Guitar Magazines

[Robert****]

Which one do you like? I had a subscription last year for Guitar Player, but it sure ain't what it used to be. I remember the 80s and early 90s, they had some good articles back then. It just doesn't seem to be much "meat" in it anymore. And the gear reviews, what's up with them? Many of the reviews are for "botique" guitars that cost $3000 plus and same thing with amps. How many of their readers can actually afford to buy one of those?

Enough complaining - my mag of choice is Vintage Guitar Magazine - now that's a good magazine! I even find myself drooling over the ads - the kind of ads you'd never see in Guitar Player and the likes. I guess it's more for the "older" group of players - middle age and up maybe? In any case, check it out if you haven't.

[Tim]

I have been looking for a good magazine also. Something that would help me learn the art of playing. Yes to me it is an art. This month I picked up 3 each.

The first was “Fingerstyle” which comes with a CD of all the songs featured. This magizaine with music is to advanced for me right know. I must learn finger pickin” to enjoy this magazine.

The second was “Acoustic Guitar”. It has a couple good articles and a few tabbed songs and a lot of advertisement.

The third, and the one I liked the most is “Guitar Techniques”. I believe it is from England. This magazine too is a little advanced for me but I think I can adjust. It comes along with a CD/DVD. The CD part has all licks and songs in the book and there is over 70 tracks on the CD. This month’s issue also has 2 video lessons. This issue has Part 2 of an interbiew with Yngie Malmsteen and one with country pickers Steve Trovato & Richard Smith. Although the magazine is slanted towards English bands and guitarist, I think I will buy a few more issues before I commit to a subscription.

[Nelskie]

Totally agree w/ you Robert - GP is definitely not what it used to be. The almighty advertising dollar has "tainted" most, if not all of the credibility it once had w/ me. The feature articles are still pretty decent, although the "hipster" lean on everything gets somewhat tiring. And the equipment they review, in most instances, is in the "outer space" price range. Yeah, like I want to take out a second mortgage to buy a new "boutique" amp. which have switched to the magazine + CD format - thus pushing the price level of a single newstand issue to $10.00 US. For a magazine, that's completely ridiculous!!

My friend gets Vintage Guitar, and I get GP, so we just trade issues when we're done reading. VG is an excellent read, and seems a bit more "down to earth" with their subject material. BTW - if you hadn't already noticed, Vintage Guitar's main offices are in Bismarck, North Dakota!!! (not sure if its published / printed there, though) I have several friends who contribute to the publication regularly.

Does that qualify me as a celebrity?

[marnold***]

I had a subscription to Guitar World for a year. The main problem I had with it is actually getting it. Their mailing system is miserable. I had to call probably ten times and I still never got one issue I was supposed to get even though it was supposedly sent out three times. The other problem is that there are so few well-known good guitar players these days. So you had your 80s guys, hacks like the pop punk guys (viz Green Day), and Cookie-Monster-vocals guys (viz Lamb of God). At least at $15 the subscription was cheap.

[Iago]

I buy the brazilian Guitar Player (its almost the same as the american)sometimes, actually only when there is something very interesting to me on the cover...
there's another brazilian mag called Guitar Class that's more directed to lessons..the mag is like 75% lessons and in-depth transcriptions. That's a nice one.
And there's Cover Guitar magazine, which was cooler than the GP in some ways, before they changed the Editor..¬¬

[Nelskie]

Man, I just HAD to bring this up. It is so typical of Guitar Magazines creating hype where, in actuality, there is none. Case and point: this month's issue of Guitar Player Magazine that features a cover picture & feature article Tiger Beat heart-throb & pop sensation John Mayer. The headline: "John Mayer's Bada$$ New Blues Trio"!! *ahem* Yes, you did hear that sentence correctly. The same sugary-sweet, whispery, "Your Body Is A Wonderland" voice is now a "bada$$ blues vocalist". Yeah, I had to hear this for myself - so, to Amazon I went to session a few of the clips on "Try!", his new "blues" CD. And not surprisingly, it wasn't even in the ballpark of being "bada$$". Now don't get me wrong, John Mayer has some chops, there's no question about that. But Guitar Player, in their typical "pandering" of marketable guitar entities, and perhaps to throw John Mayer's record company a bone, is trying to identify John Mayer as a "bada$$ blues player", when in fact, he is a pop artist trying to cross-over into a genre of music that is certainly not his regular stomping grounds. And what comes across is a cheesy, commercialized pitch from a pseudo-resourceful media source that John Mayer is something other than what he actually is. Truth be known: John Mayer IS NOT a bada$$ blues player. This is territory inhabited by guys with real blues cred - B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, Eric Sardinas, Muddy Waters, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, George Thorogood, and a host of many others. Let us all applaud Mr. Mayer for coming to his senses, but shame on you, Guitar Player, for thinking we're stupid enough to believe your misleading drivel.

Sorry folks, just had to get that off my chest!

[marnold***]

Since Nelskie resurrected this thread, I thought I'd add this. I got an offer to subscribe to GuitarOne for a year for $12. I know that Guitar for the Practicing Musician (which was THE mag when I was in college) became GuitarOne so I'll give them a shot. Even if it blows, the $12 won't kill me.

Re: Nelskie's new point, I found the same thing in GuitarWorld. They had a big cover article on Green Day. In a transcription for one of their songs, you can tell they're trying to keep from saying, "He plays this very sloppily." Instead they talk about his use of "passing notes." Yeah, that's it.

Obviously punk (even Green Day's pseudo-pop-punk) isn't about musicianship at all. I get that. Logically, then, that would make them an odd choice for a guitar magazine. It would also seem strange to try to "force" talent on them.

[Justaguyin_nc]

I enjoy GuitarOne.. usually 4 songs in the back of different type music and some articles are ok.. I got the cd subscription but for some reason the Backing Tracks never work thru their Frontend loader so play them as cd tracks.. for the money its something to thumb thru and drool over the guitar pics...

[Robert****]

Hmm, Nelskie, I see your point, but I just want to say some of the blues stuff I've heard by Mayer has been quite good. Bad @ss player - maybe not - but he's got blues guitar talent, IMHO. Great blues singer?, ehh probably not, but good player. Mayer will have a tough time going from pop to blues, in a credible way, no matter how good it is. As for guitar mags, well, they write up anything they think will sell, it's in their nature.

[Tim]

I got an offer to subscribe to GuitarOne for a year for $12. I know that Guitar for the Practicing Musician (which was THE mag when I was in college) became GuitarOne so I'll give them a shot. Even if it blows, the $12 won't kill me.

I have submmited for the "GREAT" $12.00 a year subscription twice in the last year. I am still waiting for my free 1st copy.

[Nelskie]

Now don't get me wrong, John Mayer has some chops, there's no question about that.

Robert - Somehow, I don't see little Johnny working a dingy circuit of blues joints, paying his "blues dues" with low-paying one-night stands. Nope, it's chauffered limos, squealing teen-age coeds, and Perrier, my friend. Talent aside, this all emits a rather reprehensible odor. And to all of the "real" blues artists who have have not been given a Wonka Golden Ticket, it's a stinging slap in the face.

Yes, even the Oompa Loompas know its a farce!! After all, they ARE blue!

[Myles]

Man, I just HAD to bring this up. It is so typical of Guitar Magazines creating hype where, in actuality, there is none. Case and point: this month's issue of Guitar Player Magazine that features a cover picture & feature article Tiger Beat heart-throb & pop sensation John Mayer.
...
and perhaps to throw John Mayer's record company a bone, is trying to identify John Mayer as a "bada$$ blues player", when in fact, he is a pop artist trying to cross-over into a genre of music that is certainly not his regular stomping grounds.
...
Truth be known: John Mayer IS NOT a bada$$ blues player. This is territory inhabited by guys with real blues cred - B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, Eric Sardinas, Muddy Waters, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, George Thorogood, and a host of many others. Let us all applaud Mr. Mayer for coming to his senses, but shame on you, Guitar Player, for thinking we're stupid enough to believe your misleading drivel.

Well I think its pretty clear what GP is trying to do. Sell Magazines.

It is difficult for any pop artists to make the transition to any other field since pop is in general looked down upon. (Which is funny since imagine if the Beetles came out today? Ya, that's right all pop.)

I think you are reading too much into bada$$ blues players, I admit I haven't read the article, regardless I think its just a catchy way of GP letting the public know that Mayer is switching genres. It is unfair to compare him to the likes of King, Clapton, Winter, etc when he has only now made the transition.

It is true, he won the wonka ticket, but if glorifying him is what it takes to get more people interested in blues then sounds great to me. Why not rope in a larger audience?

What he's got right now sounds pretty good and who knows what he is capable of if he sticks with it.

I say, "Give him a chance."

[6STRINGS 9LIVES]

John Mayer is a poser who would not carry muddy's guitar case to a gig , he should not be mentioned in the same sentance with any blues great .. as for chops oh please , anybody with enough time and access to the internet can learn 90 mins. of chops by his standards , transitions be dammed , you either have the blues or not , disneyland is not a blues gig .. the blues is not a coat you quietly slip on when you feel like it , the blues cannot be learned , taught or bought THE BLUES HAVE TO BE EARNED .... THE BLUES IS NOT MUSIC ITS A WAY OF LIFE ....rock and pop are fashions , they are hairspray , leather jackets , tight pants , and catchy riffs . you get my drift , rock and pop can be bought , learned and taught its the flavour of the day my friend anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded , todays flavour of the month is stocking caps tattoos and pierciengs and 3 chord angst wridden songs with little or no lasting value ...record companies long ago lost their souls and not at some misty delta crossroads but at the bank , dont look to the radio for any musical conscious they sold out long ago as well and television is the biggest musical whore of all decked out in fashion and bad taste ..the golden days are long gone , when chuck berry wrote rock and roll songs he wrote blues songs that white people could buy into , thats where it started where its gone is nothing but a damm shame .
as for greenday i dont mind saying they are the best thing i have heard in the last 15 years when it comes to writing songs that capture some of the flavour of the old days , great pop songs with cant get em out of your head melodys, i'd take billy joe on a les paul jr any day over john mayer on even hendrix's strat ... in the words of ebenezer scrooge " good night i think i'll retire to bedlam ".....6S9L

[6STRINGS 9LIVES]

Oh yeah i subscribe to vintage guitar ..love it 6S9L

[Nelskie]

Greetings from bedlam, my friends. At this juncture, I might say "little did I know", but it's quite apparent that some of us interpret the blues as an art form, and an institution, rather than some fashionable corporate music entity. All of which lead directly to my point: credibility. Or in the case of Guitar Player, the lack thereof.

And by the way, my wife informed me that the Oompa Loompas were orange. Sorry if that point in my last post caused any confusion! I don't know why I thought they were blue . . . ?

[Nelskie]

I was over at Barnes & Noble last week perusing the magazine section. A young lady was re-stocking the section I was at (and guess which section that was?), and while doing so, came across a rather haggard-looking copy of last month's issue of Guitar One magazine. Unbeknownst to me, it had been concealed behind one of the teen-scene magazine sections, not my usual reading fare. On the cover of G1 - the Reverend himself! Well a how, how, how! Sadly, both covers were torn, and most of the pages were either bent over or creased. I casually mentioned to her that the magazine looked pretty thrashed, and she, noticing I was already looking at a guitar magazine, asked me if I'd like to look at it. Masking my obvious excitement, I said, "sure, why not." When she had finished her stocking duties, she turned to me and said, "I'll mark that magazine 75% off if you want it - it's pretty hailed, and would probably get tossed if I brought it back to the stock room" I casually replied, "suuurrreee". It came out to something like $2.25.

Since this was the first guitar mag I'd bought that came w/ a CD, I was very interested to see what it was all about. And you know what? It was very cool, indeed. Esp the Billy G. lesson that was included. Having the CD to refer to with the lesson parts of the mag really got me "into" the issue, and also, left me feeling that I'd actually gotten something out of it. While I pick up things here and there from reading Guitar Player, this was a totally different experience. And one that I liked - a lot.

Thanks to that nice young lady at B & N, I was not only able to snag a cool guitar magazine with my boy Billy F. in it, but I was also able to find out, first-hand, what a benefit that CD they include really is. Brothers and sisters, I have seen the light!

Naturally, I picked up a nice copy that G1 issue over at B. Dalton a few days later, and gave the ragged one to my buddy, along with the CD. I have sent in my subscription to G1, and anxiously await my next issue.

[duhvoodooman***]

I was over at Barnes & Noble last week....

They gotta lotta nice magazines....have mercy!

Seriously, I'll have to keep an eye out for G1! Thanks, Nelskie....

[marnold***]

I just started a subscription to GuitarOne at the beginning of the year. It is superior in pretty much every way to Guitar World, in my estimation. There's a lot more instructional content.I took them up on a $12/year subscription. I've since paid $10 more to upgrade to the CD edition. That's a pretty good deal relative to the newsstand price. The CD is almost mandatory since the mag references it so much.

[Tone2TheBone]

Yeah I dig Guitar 1. GP isn't bad sometimes but G1 has a lot more interesting stuff. I love the CDs too.