VOTE FOR GP COVER ARTIST!

[Editor Boy]

QUESTION ONE

Simple request: Who do you want to see on a GUITAR PLAYER cover?

 

QUESTION TWO

Opportunity to rant: Is it lame that ALL U.S. guitar mags tend to rely on "old glories" rather than "young guns"?

 

OR...

 

Would you RATHER read about the legends?

 

QUESTION THREE

Opportunity to inflame: Which magazine do you feel has taken the most risks with its cover artists in the last 12 months: GUITAR PLAYER, GUITAR WORLD, GUITAR ONE, or GUITARIST U.K. ?? (I, of course, have a report with everyone's cover artists, so it's gonna be fun to see if forum members REALLY know who put who on which cover.)

 

SO...Let me know. Your vote could result in the GP cover boy or girl of your choice peering at you from the newsstand in the very near future!

 

Thanks for the input...

 

Cheers,

Mike

Editor in Chief, GUITAR PLAYER

[Gabriel E.]

1. Someone I haven't heard of but is really mind blowing. Educate me.

 

GP has done this time and time again. First with Vernon Reid back when I was in HS and most recently with Nels Cline.

 

2. Yes. Seems like GP always pulls out a b&W pic of Hendrix whenever you need to sell some more issues/ads. I've read about "the legends" since I was a small kid and am pretty tired of them.

 

3. I think GP takes it for repeatedly featuring women players. I've never seen a woman on the cover of another guitar magazine.

[pollock]

1.) Robert Cray

 

2.) I love to read about the legends, but its nice to have a mix with "young guns"...maybe go every other month or something.

 

3.) I think GP has taken the most risks, Allison Robertson was a risk, but it turned out just fine. Even though I'm not a fan, I also think it was a good idea to put dimebag darrell on your cover after his untimely death.

 

Well, thats all I can say, I am tired though so I didn't elaborate. Have a good one!

[GuitarWolf]

(Question 1)

 

John Petrucci!

 

Hes got a new CD (Suspended Animation) coming out, Dream Theater's going to be putting out a new album sometime in the summer and hes headlining G3 this year with Satriani and Vai!

[Mike Gug]

1) The Edge (I don't ever remember seeing him on ANYONE'S cover)

 

2) I like discovering. However, at SOME point, a new player needs to find out who Jimi, SRV and Page were/were/are, respectively. So newbies have to find out SOME WAY. I know I did. Maybe with every new subscription, you can send them mini mags covering the lengends of their choice!!?? (Can I get a job at GP?)

 

When you introduce a new talent, put a sound clip on your website. For instance... "Louis XIV" from the recent issue... I'd like to hear what you think is a good clip of theirs. Good description, but let's hear the sound!

 

3) The other mags... eish. The covers don't lend themselves to laying around a house with kids. I look to see if they have an interesting song tab'ed out or a review, but that's it.

 

Does the cover of a specialty mag like your's REALLY affect news stand sales???? I can see putting Michael Jackson or fat pictures of Kristy Alley on the covers of People for attention-getters, but does it really work that way with specialty mags? ***Please reply with an answer, I'm really intrigued by this question***

[PBBPaul]

Originally posted by Gabriel E.:

1. Someone I haven't heard of but is really mind blowing. Educate me.

 

Me too. There are so many really amazing players that have so much to offer. Let's see some of them. I still have the issue with the title "Who is Eric Johnson and why is he on our cover?" Let's see more of the risk taking with new and old artists who have so much to say.

 

I'm pimpin' for an old friend here but Greg Koch, who is already a contributor, is a truly amazing player and a great interview subject. I'm sure that you know him and his personality. I would love to see him make the cover of your mag. In respect for the legends, how about some slightly more obscure but no less influential players like Hubert Sumlin? Maybe some "whatever happened to..." stories about players that might have had a substantial effect before disappearing from view. Much like the stories about Peter Green.

 

On other subjects, I kinda miss the "centerfolds" that you used to feature on the back page. I really enjoy the pawnshop prizes and Will Ray's eBay strategies.

[picker]

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

QUESTION ONE

Simple request: Who do you want to see on a GUITAR PLAYER cover?

Sonny Sharrock would be cool..could go for Paul Kossoff...or Tommy Emmanuel...or Neil Giraldo...Ian Moore...Chris Duarte...how about Phil Keaggy...have you heard of Kenny Greenburg? Killer picker, backs up his wife, Ashley Cleveland, and the guy's playing just smokes.

 

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

QUESTION TWO

Opportunity to rant: Is it lame that ALL U.S. guitar mags tend to rely on "old glories" rather than "young guns"?

No. It's lame that the magazine covers all have people with new recordings coming out about the time the mag is published.

 

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

OR...

 

Would you RATHER read about the legends?

I'd rather read about new and old legends, but I ain't hearing many new ones....

 

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

QUESTION THREE

Opportunity to inflame: Which magazine do you feel has taken the most risks with its cover artists in the last 12 months: GUITAR PLAYER, GUITAR WORLD, GUITAR ONE, or GUITARIST U.K. ?? (I, of course, have a report with everyone's cover artists, so it's gonna be fun to see if forum members REALLY know who put who on which cover.)

None of you guys are really taking any risks. The people on the covers all have fan bases, and that gives you a better shot at selling mags, which is understandable, and I am all for you making a profit if you can, but it ain't risky. You wanna take a risk? Find some dude or dudes no one ever heard of that can really play, and give him a career boost by putting him on your cover.

 

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

SO...Let me know. Your vote could result in the GP cover boy or girl of your choice peering at you from the newsstand in the very near future!

 

Thanks for the input...

 

Cheers,

Mike

Editor in Chief, GUITAR PLAYER

hope this helps.

[Tedster]

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

SO...Let me know. Your vote could result in the GP cover boy or girl of your choice peering at you from the newsstand in the very near future!

 

Thanks for the input...

 

Cheers,

Mike

Editor in Chief, GUITAR PLAYER

Good heavens, Mike...for a minute I thought that read..."GP cover boy or girl of your choice PEEING at you..."

 

Need to get to the optometrist, I reckon.

 

Well, young guns vs. old glories...they're all guitar players, right? And it's always going to be one or the other.

 

And, I can't say that I can fault anyone for putting anyone on the cover to "sell issues". I mean, you've gotta eat, right?

 

I'd say, what would be some potential criteria for a guitarist being on the cover?

 

Blinding chops? (someone like Holdsworth, McLaughlin, etc.)

 

The current flavor du jour of the young?

 

An influential jazz, blues, country, whatever type (great chops again)

 

A musical approach to serving the song? (The George Harrison school of thought)

 

A singer/songwriter who happens to play guitar?

 

Sure, why not? I guess what I'm saying, is that IMO, you all are doing a fine job of having the bases covered.

 

How about a "famous luthiers" issue?

 

Hmmm...I can think of one guy I'd like to see on the cover..he's probably been on in the past, but maybe not recently...and his acoustic tones are some of the best I've ever heard. Good ol' James Taylor.

 

But, IMO, you all are doing fine. And I personally don't care how many times Jimi is on the cover...I buy the mag for what's between the covers...

[alfonso]

A very old glory maybe, but an incredible alternative world of guitar:

 

Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra.

 

Master of indian slide guitar.

[Prague]

Some things I've noticed: Is every guitar made in the world an electric?

 

Is every player in a Pop/Rock (or thereabouts) band?

 

You really should be called Electric Pop/Rock Guitar Player.

 

I'm sure the demographics dictate this, though.

[Philip OKeefe]

The Edge (I don't ever remember seeing him on ANYONE'S cover)

 

Edge was on GP's cover back in the 1980's IIRC.

[Philip OKeefe]

1. Me. Ain't gonna happen, but someone had to say it!

 

2. I like a mixture. GP, over the 27 years I've been reading it, has usually done a good job of giving us a mix of new and old, young and old, various approaches, techniques, styles and genres. I appreciate that. I see the stuff I like and am interested in, I get to learn from the masters of the past - in a wide variety of genres... AND get turned on to what's new, and what the next generation is up to and I get to learn about things I might not have been exposed to if it wasn't for the coverage in GP. That's what I like about the magazine. Oh, and the gear reviews too. Please keep up the diversity!

 

3. I'm not really qualified to say - I have not seen all the covers of all the magazines in question.

[Jim Soloway]

I don't mind seeing old legends on the cover, but only if they're a legitimate feature of the issue. As I recall, the last couple times you've put Hendrix on the cover were for the current 101 top moments issue and previously for a songwirting issue. If Hedrix is going to be on the cover then you should at least have an article about Hendrix in the issue.

 

I'd really like to see some guitarists who go beyond the appeal of rock and or blues. Just focusing on some obvious monsters, how about:

 

John Pizarelli (maybe even with Bucky)

Doyle Dykes

Murial Anderson (with a feature on the history of her all-star guitar nights)

Brad Paisley (a fairly obvious choice if you want to look at country)

John Williams for his remarkable career (the classical guitarist not composer)

Paul Galbraith (probably the most impressive classical guitarist I've ever heard and certainly one of the most unique)

Kaki King (that way you get a woman, an acoustic player and an up and coming star all in one shot)

 

BTW, it's nice to see that you're finally getting involved in this forum. Given it's association with GP, there's no reason why this shouldn't be the most powerful guitar forum on the net. Your involvement is a great first step in that direction.

[ihategarybettman]

QUESTION ONE

Simple request: Who do you want to see on a GUITAR PLAYER cover?

 

I was recently re-reading an issue of GP from '96 that featured Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo from Los Lobos. In the past year they've put out two CDs and a concert DVD and their song "Mas y Mas" is featured in a recent American Express commercial. Also, now that Louie Perez has stepped out from the drumkit more or less permanently, they have three guitarists making their joyous noise. It would be awfully nice to see such efforts rewarded with a GP cover.

 

QUESTION TWO

Opportunity to rant: Is it lame that ALL U.S. guitar mags tend to rely on "old glories" rather than "young guns"?

 

OR...

 

Would you RATHER read about the legends?

 

Since the traditional "guitar god" role has been de-emphasized in the music scene in the past 15 years or so, it's only natural that a modern guitar magazine relies on the legends. Also, as someone over 35 and younger than 50, it's nice to see names that I'm familiar with. However, I also read periodicals such as GP to discover new artists that I might not otherwise hear about (they certainly wouldn't be on modern radio). So, my longwinded reply is that I like to see a mix of old and new.

 

QUESTION THREE

Opportunity to inflame: Which magazine do you feel has taken the most risks with its cover artists in the last 12 months: GUITAR PLAYER, GUITAR WORLD, GUITAR ONE, or GUITARIST U.K. ??

 

I don't mean to suck up to GP, but your magazine features a wider variety of cover artists. I'm not slamming the other fine publications, but take Guitar World, for instance. In any given calendar year you can pretty much rely on them featuring metal or hard rock acts 8 of those months with classic rockers filling out the rest of the year.

[Guitarzan]

why just guitar players? why not a cover and in depth interview with people like..Seymour Duncan, Paul Reed Smith, Robert Godin (i had to say it), Ken Parker, the Guys at M J engineering, Joe Naylor or anyone in the music business who is inovating or has some history to share.

or why not get a round table discussion going here with some of the forumites on several subjects for an article from the "street".

i like seeing the old legends if they are given more than a page. i also appreciate the new guys as well.

i find i can learn alot from anyone.

i really like the fact that you are here picking our brains Mike. this is great.

[A String]

While I personally have grown tired of reading about "the legends", there are whole generations out there that have yet to learn about them.

 

I think the route you guys have taken works out for the best. Cover the well known guys and every once and a while, introduce a new gem.

 

For the next cover? I like the idea of covering someone that everyone has heard of (and heard play) but may not know much about.

 

I liked Jim Soloway's suggestion of John Williams, but there are a ton of players out there that are just a step or two outside of the limelight and would make for interesting reading.

[Lee Flier]

Originally posted by Philip O'Keefe:

1. Me. Ain't gonna happen, but someone had to say it!

Hey, I said it last time he asked!

 

I mean, I said me. Not you.

[Noodlesbad]

1. Dave Davies. Or Ray Davies. Or both.

 

2. I'm happy to be introduced to new players, but ultimately it's the old guys who interest me more, since my taste in music runs to classic rock and the 1960s.

 

3.Can't comment, though I have a very hard time imaging any other magazine putting Nels Cline on the cover.

[Gabriel E.]

Originally posted by PBBPaul:

In respect for the legends, how about some slightly more obscure but no less influential players like Hubert Sumlin?

Yeah! Or as picker mentioned, Sonny Sharrock. Or Pete Cosey. Or Grant Green. Or Freddy Green. Or Cliff Gallup? Guitar Slim? Ellmore James? (you could do a special on slide guitar and put him on the cover instead of Duane Allman). When was Charlie Christian last on the cover? How influential is he?

[Caevan O’Shite]

QUESTION ONE

Simple request: Who do you want to see on a GUITAR PLAYER cover?

 

To tell you the truth, it doesn't matter to me that much; that is, "who" is less important to me than whether or not the cover is generally bad, stupid, tasteless, embarrassing, etc.

 

Generally, GP's covers have never really crossed into that over the years ('been reading since the Muddy Waters/Johnny Winter cover-story issue of August '83, with the pic of Steve Vai in an ad on the back cover with a Performance guitar and a Carvin stack; Muddy 'n' Johnny sported the famous red Tele and an old "gold-top", respectively) , while some other guit-rags most definitely have.

 

QUESTION TWO

Opportunity to rant: Is it lame that ALL U.S. guitar mags tend to rely on "old glories" rather than "young guns"?

 

OR...

 

Would you RATHER read about the legends?

 

I think that both have their merits. How's about throwing in more lesser knowns, as well? And I also agree with Tedster on luthiers (not to mention amp and effects-pedal builders/designers) occasionally making the cover. Come to think of it, more cover-shots of more than one person, preferably actually together.

 

As for actually READING about "the legends", cool. Really dig deep, though, both for relevant material and a greater diversity of subjects deemed legendary. For instance, Jimi's become a photographic icon, but how often do you read about- let alone see a cover story on- undeniably influential and genuinely legendary players like Kenny Burrel, Roy Buchanan, Donald Kinsey, East Bay Ray, Eddie Hazel, Don Rich, Michael Schenker, Snooks Eaglin, Tuck Andress, Tommy Tedesco, Dicky Betts, Curtis Mayfield, Tedster, Ike Willis...

 

QUESTION THREE

Opportunity to inflame: Which magazine do you feel has taken the most risks with its cover artists in the last 12 months: GUITAR PLAYER, GUITAR WORLD, GUITAR ONE, or GUITARIST U.K. ?? (I, of course, have a report with everyone's cover artists, so it's gonna be fun to see if forum members REALLY know who put who on which cover.)

 

Uhmn, I don't recall having seen any risks taken by any guita-rags in their choice of cover-material, ever; unless you mean all those mask and/or make-up shots on Guitar World taking the risk of making me think they were dorky and juvenile in-a-pathetic-way. Maybe the George Harrison and Hank Williams covers that GP printed were a little bit risky, cosidering the demographic slew (yuhp, a nod to Herb Tarlick!). Ya want risky? Organize a jam with Ted Nugent, Ani DiFranco, and Les Claypool, and feature all three of 'em on the cover. Nude. Playing PRS McCarty Single-Cuts and Les Paul Standards. Plugged into digital modelers, through the P.A. Eating counterfeit tofu dogs purchased at a Wal-Mart. Peeing on Michael Moore wearing a hemp Confederate flag. Sporting white shoes after Labor Day. There.

[Darklava]

I could care less who's on the cover just as

long as I get it.Got to have it Mr

[Guitar Geezer]

Tedster: Need to get to the optometrist, I reckon.

http://www.weavils.com/trani.gif

Could be those glasses you're wearing

 

why just guitar players? why not a cover and in depth interview with people like..Seymour Duncan

I second Seymour Duncan..from what I've heard and read, he is a very interesting character, and I'm sure he has some great stories to tell

[Billster]

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

QUESTION ONE

Simple request: Who do you want to see on a GUITAR PLAYER cover?

I think a "Roots and Branches" cover would be interesting, you could touch on legend and newbies alike. Something like: Chuck Berry -> Keith Richards -> Jack White

 

Or "the players with..." like all the great players with Miles Davis (McLaughlin, Cosey, Stern, Scofield) over the years, or Zappa (Cucurullo, Belew, Vai, Keneally), including what came after the high profile gig

 

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

QUESTION TWO

Opportunity to rant: Is it lame that ALL U.S. guitar mags tend to rely on "old glories" rather than "young guns"?

 

OR...

 

Would you RATHER read about the legends?

Right now, there's not a lot of pop music that is making the impact of a young Van Halen or Randy Rhoads. Things are so compartmentalized, its almost like no one is a truly dominating cover artist. "Split screen" old/new double covers.

 

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

QUESTION THREE

Opportunity to inflame: Which magazine do you feel has taken the most risks with its cover artists in the last 12 months: GUITAR PLAYER, GUITAR WORLD, GUITAR ONE, or GUITARIST U.K. ?? (I, of course, have a report with everyone's cover artists, so it's gonna be fun to see if forum members REALLY know who put who on which cover.)

I don't pay much attention to the other mags.

 

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

Thanks for the input...

You're welcome

[NMcGuitar]

QUESTION ONE

Simple request: Who do you want to see on a GUITAR PLAYER cover

 

There have been some great suggestions here already. I really like the notion of occasionally putting a lesser-known/unknown player on the cover, so I can learn about someone new. Also, I think the idea of putting some non-players on there (Seymour Duncan, Paul Reed Smith, etc.) is absolutely brilliant!

 

QUESTION TWO

Opportunity to rant: Is it lame that ALL U.S. guitar mags tend to rely on "old glories" rather than "young guns"?

 

OR...

 

Would you RATHER read about the legends?

 

There's a place for both.

The legends have earned their place, and it is fitting that they are discussed. Each new generation can learn from the past, so it is good that there is an easy place for them to find out about it. I will second (third?) the notion that having an article of substance is the key here.

As far as the "young guns" go, it's important that we get to know them as well. Some of them will be tomorrow's legends - remember, there was a time when no one had ever heard of Jimi, or Eddie, or Stevie, etc., etc., etc....

 

QUESTION THREE

Opportunity to inflame: Which magazine do you feel has taken the most risks with its cover artists in the last 12 months: GUITAR PLAYER, GUITAR WORLD, GUITAR ONE, or GUITARIST U.K. ??

 

Honestly, I don't really pay attention to the other mags. What's on the cover doesn't matter to me nearly as much as what is inside. That's why I subscribe to GP.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Y'know, I'd like to see Lee Flier, and Henry Robinette featured 'n' covered... could be a "real players, real world" sorta thing...

[NMcGuitar]

Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite:

Y'know, I'd like to see Lee Flier, and Henry Robinette featured 'n' covered... could be a "real players, real world" sorta thing...

[Philip OKeefe]

A Lee Flier feature or cover would be MORE than appropriate IMO... they (Lee's band What The...? even have a new album coming out, and (I've heard previews), it is very cool.

[Guitarzan]

yes!

[Blue Strat]

1) I'd like to see Tim Sult of Clutch on the cover of GP. Check out Blast Tyrant and hear what I'm talkin' about! How about a grunge issue? You could put Kim Thayil, Kurt Cobain, Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley on the cover. And leave Pearl Jam out.

[The Lone Chicken]

Question #1: Phil Keaggy!

 

Question #2: Not at all. There is still much that we all can learn from the "old glories", and I will bet that most of the "young guns" would more than agree.

 

Question #3: Definitely GP. You feature artists based on their impact on guitar playing, and not necessarily based on their popularity (one way or the other), and you dare to feature female artists that some of the more "macho-minded" magazines won't even touch. I think that you do an outstanding job in this area...of course, I will think that even more when you finally put Phil Keaggy on the cover.