The Gear Page and Premier Guitar team up

[M Fowler]

I opened my Premier Guitar mag from the back end and working to the front, I have always done that?

But then I see a section about how the magazine is teaming up with The Gear Page to see what is on the minds of us forum people and there is my name M Fowler commenting about amp part sources.

I was not sure what to think about them posting our comments in this guitar magazine but good thing it wasn't a post with a good fight going on like sometimes happens.

Mark

[jaysg]

Now you know one more reason why I use psuedonyms instead of my name.

[Structo]

Yeah I saw that posted at TGP.

I subscribe to Premier Guitar but haven't gotten the latest issue yet.

The Gear Page is getting more and more commercial.

Probably due to their huge memberlist.

Did you see the thread about PCB vs PTP?

Of course they get their terminology wrong as an eyelet or turret board is not true point to point.

Allan of Carol Ann made the best point that even if the two amps are identical, component tolerances and vacuum tubes could sway an amp so much tonally that the sonic difference, if there is any, would be nullified by the difference in tubes or components.

The first thread went to something like 58 pages before it was shut down and now there is a new thread that is heading to a high page number as well.

[gearhead]

There are a number of small companies that wouldn't/couldn't exist as a viable concern without TGP.

[Structo]

You're probably right.

There are many "Flavor of the Month" guys at TGP.

You could finance a small country for what some of those guys spend on gear in a month.

[Andy Le Blanc]

It might not be a bad idea for this forum to find a sponsor who might allow
for product reviews. Its might be a stretch but if there really is a market
out there for DIY, kit makers, and the many of use who want to grow as
small manufacturer's, an annual, bi-annual, quarterly web or traditional print
publication journal. The amount of effort by some on the trainwreck side is
phenomenal and deserves publishing. Even a secured PDF publication, the proceeds
go to maintaining the ampgarage as a society while keeping it free and open
as it is. Ed Dell, who I think still publishes audioxpress, might be open to the
idea. It could become a trade publication for us and an advert venue for the suppliers we
use, and promote the craft in the market place.

['67_Plexi]

There are a number of small companies that wouldn't/couldn't exist as a viable concern without TGP.

This is an interesting and very often misunderstood point.
Disclaimer: This post isn't a direct response to gearheads statement above, it just got me thinking about this site, mentalities etc etc...

A FULL TIME amp building business could not survive from trolling TGP for sales alone. Period. Working for minimum wage in McDonalds would be more fulfilling and profitable.

A part-time business or home builder maybe could survive from hype sales on there. I see some folks are.......then they get too cocky and it all goes tits up.

Just 4% of Carol-Ann sales have been to ACTIVE TGP members (the loudest GAS addicted folks). It seems the same amps appear up for sale over and over and over again. I find it amusing. Selling direct to many of these people is a nightmare for a Company as many pieces are returned after trial and GAS pains have wore off. I totally will not deal direct.

The other 96% have been sold via 12 different Dealers.

On the positive side, TGP like any other gear site can be promotionally beneficial to your business. Non-TGP members search the internet, less active members will search TGP and will often find threads on there that are useful.
There are also some really really nice guys on there that although may not be super active are avid supporters of my business.
I keep my eye on there just to make sure nothing is going out of control, as do a lot of other builders. I post when I think the information I'm providing is useful and keep promotion down to a minimum.

I believe (and know for me anyway) the best way to sell gear is through dedicated Dealers with a shop front that partner with you, where people can try things out and the Dealer is set up to do the sales related work. The risk of return after trial is minimized to virtually zero.
Your product is in a room with other similar products and people chose based on their own tonal choices, not because some avid poster on TGP decides it's this weeks 'best amp ever'.

Bottom line is TGP is a two-tier place. On the top tier you have the posters that people (especially on this site) tend to judge the place by. On the next tier you have all the rest who are people who genuinely search for opinions and information and will be ones that will contact Dealers to try out gear and make much more informed gear buying decisions. These are the guys that become loyal customers to the Dealer and your business.

The point a number of folk on this site don't seem to understand....and I see and feel the digs myself sometimes; is that having a successful amp business is way way beyond being able to build a decent amp. It requires a lot of dedication, time, planning, lost sleep and risk, like any business. My hat goes off to all the guys that do this full time, many are good friends of mine and some of us even try to provide useful information to this site too when time allows.

Alan.
Carol-Ann.

[M Fowler]

Alan,

It was good to hear your comments and hopefully you and other builders will make it through these economic times. Just maybe for once I can hit an amp show to test your amps out. I haven't seen any in my area but I don't get to St. paul or Minneapolis MN very often to look there.

Mark

[CaseyJones]

Screw Premier Guitar.

I subscribe to the Edward R. Murrow school of journalism. Content I can sink my teeth into. Articles written by people who know less about the topic than I do are a waste of my time. With various online search engines available research is just plain easy. Do yer damn homework, people.

['67_Plexi]

Screw Premier Guitar.

I subscribe to the Edward R. Murrow school of journalism. Content I can sink my teeth into. Articles written by people who know less about the topic than I do are a waste of my time. With various online search engines available research is just plain easy. Do yer damn homework, people.

Interesting......Is it not arrogant to think you can't learn from people who in the broad sense you may think know less than you. Even if they actually do know less, you may still learn something.

Just a thought.....

[Tubetwang]

I enjoy Premier guitar. Especially like their videos on amp builders. Entertaining stuff...

I'm a sucker for books, dvd and litterature on amps and music.

I never go to amp shows or boutique shops.

Kind of a loner but need folks just the same for a good time...

Joe Coffey has a good personnality!

Personality goes a long way!! (Tarantino)

Tonequest is a fun read.

Vintage guitar is also interesting.

Went through the Dumble book, ok read. The big Vox book was great!

I can see why some amp repairs/commercial builders can be grumpy at times. It's the pit...Not an easy job for shure...But, if that is what you like...you got to do what you've got to do...

[CaseyJones]

Screw Premier Guitar.

I subscribe to the Edward R. Murrow school of journalism. Content I can sink my teeth into. Articles written by people who know less about the topic than I do are a waste of my time. With various online search engines available research is just plain easy. Do yer damn homework, people.

Interesting......Is it not arrogant to think you can't learn from people who in the broad sense you may think know less than you. Even if they actually do know less, you may still learn something.

Just a thought.....

It might be arrogant if I didn'ty see journalism go down the toilet in my lifetime.

Broadcast journalism... has to fit into miniature soundbites.

Print journalism... wade through pages of sheer bullshit to get to the "information" which may or may not be correct and vetted.

Spotties walkin' down th' street wif their faces in their cellies don't care. They can't even make eye contact. "Time to check my text messages"....

Bandwidth wasted on pure noise.

[gearhead]

There are a number of small companies that wouldn't/couldn't exist as a viable concern without TGP.

This is an interesting and very often misunderstood point.
Disclaimer: This post isn't a direct response to gearheads statement above, it just got me thinking about this site, mentalities etc etc...

A FULL TIME amp building business could not survive from trolling TGP for sales alone. Period. Working for minimum wage in McDonalds would be more fulfilling and profitable.

A part-time business or home builder maybe could survive from hype sales on there. I see some folks are.......then they get too cocky and it all goes tits up.

Agreed, should have clarified. By small, I mostly meant part-time. Unless you manage to maintain status as flavah of the month, you can't survive by TGP only as a full time concern. But, especially in the pedal world, there are some who get a very significant boost (at least at the beginning) from TGP famehood.