OT: Why Am I Still Paying For Guitar Player?

[Winston Psmith]

I feel like I should apologize in advance for this post, because I am mad as hell.

 

I've been subscribing to Guitar Player and Electronic Musician magazines since the mid-1990's. I have a bookshelf in my Music room, a rather tall and wide bookshelf, at that, which holds nothing but years of GP & EM magazines.

 

Back in July, I called because I hadn't seen a copy of GP in quite a while, and was told that I should already have gotten my July issue, because the August issue was getting ready to go out. I asked for a replacement copy of the July issue, and was told it should take two or three weeks, so I waited . . . I'm still waiting.

 

I haven't seen a copy of GP since the June issue. My mail carrier gave me a number to call that just rings, no one ever answers it. I've called GP at least three times before now, today was the fourth, and today I was told that they can't process my request for the July issue, because I've already asked twice for a replacement!?!?

 

I can either ask for an extension on a magazine that the Post Office is incapable of delivering to my door, or I can cancel my subscription, after more than 25 years. I understand that no one from GP, or Future Music, is going to bring a copy to my door, and I've given up on the Post Office - Cheech and Chong could run it better - so it seems like the only choice is to cancel my subscription and give up on Guitar Player altogether. If I'd gotten all of the copies I should have gotten by now, I'd have 3 copies of the July issue, 2 of August, and 1 or 2 for September. As it is, I'm still trying to get one copy of any of them.

 

I'm about done calling and asking for a magazine that I've already paid for, but can't get. FWIW, my nearest Music store doesn't carry it, it isn't in the magazine section of any nearby grocery chains, and, unbelievable as this may seem, the Washington D.C. area is all but devoid of bookstores, so I can't just drive up the road to look for a copy.

 

Electronic Musician generally arrives on time - I suppose it's less tempting for someone to steal - but I guess it's cheaper and easier for someone in the Post Office to take my copy of Guitar Player than to get their own. Yes, I'm convinced that's the problem. My wife's cooking magazines all arrive on time, and junk mail still comes through, it's just my Guitar Player that doesn't get here.

 

Thanks for letting me complain.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Been there. I had a BUNCH of stuff stolen from my mail over the years. Worst were my applications to college- they contained checks to the universities- and we didn"t even realize they hadn"t been delivered. Fortunately, one institution called my parents to find out what was going onâ¦

 

Does GP have an electronic format? I understand the preference for physical mags, but getting e-magazines is better than NO magazine!

[Winston Psmith]

I'm sure there's online content, but it still doesn't fill the gaps in my subscription. Silly or obsessive as it may seem, I'd rather just have my collection end with the June issue, rather than pick up again whenever the Post Office feels like delivering the November issue, or maybe they won't get around to it until April 2022?

 

In the meantime, I've paid for issues I've never received, and have no certainty that extending my subscription won't just mean more pointless phone calls to the subscription office. I don't have any confidence in the Post Office, whatsoever, or that I'm ever going to get another issue of Guitar Player through the mail.

 

Part of what really annoys me is the sense I got from the GP rep - who was perfectly nice, but stating company policy - that GP/Future Music had no further interest in trying to get my magazines to me, but they'd be perfectly happy to cancel my subscription. That's their idea of a solution; don't bother subscribing.

[desertbluesman]

I have not subscribed to Guitar Player since the 80's. I always did subscribe until I sent in one of my works for the Sound-page competition. (For those of you youngsters this was a flexible disk at 45 RPM I think that came in the magazine every year.) I did a tune I called the Android From Andromeda https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=2022996, I thought it was decent enough to at least get honorable mention. (The winning one in the Guitar Synth category was not even close in sound and complexity). So I was a little put off, and never renewed the subscription. I never missed it either. (I think it was because I step timed the bass and drums, and a few of the fast runs, but most of the lead synth was played in live, the bass was also step timed in) The tune was done with MOTU's Performer 3 MIDI only sequencer, and rendered all tracks to audio on 2 tracks, and shot into a C-Cassette.

 

Synths used Roland GM 70 Guitar To MIDI

2 Roland D 550's for the leads The reason I used 2 D 550's was because when the sequencer changed patches it cut off some of the notes so I improvised a little trick or two and when the sequencer changed the patch to D550#2 the note on D 550#1 still faded naturally.

a Yamaha TX 802 for the Bass.

And a Roland 707 drum machine for the drums. I beat the drums in live on a Roland Octo Pad

[KuruPrionz]

Last month I mailed 5 checks to pay bills and NONE of them arrived. I had the checks cancelled and took a hit on my credit report for being late with the mortgage payment.

 

That said, I am not in favor of automated billing procedures, there are too many stories about not being able to make them stop taking your money out of the bank.

 

The only magazine I subscribe to is Tape Op. It's free. They send a link to download the PDF file, which will contain a couple more articles than the hard copy and then they mail a magazine printed on paper.

Interesting interviews, good stuff.

 

I used to read Guitar Player, then I stopped for a long time. A friend used to subscribe to Vintage Guitar, Guitar Player and Bass Player but since he plays bass he just reads that one now. He always gives them to me to check out afterward, I've got a pile of them sitting there. One of these days I'll skim through them and give them to another friend.

[Larryz]

WP, maybe Cheech and Chong are in charge of answering that Postal phone number your route man left with you and that's why no one answers when you call LOL! Just kidding and I feel your pain Brother. I used to have 3 boxes of GP mags taking up space as I never really found myself going back and reading them. So I took them to a musical swap meet and sold them for $5 bucks a box in the 1st 5 minutes! I still pick up a guitar mag at the local grocery stores now and then if something grabs me when I walk by the stand LoL! Take care Brother and you can vent on us anytime!

[Caevan O’Shite]

Maybe try at contact@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk ?

 

Next time I get an email or printed letter from them, I'll get the phone number(s), as well.

 

I hope that can help...

[Dannyalcatraz]

I get that; I understand completely. Physical magazines are just different.

 

There are several magazines I"ve collected over the years. Only two titles are still in my possession.

[Sharkman]

I have my fair share of gripes with the US Postal Service as well. On June 15th of this year a package was shipped from China, with a tracking number. Here is what I have since then: 2021-07-15 00:00:00 Port of destination - Arrival

2021-07-15 00:00:00 It took one month to get from China to somewhere in the United States, where it has gone missing in action since July 15th. And when I went to my local post office to see if they could help find out where my package is, they could not do a thing for me. And here is another one: 2021-06-10 19:33:00 COMPTON,CA,90220Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item, A shipping label has been prepared for your item at 7:33 pm on June 10, 2021 in COMPTON, CA 90220. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. And nobody seems to care.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I have my fair share of gripes with the US Postal Service as well. On June 15th of this year a package was shipped from China, with a tracking number. Here is what I have since then: 2021-07-15 00:00:00 Port of destination - Arrival

2021-07-15 00:00:00 It took one month to get from China to somewhere in the United States, where it has gone missing in action since July 15th. And when I went to my local post office to see if they could help find out where my package is, they could not do a thing for me. And here is another one: 2021-06-10 19:33:00 COMPTON,CA,90220Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item, A shipping label has been prepared for your item at 7:33 pm on June 10, 2021 in COMPTON, CA 90220. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. And nobody seems to care.

 

I'm in a similar situation with a package being sent from China. Now, it's not necessarily the USPS' fault here; China Post seems to be VERY convoluted and bogged-down these days.

 

I'm not necessarily 'endorsing' either of these sites or any services or products they may or may not offer or represent, but you may find some useful or at least partially explanatory information here and here:

 

https://parcelsapp.com/en/carriers/china-post

 

https://donotpay.com/learn/how-long-does-it-take-to-receive-a-package-from-china-usps/

[p90jr]

I do a magazine at work every month... it's been getting to everyone late - if at ever - this summer. Most people here have much more pressing problems (COVID hotspots, trying to rebuild after hurricanes last year, etc) to bother to contact us but a few every month do...

 

I know we don't talk politics here but this is unavoidable with this topic: The current Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, was placed there by the previous Presidential Administration to sabotage and destroy the USPS so that the long-sought-after goal of dismantling it and having private firms handling mail service in the US will get support from an angered public.

 

I ordered a limited edition of "McCartney III" last November... it vanished off the face of the earth once it traveled from the store in Birmingham, AL to the postal facility in Memphis... the tracking app showed it "in processing" there for 6 months, until one day it said that number was not in the system. I had to contact the store who looked into it and refunded me the $30 I spent an hour later... that version of the record is now worth $200.

 

My guitar magazines have traditionally been here between the 1st and 15th of the month... now, strangely, two months show up together, or the June issue will beat the May issue, somehow...

[Winston Psmith]

The June issue of GP got here, no problem, but ever since . . . I've never even seen a copy of the July issue, and don't know that I ever will. Next week, I'm calling to ask one last time if someone can try to send me my magazines, and if not, I'm going to ask for a full refund of my recently renewed subscription, and cancel my subscriptions to both GP and EM, after nearly 30 years.

 

When I last called them, the woman who was trying to help me said that they're also experiencing the flip side of this problem; people are placing orders, but they're not arriving until months after they've been mailed, so those customers think their orders have been misplaced or ignored. If one of those space-hopping billionaires decides to start their own, privately-run alternative to the USPS, I'd have to consider it.

[RABid]

Mail delivery in my neighborhood sucks. Truly sucks. They consistently deliver mail to the wrong address, most often mixing houses in the neighborhood with same house number but different street. We have complained and been told that our neighborhood is on a swing shift and it will probably not get any better. In the meantime I have put all bills on autopay and all subscriptions are digital.

 

You can get Guitar Player on Kindle. I know it will not fulfill your physical collection, but if you ever downsize you will always have them. I did it for a while. Most of my magazines are digital. Now I just do Apple One and read what is included.

[p90jr]

If one of those space-hopping billionaires decides to start their own, privately-run alternative to the USPS, I'd have to consider it.

 

That would be awful and destructive... if some areas were not having enough profitable mail, do you think those routes would be maintained? Rural areas that are off the beaten track would see price hikes or no service. Postal Service is provided/guaranteed in the Constitution for a reason: it is important to a functioning and equal society. I don't know why the present administration is dragging its feet on ejecting DeJoy... or correcting other measures and hijinks implemented over the past couple of decades to hinder and destroy the USPS.

[Caevan O’Shite]

If one of those space-hopping billionaires decides to start their own, privately-run alternative to the USPS, I'd have to consider it.

 

That would be awful and destructive... if some areas were not having enough profitable mail, do you think those routes would be maintained? Rural areas that are off the beaten track would see price hikes or no service. Postal Service is provided/guaranteed in the Constitution for a reason: it is important to a functioning and equal society. I don't know why the present administration is dragging its feet on ejecting DeJoy... or correcting other measures and hijinks implemented over the past couple of decades to hinder and destroy the USPS.

 

Since we're on that topic, much agreed, p90jr.

[Shamanczarek]

Sounds like it might be better to buy new issues at a store. When I subscribed way back when the issues would often arrive damaged. After that I decided to always purchase Guitar Player and Keyboard at a store where I could pick out a pristine undamaged copy. For recent back issues our local Guitar Center sometimes has copies in stock going back several months.

[Winston Psmith]

Sounds like it might be better to buy new issues at a store. When I subscribed way back when the issues would often arrive damaged. After that I decided to always purchase Guitar Player and Keyboard at a store where I could pick out a pristine undamaged copy. For recent back issues our local Guitar Center sometimes has copies in stock going back several months.

 

Believe me, I tried. My FLMS doesn't seem to carry any Music magazines anymore, and there are no bookstores nearby. I may try GC, thanks for that suggestion.

 

As it stands, I still haven't gotten the July & August issues, nor have I gotten any of the replacement issues. September's issue finally arrived, somewhat the worse for wear, but at least it got here.

[Larryz]

Sounds like it might be better to buy new issues at a store. When I subscribed way back when the issues would often arrive damaged. After that I decided to always purchase Guitar Player and Keyboard at a store where I could pick out a pristine undamaged copy. For recent back issues our local Guitar Center sometimes has copies in stock going back several months.

 

Believe me, I tried. My FLMS doesn't seem to carry any Music magazines anymore, and there are no bookstores nearby. I may try GC, thanks for that suggestion.

 

As it stands, I still haven't gotten the July & August issues, nor have I gotten any of the replacement issues. September's issue finally arrived, somewhat the worse for wear, but at least it got here.

 

WP, I too buy my magazines at the grocery, pharmacy, big box, etc., store check out if I see a Guitar mag on the rack that interests me. Since you received Sept already and missed on July and Aug, I think it's more of a supplier issue than a Post Office issue (no pun intended)...then there are the porch pirates in our area that compound the issues. The USPS handles a lot of UPS mail and you'll see their trucks at the UPS store every morning. This also confuses the issue when you are expecting and tracking packages from UPS not knowing the USPS is involved in the delivery. I know it's frustrating when you have been a long time customer and can't get the product they are charging you for. Good luck finding those two missing issues!

[Winston Psmith]

Thanks, Larry, but I've looked in local grocery stores, too, but nothing. I don't expect to see those missing issues, ever, and at this point, I feel like I've wasted enough time on GP and EM.

 

Yesterday, I called trying to renew my subscription to EM, and got a person who did her utmost to convince me that I would get quicker and better service if I renewed online, so I tried that . . . at least three times.

 

It's not worth the aggravation anymore, so this morning, I'm calling to cancel the remainder of my GP sub, and in the meantime, I'll just let my sub to EM die out next month.

[Larryz]

Very sorry to hear of your situation Brother Winston. If I had those two issues/months, I would send them to you free of charge.

[Winston Psmith]

Very sorry to hear of your situation Brother Winston. If I had those two issues/months, I would send them to you free of charge.

 

All good, brother, I know you would.

 

The person who suggested that GP would be glad to cancel my sub clearly had the right idea; just don't bother myself with it anymore.

 

I've got a nice rainy day ahead, which is a break after the hottest July on record, and several weeks of 90+ this August. Time to do other things . . .

[surfergirl]

Your thought they may have been stolen is plausible. The July and August issues are collectables. The July issue is the Prince special edition and is selling for $24.99 and the August is the Who 50th anniversary issue and is $29.99 on Amazon.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Your thought they may have been stolen is plausible. The July and August issues are collectables. The July issue is the Prince special edition and is selling for $24.99 and the August is the Who 50th anniversary issue and is $29.99 on Amazon.

 

Hmmm... >strokes chin<

[Winston Psmith]

Your thought they may have been stolen is plausible. The July and August issues are collectables. The July issue is the Prince special edition and is selling for $24.99 and the August is the Who 50th anniversary issue and is $29.99 on Amazon.

 

An ugly thought, but OTOH, I don't see how anyone could have known that they would become collectables, a few months before the fact?

 

It also doesn't account for why none of my replacement copies ever arrived. Generally, when I've had to ask for a replacement, it came in a brown manila envelope, which wouldn't expose the cover. By now, I should have one or two replacements for the July issue and one for the August issue, but I've got nothing, yet.

 

The only other possibility is that none of the replacement copies I asked for were ever sent, at all?

[Caevan O’Shite]

Your thought they may have been stolen is plausible. The July and August issues are collectables. The July issue is the Prince special edition and is selling for $24.99 and the August is the Who 50th anniversary issue and is $29.99 on Amazon.

 

An ugly thought, but OTOH, I don't see how anyone could have known that they would become collectables, a few months before the fact?

 

It also doesn't account for why none of my replacement copies ever arrived. Generally, when I've had to ask for a replacement, it came in a brown manila envelope, which wouldn't expose the cover. By now, I should have one or two replacements for the July issue and one for the August issue, but I've got nothing, yet.

 

The only other possibility is that none of the replacement copies I asked for were ever sent, at all?

 

I don't know for sure or in any detail, but I think that who handles the subscriptions and how they're handled- printed AND digital/online- has changed more than once relatively recently. I've lost track of the various entity names. A year or two ago or so, my own print subscription got bungled-up; but in my case, I was getting duplicates, extras, which might have had the effect of reducing the total numer of issues/months that I was going to receive. I was able to get that corrected over the phone.

 

By the way, FWIW, even though I've had both the Print and Digital Subscriptions bundled together, i don't think I've ever once viewed the Digital version...

[Sharkman]

A few minutes ago, I heard the doorbell ring. I went to check, and there was the postal delivery woman standing on my porch. She asked if there was a package that got delivered to me by accident, so I reached over and handed her the package that should have been delivered to someone two streets over, but ended up in my mailbox yesterday. Oh, one of the packages coming from China that I wrote about here a week ago is now in Greenwood, Indiana, according to the USPS website. Who knows, maybe it will arrive later this week?

[surfergirl]

Caevan, if you were getting duplicates check to see if one is the Van Halen issue, it's $80. on Amazon.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Caevan, if you were getting duplicates check to see if one is the Van Halen issue, it's $80. on Amazon.

 

Thanks for the helpful suggestion! That wasn't one of them, though- the duplicates were coming a couple of years ago or so- and I put them out in the Break Room where I worked for anyone else there to check out. Spreading the religion...

[KuruPrionz]

Your thought they may have been stolen is plausible. The July and August issues are collectables. The July issue is the Prince special edition and is selling for $24.99 and the August is the Who 50th anniversary issue and is $29.99 on Amazon.

 

Yikes! It's frightening to ponder that somebody would consider breaking a Federal law with serious consequences (stealing from the Post Office is not a great plan!!!!) to make $55 or so.

Maybe they knew they would never be caught. I still wouldn't do it, the risk to reward ratio isn't great.

[RABid]

A couple weeks ago a Sweetwater order that normally only has to go south from Indiana to Kentucky went Indiana - Ohio - Pennsylvania - Ohio - Pennsylvania - New Jersey - Ohio - Kentucky. Thanks to FedEx my synth traveled more in one week that I have traveled in 18 months.