Bradley Rant

[Matt77]

I don't like to slag people on the net but.....
I need to rant. Just been reading the new Guitarist mag and I thought, hang on what's this? a CD-rom? wow it's got a video review of the new Hughes and Kettner Puretone. I wonder what that sounds like, what's the headroom like, what's it like when it's cranked, I wonder how a single note sustains at high gain, how articulate is it with legato or alternate picking runs,  I wonder how effective the EQ is and how much gain it has on tap?

Well I've watched it and I have no feckin idea because all I get is a couple of chords demonstrating the 'just ticking over  tone' and the 'volume on 6' on a Strat and LP.

Useless, useless wasted opportunity of a  demo. No, no, no, no, why......

[Spitfire]

i think with the internet, our expectations of a demo/review are a lot higher.  I never bother with mag reviews.. cos who knows we may hear about the mesa mk5 in a mag by summer... if we are lucky.

[Twinfan]

Simon Bradley reviews on the CD are worthless in my opinion.  He has such a 'distinctive' way he sets the gear up that it all sounds like a £5 distortion pedal  :roll:

[Philly Q]

Hey, that's his "signature tone"!  

[38thBeatle]

Maybe someone should release a Bradleytone pedal/rig-he can bugger off and play that and the rest of the world can get decent tones. I hate to be negative but you guys are right, he makes everything sound the same.

[Ian Price]

I agree with all of the above. Maybe we should petition Guitarist to do better CD rom reviews. I don't want to hear a bunch of chords - I want to hear stuff that is interesting!

[Matt77]

Maybe someone should release a Bradleytone pedal/rig-he can bugger off and play that and the rest of the world can get decent tones. I hate to be negative but you guys are right, he makes everything sound the same.

Or a Bradley Isolation Box. That would work a treat.
I'm sure he's a decent player, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that gets irked by his reviews

[Johnny Mac]

His reviews have come up for discussion in our forum before, for the same reasons! Your right they are not worth bothering with. He is a shite guitarist with no idea of what he is doing imo.  Perhaps its his dad magazine and he can play and do what he likes!

You get this in magazines on other subjects too. Like Some of the bike magazines, some of the reviewers can't ride too well. They are all privileged jobs really and they're lucky to have them. How they get them I don't know but its obviously not always on the ability to do well at what subjects they cover, it's who they know.

[Ian Price]

its obviously not always on the ability to do well at what subjects they cover, it's who they know.

Agree with that Johnny. Mick Taylor is a much, much better player than Bradley but seldom gets seen on the CD rom. The other writers/reviewers at Guitarist (not freelance) are probably much better players as well.

[Twinfan]

Bradley is CD editor I think.  For some inexplicable reason.

[Philly Q]

Not defending Bradders, but....

.....I have to say, I'm not a great believer in video/audio demos anyway.  There are so many variables, from the recording equipment, to all the other gear the item being demo'd is connected to, to the player himself.  All a demo's really good for is to show the features and the range of sounds something can do.

You never really get a feel for how it actually sounds until you try it yourself.  IMO, of course.

[Simon D]

They are all privileged jobs really and they're lucky to have them. How they get them I don't know but its obviously not always on the ability to do well at what subjects they cover, it's who they know.

To be fair, some of the guys on the mags are very good at what they do - Dave Burrluck and Neville Martin spring to mind. Bradley isn't a bad writer, but like people have said, his demo work lacks variety and giving the gear the chance to shine.

As for the jobs being privileged, I agree they get their paws on some very nice gear and other perks, but the downside is the pay is rubbish. I'm a journalist myself, and know several people who have worked for Future Publishing, and I'm told that the purse strings at that place pretty much have a padlock on them!

[Johnny Mac]

They are all privileged jobs really and they're lucky to have them. How they get them I don't know but its obviously not always on the ability to do well at what subjects they cover, it's who they know.

To be fair, some of the guys on the mags are very good at what they do - Dave Burrluck and Neville Martin spring to mind. Bradley isn't a bad writer, but like people have said, his demo work lacks variety and giving the gear the chance to shine.

As for the jobs being privileged, I agree they get their paws on some very nice gear and other perks, but the downside is the pay is rubbish. I'm a journalist myself, and know several people who have worked for Future Publishing, and I'm told that the purse strings at that place pretty much have a padlock on them!

I know Guitarist have some fantastic players on board. I think what were are all saying is lets have them doing some demos.
I realise mags pay terrible wages nowadays. The publishers exploit the love people have for the subjects they cover.

[Sifu Ben]

For review demos I much prefer the Guitar World ones, although I don't really like the mag  :roll:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez5QSNW4Iyg&feature=related

[Philly Q]

For review demos I much prefer the Guitar World ones, although I don't really like the mag  :roll:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez5QSNW4Iyg&feature=related

Yeah, Paul Riario does actually vary what he plays to suit the gear being tested.