Guitar magazines.....

[WEDGE]

I am curious what guitar magazines you all read, and if you subscribe or not. And also do you read and toss, or read and save them?

I am a magazine-a-holic I fear. I have every guitar magazine probable available for the last twenty plus years sorted and stacked in my basement.....my wife has an issue with it but I tell her it is my 'library' and they stay.

i do go back and re read them and get a kick out of the old ads and reviews. I used to hoard old catalogs also but cured myself of that it still go back and dream of the new guitars that could be had for what would be considered a steal now.

so what is your reading style, and do you still read as much/many now with the Internet age here?

 

[WEDGE]

I meant to also mention an oddity.......since I subscribe to most now I miss the thrill of seeing a new issue on the stand at Barnes and Nobles......the rush is not the same when it is in the mailbox.....anyone else get this?

 

[CoreyT]

Guitar Player
Guitar World
Premiere Guitar

I like the first and third ones the best, with Premiere being the best.
I have subs to all of them now, much cheaper than buying them in the store.

I also save mine too.

 

[DRM_777]

Started reading Total Guitar back in what, 94 I think it started being published. I've went through peaks and troughs of how often I buy it over the years since I used to buy it primarily as a learning tool and for the full classic songs with Backing tracks on the CD . A lot of stuff started being repeated though and at that point I started buying "Guitarist" as it had better features on gear.

I've got a cupboard full of over 200 Total Guitar Mags including CD's since 94 including the very first issue. The irony is, I went into said cupboard just the other day to look for a particular issue that had a full song notated with full backing track........and it was missing! Haha.

Thing is, I rarely buy a magazine these days unless I am travelling as I can find most information online!

 

[11top]

Vintage Guitar
Premier Guitar

I still take Guitar Player and Guitar World, but often never even crack the covers anymore. I'll likely drop those two.

 

[veinbuster]

I stopped buying them when my eyes stopped being able to read the transcribed music inside from a distance where I could still hold and play a guitar.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I subscribe to Guitarist magazine (Took the offer of 50% off the cover price for a year). Though i've bought it every month for years and years. Quality mag.

Most issues of Guitar Techniques. I keep the for a year or two and then scan in the bits I want and flog it on Ebay.

Used to get Total Guitar... Still have some really old copies. It's gone down hill and seems aimed at teens. Embarrasing to read when you know it's middle aged journos trying to talk like a teen!

Occasionally pick up a US mag but they're tough to get hold of.

 

[Blackbird]

Wedge, I bet we have comparable collections. I have at least 20 years worth of magazines, mostly Guitar World and Guitar One. It's really cool to look at some of the really old ones now, because I can remember how I felt when I would see the ads and dream of nice gear like a PRS. It feels nice to validate a dream that came true.

Also it's a great way to measure how far you've come with your playing. Licks and lessons that used to be difficult back then can be easier or more applicable to your skill level now. Aside from the nostalgia, there's so much knowledge and great info in those things, I could never think of getting rid of them.

Still get subscription to Guitar World. I miss when they used to do rig breakdowns for various players. On the last page they would always diagram their signal chain in a cartoonish style with captions, very cool.

 

[solacematt]

I really miss Guitar One magazine, as well as Guitar Edge. I was really disappointed when those two went away. Though I never bought Guitar World for the tabs, I really hated when they stopped tabbing the whole songs and started putting the chord boxes there instead. Just seemed like a real chep way to save a page or three.

 

[crgtr]

I subscribe to Gtr World, Gtr Player, Vintage Gtr, Tone Quest (the best!!!) Premier Gtr and something dirty..........

 

[clcwarlock]

I meant to also mention an oddity.......since I subscribe to most now I miss the thrill of seeing a new issue on the stand at Barnes and Nobles......the rush is not the same when it is in the mailbox.....anyone else get this?

I totally agree with this Paul. I usually subscribe to guitar world but I have been dabbling with guitarist and others on the iPad. The magazine from England that $15 I can get for $5.

 

[Goldtop]

I've mentioned before that I read constantly. And when it comes to books and magazines, I keep almost everything I buy. I got divorced in 2007, and in the process I lost thousands of magazines (mostly Drag Racing and Formula-1 related), but I managed to hang onto all of my music things. I've subscribed to a lot of them over the years, but today I'm down to just Vintage Guitar, Premier Guitar, Texas Music, and Rolling Stone. The one out of print that I miss most is Guitar Shop. (I still remember their cover when they compared the newest PRS - The McCarty - to The Les Paul).

I Read:

Vintage Guitar
Premier Guitar
Guitar Aficionado
Fretboard Journal
Guitarist (UK)
Guitar & Bass (UK)
Guitar Player (occasionally)
Guitar World (occasionally)
Texas Music
---
Classic Rock
Rolling Stone
Mojo (occasionally)

I can't afford to BUY every issue of these, but I live close to a bookstore and I spend hours in there each month reading/browsing/mooching. I end up buying enough throughout the year that they don't mind me being a fixture.

And several times I've thought about joining the Signature Club, if for no other reason than to get the magazine, but I haven't done it yet. I wish I had all the issues of that.

Goldtop

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I have a buddy that sells old guitar mags on Ebay, and he gives me the ones that have rips or are torn a little. It's good fun and great to be able to throw them away without any remorse to keep my Feng Shui in check. Oh, except for Guitar World, not a fan.

 

[Herr Squid]

I've subscribed to Guitar Player for about 25 years and probably have all the issues since then boxed up in my closet.

I read the UK Guitarist magazine on my iThings now and then -- it's way cheaper and more reliable than trying to find it on shelves in the US.

 

[vchizzle]

I read Premier Guitar online but that's about it. I've considered subscriptions but there isn't one mag I like enough to spend the money. I'll browse once in awhile, if there's a mag that has a lot I wanna read, I'll buy it. I've gotten sick of piles of mags and recycle most. Kept a few here & there.

i loved Guitar Shop!

 

[prsrocker1988]

Premier Guitar
Vintage Guitar

I buy Guitar World only if they are featuring someone I like (like last month when they had Joe Perry, one of my idols).

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I've mentioned before that I read constantly. And when it comes to books and magazines, I keep almost everything I buy. I got divorced in 2007, and in the process I lost thousands of magazines (mostly Drag Racing and Formula-1 related), but I managed to hang onto all of my music things. I've subscribed to a lot of them over the years, but today I'm down to just Vintage Guitar, Premier Guitar, Texas Music, and Rolling Stone. The one out of print that I miss most is Guitar Shop. (I still remember their cover when they compared the newest PRS - The McCarty - to The Les Paul).

I Read:

Vintage Guitar
Premier Guitar
Guitar Aficionado
Fretboard Journal
Guitarist (UK)
Guitar & Bass (UK)
Guitar Player (occasionally)
Guitar World (occasionally)
Texas Music
---
Classic Rock
Rolling Stone
Mojo (occasionally)

I can't afford to BUY every issue of these, but I live close to a bookstore and I spend hours in there each month reading/browsing/mooching. I end up buying enough throughout the year that they don't mind me being a fixture.

And several times I've thought about joining the Signature Club, if for no other reason than to get the magazine, but I haven't done it yet. I wish I had all the issues of that.

Goldtop

Ah, yeah.. I get Guitar & Bass every once in a while.

Borders used to stock a load of cool US mags (Not just guitar) but they've shut down. Classic Rock's a pretty good mag. Occasionally these mags do some 'specials' such as a blues special or 'rock' with a load of cool old tracks tabbed with BT's.

 

[bluefade]

I've been getting guitar player,since 1980.I also get vintage guitar and premier guitar as well. When i'm done with them,i give them to my coworkers,who enjoy them as well.This helps to plant the seeds to want to play guitar,as a few of the guys have bought guitars and started playing.

 

[László]

I subscribe to Tape Op and Electronic Musician, because I'm a studio person. I like to head over to Barnes and Noble to browse the guitar mags, and I'll buy issues that have articles or reviews I'm interested in. I like Guitarist, Vintage Guitar, and sometimes GP.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I subscribe to Tape Op

I love that rag, somebody should interview you for Tapeop!