5 Ugly Truths about Guitar Magazines

If you have been playing guitar for a long time (we're talking 10-15+ years), the you know what it was like to read guitar magazines. They were to way to find more information about the thing you love to do. They had everything. There were articles about your favorite guitarist, gear reviews, tabbed out songs, and girls holding guitars... I mean, it was all you could ever ask for, right?

They're Out Dated


Of course they are. In the internet age, nearly all print media is looking like a dinosaur. people are writing and publishing their thoughts on the hourly basis. The best way to get the latest information about you preferred artist is to follow them on social media.


They're Not Exactly Ethical


I don't mean to slight the competition here, but let's face it. If your lights are kept on by the people you are reviewing, then do you think there is a bias? I know that if would be difficult for me to be completely ethical if I had to manage a relationship with the people I am actively criticizing. So called reviews in these magazines read like reheated press releases. Good thing you are more savvy than to believe those wood-pulp-pushers and you read blogs!


They're Old Fashioned


So, remember those girl and guitar that I mentioned way back in the introduction to this post? Well, turns out that they are falling out of fashion. They were once was a strong presence in guitar periodicals, but recently guitar-babes have been view as a 'tacky addition' rather than 'attractive feature'. Even NAMM, once the home of many a booth-babe, has done away with the distraction. This is probably due the fact that woman are becoming more of a part of what has been traditional a male dominated hobby. It probably doesn't come as no surprise, but woman don't enjoy the objectification of other woman... go figure.


Tabs Aren't That Hard To Come By

One of the main attractions of these magazines are the transcript songs in the back of them. Unless you had a very guitar ear and a lot of patience, these magazines were a god-sent. Now-a-days we have website on top of website trying to shove their tabs down your throat. Not only that, but you have a dozen different versions to choose from. Honestly, the internet has not been nice to print media, but that's the way the world works.


There Will Be Boxes


... of magazines.  Anyone with a subscription to a magazine will tell you that sooner or later you will have a pile of paper that needs to be tamed. Typically this requires a large box of holding. Once that box is full (because it will be full) you'll put it in you closet... until you move it out to make room for you next box of magazines. Then, you'll put the boxes in you garage, or attic, or somewhere until that is overflowing with glossy pages on top of glossy pages. This will continue until the ghosts of all the murdered tree come and take you away to answer for  your crimes against tree-kind.


Conclusion


Keep reading my blog. Duh...

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