The only way I can see this changing is with a long successful run of young artist endorsements, people need to know the company even exists. Right now, I get, "So you have a hammer, who makes those?" Every time I see an up and coming guitar player who is using something else, by the time he gets to teh big time he's using either a Gibson or Fender, it makes no difference what they were using earlier because the corporate tentacles got hold of them. Case in point, Johnny Lang, I think he was using Schecter tele's then switched to Fender's soon after.