GP PRODUCT REVIEWS APRIL 2005

[Editor Boy]

Hi all...

 

In the April 2005 issue ("The 101 Greatest Moments in Guitar History") we ran the following product reviews:

 

[1] Volume Pedal Roundup

[2] Orange Rockerverb 100 and Speedster 40

[3] Gadow Custom Hollow

[4] Budda Super Drive 18 and Chicago Blues Box Kingston 30

[5] Yamaha AES720 and AES920

[6] Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Delay

[7] Mackie Onyx 1220

[8] Audio-Technica AT2020

[9] Kjaerhus Audio GCD-1

[10] Accessory File: Rosignolo Guitar Care System, O Lighting Bil-lites and Maestro

 

You can view these reviews online, as well.

 

SO...THE QUESTIONS TO YOU ARE:

[1] Are the reviews fair, objective, and, where appropriate, accurately critical?

[2] Did we miss anything?

[3] Do you think we lied about anything or sucked up to the manufacturers?

[4] How would you rate the overall quality of this month's product evaluations?

[5] What, if anything, would you want me to share with the staff about our product-review process before they start their evaluations for the next issue?

 

PLEASE BE HONEST, as your constructive criticisms help keep US honest. We pride ourselves on delivering GP readers the most comprehensive and credible product reviews in the guitar industry, but we can't say that if we are blowing it somewhere. We need your counsel and collaboration to ensure we give you the BEST!

 

Thanks for your assistance and for your comments, good or bad.

 

Cheers,

Mike

[NMcGuitar]

I think that your reviews usually seem to be fair, and I don't get the sense that you're "sucking up" to manufacturers. There are never any scathing reviews, but I assume that if a product is really that bad, there's no point in wasting space on it.

 

I tend to read the gear reviews more for fun than for my practical use. As a theatre artist and semi-professional musican, I rarely have enough disposable income to even consider many of the products you review. I do appreciate the addition of lower priced items, gadgets, gee-gaws, etc. - some of those reviews have actually influenced a couple of my purchases.

 

BTW, Mike, having read GP for so long, I almost feel like I know you already. I just wanted to say thanks for a great mag, and thanks for taking the time to stop in here from time to time. Bigs props to you, sir!

[Noodlesbad]

I generally agree with NMcGuitar; I'll just add that I found the format of the volume pedal review to be particularly useful. It's nice to hear that a particular bit of gear is good, but how it stacks up to other similar products is the real issue.

[Oso]

I've always loved GP's gear reviews - however some were better than others.

 

I prefer longer reviews that discuss how specific tones relate to other benchmark products (i.e. When played quietly Amp X produces a bassman-like tone that gives way to JTM-45 style raunch as the volume is turned up).

 

Also, I noticed that this month's reviews dispensed with the numerical "pick rating system" (i.e. 4 picks out of 5 for tone). I really miss that as I find that numerical marks provide a specific context for the opinions expressed within the review. For example, this month you gave a favorable review to the Budda and Kingston amps, yet I'm not sure why they didn't receive editor's pick awards. Too expensive? Value for $$$?

 

Finally, I really miss the product shootouts. My favorite GP gear moments occurred when you compared a stable full of similar products (Telecasters, 50 watt amps, boutique amps, etc) and boldly stated "these ones are the best." Ballsy - and really, really helpfull.

 

I've always wondered if manufacturer pressure had any hand in their disappearance. The gear "taste tests" always seemed like a bit of a cop-out, except where there were numerous technical difficulties that made direct comparisons moot (i.e. pickup shootouts).

 

The only thing I found missing from the shootouts was the inclusion of the aforemented benchmark products (i.e. the reference bassman produced a 4 star tone, whereas the groovy new Amp X pumped out a more 3-dimensional sound that earned it a full 5 stars. I should write for you!)

 

As I said, I've always found your gear reviews to be great. But having said all that, I think it's time for a digital amp shootout. Or a Les-Paul type guitar roundup. Or an inexpensive beginner tube amp shootout.... You get the idea.

 

Cheers.

[Editor Boy]

I think we'll be doing more product roundups in the future, after a brief layoff in the May and June 2005 issues to allow us to assess all of NAMM's new product releases, and schedule accordingly.

 

Thanks again for the comments.

 

best,

Mike

[Editor Boy]

Dear Oso:

 

There definitely is a bit of fear regarding shootouts. We know that the readers adore them. The editors also realize that we have to struggle to ensure the evaluations are fair, equitable, and market appropriate (no $150 guitars in the same shootout as $700 guitars and so on). As you point out, not all of our shootouts have offered manufacturers a truly level playing field or the psychological benefit of double-blind auditions for tone evaluations, etc. Lastly, these features require tons of work and planning -- and, to be frank, as we've been so immersed in redesigning and upgrading GP, we simply have not had the people and time resources of late to pull off such labor-intensive features. (Although we just went ahead and did the monstrous "101 Greatest Guitar Moments" feature in the April 2005 issue, so go figure!!!)

 

So that's the deal: Part workload, part desire to ensure fair testing, and part discomfort with how manufacturers will react to such incisive group tests. (Even back in the day, some manufacturers would refuse to be involved -- and that sometimes messed with the appearance of those "benchmark" products you mentioned.)

 

Bottom line: Roundups will be as close to multi-product shootouts as you'll see for the near future. But we always keep our ears and heads open to change, so -- who knows? -- shootouts could return fairly quickly, as well. We'll keep you posted!

 

Best,

MIke

[Billster]

To pick a nit, the AT2020 review failed to mention if the mic is large or small diaphragm.

 

But it was fair in that it assessed it in likely uses, not comparing to the top shelf stuff.

 

The reviews generally seem tilted to the high end, stuff I wager most readers will not be able to afford. It's kind of like reading car magazines full of Ferraris.

 

But if you need someone to test $2500 archtops, send 'em on over.

[Guitarzan]

I must say i do like the reviews and find them very accurate. i must, i have since owned 3 editors picks.

A Yamaha dg100, Yamaha aes620 and a Godin Lgsp90. all were evaluated honestly. i of course needed to try them myself but you guys were important in my choice of gear. i would love to see you round up some pro players to add comments to the reviews. for example if you evaluate a Les Paul type of axe, get Billy Gibbons, Slash or someone noted for favoring LPs (i do like it when you do LP type reviews Mike) to throw in thier 2 cents. maybe some more exact comparisons to recorded tones would help, like.."this nails the angus tone"..or "we had a hard time getting the classic Jimi Hendrix sound, but could do Yngwie no prob."

more pics too. i also miss the shootouts.

and if some new gear is out it would be nice to know how it stacks up to former Editors picks.

when GP reviewed the cybertwin i was curious to how it would compare to the DG series Yamaha amps..is it better or worse? with the digital age upon us i like to know if new releases are actually improvements. i am a curious guy. but all in all i do enjoy the reviews.

[dukbut]

I hate to admit it but the reveiws have always been my favorite part of GP. I have purchased several items based on your reveiws alone. A George Dennis Mighty Mouse is my favorite, I had never heard of George Dennis amps. before GP's reveiw got me looking for one. It's now my favorite amp. I have no problems with the current format, it makes for an easy read. I appreciate the fact you cover the full price spectrem of gear, from cheap to unobtainable. All and all a great resource.

dukbut

[Editor Boy]

Hi all...

 

Great comments so far. Thanks tons.

 

I am, however, somewhat concerned that MORE readers aren't weighing in. One of the main perceptions we must deal with as a big international guitar magazine is that the ads we run compromise our honesty/credibility when reviewing the products of advertisers. This is why I want to know if GP's reviews truly nail it -- or not. If we appear to be wimping out on products that have significant faults, well, that would be BAD, and we'd definitely need to upgrade our process.

 

The lack of participation in this thread is troubling. Do you so not CARE about product reviews -- or the product reviews in ad-driven mags such as GP, Guitar World, etc. -- that this is a completely disinteresting thread? Or are we doing okay, and I should be HAPPY that more people aren't tossing their opinions into the mix?

 

Confused, here...

 

Please advise.

 

Best,

Mike

[Billster]

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

Hi all...

 

Great comments so far. Thanks tons.

 

I am, however, somewhat concerned that MORE readers aren't weighing in. One of the main perceptions we must deal with as a big international guitar magazine is that the ads we run compromise our honesty/credibility when reviewing the products of advertisers. This is why I want to know if GP's reviews truly nail it -- or not. If we appear to be wimping out on products that have significant faults, well, that would be BAD, and we'd definitely need to upgrade our process.

 

The lack of participation in this thread is troubling. Do you so not CARE about product reviews -- or the product reviews in ad-driven mags such as GP, Guitar World, etc. -- that this is a completely disinteresting thread? Or are we doing okay, and I should be HAPPY that more people aren't tossing their opinions into the mix?

 

Confused, here...

 

Please advise.

 

Best,

Mike

I'm not the least bit worried that editorial content is influenced by advertising.

 

I think if a manufacturer pulled advertising because of a poor review (and was dumb enough to explicitly tell you that was the reason), you should publish a photocopy of the ad cancellation on your letters page.

 

I can't speak for the other users, but I'm not really in the market for any more gear at the moment, so I kind of skim over the reviews.

[Wes from Wpg]

I have to admit that the reviews are one of the things I look most forward to each month, and I like the mix of items you put in from the affordable to the ridiculously expensive.

 

I agree that it's kinda like reading the car magazines that review the $250,000 cars that most of us will never own, but it's nice to drool over them.

 

That being said, I'd like to see a "budget review" column each month. Being a hobby player on a tight budget (leash), my $400 Godin is probably about as high end as I'll ever get (thanks to the boss allowing me to buy it from what I can only attribute to a post partum hormone swing). I'll probably never buy a $2, $3, or $5,000 guitar or amp.

 

Anyway, there are a lot of guys like me, as well as kids and parents who are looking for budget minded gear. With overseas production as it is today, there is a lot of good stuff out there that is very affordable. A review column dedicated to amps, guitars, etc... under $500 would be great.

 

As for bias, I think the GP reviews are very objective, and critical where it is justified. At the same time, I think that most of the stuff you get to review is probably decent quality, otherwise the manufacturer wouldn't send it to you. Like someone above said, you probably wouldn't do a review of a total piece of junk. That being said, it's nice to know when a pro level piece of gear comes to you guys with problems, and I think you've done a good job indicating that in the reviews.

[NMcGuitar]

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

Hi all...

 

Great comments so far. Thanks tons.

 

I am, however, somewhat concerned that MORE readers aren't weighing in. One of the main perceptions we must deal with as a big international guitar magazine is that the ads we run compromise our honesty/credibility when reviewing the products of advertisers. This is why I want to know if GP's reviews truly nail it -- or not. If we appear to be wimping out on products that have significant faults, well, that would be BAD, and we'd definitely need to upgrade our process.

 

The lack of participation in this thread is troubling. Do you so not CARE about product reviews -- or the product reviews in ad-driven mags such as GP, Guitar World, etc. -- that this is a completely disinteresting thread? Or are we doing okay, and I should be HAPPY that more people aren't tossing their opinions into the mix?

 

Confused, here...

 

Please advise.

 

Best,

Mike

I wouldn't sweat it too much. If people had big issues with the way you do the reviews, you would be hearing about it in spades.

I think by and large most of us are on the same (or at least a similar) page. We tend to think you are pretty fair and even overall. Even if it's not something that I (or whomever) is planning to buy (or can't possibly afford), it's good to know what's out there, and it is fun to look at the high end stuff.

[hard truth]

This is another vote for shootouts/product comparisons. Even if you are reviewing a single product it is very helpful to include opinions/info such as "this is better than product X because of Y. It isn't as good as product Z because it doesn't have feature A. Its 90% as good product B but costs half as much "

 

I like to see reviews of products at a variety of price points.

 

I have generally found the reviews in GP and other CMP publications to be trust worthy. However I have noticee that certain brands are never mentioned and "coincidently" the manufacturer never advertises in the magazine.

[smokinjoet]

I consider Guitar Player's gear reviews to be the best of all the magazines - some others just read like the company pr releases..

I find the comparisons to similar products and discussion of "real-world" applications to be very helpful ..

I've made a couple of purchases based mostly on the reviews - a prs tremonti se and the vox valvetronix ad120, and I've been very happy with both..

I've been reading since around '78, and Guitar Player keeps getting better and better - Thanks! Joe

[pollock]

I liked this months reviews, especially on the chicago blues box. For guitars though, I would like to see an acoustic reveiw sometime. I could be mistaken, but it seems like it has been a while since I have read one. But overall....

 

-J.J.

[Bejeeber]

I think it's really a good sign that you're asking for this kind of input. Major kudos there, and I for one am not suspicious that GP has been flagrantly sucking up to manufacturers or anything.

 

 

What I really appreciate and trust the most are shootouts with several listeners / players involved.

 

And if applicable, a blindfolded panel of respected experts doing the listening evaluations.

 

Hey sometimes you can even do a blindfold playing test. Acoustic guitars for instance; just plop a few acoustic guitars on the blindfolded players laps - maybe not even telling them what guitars are being tested that day - and document their impressions, let them pick a favorite.

 

I did this with my blindfolded wife (not literally blindfolded - she just kept her eyes closed) at Guitar Center when picking out a new nylon string. She's got great ears and is a very musically sensitive player. She had no idea what she was trying, and her favorite ended up being a low/medium priced model which I was able to purchase with a lot of confidence.

[Oso]

Originally posted by Wes from Winterpeg.:

That being said, I'd like to see a "budget review" column each month. Being a hobby player on a tight budget (leash), my $400 Godin is probably about as high end as I'll ever get

As one impovershed musician to another, I really like that idea! (Even though I also like reading about instruments that I can work towards or dream about.)

 

Another thought: I don't have any specific instances to back this up, but I'd really like to see amp reviews that have a more accurate assesment of "bedroom wailing." It seems to me that *most* amps are far too loud for this - even small amps. To me bedroom wailing means the ability to play without waking the sleeping baby down the hall, or perhaps one's parents. In other words, an amp that can be played at TV volume.

 

I get the sense that many guitar testers, being accomplished musicians, have home studios and other soundproofed rooms to play in. Rest assured the rest of us do not! (The friendly neighbour who used to knock on my door when I was younger can back me up on this.)

 

Cheers

 

P.S. I Don't think you're biased as I've seen a number of critical reviews over the years.

[Gabriel E.]

I've always found the reviews at GP to be fair and well-balanced. The only inconsistencies I noticed were a few high-end instruments that received really positive reviews despite there being worksmanship issues (didn't the Gibson Johnny A. receive an Editor's Pick despite having some cosmetic issues?). If anything, expensive gear should be judged more harshly - those items aren't supposed to have any flaws.

 

Don't think there's a boutique bias. Just a broad range. I don't want to read reviews of $5000 archtops all the time but I don't want to read reviews of all budget gear either. It's always good to see what's at the cutting edge, even if it's unaffordable.

 

I've enjoyed the shootouts since the late 80s/early 90s. I understand the logistics may be a bear but they're really useful for helping a consumer grok the pros and cons of a bunch of very similar products. If a manufacturer doesn't want to participate, that's their loss IMHO.

[Kiwi]

Mike -

 

I'm among the many who drool over gear reviews, but my longstanding comment is that they would be more useful if comparisons to benchmark products (whose sounds are widely known and heard) were included.

 

For example - most modern amps are variations on Fender, Vox, Marshall or Mesa. Does an amp under review take one of these classic tones, and then go somewhere new with it?

 

Does an amp maker have a particular voicing or style? Tell us about it. How does it differ from that amp maker's previous products already in the marketplace? Where is the value?

 

Does a pedal start with a benchmark tone (say, the ubiquitous Tube Screamer) and then go do something new with it? Does the pedal clean up well when you back off the guitar's volume? (= the usual failing of solid state devices.) Does that distortion pedal keep any bass in the tone when you step on it? (= another common failing).

 

Perhaps it's my years on The Gear Page, but I'd spend less GP time reviewing true exotica (very limited-production amps like Allessandro, or guitars like Citron) and more time reviewing upscale products that still have reasonably large production runs and are widely available through Internet dealers and which actively trade on the gear boards: Amp names like Dr Z, Top Hat, Matchless, Bad Cat, etc. I know you already do this, but ... perhaps let the Gear Page be your guide as to what the upscale/older GP reader is playing and buying.

 

For guitars, I'd like to see fewer column inches on cosmetics, and more on its tone. Writing about sound is like dancing to architecture, but that's your burden. For example, I always listen to guitars played through a loud clean amp for at least ten minutes before giving it any grind, to get a sense for its balance of tones from low E to high E. You could add comments about the stock pickups' output (to give readers a sense of how hard they will push the amp).

 

Educate readers along the way: alnico II magnet pickups sound and play differently from alnico V magnet pickups, and ceramics are different from both. Be brutal in pointing out shortcuts and cheap-outs: cheap low-output pickups or, conversely, cheap high-output pickups in guitars where the component will limit its usefulness in actual play/playing styles.

 

For example, I once bought a Gibson ES-333 hoping it would give me a decent 335 sound at lower cost. Too bad the nasty stock high-output pickups turned me into a crunch monster; the cleans just weren't there. The difference was not just cosmetic. A sharp gear review would have noted this.

 

One thing you guys do well in your reviews is take the gear out on gigs. This is where many at-home gear types (and I'm guilty of this) need help: What an amp or guitar sounds like in a band context is very, very different from what it sounds like on its own. That's some real value-added there.

 

Your gear shoot-outs are terrific. I know they're a lot of work, but - for a recent example - faced with the bewildering array of new Eminence speakers (Patriot/Redcoats), you did a good job of sorting out their differences.

 

As for participation: If you really want an earful, take the question to the masses, and don't wait for the masses to come here.

 

Register at The Gear Page (www.thegearpage.net) - they have 5,500 gear-crazed members. The profile there is similar to the GP subscriber (older, more diverse, fairly bucks-up ... not kidz or teenz). Many very experienced players and gear hounds (and GP subscribers) with passion, opinions ... and the willingness to debate fairly.

 

Or come visit us again at www.GuitarDiner.com - also an older, more experienced crowd.

 

Your willingness to seek out criticism and comment is exemplary. Your concern about ad content affecting GP reviews is, I'm afraid, pretty unusual in the industry, and it speaks well for you.

 

Once last request: Could you get some underpaid intern to compile an index of past gear reviews, and put that on your web site. Just a list of the products reviewed, and then the issue it appeared in. It will save us lots of time leafing through back issues trying to find that half-recalled review of the Supercalifragilicexpialidocious pedal from a couple years ago.

 

Regards,

 

Kiwi in Texas

[Funk Jazz]

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

Or are we doing okay, and I should be HAPPY that more people aren't tossing their opinions into the mix?

that would be my interpretation...

 

i have always trusted your reviews, and have bought guitars and amps based on them. i have never found any huge discrepancy between my own opinions of a product and how it was presented in a GP review.

 

this forum doesn't really dig into the journalistic qualities of GP (in my experience) so don't get disapointed that this thread isn't hopping. from what i have seen, there is a profound trust that you know what you're doing at GP.

 

keep up the good work

[The Reverend]

Mike,

 

Your reviews are fair and entertaining to read. I find the writing top notch, the language intuitive and I don't think you suck up to advertisers.

 

HOWEVER ...

 

The reviews tend to be too straightforward with little to compare a product with.

 

I subscribe to Guitar Player, but I also subscribe to Guitarist, and I buy Guitar Buyer sometimes, and the one thing those magazines consistantly do better than Guitar Player is to COMPARE products with other like products. I find this very entertaining, and somewhat helpful when making a purchase.

 

So, for example, if they review a Les Paul, they might tell you what other guitars share the same features, produce a similar tone, and what the cost difference is. Better still, they might write a single review of four of five products that are vying for the same market -- Fender custom shop Strat against G&L Comanche against Tom Anderson against Don Grosh; Les Paul against Yamaha SG2000 against PRS singlecut; Bad Cat against Matchless against Vox handwired.

 

They also get pretty nationalistic. So they might look at German guitars vs. English guitars vs. French guitars (a Guitar Player east coast vs. west coast shootout would be fantastic).

 

Most of us are never going to fiddle with these jewels, much less own these products. I look to Guitar Player to give me an idea of what I'm missing.

 

I also like a little mano-a-mano headcutting, too.

 

Thanks for listening.

[Editor Boy]

All great comments!

 

(Thanks especially to KIWI, who always gives me a pretty extensive "to do" list!)

 

I'll get working on the suggestions.

 

Best,

Mike

[michael saulnier]

Mike,

 

Thanks for listening to ideas to validate and improve the gear reviews...

 

I consider myself a gear-a-holic who invests quite a bit of time and effort before selecting something new. Your reviews go a long way toward pointing me to choices I may have otherwise missed or ignored.

 

Like many have said, I particularly like the roundups and "shoot-outs", more for the "reasons" the reviews indicate rather than the conclusions.

 

A couple of ideas on making the experience a bit better.

 

CLIPS! Clips can be a great way to illustrate differences in tone that words alone can't fully describe. Including a complete "chain" (guitar, effects, amp, speaker, recording method)... this would give listeners a chance to really hear the "beautiful cleans" or the "impossibly heavy chunk" or whatever else the toy, guitar, amp, or gizmo can do. A set of clips with different settings would go a long way toward making your version of reviews VERY unique,

 

Another idea would be to ask users in advance for their experiences regarding the item to be reviewed. You would probably see some similarities in responses that could be discussed in the reviews. Heck, some people might be willing to make and send clips... so you won't have to!

 

I think GP is by far the "class" in the guitar mag biz... and I like the changes you've been making lately. Keep up the good work!

 

Michael

[Editor Boy]

Thanks for the words, Michael!

 

And good suggestion about asking users in advance for their experiences!!!!

 

SO...at the risk of unveiling future coverage, here are the planned gear reviews for the upcoming June 2005 issue. If you have any "intelligence," user comments or complaints, or performance tips on these items, please post your stuff here!

 

[1] Taylor T5

 

[2] Mesa/Boogie Stiletto

 

[3] Epiphone Dot Studio

 

[4] First Act Lola, Sheena, and Delia

 

[5] Reverend Goblin

 

[6] Peterson Strobostomp

 

[7] Knucklehead strings

 

[8] Danelectro FAB TONE pedals

 

[9] CAD GXL3000 mic pack

 

Okay...let us know if you've used this stuff and what you think of it!

 

Best,

Mike

[Caevan O’Shite]

>BUMP