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OT : Do you guys buy/read guitar magazines?


maravich

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My parents-in-law buy me a subscription to Guitar Player as a standing birthday present, and I really like that mag. I've been devouring the master class in the recent Brad Paisley issue on different uses for the pentatonic scale.

Actually, I trust the GP reviews more than I trust most of the others: they've called out several "big name manufacturers" for less-than-stellar products, including Boss and EVH.

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I tend to only read the British guitar magazines, however, I have in the past purchased the odd Guitar Player... When I was younger I used to read Total Guitar (however, I still buy it if I like the look of an article or lesson)

 

Guitarist is OK, but I check MusicRadar Daily and they seem to have a lot of articles on there anyways.

 

A magazine I have bought a lot of is Guitar Techniques. I find it really inspiring and often write new songs after learning some new techniques. I'm not a fan of learning full songs.

 

I love guitar magazines which come with CDs

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I only liked Premier Guitar because it used to be (still is?) free. Every review sounded like an advertisement for the product, and I'd occasionally catch product plugs in the middle of columns as well. Good way to pass a few min at lunch, though.

 

I like Guitarist as far as content, but it's kind of expensive.

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GP converted me with... don't flame me... an awesome article on slipknot's recording of their new album. I really had no interest, but I was reading it to pass the time, and I got sucked right in, all this talk about equipment and tone, and recording schedules... I got all hot and bothered. Then they had a cool article on collaborations for Chinese Democracy's recording, and that was fun too. I need the new issue actually!

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I have had one of those free one-year subs to Premier Guitar for nine months and I think it's good, but could be a great magazine. In this day and age it is a marvel in the amount of adverstising they are able to sell. Unfortunately their gear reviews are extremely weak. Photos don't show stuff you want to see (like multiple surfaces) and their praise is often too generic: "the tone really opened up". The thing I find most objectionable is the fact that they review a $750 guitar in the same manner that they do a $7,500 guitar. I mean, I don't need you to tell me the $7,500 guitar is "good", I need you to tell me why it's worth $7,500 and not $4,500, $5,100 or $2,750!

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In the mid 80s to early 90s, I subscribed to three guitar mags and a small shop near me has a few hundred pre 2000 magazines that I flip through occasionally but I literally haven't picked up a single new guitar magazine since probably 1998.

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I have had one of those free one-year subs to Premier Guitar for nine months and I think it's good, but could be a great magazine. In this day and age it is a marvel in the amount of adverstising they are able to sell. Unfortunately their gear reviews are extremely weak. Photos don't show stuff you want to see (like multiple surfaces) and their praise is often too generic: "the tone really opened up". The thing I find most objectionable is the fact that they review a $750 guitar in the same manner that they do a $7,500 guitar. I mean, I don't need you to tell me the $7,500 guitar is "good", I need you to tell me why it's worth $7,500 and not $4,500, $5,100 or $2,750!

 

 

I just feel that their reviews are way too positive. They read almost like advertisements:

 

I plugged into the Generic Amp 204x series and was immediately blown away. The highs were chimey but not harsh, the low end thudded without becoming muddy, and the mids bloomed in a way that made me immediately jizz my pants. I played a series of chords, and a garden of rare and delicate flora suddenly sprung up at my feet. A short legato run, and God himself made His way down from heaven to shake my hand and to tell me that I rocked in His eyes, amen.

 

Then He got unto His drum set and we {censored}ing brought the house down.

 

Pros:

- Sounds {censored}ing amazing

- Is great for every style of music including ones not yet invented

- Could probably bring your significant other to orgasm better than you

 

Cons:

- You may not like this if you are not heterosexual

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I love Guitarist and Guitar & Bass (which I believe is a sister pub to Guitarist)

 

 

Actually not: there is absolutely no business or editorial connection between the two. Guitarist is based in Bath and comes to you from Future Publications; G&B is published from offices in Croydon by a division of the giant IPC conglomerate.

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I pay extortionate rates for UK-based Guitarist ($15) and Guitar & Bass ($11). The writing is of the usual high standard for British mags (have to get my CSM fix also). Can't beat Vintage Guitar either.

 

I tend to avoid US-based guitar mags for the same reason I avoid US-based general music mags - an obsession with a few players (Hendrix, Clapton, Page - rinse and repeat) and an unending string of cookie-cutter tattoos-and-black-t-shirt types hailed as the next great guitar heroes...until next month. The post-grunge era has been completely mined out but we are still subjected to a fresh batch of Dual Rectifier dudes and their barre chord monotony every month.

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I tend to avoid US-based guitar mags for the same reason I avoid US-based general music mags - an obsession with a few players (Hendrix, Clapton, Page - rinse and repeat) and an unending string of cookie-cutter tattoos-and-black-t-shirt types hailed as the next great guitar heroes...until next month. The post-grunge era has been completely mined out but we are still subjected to a fresh batch of Dual Rectifier dudes and their barre chord monotony every month.

 

Very well said Sir !

 

;)

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I like GW for the lessons and it's focus on harder music tho there was an interview with the guitarist from the Killers in it the other month that suprised me. Richard Lloyd's lessons have really helped me get a new perspective on the theory.

I like guitarist for the reviews and it's UK slant. CSM goes without saying.

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i used to all the time... now, pretty much only if i'm on a plane

 

 

I travel a lot for work, so airport magazine racks do seem to be the places I buy from most of the time and they tend to have pretty limited selection. Even so, I manage to get GP most months and GW about half that often. With the others it's just a matter of whether the cover looks interesting, e.g. I bought that finger style magazine with Tommy Emmanuel on the cover a few months back because I used to know him back in the day.

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