OFFICIAL.... Vinnie is no longer with Ludwig!!

[Matus]

Endorsements work on several levels, not only out of admiration. I remember 15 year old me collecting catalogs because I wanted to know about the instrument and trying to emulate sounds on recordings I liked within my possibilities. Because, when you're that age, you don't care about finding your own voice, you want to sound like, say, Mike Portnoy on Falling Into Infinity. And that's why endorsement notes on album credits work wonders.
Just another side of it besides transfering credibility to the product.

[sejuba]

My bad. (if he's) going back to Yamaha is obviously the single greatest thing the world has ever seen. Non debatable.

</irony>

I´m with you on this one ! Although it is too early to say what really happened (myself, I can care less) I do agree it might stain his reputation.
The fact he´s a drumming genius doesn´t mean he shouldn´t care about the responsabilities he carries as someone who´s influencing thousands
of drummers who are buying the gear he plays. With great power comes great responsability, my friend !!

[DeeP_FRieD]

Watch him pull something out of left field like Craviotto. I would dig on that.