Custom MTD basses start no less than $4k unless Mike Tobias is feeling really generous. Rawbiz has had an MTD endorsement since he was at Berklee so he's been down with Mike for quite a while now. When you have an endorsement, sometimes you can get product "at cost" or even less if that boutique builder can afford to take the loss because the retail sales will make up the difference. But Rawbiz is always working so he may indeed be able to order a bass at a moments whim and still pay the asking price. No one knows but him. I knew another cat who played and endorsed Modulus basses which run around $3k and he bought one for $600 through an endorsement deal.
As far as sideman salaries, it can be as low as $1000 a wk, or as high has $40k-$50k a week as I've known a certain musical director to make when he played for a music icon. Another set of musicians that played for another icon made around $15k a week for a 12-18 month tour. The average is somewhere between $2k-$5k depending on the artist. The key is how long the tour is as compared to the amount per week. This new Diddy crew is not about to get rich.
The way around that is to give them first-class accommodations and top-notch meals with a limo ride thrown in every now and then an they will think they're on top of the world if they've never experienced it before. And you also get to hang out with major players in the game which will make you forget about the money as long as you can have a little clout with your folks back home. This even goes down in the gospel realm with these major choirs. I've experienced similar things right here in my city on a few gigs. While I'm inside with that all-access pass on or talking to the headliner as if we're old friends I'm seen by many as the man, but at the end of the night, I am far from rich or even famous which didn't matterto me anyway.
The real question is will you see these folks working after the Diddy tour? That will be the real sign of success. Yall forget there is a contract involved on these MTB shows that put folks on lock even after the show is over. Notice none of them have went on to anything else after Diddy was done with them. If they do, you best believe Diddy is getting a piece of it. Aubrey from Danity Kane is getting naked or making out with other women to keep her name out there. Sadly that seems to be all she has to offer which is what got her put out the the group because she made the mistake of believing her own hype and Diddy nipped that real quick and is still making money on her name.
Alright, sorry for the essay. But I hope some of you at least get the point.
