Brand Loyalty...

I think it's funny that some people will only drive a Ford. Some people will always choose Coke over Pepsi. Some guitarists will only play a Taylor. I get it -- when you find a good product, you tend to stick with it. But the flip-side of that is missing out on other good products because you're so stuck in your ways.
Don't get me wrong; I love my Strats and my ES-335 hollow bodies and my Fender tube amps. But I also love my Squiers, Danelectros and Epiphones! Each piece of gear has its own voice and its own feel. One of the most beautiful-sounding instruments I own is a cheap, no-name Irish bouzouki I bought online -- no brand, all beauty!
Over the years, I've become a kind of anti-brand snob. The Taylors, the Gibsons, the PRSs don't even catch my eye anymore. The Helixes and boutique effects don't even attract my attention. I focus on the used gear or the cheap gear or the gear that's typically ignored by most musicians. That's because (and if you know, you know) your equipment is just a small fraction of your music; music comes from the heart, the mind, and the hands -- not from expensive gear! The idea that you have to own the most expensive guitar in order to express yourself musically is a complete lie that you've been fed by people who want to sell you expensive gear! Don't buy it (the lie or the gear)! Don't let someone else dictate what you want!
Play what you like, no matter if it's a cheap bouzouki or a $3000 Strat. If I can trust my gear; if I can afford my gear; and if I can express myself using my gear, I'm happy. I'll play my Ibanez. I'll drink RC Cola. And I'll be my own brand, thank you.
You should be your own brand, too.