US is 4hrs away from me and their website is even down lol, Thanks for making this video and whish you the best ! #KeepDrumming
I once had an endorsement with Soultone from around 2014 to 2016 and remember having similar thoughts with their endorsement program. I ended up getting 4 cymbals in total for a pretty nice discount and 3 of them are still running strong (hats, crash, ride) especially with playing very aggressive music and tons of gigs. Just started playing again more and was thinking about checking out the endorsement deal again but I wasn’t too sure. I think I’m just going to keep what I got and mix and match lol solid video though. Not sure if it’s necessarily a scam but it’s not for everyone.
I did the program. overall I didnt have any hiccups, but I did end up spending basically the same amount I would spend in general. so didnt really feel like there was a "discount", but I still do love my 21' megabell ride. This was pre covid, got my cymbals, pandemic, band split, so I only got to use them in the studio. I just never got back in touch with them, and I dont really get any emails from them anymore.
I saw a video with a guy who had an endorsement with Soultone. He said some of the things you said here. One thing he said was that when he broke a cymbal prematurely, he contacted Soultone to get a replacement and they told him his warranty was expired so they would not replace it. The guy asked to be let out of the contract. So yeah, it looks like Soultone is using endorsements as a MLM Pyramid scam. 80/20 Drummer did a video on scam endorsements. It's worth checking out
Hello there. hen it comes to sounds etc. it's truly a preference. Sabian, Zildjian, Meinl, Paiste all make excellent cymbals. it's truly a matter of what sound and feel you lile. They all have different quality from bottom to top end so I suggest you go visit some music stores and some. When you hear a cymbal you like, you'll know it.
Paiste, Zildjian, Sabian Best ride I ever had was a 20" mega bell hammered Zildjian Best crash I ever had was Paiste signature series power crash lifetime warrantee their high hats and crashes are my favorite, zildjian and Sabian are both equally good but it comes down to personal taste, Zildjian has a great product Sabian has a great product but the all have the spectrum from junk to premium models. Ive had junk paiste well cheap paiste , bottom line is if your cymbals are junk the whe set doesnt sound as good as if you had top of the line so its worth getting the best.
Soultone does not sell through dealers. They only sell direct to customers. You will not find their products in any drum shop. In an effort to grow the brand they pretty much let anyone be an “endorser”. This means you buy their cymbals at some sort of discount. It’s because of the fact they make any drummer that asks an endorser that no retailer will bring on their products. Why would a retailer want to compete with a manufacturer that will undercut the dealers? I don’t think it’s a scam, but it’s nowhere near like having an endorsement deal with Zildjian, Sabian, or Paiste because it doesn’t mean anything special if pretty much anyone can get the deal.
Not true. They sell through dealers and gave dealers in the u.s and other countries. Not sure where you're getting your information. Go look on their site .
@@aspiedrummerI worked for them for a little bit a while back. That’s where I got my info. They were only selling direct and making everyone drummer that asked an endorser. Every dealer I tried to open up and have stock the cymbals wasn’t interested because of this. Maybe that’s changed. But judging by the comments here that really hasn’t. Edit: I went to their dealers list on their website. I didn’t inspect every website but I will say this, the ones I did go to appear to just to drop shipping. There’s one on there that is local to me that I’ve been in. They don’t stock any Soultone cymbals.
I went down the same rabbit hole with Soultone just as you have done. I didn’t know a lot about them, but I did see some artist I recognized, so I thought I’d give them a shot. Same situation, and even though I’m in the states, there’s nowhere near me that I can go and listen to these cymbals. I did manage to buy a set of hats, a splash and a ride at a yard sale, and while the ride is nice but not for me, the hats and splash are awesome! They still reach out periodically and ask if I’m still interested, but I don’t think I can after seeing this video.
There are a number of drummer where I live (toronto) that have a relationship with Soultone and they sound great on the gear. I am not sure of the exact discount that they received but usually an endorsement should match or be close to the dealer price.
I think I would wait because I don't think that you're going to get the good support and again you. You're going to have to buy without listening to them and trying them yourself. It's not worth it
I was offered the endorsement deal and I agree the prices are not that great and the promotion isnt gonna do much for me except the fact I need new cymbals and the 4 cymbal pack seems like a fair price and if I can get the credit plan I will pull the trigger on it. However, I would be very disappointed if I wasnt happy with the cymbals and, I would not even consider replacing all my cymbals to endorse Soultone if I already had cymbals I was pleased with because the prices are better than retail but if Im gonna commit to a contract I would expect a little better price Im pretty much a poor person at the moment so I can see taking the chance that the cymbals are not exactly the best cymbal I could ever want. Its a marketing thing to sell cymbals basically but I imagine I will take the offer, Thanks for the review I would agree with everything you said.
Iv been soultone Cymbals artist sins 2012 i got play them at uk drumshow in 2011. I live in England and alway had good relationships with them. When on tour in uk if i crack a Cymbal id get released one next day. I also got free namm pass every year from them and got to film videos at soultone Cymbals hq when in Los Angeles. Also iv worked in a drum shop and tryed lots brands and had some big brands crack on me 2 days after getting them. Also im sic artist to got try there gear out at local drum shop iv been with them sins 2012 to. And when United airlines lost my checked luggage that had lots soultone gear in it they replaced it.
I am a Meinl guy, singe Im German, Meinl and Paiste are basically what I see most in the stores, I personally also would NEVER, buy something that I can not test my self. I thought about buying some Sabian Crashes some time ago, but then I thought „I dont have any possibility to try them in person, and I know what I get with Meinl“ so I got some Meinls. (Yes Sabians sound fabulous, but for me its really important how a cymbal feels, it can be a deal breaker for me.) I has something similar happen to me with a Drum stick company, they wanted to me to test their product, but the only distributors were in Britain, and the minimum amount of Sticks one could order was 6 pairs. For each stick, they wanted 10€ (with discount). Add that to the long shipping time it would have taken from Britain to Germany. Absolutely not worth it, they all just try to sell you something.
Bought a used kit that had a set of Soultones. The series was a Zildjian K knock off. They weren't horrible but they didn't work for what I was playing. I prefer Zildjian A or Z Customs and I have no shame buying used gear.
I play Soultone (not an endorser) Bought them online, unheard Love them (Extreme series) Only one that I didn't like. I agree with you can't test them , and it's a risk. Price was good, quality was good, sound was good. I would NEVER endorse any company as I play lots of brands.
I am a Soultone endorser.........50% off retail.But,once you commit,they want you to play them exclusively, so I never bought any..............Ralph Onofrio
Soultone cymbals and pro coverage at Guitar Center must go hand in hand. Both a little far fetched. Could Soultone possibly pick out one ride cymbal from a drum show that's not new anymore, and use that 1 cymbal to send out to their future endorsee to experience all Soultone verbalized about. Use 1 week and ship back to soultone. I mean, am I missing something here. What would the cost of 1 cymbal be to this company to get others on board. We purchase Sabian SR2's sight unseen unless that particular cymbal is in your local music shop. I picked up a Sabian SR2 20" medium ( no other indication) that I thought sounded great ,till I got it home. Returned it and picked up a Sabian SR2 18" medium thin and OMG, was I lucky with this crash. My drum instructor here in Summerlin was an endorsement of Soultone...but just recently bowed out. Now I know the Soultone story. Thank you Robert for this information 🙏 Brother!
When a drummer hears that they can endorse, it makes them feel, big time. It's called, marketing. Big time musicians get free equipment... and bigger get free and paid. Simple, simple.
Some years back I wandered over to their booth at NAMM. As I began testing a cymbal a rep from the company came over and flat out offered me the endorsement. This guy didn’t know my name, who I was, who I played for. Nothing. For all he knew I could have been a bass player. But than was his first move. “We’ll make you an artist for the company.”
That's hilarious! Lol.
Todd Hoffman here, soultone artist as well! I love the explosion series line! Laura and everyone at soultone has been awesome to me! I was a sabian player for years! I’m soultone for life now!!!
Glad I saw this video, they reached out to me too after applying for their endorsement program. I have to say though, although I 100% understand where you're coming from, their approach so far has been pretty good if I must say, went as far as to actually call and speak to me about my order (test order) which I loved the gesture.
I'm still on the fence of accepting the endorsement which I mentioned because I've never tried their cymbals before, especially here in Canada. Hoping that changes soon so I can decide if they're a great fit.
The big thing is you're endorsing them, them not you. They've been around before and had quality problems etc. Not many Canadian retailers out there either at the moment.
@aspiedrummer that's true, I wish they had more retailers around or could send out a test cymbal even if on the cheaper side. To at least get an idea of their feel and sound before committing. Other than that, wish me luck when I get my order, I've had good experience with them so far.
@@dionsheds That would make sense.
About 7 years ago i was in a band that had a big enough following to get "offered" an endorsement. We actually got sent a free cymbal from yhen to try out (from their Extreme series). The cymbal was nice but it broke fairly quickly (I've always been a Paiste guy and never had anything break that fast).
Additionally, i live in the UK and their artist prices were quite bad for here. The prices were lower than RRP, however, with import taxes and VAT added the artist prices ended up being exactly the same as the retail prices, so it was utterly pointless in going for the endorsement.
Thanks for adding to this with your experience. They are not doing the right thing at all. Sad sad sad.
I am endorsed with Sabian and I must say, I’m a little confused by your video. For clarity , did you not originally say you approached SoulTone regarding an endorsement? If this is correct, it implies you were already familiar with their product line and previously used them. Who asks for an endorsement from a company they’ve never played??? It is not the responsibility of SoulTone or any company to provide talent access with their product line, rather, artists connect with their artist reps and go in person to their reps distribution warehouse. (LA for SoulTone). It is an artist’s decision to choose a product they believe in, have access to try product and provides them the backline distribution they need while on tour. Regarding prices, reduced price lists are very common for lesser known artists. . Neil , Bozzio , Weckl all have signature lines of cymbals. Their names are selling product. It sounds like you enjoy Sabian. Consider an endorsement request with them. Sabian has much better distribution, but everything else will be the same as SoulTone. In conclusion , there is nothing in SoulTones agreement that resembles a scam. Thank you. 🙏🏽
@@AlVelasquezDrums hello there, no I did not approach them. They had actually commented on one of my videos with their endorsement application and I was curious about it and they were also promoting that they do endorsements so I was really curious about what it was. That's all it was
You just opened my eyes , it is 100% true all you say, this is the video I needed to see, they contacted me as well for their “endorsement” program, their only dealer in Georgia US is 4hrs away from me and their website is even down lol, Thanks for making this video and whish you the best ! #KeepDrumming
I'm glad I could be a helping hand for ya. They are truly not going to last I don't see it.
I once had an endorsement with Soultone from around 2014 to 2016 and remember having similar thoughts with their endorsement program. I ended up getting 4 cymbals in total for a pretty nice discount and 3 of them are still running strong (hats, crash, ride) especially with playing very aggressive music and tons of gigs. Just started playing again more and was thinking about checking out the endorsement deal again but I wasn’t too sure. I think I’m just going to keep what I got and mix and match lol solid video though. Not sure if it’s necessarily a scam but it’s not for everyone.
Well I can certainly say that after the emails sent back and forth it's not worthy I don't see them going far.
I did the program. overall I didnt have any hiccups, but I did end up spending basically the same amount I would spend in general. so didnt really feel like there was a "discount", but I still do love my 21' megabell ride. This was pre covid, got my cymbals, pandemic, band split, so I only got to use them in the studio. I just never got back in touch with them, and I dont really get any emails from them anymore.
Just shows what this is about. I just don't see them lasting.
I saw a video with a guy who had an endorsement with Soultone. He said some of the things you said here. One thing he said was that when he broke a cymbal prematurely, he contacted Soultone to get a replacement and they told him his warranty was expired so they would not replace it. The guy asked to be let out of the contract. So yeah, it looks like Soultone is using endorsements as a MLM Pyramid scam. 80/20 Drummer did a video on scam endorsements. It's worth checking out
I've heard the exact same thing from several people on drummer groups in reply to this video.
Hey man thanks for the video. As a kid who lives hours away from any music shops, what cymbals do you recommend brand wise which are reliable?
Hello there. hen it comes to sounds etc. it's truly a preference. Sabian, Zildjian, Meinl, Paiste all make excellent cymbals. it's truly a matter of what sound and feel you lile. They all have different quality from bottom to top end so I suggest you go visit some music stores and some. When you hear a cymbal you like, you'll know it.
@@aspiedrummer okay Thankyou man I will be visiting some shops then 😁 love the content by the way man. 🤘
@@thedrumsmith717 thanks for watching. Happy you like it! More to come!
Paiste, Zildjian, Sabian Best ride I ever had was a 20" mega bell hammered Zildjian Best crash I ever had was Paiste signature series power crash lifetime warrantee their high hats and crashes are my favorite, zildjian and Sabian are both equally good but it comes down to personal taste, Zildjian has a great product Sabian has a great product but the all have the spectrum from junk to premium models. Ive had junk paiste well cheap paiste , bottom line is if your cymbals are junk the whe set doesnt sound as good as if you had top of the line so its worth getting the best.
Soultone does not sell through dealers. They only sell direct to customers. You will not find their products in any drum shop. In an effort to grow the brand they pretty much let anyone be an “endorser”. This means you buy their cymbals at some sort of discount. It’s because of the fact they make any drummer that asks an endorser that no retailer will bring on their products. Why would a retailer want to compete with a manufacturer that will undercut the dealers?
I don’t think it’s a scam, but it’s nowhere near like having an endorsement deal with Zildjian, Sabian, or Paiste because it doesn’t mean anything special if pretty much anyone can get the deal.
Not true. They sell through dealers and gave dealers in the u.s and other countries. Not sure where you're getting your information. Go look on their site .
@@aspiedrummerI worked for them for a little bit a while back. That’s where I got my info. They were only selling direct and making everyone drummer that asked an endorser. Every dealer I tried to open up and have stock the cymbals wasn’t interested because of this. Maybe that’s changed. But judging by the comments here that really hasn’t.
Edit: I went to their dealers list on their website. I didn’t inspect every website but I will say this, the ones I did go to appear to just to drop shipping. There’s one on there that is local to me that I’ve been in. They don’t stock any Soultone cymbals.
@@dfisk79 they won't last long once more people see what their about.
I went down the same rabbit hole with Soultone just as you have done. I didn’t know a lot about them, but I did see some artist I recognized, so I thought I’d give them a shot. Same situation, and even though I’m in the states, there’s nowhere near me that I can go and listen to these cymbals. I did manage to buy a set of hats, a splash and a ride at a yard sale, and while the ride is nice but not for me, the hats and splash are awesome! They still reach out periodically and ask if I’m still interested, but I don’t think I can after seeing this video.
Thanks for your input on this. I can't stand a company that pushes like this
There are a number of drummer where I live (toronto) that have a relationship with Soultone and they sound great on the gear. I am not sure of the exact discount that they received but usually an endorsement should match or be close to the dealer price.
Currently in the middle of trying to figure out if i should go for it. U.K
I think I would wait because I don't think that you're going to get the good support and again you. You're going to have to buy without listening to them and trying them yourself. It's not worth it
I was offered the endorsement deal and I agree the prices are not that great and the promotion isnt gonna do much for me except the fact I need new cymbals and the 4 cymbal pack seems like a fair price and if I can get the credit plan I will pull the trigger on it. However, I would be very disappointed if I wasnt happy with the cymbals and, I would not even consider replacing all my cymbals to endorse Soultone if I already had cymbals I was pleased with because the prices are better than retail but if Im gonna commit to a contract I would expect a little better price Im pretty much a poor person at the moment so I can see taking the chance that the cymbals are not exactly the best cymbal I could ever want. Its a marketing thing to sell cymbals basically but I imagine I will take the offer, Thanks for the review I would agree with everything you said.
Iv been soultone Cymbals artist sins 2012 i got play them at uk drumshow in 2011. I live in England and alway had good relationships with them.
When on tour in uk if i crack a Cymbal id get released one next day.
I also got free namm pass every year from them and got to film videos at soultone Cymbals hq when in Los Angeles.
Also iv worked in a drum shop and tryed lots brands and had some big brands crack on me 2 days after getting them.
Also im sic artist to got try there gear out at local drum shop iv been with them sins 2012 to.
And when United airlines lost my checked luggage that had lots soultone gear in it they replaced it.
Glad you are happy with them.
I am a Meinl guy, singe Im German, Meinl and Paiste are basically what I see most in the stores, I personally also would NEVER, buy something that I can not test my self. I thought about buying some Sabian Crashes some time ago, but then I thought „I dont have any possibility to try them in person, and I know what I get with Meinl“ so I got some Meinls. (Yes Sabians sound fabulous, but for me its really important how a cymbal feels, it can be a deal breaker for me.)
I has something similar happen to me with a Drum stick company, they wanted to me to test their product, but the only distributors were in Britain, and the minimum amount of Sticks one could order was 6 pairs. For each stick, they wanted 10€ (with discount).
Add that to the long shipping time it would have taken from Britain to Germany. Absolutely not worth it, they all just try to sell you something.
Bought a used kit that had a set of Soultones. The series was a Zildjian K knock off. They weren't horrible but they didn't work for what I was playing. I prefer Zildjian A or Z Customs and I have no shame buying used gear.
Thanks for your reply. Nice to hear some feedback.
I play Soultone (not an endorser) Bought them online, unheard Love them (Extreme series) Only one that I didn't like. I agree with you can't test them , and it's a risk. Price was good, quality was good, sound was good. I would NEVER endorse any company as I play lots of brands.
I appreciate your input and honesty as well. Nice to see some feedback.
I am a Soultone endorser.........50% off retail.But,once you commit,they want you to play them exclusively, so I never bought any..............Ralph Onofrio
they wanted to give me only 15% on something I never seen or can even try lol
Are all turkish cymbals, No matter what series, supposed to have an imprinted stamp of authenticity on them?
Their site has 26 States/music shops, that sell them.
and one is most other countries and one only in Canada where I am.. not useful to push sales and this bogus scam lol.
Good objective review or your experience. 👍🏻
Thank you.
Soultone cymbals and pro coverage at Guitar Center must go hand in hand.
Both a little far fetched.
Could Soultone possibly pick out one ride cymbal from a drum show that's not new anymore, and use that 1 cymbal to send out to their future endorsee to experience all Soultone verbalized about.
Use 1 week and ship back to soultone.
I mean, am I missing something here. What would the cost of 1 cymbal be to this company to get others on board.
We purchase Sabian SR2's sight unseen unless that particular cymbal is in your local music shop.
I picked up a Sabian SR2 20" medium ( no other indication) that I thought sounded great ,till I got it home. Returned it and picked up a Sabian SR2 18" medium thin and OMG, was I lucky with this crash.
My drum instructor here in Summerlin was an endorsement of Soultone...but just recently bowed out.
Now I know the Soultone story. Thank you Robert for this information 🙏 Brother!
Thanks for watching and sharing. It's a shame people fall into this trap.
When a drummer hears that they can endorse, it makes them feel, big time. It's called, marketing. Big time musicians get free equipment... and bigger get free and paid. Simple, simple.
A real endorsement would be if you get the cymbals for free, not if you have to pay, even with discount.
These "endorsement" deals have always seemed scummy to me.
They are hence why I did this to see if they would budge. proof of a marketing scam.
It’s a scam. They will endorse your bird. Seriously write in as your bird, I guarantee the bird will be featured in their newsletter.
LOL I have zero doubts on that LOL desperate and scandalous marketing
Is it "AA Meinl"? If that's taken from the Logo I always read "PA Meinl" :-D
its just Meinl. I made a mistake
@@aspiedrummer No biggie! I was always wondering what this Logo is :-D
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