What's the best guitar magazine these days?

[jdlee23]

I was kind of curious if you guys liked any better than others? I haven't bought one in about a decade.

[groselicain]

Guitar Player's the best for real gear news and theory.

Guitar World is like the MTV of guitar.

Guitar One is a happy medium between the two.

I personally buy Guitar Player from newstands, and someone bought me a subscription to Guitar World two years ago, so really I guess I read both. I just prefer GUitar Player of the two, especially when you add up how many time Wilco or Nels Cline has been featured in any of them. That's just my two cents....

 

 

How do you like the new Thom Yorke album?

[a.miller]

How's Guitar World Acoustic? I also wouldn't mind any suggestions on other music magazine with reviews and what not. Is Spin good? I don't want anything too MTV-ish, rather something that covers stuff that is not entirely mainstream.

[jdlee23]

I had a hunch Guitar Player was the best. I don't think I would go anywhere near a Guitar World.

 

As far as regular music mags go, I like Magnet, Fader, or Filter. Spin used to be alright, but I haven't read it in a long time. It seems they are going the way of Rolling Stone, the MTV-way. I mean Spin has Beyonce on the cover this month.

 

What I have heard of the Thom Yorke solo album, I love. Can't wait to hear the rest on Tuesday.

[memphisto]

How's Guitar World Acoustic? I also wouldn't mind any suggestions on other music magazine with reviews and what not. Is Spin good? I don't want anything too MTV-ish, rather something that covers stuff that is not entirely mainstream.

 

Firstly. First post here gang. Hi!

 

I read and buy guitar world acoustic fairly regularly. They often have interesting cover articles. A great lesson/interview with James Taylor a few years back and a recent great interview with Bob Dylan immediatly come to mind. Thats all I really know. Can't comment on any others.

[a.miller]

Thanks for the input. I'm working my way (from the BOTTOM) into the music writing industry and wanted to get an idea as to what direction publications were going these days. I will check out Magnet, Fader and Filter. Beyonce, hmmm...speaks for itself.

[jdlee23]

Thanks for the input. I'm working my way (from the BOTTOM) into the music writing industry and wanted to get an idea as to what direction publications were going these days. I will check out Magnet, Fader and Filter. Beyonce, hmmm...speaks for itself.

 

Two other mags I really love from the UK are the Wire (very avant-garde, very special writing), and Mojo. The Wire printed three of my favorite articles ever (Radiohead in '00, Bjork in '00, Wilco two years ago). Mojo printed the most thorough examination of Radiohead and Thom Yorke's creative process, and its links to his depression, that I have ever seen. My favorite article ever.

 

I have a journalism degree, and would also love to do more music writing, but right now, all my time goes to audio engineering work. Do you mind me asking how you are going about getting started? Have you established a blog yet? I talked to the editor of Wired a while back, and that was his first suggestion, but I just have been a bit lazy about the whole thing.

Edited July 8, 2006 by jdlee23

[Gobias Industries]

Guitar Player, hands down. At least because of the best feature article they've had, which was Nels, actually. It's unpretentious in their cover selection, as they pick good guitarists on the cover, not just some shitty punk/emo act that's in (e.g. falloutboy? wtf). the lessons are also very helpful, as they cultivate basic skills rather than teaching you how to play said falloutboy, which is rather not useful for becoming a better guitar player.

[velvet touch]

guitar player for all the reasons already said.

[FaintingGoat]

I have to agree with most of what's been posted here. But I suppose I'd have to qualify it by asking, "what are you looking for in a guitar magazine?" Guitar Player is superior for new product reviews and some brilliant lessons. Guitar World has its moments too, so that's why I'd recommend buying that one off the shelf when it contains topics that interest you rather than subscribing.

 

If you're really interested in guitars, I'd suggest "Vintage Guitar." Don't let the name fool you, it's not just for people who want to read about a '59 Les Paul Standard that was recently found under someone's bed or to see pictures on page after page of someone's Mary Kaye Strat. There are very thoughtful articles about everything from boutique guitars and effects to tech tips for guitars and amps.

 

My favorite general music magazine is Harp. I think it started out as a magazine for harmonica players, but now it's loaded with interviews and reviews of indie artists.

[a.miller]

I have a journalism degree, and would also love to do more music writing, but right now, all my time goes to audio engineering work. Do you mind me asking how you are going about getting started?

I also have a journalism degree and made good contacts with a lot of my professors in school, which has helped. The best advice that I have been given is to write reviews of everything you listen to, as well as reading a lot of publications that are on the topics/areas you are interested in. I just got done with a long stint at a college newspaper and am beginning to write reviews that I can submit as a portfolio. So, I'm not too far along with the process. I don't know if that helps. It has also been my experience that people (obviously) love free work. There are also opportunities if you have a large city newspaper to see if they have a "local" section for counties in that city where you can write articles and have them published. Those sections are pretty happy to get anything interesting from the local areas and usually pay extra if you submit photos with your articles. So if you wanted to do more music writing, you could find a good story that is going on with a local band or musical act and cover that story along with a review of a live show or something. Also, like you said, starting a blog is probably a good idea.

[groselicain]

As far as regular music magazines, anything American in this day and age pretty much is a waste of your time. Rolling Stone covers what's popular, not what matters. Aside from Fricke, the guy from IATTBYH, I assume the staff are just a bunch of 20-something idiots who attend Justin Timberlake's weekend parties on Mulholland Drive. Spin's went down the tube big-time, especially as of late. The Beyonce cover is an excellent example. I'm pretty sure Filter is probably your best bet. I mean, wasn't Howie Klein wearing a Filter shirt in IATTBYH? I've personally never had the chance to read Magnet or Fader, so they may be more worth your read.

 

If I could get my hands on Mojo, I'd do it, though. Like JDLee said, it really focuses on the right stuff. They seem to be the only music mag that Thom Yorke trusts enough these days to give a decent interview... Of course, that may be because they never chose to put him on their cover with a caption of "Rock's Next Suicide?" like a certain American magazine, but let's not split hairs. The Wire also seems worth the read.

 

I completely forgot about Acoustic Guitar World. It seems alright to read. It's definitely not Guitar Player, but it's definitely not Guitar World. They normally feature artists that matter a little more, and the lessons are more worthwhile. Like any _____World magazine, you can bet that there'll be more focus on popular songs than theory or technique, but it's not like learning "Ohio is for Lovers," or whatever the big thing is now.

[a.miller]

If I could get my hands on Mojo, I'd do it, though.

You can, for the right price. Amazon.com has a subscription that is $9.76 a piece and at 12 issues per year, that's $110 something. A little too much for my budget.

[memphisto]

My favorite general music magazine is Harp. I think it started out as a magazine for harmonica players, but now it's loaded with interviews and reviews of indie artists.

 

I was just going to mention this too. I picked up Harp on a whim at the local quickie mart. (The issue with Ryan Adams on the cover) great mag. They don't seem to carry it anymore.

[a.miller]

I picked up Harp on a whim at the local quickie mart.

I took your advice and purchased a year subscription. $20 and a free CD, what the heck. 6 - 8 weeks to start though...

[memphisto]

I took your advice and purchased a year subscription. $20 and a free CD, what the heck. 6 - 8 weeks to start though...

 

Cool. You won't be dissapointed.

[Kalle]

Under The Radar is great as is Uncut and Mojo.

[wattsup32]

i subscribed to harp on feb 17 of this year. they told me during one of the now 6 phone conversations that i've had with them that my subscription wasn't even processed until april 21. it is now july 13th and still not a single issue. 6 phone calls without any results and three unanswered emails. i did get the free cd, though.

 

this blows because harp is my favorite music mag. it's contents are second only to paste, but paste only comes out during eclipses. so, i like harp more because i can get it more often. well, if they would send me one i could.

[a.miller]

i subscribed to harp on feb 17 of this year. they told me during one of the now 6 phone conversations that i've had with them that my subscription wasn't even processed until april 21. it is now july 13th and still not a single issue. 6 phone calls without any results and three unanswered emails. i did get the free cd, though.

 

this blows because harp is my favorite music mag. it's contents are second only to paste, but paste only comes out during eclipses. so, i like harp more because i can get it more often. well, if they would send me one i could.

I hope my subscription does not see the same fate.

[jff]

Guiter Player is the best guitar magazine I have found. Considering their cover price is close to $7 a subscription is the way to go. I think you can get a subscription for under $20.

[jdlee23]

Guiter Player is the best guitar magazine I have found. Considering their cover price is close to $7 a subscription is the way to go. I think you can get a subscription for under $20.

 

Got a subscrip a few days back.

[jff]

Got a subscrip a few days back.

 

Their customer service is excellent (or was a few years ago when I needed them to help me out). I called because I missed an issue, which might not even have been their fault, and they tacked on four free months. And that's on top of the fact that I got a 3 year sub from a special olympics fundraiser for $20, which probably made the magazine LOSE money.

 

Contrast that with the hassles and accusations you get if you ever call Modern Drummer for help with your subscription...pathetic.

[Theobscureart]

The HANDS-DOWN-TOP-OF-THE-LIST-CRAP-YOUR-PANTS-BEST guitar magazine in the world is VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE. Get it. Subscribe to it. Love it. Get pissed off if it doesn't come in the mail one day, then become elated when it arrives the next. Absolutely top-notch.

Guitar player is excellent as well. Also check out Performing Musician and EQ (if your into recording/engineering.) I think those three are all from the same publisher.

 

VG is the most important and informative guitar magazine of the past 30 years. Deal with it. Pick one up and you'll see why. There's not a Digitech ad on every other page like in GP... (Don't get me wrong, I DO like Guitar Player.) Vintage Guitar gives lots of space to weird little guys in weird little rooms who make great guitars as well as weird little boxes to make those guitars sound weird. They have columnests like George Gruhn Dan Earlewine, Wolf Marshall and Gerald Webber. (if you don't know who at least 3 of these men are, you DEFINATELY need to start reading this magazine.) They celebrate the guitar and those who've made it great - the players, the builders, the entrepreneurs, the guy at the factory. VG doesn't talk down to readers - I guess like I'm kinda doing right now, however unintentionally. It tells you everything you need to know about everything you need to know about the guitar each and every month. Well written features, ridiculously informative columns - the whole shebang. Go to their website and check it out www.vintageguitar.com, and then run - DON'T WALK, RUN - to your local music store, even if you have to poo, use your hand as a giant ass-staple and clench, and beg them to carry Vintage Guitar Magazine. Your guitar buddies will be amazed by what you learn in just one issue. Your girlfriend will think you've gone crazy that you think you can re-cap and bias your tube amp by yourself, and your analyst will charge double when you tell them the real story about the whole Ibanez/Gibson lawsuit thing.

Just my 86 cents. Oh, and if you gotta poo, poo.

Edited July 18, 2006 by Theobscureart

[jff]

It tells you everything you need to know about everything you need to know about the guitar each and every month.

 

Cool, so all anyone needs is one issue?

 

Does VG have lessons? I've flipped through it several times, but have only noticed their interviews and building/collecting types of articles. Cool magazine, but they should make it smaller. A stack of those would take up the same amount of room as a lazy-boy.

[danelectro]

I like all of them. I head out to Borders to grab as many as I can once a month.

 

Usually I buy. Guitar World, every variety. Guitar One, DVD, Acoustic, Legends etc. I'm not big on Guitar Player because the don't have regular monthly sheet music. The others, the Brit mags etc. I only buy these if it has a feature I'm interested in.