Best guitar magazine(s)?

[Jelly Roll Horton]

What do you think is/are the best current guitar music magazine(s) (digital or print) for topics or coverage of playing, gear, techniques, tips, events, symposiums, history, online instruction, etc?

(I was surprised I didn’t find this topic in a search. It might be there and I just missed it.)

 

[drmilktruck]

I subscribe to multiple. I like Guitarist and The Guitar Magazine (formerly Guitar & Bass) from the UK; Vintage Guitar and Premier Guitar from the US. Fretboard Journal is good, but it’s long form articles and interviews, not reviews or tips.

 

[Hammerhands]

I haven’t read any guitar magazines in years.

Vintage Guitar Magazine is always good, I had a subscription for a while. I’m eternally amused that it is published in Bismarck, ND.

Just Jazz Guitar is gone? Pity, that was fantastic.

 

[hcsterg]

A long time ago (think 90s) I liked Guitar Player (paper edition) : it was the sole US guitar and gear related magazine available locally, and it was also interesting for impoving my English...

NO - repeat NO - french guitar magazine was of any interest for me at that time, except one called Guitar Test, but this one inexplicably collapsed quite quickly...

This still true today : absolutely nothing interesting in the French guitar magazines today for me. It's just blah-blah all over again...

The latest one that I bought was Guitar Classics "The Gretsch Bible" : you see the picture...

But it's me OK ?

A+!

 

[cielski]

"Print is dead."---Egon Spengler, Ghostbusters

I haven't bought a magazine of any ilk in decades. You'd think that the myriad ads would defray the costs somewhat. I do miss Omni and National Lampoon.

 

[Londoner]

I occasionally browse Guitarist in the supermarket, and if anything looks interesting I'll but it.
But if it's sealed in plastic, I just won't bother.
If it's sealed, it's telling me that it's sealed as there's nothing worth browsing through!

 

[RRGuitarCo]

The only modern guitar mag I like is The Fretboard Journal. Those guys are great!

 

[SAguitar]

I subscribe to Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player and have for many years. I don't know if they're the best but that's what I read.

 

[Hammerhands]

The only modern guitar mag I like is The Fretboard Journal. Those guys are great!

This looks like it would be good?

 

[Runamok]

"Print is dead."---Egon Spengler, Ghostbusters

I haven't bought a magazine of any ilk in decades. You'd think that the myriad ads would defray the costs somewhat. I do miss Omni and National Lampoon.

Oui.

And what was the name Omni either changed from, or to?

Does Acoustic Guitar Magazine still exist?

 

[mr coffee]

Guitar for the Practicing Musician was the last good rag. Great balance of interviews, gear reviews, lessons and always a song or to to learn. If they brought it back, I'd subscribe in a heartbeat.

BTW, Runamok, does your innertube have a EPIRB?

-m

 

[RRGuitarCo]

This looks like it would be good?

Well it depends on what kind of content you're after.
Like drmilktruck said, it's more of a long form read. It's not chop full of BS paid reviews of the same ol tired gear or the same Steve Vai licks.
This has long, thoughtful and insightful interviews with more genuine musicians as well as Luthiers and other types of builders. So it's less "Check out the new Fender or Les Paul!" and more "Check out this boutique builder making killer acoustics."
Like I said, just depends on what kind of content you're after.
If you're a marshall half stack, floofy hair and a super strat kinda cat, this is probably not the magazine for you.

 

[Runamok]

Guitar for the Practicing Musician was the last good rag. Great balance of interviews, gear reviews, lessons and always a song or to to learn. If they brought it back, I'd subscribe in a heartbeat.

BTW, Runamok, does your innertube have a EPIRB?

-m

Lost me there. EPIRB?
Looked it up. Good observation: clearly I don’t!!!

Duh. Explains where this comment went & why it confused me:
Continental Drift… replying to the wrong thread. Sorry about that, Chief.

 

[amp360]

I loved Guitar Player and Guitar Trader growing up. GFTPM was really good for the songs. Usually they would throw a classic rock one in with the hair metal but even when I didn't like the band I would try my best to learn it. Between GP's columns and GFTPW songs there was a ton of educational material that was of a high quality vs YouTube bloozers/easy song lessons. The absolute best IMHO was the old Musician magazine.

I still have a subscription to GP and VG even though they're mostly just ads and fake reviews. VG used to be cool now it's full of blooze and metal players, which I guess makes sense since most of the guys that played metal when I was a kid now are blooze or rockabilly players even though all that's changed is the hair has been replaced with a blooze costume and the rack with a tubescreamer.

The best one IMHO is Premier Guitar. I think they're the only ones actually concerned with being a good magazine. It's well written and I've had subscriptions but I don't currently.

I also loved Guitar Aficionado. The idea was kind of goofy with high end car, scotch and guitar reviews but it was always neat to see some old rock guy's collection along with some CEO that I never heard of. Plus at least the fake reviews were of stuff I had never heard of.

I will be very sad the day there are no more guitar mags or when I have to read them on my tablet, which doesn't seem easy or fun to do.

I made a YouTube video going through a random old GP once to show how much more information was in there back in the day. If I can find it I'll post it here.

 

[cielski]

Oui.

And what was the name Omni either changed from, or to?

Does Acoustic Guitar Magazine still exist?

No idea.

 

[swivel]

I like Vintage Guitar.

 

[Ted Keane]

Guitar Mag it's from west sussex,but I get it here in the states,Vintage Guitar and Premier Guitar are great.Fretboard Journal is boring,Acoustic Guitar is about 30 pages and boring.Guitar World,Guitar Player,ect. seem to be going for younguns,and only review 1 maybe 2 guitars.I think you need a chain around your waist and spandex and call your music "Brutal" to be in those mags

 

[Archtops]

I used to sub to Guitar World and Guitar Player. I sure do miss having a magazine to scan in the morning with my coffee.

 

[Shock]

I used to sub to Guitar World and Guitar Player. I sure do miss having a magazine to scan in the morning with my coffee.

I had a whole wall covered in the centefolds out of the GWs and GS mags.

 

[TV Nocturne Brain]

I dont think anyone buys print magazines anymore? I download my digi subscriptions to my Ipad.