Magazines!

[xtian]

What are your favorite guitar and amp builder's trade publications?

Guitarist is an SOS publication from UK, and it's very pretty with lots of nice gear p0rn photos, but no photos at all of the insides of the amps they review (-10 points!). Contains a small section of lessons, heavy on gear reviews, balanced with artist profiles. $16/issue in the US. Comes with CDROM.

Guitar Techniques is heavy on the lessons and theory; comes with CDROM.

Guitar World is heavy on the artist profiles, has a few lessons and several full-length transcriptions. Light on hardware reviews. Caters to the Metal enthusiast.

Guitar Player: thinnest of these magazines (130pp), but balanced artist coverage, lessons and reviews. Heavier on classic rock, blues and jazz.

Premier Guitar: highest page count (November is 272pp). Similarly balanced like Guitar Player, but a lot more of it.


What do you read?

[KindaFuzzy]

I like reading Vintage Guitar magazine, it's got lots of vintage guitar porn, and I like reading the repair columns to see how Dan Erlewine fixes stuff.

[RightLurker]

Is there an amp builder's trade publication? I'd love to see such a thing, or any magazine geared more toward amps, amp servicing, building, etc.

[JamesHealey]

Guitarist i read and guitar techniques if something interesting is on the cover to learn.

[VacuumVoodoo]

Is there an amp builder's trade publication? I'd love to see such a thing, or any magazine geared more toward amps, amp servicing, building, etc.

Roccaforte started a builders webzine few years ago, it died after less than 5 issues.

[David Root]

I used to subscribe to Vintage Guitar, dropped it about 3 years ago.

Only magazine I subscribe to or read is Tonequest. My kind of content, no ads.

[selloutrr]

Vacuum Tube Valley

[boldaslove6789]

the Tonequest Report is probably the best magazine I've ever read.Brilliant writers over there, allways a decent article in every mag.

[Gee]

Guitarist is an SOS publication from UK, and it's very pretty with lots of nice gear p0rn photos, but no photos at all of the insides of the amps they review (-10 points!). Contains a small section of lessons, heavy on gear reviews, balanced with artist profiles. $16/issue in the US. Comes with CDROM.

I frustratingly end up buying this about once or twice a year. I really should know better. It is so advertising copy led that it is ridiculous.

They do not have a clue about amplifiers and what you read about is only what is being advertised that month. They almost never talk about vintage amps or amp design because IMO there is no advertising revenue from the small vintage amp market in the UK.

Unfortunately it is taken as the guitar bible by many in the UK, and there is an overall low appreciation of guitar amplifiers in the UK.

[passfan]

Vacuum Tube Valley

Great mag, back issues available. The only problem with it is I can't get it monthly . The prices on the web site for vintage tubes and caps and such really blow though.

[Cygnus X1]

Guitar for the Practicing Musician used to be a great mag!
(For guitar playing...not gear).
I still have all of my old issues.

Out of print.

[Structo]

I like Premier Guitar.

I got tired of the over load of ads in Vintage Guitar.

PG has tons of great articles and best of all, you can actually read the entire magazine online for free if you want to. No subscription needed.

[Richie]

I like Premier Guitar.

I got tired of the over load of ads in Vintage Guitar.

PG has tons of great articles and best of all, you can actually read the entire magazine online for free if you want to. No subscription needed.

I quit getting the mags back in the mid 90s. Just as you mentioned, too many ads. And more of a pissing contest of who was better. I probably have saved in a box, every issiue of guitar players from 78 up the mid 90s. Also alot of Guitar world mag. VG i do like. One i remember i liked the best. Only lasted a short while. Tone Shop. I also got all the issues of the tube mags that were out then. One day i'll have to dig through all that stuff and see what is in the box. Its so heavy i can't hardly move it.

[jjman]

VG is the only periodical I subscribe to (with $.) They have been late coming to the amp party but are paying attention now. Some of their attempts at the amp thing have been embarrassing. One was a series from an interview and it contained several mis-statements and falsehoods. They’ve also had 2 tube “shootouts” that reported worthless results using trendy jargon and no objective information.

But overall they are getting better and better regarding amps.

[selloutrr]

I can tell which one not to get!

BASS Player Magazine..

What a POS that thing is. Its all a big stroke to Vickor Wooten and 2/3rds adds. The few articles they did have were poorly written and usually opinionated - biased toward free gear ='s a good review.