R.I.P. Guitar Player Magazine

[Blackwood]

In news that will be shocking to no one, another magazine bites the dust, but it always hurts a bit when it’s a music magazine.

Guitar Player came out in 1967. I didn’t start reading it until the 80s.

They included flexi-discs from time to time which was always cool.

The magazine held an interesting spot between Guitar World and Guitar for the Practicing Musician, at least in the era when I started reading it. GP was a little more broad where you might find folk, jazz, blues and rock guitarists all covered in the same issue.

Final issue features Jimmy Page on the cover.

 

[jaap74]

How much guitar does Jimmy actually play now I wonder?

 

[Quad Linda]

On their recommendation, I bought an LP of a (then unknown) band called Steppenwolf. A few months later, WLS started playing Born to be Wild.

In 1976, I found a new release on Guitar Player records by Michael Bloomfield. If You Love These Blues, Play em as You Please features Bloomfield playing and explaining a wide variety of blues styles. Later rereleased on CD by Kicking Mule records.

I'll miss Guitar Player, just as I miss Tower Records and Korvettes.

https://www.discogs.com/release/306...If-You-Love-These-Blues-Play-Em-As-You-Please

 

[GOS]

On a very related note, I received my LAST paper copy of Sound & Vision just yesterday. The front of it says, it's the last as they are moving to fully digital.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I still have dozens of their mags. from the 70's, 80's and 90's stashed in a box; learned a ton of stuff from finding new & exciting artists; to their lesson sections. Stopped subscribing as the genres moved away from my preferred focus. Kinda wish I'd never stopped though.

I know I've kept those flexi-discs also, but man those things were definitely "flexi" and prone to scratching easily.

So no digital for GP, or is that staying with us at least?

https://www.guitarplayer.com/

 

[MikeMonaco]

I too have stacks of old GP mags. I still go through them from time to time, it’s especially fun to look at the old ads for gear and music lessons. I hope they continue online.

Like mentioned in a prior post, I also got the news on Sound & Vision stopping their print edition. This one hurts, as I read these front to back.

 

[Blackwood]

I still have dozens of their mags. from the 70's, 80's and 90's stashed in a box; learned a ton of stuff from finding new & exciting artists; to their lesson sections. Stopped subscribing as the genres moved away from my preferred focus. Kinda wish I'd never stopped though.

I know I've kept those flexi-discs also, but man those things were definitely "flexi" and prone to scratching easily.

So no digital for GP, or is that staying with us at least?

https://www.guitarplayer.com/

Having just bought a turntable this week after not having one for four decades, I wish I had kept the flexi-discs I had. (sigh)

Doesn’t appear we’ll get a digital version of the mag, just content through the website.

While not in the music realm, Total Film got its death orders in the past few days, too. It’s another Future-owned mag just like GP. A lot of consolidation and mag closures going on there. One might say the future does not look good if you’re working for some of their mags.

 

[GOS]

Interesting to hear that some of you have kept all you copies over the years. Many years ago, I had kept ALL of my subscribed music/audio gear mags. I mean, I had boxes and boxes.

At some point, I threw them all away. I truly have major regret about that now. So, what did I have?

Rolling Stone
Many metal mags (honestly can't remember what the names were) but man oh man. So many great stories and photos that don't seem to exist any more.

 

[ar surround]

On a very related note, I received my LAST paper copy of Sound & Vision just yesterday. The front of it says, it's the last as they are moving to fully digital.

One day, fully digital will go the way of print. We will get information totally by osmosis.

 

[Shermatz]

On a very related note, I received my LAST paper copy of Sound & Vision just yesterday. The front of it says, it's the last as they are moving to fully digital.

On a very related note, I received my LAST paper copy of Sound & Vision just yesterday. The front of it says, it's the last as they are moving to fully digital.

 

[knifeman]

On a very related note, I received my LAST paper copy of Sound & Vision just yesterday. The front of it says, it's the last as they are moving to fully digital.

And I. I've been a subscriber since it was Stereo Review and was a much better mag. Excellent record reviews back then. Now they only review movies but Mike Mettler writes some good surround sound and reissue stuff. Still going to miss the physical magazine. I guess I'm old school.

 

[Shermatz]

YES I too am a decades-long S&V and Stereophile subscriber now demoted to digital-only status for Stereophile only. NO I don't like it at all, but I suspect the costs of continuing & printing/mailing just became unprofitable. That & I suspect that many readers & writers/staff are graybeards like me (now 67) who are not bringing new & younger readers/writers along behind us.

I was only a casual reader early on, but was always at once dazzled & aghast at the cost & opulence of the high-end boutique/specialty high end AV market. I shouldn't be astonished to see that there's NO limit on what you can spend on high-end AV gear. I sure can't swim in that end of the pool, but I still like "window shopping", and over time I really came to appreciate the EXCELLENT writers both S&V and Stereophile provided a forum for. I hope many get to continue as online presences for those of us who value their insights & personal tics that we've come to know them by over time. (In Memoriam, Art Dudley...)

I've no choice but to accept the new "online only" status of Stereophile, and cross my fingers that they can restabilize & forge a future in this ghostly digital afterlife. It's a rude shock for me personally, though, and no doubt MANY longtime staffers & writers are now out in the cold. Let me offer a heartfelt virtual SALUTE & THANKS for their decades of audiophile "scrivening," along with my REGRETS that it has come to this.

I'm sure I'm not the only QQ member who got "hooked up" via Stereophile, so I suspect this rocks a lot of boats other than mine. Finally, I must admit that I just plain HAD to recycle all my back issues, as many of us have come to learn. Decades of magazine subscriptions can turn you into a hoarder, and I had to bow to that reality & recycle the mags. As a practical matter, though, how realistic is it that any reader is REALLY gonna dig through those teetering piles in search of an ad or article we've got a vague recollection of years later?

 

[barfle]

On a very related note, I received my LAST paper copy of Sound & Vision just yesterday. The front of it says, it's the last as they are moving to fully digital.

My copy says they are closing the digital, too.

Supposedly they feel that getting a subscription transfer to “Stereophile” digital will appease me. They are wrong.

 

[barfle]

Having just bought a turntable this week after not having one for four decades, I wish I had kept the flexi-discs I had. (sigh)

Well, you need to let us know more about that in the “latest gear in your stack” thread!

 

[Blackwood]

Well, you need to let us know more about that in the “latest gear in your stack” thread!

It’s not very exciting, but I’ll swing by and tell the story.

 

[audiomaster]

One day, fully digital will go the way of print. We will get information totally by osmosis.

Osmosis will be a spin-off from Amazon and will cost you dearly! Unless you bundle with Prime!

 

[The56Kid]

Dammit, I love Guitar Player magazine and have since the 70s. Been receiving the digital copy via Pocket Mags for years now. I also digitally subscribe to Guitar World, Total Guitar, Guitar Techniques, and Guitarist, but Guitar Player was still my fav. Fuck!!!

 

[Blackwood]

Dammit, I love Guitar Player magazine and have since the 70s. Been receiving the digital copy via Pocket Mags for years now. I also digitally subscribe to Guitar World, Total Guitar, Guitar Techniques, and Guitarist, but Guitar Player was still my fav. Fuck!!!

I use Readly, but same digital idea.

I think most of those mags, if not all, are owned by Future now. I wonder how many will survive over the next year.