# Guitarist dopers, a little help please? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807 "2007-11-26T16:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/1 "2007-11-26T16:34:49Z")
My nephew is very into his guitar; he’ll be playing it in Jazz Band at school next year. He’s pretty well equipped so I was thinking of getting him a subscription to a guitar magazine for Xmas. Which one/s would you all recommend? ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/2 "2007-11-26T18:33:37Z")
I specifically like [Guitar World](http://www.guitarworld.com/) and [Acoustic Guitar](http://www.acousticguitar.com/). A lot of it depends on what style of music he is interested in and whatnot. I play mostly only acoustic guitar, so I find that to be the best magazine choice. Guitar World is often bought for the songs featured, not the gear. I could read Acoustic Guitar (or old Guitar World Acoustic) issues over and over, looking at all the little things you can get for acoustics and acoustic-electrics. There are also some specific magazines for certain styles. [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Guitar_magazines) is a (probably partial) list on Wikipedia. Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/3 "2007-11-26T18:49:43Z")
He’s primarily into electric guitar and likes a variety of music, mostly rock and country. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/4 "2007-11-26T22:08:06Z")
[QUOTE=photopat] He’s primarily into electric guitar and likes a variety of music, mostly rock and country. [/QUOTE] In that case the premier guitarists’ mag is probably the monthly _Guitar Player_. I would say the main bias is towards rock, but there is a significant amount of material on country and jazz as well. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/5 "2007-11-26T22:22:09Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] In that case the premier guitarists’ mag is probably the monthly _Guitar Player_. I would say the main bias is towards rock, but there is a significant amount of material on country and jazz as well. [/QUOTE] Seconded. It’s a good mag. ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/6 "2007-11-26T22:26:09Z")
Thirded. They also used to include tablature of current popular guitar work. I don’t know if they still do, perhaps OCS or SoP above would know. If they still do publish that feature, I am sure your nephew would appreciate the feature. ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/7 "2007-11-27T01:35:11Z")
Guitar Player is a pretty great magazine. I used to read it a lot in high school. I’m pretty sure they still do the tablature in there… Apparently, it is also the magazine that most school libraries have - or at least it seems like that around here… Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/8 "2007-11-27T03:05:17Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] In that case the premier guitarists’ mag is probably the monthly _Guitar Player_. I would say the main bias is towards rock, but there is a significant amount of material on country and jazz as well. [/QUOTE] Fourthed. Or fifthed, or whatever number in line I am. Good magazine. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/9 "2007-11-27T15:27:51Z")
Thanks everybody. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/10 "2007-11-27T18:05:23Z")
[QUOTE=photopat] Thanks everybody. [/QUOTE] I will add my voice to support Guitar Player. If he is a bit of a gear geek or collects other stuff, he might be interested in Vintage Guitar magazine. It is basically a collector’s resource, with tons of rare dealer ads, small articles about interesting guitars or celebrity collectors and their collections, etc. Other than Guitar Player it is the magazine that most of my guitar-playing friends subscribe to. Well, that and the Tonequest Report, but that is another story… ---
**Author:** ![mckall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mckall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mckall)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarist-dopers-a-little-help-please/427807/11 "2007-11-27T19:40:17Z")
If you need another vote for Guitar Player, add mine. It’s a great mag.