Guitar Magazines are Disappointing

[JoeJazz]

Anymore it seems most guitar magazines have fallen victim to the content being at least 40% advertising.  It's discouraging.  I remember when a magazine came it was a real cause for celebration.  Time stood still as I would take my prize and go lie down on the sofa or bed and have something really neat to do for at least 30 or 40 minutes.  Now, I'm cover to cover in 10 or 15 minutes or less.  Full page ads in grunge type tab, four letter word interviews with rags to riches to rags about painted up "so called" artists, or more and more stories about really odd groups I've never heard of that play to sell out venues.  AG is somewhat of an exception but it's getting more and more full page ads and thinner and thinner.  The mag prices keep crawling up and up as well.  I miss the good old days.

 

OK, now you can blow my doors off for not being "with it", for not accepting the guitar world we live in, and for over reacting.

[Opa John]

I've never subscribed to any guitar related magazines, but I've had lots of other type magazine subscriptions in the past. I think they've all pretty much taken the low road these days. Companies pay big bucks to have their advertising shown in the magazines, then they turn around and sell it to you to look at. They got it figured out.

And here's another thing about magazine subcriptions that always kinda bugged me. They'll offer a very low introductory price to first-time subscribers that they never offer to long-term subcribers. The only way you can get a decent price is to let your subscription run out, then they send you all kinds of better deals if you come back.

Since the advent of the Internet, I get just about any information I need without subscribing to magazines.

 

 

[Graeca]

Agree that AG is (usually) not so bad about content vs. ad space, while GP has been kinda disappointing, of late.

As for artists/groups I've never heard of, that's kinda cool, in that I've been introduced to artist/bands I might never have known of. Others I've learned to avoid...

[JoeJazz]

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Graeca wrote:

 

Agree that AG is (usually) not so bad about content vs. ad space, while GP has been kinda disappointing, of late.

 

As for artists/groups I've never heard of, that's kinda cool, in that I've been introduced to artist/bands I might never have known of. Others I've learned to avoid...

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Graeca, I too enjoy hearing about new groups that actually play music but I guess I was speaking about guitar players (groups) who never get past the so called 'power chords' found using only the low E, A, & D strings.  BTW, Jazz really needs some new players and more appreciative paying customers.  Our market keeps shrinking.  Part of that is due to the fine line between jazz and blues and how the music is promoted.

[flatpickle]

I let my Acoustic Guitar subscription lapse for the reasons you guys are talking about--and it was pretty good as guitar mags go. There is one guitar magazine that stands out head and shoulders above the rest, and I haven't seen you guys mention it: Flatpick Guitar Magazine. In my opinion, it's the best by a wide margin. Tons of relevant content. Tablature, interviews, album reviews, exercises, gear reviews. Not so many ads. Great cd with each issue.

But if you're not interested in flatpicking, it might not be that enjoyable for you.

[JoeJazz]

This is my last gripe about magazine advertisements verses magazine content.  Today I received my Feb. issue of Vintage Guitar.  It had 160 pages in all and I counted 76 full page ads.  This doesn't count ads that talk about new gear.  As Neal would say, nuff said.

[Quarterwave]

Man, I remember in the 90's when GFTPM and Guitar World were a great read. Maybe I'm just getting older now and noticing more of the ads?