Guitarist readers: Do you think that the audio demos lack?

[hunter]

I really don't like speaking bad about other people's skills, but as much as I love the Guitarist magazine because of its editorial style and quality, I think the gear demos done by Simon Bradley are not up to the standard of the rest, I mean is it just me or would you agree that he rarely gets any good sound out of anything even the most expensive gear?

Also again on the current issue, the VOS '59 Les Paul I'm sure is an awesome guitar, but with the sound he chose and his playing and recording, it sounds just aweful and cheap. And then the sound is so fizzy that there is hardly any difference between the VOS and the Epiphone LP Ultra.

[Twinfan]

I completely agree with you Hunter.  I've thought this for a while now, as a subscriber I check all the the gear demos every month.  If it's gear I'm interested in, and Simon Bradley is testing it, I always groan as I know it will sound "bad".

I know tone is completely subjective, but I just don't find his sound "nice" to my ears.  Unfortunately, everything he tests ends up sounding like him.  And every other demo he's ever done  :(

I find it hard to believe him when he says it sounds awseome, then you listen to the CD....

[Philly Q]

Another Guitarist reader here (in fact in my supreme geekishness I have every single issue  :oops: ).

However, I tend not to watch/listen to the gear demos very often.  I find it impossible to judge what anything "really" sounds like until I try it myself - unless it's some kind of A/B comparison.  I think yeah that sounds good, or that sounds a bit cr@p - that's all I get out of the demos really.

So from that point of view I don't find Simon Bradley's demos any less useful than anyone else's.

[hunter]

Another Guitarist reader here (in fact in my supreme geekishness I have every single issue  :oops: ).

Really? Wow!! I love that mag and hey, I'm not even from the UK  :lol:

So what are the topics of the first issue? They have 13 issues per year, right? So now is #294 ... 22 years back... 1985? Is it correct? I would love to come and read them all up to 2005 when I started to read it  :)

[Twinfan]

I've got loads going back to 1995ish.  Geeky, but not as geekish as Phil...

;)

[Philly Q]

Started in 1984, and it was George Benson on the cover of the first issue - plus some free cheap plectrums.  I think it was only 12 issues per year to begin with, the "bonus" 13th issue came later.  

1984 makes me think of Aria guitars and Carlsbro, HH and Alligator(?) amps (did they really exist?), but I can't remember what they reviewed in the first issue.  I remember the mag was much thinner and most of the pics were black & white!    The main writers were (I think) Geoff Twigg and Tim Oakes, but Robbie Gladwell has been there pretty much from the start.

[dave_mc]

Another Guitarist reader here (in fact in my supreme geekishness I have every single issue  :oops: ).

However, I tend not to watch/listen to the gear demos very often.  I find it impossible to judge what anything "really" sounds like until I try it myself - unless it's some kind of A/B comparison.  I think yeah that sounds good, or that sounds a bit cr@p - that's all I get out of the demos really.

So from that point of view I don't find Simon Bradley's demos any less useful than anyone else's.

agreed.

[PhilKing]

I would never buy something based on a magazine review without checking it out myself.  Everyones ears are different and also no two people play the same way.  So unless you listen and try something yourself then you won't be getting what you expect a lot of the time.

Having said that, I read the reviews to get an idea of subjective merits of the equiplment but to tell you the truth, even though I subscribe to Guitarist and have years worth of them, I have never listened to one of their CD's.  I actually like Guitar & Bass magazine better, even though it has less in it.

[Philly Q]

I actually like Guitar & Bass magazine better, even though it has less in it.

I love the Private Collection feature.  You should get yours in there, Phil.  :)

[Twinfan]

Another Guitar and Bass fan here, and I actually like Guitar Buyer most at the moment.

[noodleplugerine]

I've subscribed to Guitar Techniques for about 5 years - And imo, it's the best of the lot. Ofcourse it's different in it's approach compared to Guitarist etc, but the tracks are good, and the journalists are amazing. (Shawn Baxter and Guthrie Govan anyone?).

[Muso]

Yea Guitar techniques is the best by far! I saw a gig once which had shaun baxter, guthrie govan, phil hilbourne, dave killmeister and jamie humphries duelling guitars, Shaun baxter owned them all, the man has monster technique!

[hunter]

1984 makes me think of Aria guitars and Carlsbro, HH and Alligator(?) amps (did they really exist?

Believe it or not, my first amp was a Marlboro, an awful transistor affair, which was painted black over pink (orgz), but as it is with first gear, you always love it and think your sound is kind of decent ...