Would You Subscribe to a Steel Guitar Magazine ?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 14 May 2008 10:54 am

Since Steel Guitarist went out of publication in 1981 there hasn't been a regular national periodical dedicated to the Steel Guitar, as far as I know.

Basil Henriques publishes an excellent magazine on Hawaiian Music, which is about as close as you can get.

http://www.waikiki-islanders.com/

If Steel Guitar Magazine were available today, would you subscribe ? I would.

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 14 May 2008 10:59 am

In a heartbeat..

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 14 May 2008 11:08 am

We've been busted a couple of times with unsuccessful efforts. I wouldnt try again.

phred

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 14 May 2008 11:14 am

Even though I'm with Fred, and lost out on both of the steel mags that folded, I'd probably want to support an honest effort. Maybe. Um... possibly.

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 14 May 2008 11:14 am

Yes I would subscribe, but alas it is only a dream. Nobody would be dumb enough to invest or buy stock in that kind of venture.

Bill Lowe · Post by **Bill Lowe** » 14 May 2008 11:23 am

sign me up

Antolina · Post by **Antolina** » 14 May 2008 11:38 am

No doubt in my mind I'd support any honest effort. Tom Bradshaw published an excellent high quality magazine and I'd welcome something like that again.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 14 May 2008 11:40 am

How bout an online 'zine? less overhead, no distro, no trees harmed or insulted....sell ad space to manfacturers, string makers, etc. Updated monthly with a few articles, interviews, tab, etc.

I nominate someone else to put it all together tho.

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 14 May 2008 12:37 pm

We have this. Why?

It would be cool if we had a guest interview now and then; something where questions could be submitted.

Bill Lowe · Post by **Bill Lowe** » 14 May 2008 1:09 pm

A hard copy for the library

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 14 May 2008 1:14 pm

I was sorry to see the first - and best - fold. Good production values, and it compared well to 'Guitar Player Magazine'.

I got burned on Russ Rask's publication, but only to the tune of about $35. I wasn't tempted by Terry Wendt's effort; I thought the 'home-publisher' look it had, coupled with a Dobro on the cover of the first issue (

), didn't bode well. I did buy a subsequent issue - he met me in town, but charged an outrageous $11+ for it - but I thought it poor.

Personally, although I can see that an online magazine is more practical (although I agree with MD - what's wrong with the Forum?), I've always had an inexplicable need for actual hard-copy - I expect it's the collector in me!

Michael Strauss · Post by **Michael Strauss** » 14 May 2008 1:15 pm

Being on the road 4 days a week (on planes Monday abd Thursday), I would welcome a good magazine to read. But, even if we all said yes, a few hundred or even a few thousand people wouldn't be enough to justify the cost a printed publication. My 2c.

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 14 May 2008 1:46 pm

I enjoy Bobbe Seymour's e-newsletters. How he keeps coming up with different topics each week I don't know.
The internet provides more than enough written information, photos and pictures, tab, etc. Bobby Lee's forum has replaced any need to thumb through a piece of paper.

Pre-internet days justified having printed newsletters. Times have changed. Why lose a bit more rain forest when it is all on the internet?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 May 2008 1:55 pm

Oh no, not again! The days of such things are past. We tried to warn the last guy and he said, basically, 'don't you worry your pretty little heads about the production costs; I have my own printer, and I can make this work.' He failed miserably and dropped out of sight, like his predecessors, leaving people with pre-paid subscriptions that he would never fulfill. Of course, he had the finest of intentions but poor market intelligence and poor planning and failure to recognize a dinosaur when it's staring you in the face will take down the best of men, good intentions or not.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 14 May 2008 2:10 pm

I agree with Mike, there's more info here and on utoob here than any magazine could offer. The same thing makes a paid online version sort of obsolete. Why have to pay or read ads when we've got something better?

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 14 May 2008 2:51 pm

In spite of problems in the past with some publications, I'd still be there for the first issue as long as it was a personthat I knew of. I'd sure be willing to give them a chance for a few issues at least.

I don't think it would interfere with this forum whatsoever. I mean, there are some times and places you just can't or don't want to take your computer with you

I doubt that anyone would want to invest time and trouble in starting one though.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 14 May 2008 3:07 pm

I was Tom Bradshaw's Art & Advertising Director for his wonderful "Steel Guitarist Magazine." Now, THAT was a dream job, combining my graphics skills and passion for steel guitar.

I begged him, half-jokingly, a few years back to start it back up, but he correctly replied: "Why? All this great info is online now."

So, I feel there's room for someone to produce a great looking online publication. Between paid subscriptions (maybe that's optional, none of us like paying for websites, do we?) and paid ads (they're annoying, but they're income), someone could probably turn a modest profit.

Has anyone copy/pasted text from some of the great threads on the forum and created a searchable, indexed site? That would be a great start. If it already exists, it sure needs better publicity! Even just comments from the top pro players would be a valuable online resource. How 'bout it, b0b?

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 14 May 2008 3:08 pm

Alan Brookes wrote:Since Steel Guitarist went out of publication in 1981 there hasn't been a regular national periodical dedicated to the Steel Guitar, as far as I know.

Steel Guitar World doesn't count?

How quickly we forget.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 14 May 2008 3:22 pm

Donny Hinson wrote:I agree with Mike, there's more info here and on utoob here than any magazine could offer. The same thing makes a paid online version sort of obsolete. Why have to pay or read ads when we've got something better?

who said anything about paying for an online version? it would be free to view...money would come from advertisers to keep the thing goin..not from online subscribers.

Ya know ...a section of this forum devoted to articles and interviews updated monthly would be VERY cool and I'm sure bOb isnt busy enough as it is now.

he could farm out the writing and even sell "banner" ads at the top and bottom of each page/article/interview to cover expenses.?

dont all volunteer at once now....

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 14 May 2008 3:24 pm

If I could get an issue when it is supposed to be here and not just pay money for blue sky like the last two publications I might be interested. I am tired of being ripped off.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 14 May 2008 4:19 pm

Insanity is repeating past mistakes and expecting different results.

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/003009.html

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum4/HTML/003713.html

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/006429.html

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/005796.html

http://steelguitarforum.com/Archives/Ar ... 08493.html

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 15 May 2008 9:28 am

Then maybe we could have a Forum Section called Articles and people could submit essays to it which would in time become a useful database. I know b0b has links, which are very useful, and a place to put articles, but that location is not casually accessible to members.

I know how much work publications can become. I used to be the editor of the Bulletin of the Birmingham & District Chess League, which I ran for about 7 yrs., couldn't find any help and eventually gave up. I was also the Editor of Abacus, the staff magazine of the City Treasurer's Dept., Birmingham, and I could rarely find any help. When I moved to California that fell by the wayside. Then we had a publication The Newsletter of the Northern California Association of Luthiers, and that faded away.

Everyone I've met who has tried to publish a periodical in his spare time has ultimately failed, despite the best of intentions. You need to be full-time or retired (or both)

Mark Lind-Hanson · Post by **Mark Lind-Hanson** » 15 May 2008 9:42 am

"Yes, of course."
Given that it would ultimately be an irrevocably suicidal venture, for as long as it might exist, I would be interested in reading it.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 15 May 2008 11:17 am

To me an E-magazine would be the only viable way.

Check this one out:
http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/

I think it is one guys brainchild. Not sure how often he updates it but I get a kcik out of it.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 15 May 2008 11:39 am

i vote yes....if it's tom bradshaw's mag and same quality as last one!

The Steel Guitar Forum

Would You Subscribe to a Steel Guitar Magazine ?

Would you subscribe to a Steel Guitar Magazine ?

Would You Subscribe to a Steel Guitar Magazine ?

yes

why?

Re: Would You Subscribe to a Steel Guitar Magazine ?

Know The History, or repeat the same mistakes