should we give "our guys" a platform

IanSavage

On the 'show' front, just floating it - Sian (RockBabe on the old InterMusic forums) used to give UK builders/luthiers etc a bit of promo and space to show their wares at her GASfest get-togethers, wouldn't be a full-on weekend-long 'show'  but if I were to put on a forum get-together and perhaps book the room for a whole Saturday instead of just the evening would there be any interest in having an afternoon of ogling, trying and (hopefully) buying UK-made gear from the people who make it before the drinking and jamming commenced of an evening? 

I've got contacts at a rehearsal complex in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham so might be able to swing a bar-come-jam-room-come-mini-display-area plus a couple of small soundproofed rehearsal rooms to show off peoples' wares at (fingers crossed) reasonable monies; throw it open to the general public (likely wristbanded) and it'd hopefully pay for itself at maybe a fiver a head...

I'm just spitballing and gauging interest at the minute, but happy to put wheels in motion if folks want it...

EricTheWeary

I have started mooching about on an unrelated forum dealing with a particular type of classic car ( actually 'classic' being utterly the wrong word so 'not very common car'). There is a page on there that is just links to specialist companies ( pretty much like a card in the newsagents window type affair). As far as I can see it is a free service and probably the most useful page on the site. Now, that is probably more defined ( ie it is a very specialist thing)than what we might see on thefretboard but I struggle to see an objection to why not have something similar here. For example, business card type links for UK small builders run for free. Up to them to put the 'cards' there and so they would self define if they are 'pro' or not and they would have had to have found the forum first. Same for UK amp builders or FX makers. If these small builders were , to some extent, in competition with the major manufacturers then over at MR there was a vested interest in not giving them free publicity as the forum was run off advertising revenue.Not an issue here. As long as it is clear they are not endorsed by the forum so there is no come back.

EricTheWeary

I can't edit comments whilst on the computer at work ( the edit button doesn't appear) so just imagine a bracket before the word actually in my above contribution!

Evilmags

The UK mags are so up the arses of the big boys it's pathetic. Guitarist could be run by Gibson, Fender and Joe Bonamassa's agent and would hardly change at all.

JayGee

I believe any potential downside of allowing the artisan end of the guitar trade posting and modest promotion rights here is already pretty much covered by the current "Don't be a dick" clause in the rules. 

If people play nicely (as all the current participants invariably do) there's no problem but if a new arrival makes himself obnoxious (or in the unlikely event of any of the current lot turning feral) that would constitute being a dick and I'm sure our esteemed mods would act accordingly... :-)

EricTheWeary

Evilmags said:

The UK mags are so up the arses of the big boys it's pathetic. Guitarist could be run by Gibson, Fender and Joe Bonamassa's agent and would hardly change at all.

although, unless there has been a recent change ( and just as a vague point of interest), Gibson never advertise in Guitarist. Fairly sure the people at Future wouldn't dare say a word against the likes of GAK though.

Evilmags

Future is not a well run company by any stretch of the imagination. I've bought a few things on their recommendation and their was a clear case of reviewer bias. Laney .VC 15s are fine but hardly a 5star product and as much as I like .TC G systems they are unreliable and the aftermarket support is shocking. All got amazing reviews. They should probably pay Zap to proofread it before publication. Some awfully clunky English in there.

octatonic

How about a plinth?

TTony

Evilmags said:

Future is not a well run company by any stretch of the imagination. I've bought a few things on their recommendation and their was a clear case of reviewer bias.

You don't say ???

randomhandclaps

Evilmags said:

Future is not a well run company by any stretch of the imagination. I've bought a few things on their recommendation and their was a clear case of reviewer bias. 

In fairness though it's quite rare to find any 'Reviewer' who is given stuff for free or effectively contributing to their wages to give a completely fair opinion.  We were approached by one of the multitude of Youtube reviewers - who's channel makes him appear as a guy in his room trying out his new toys - promising us an amazing review in return for free gear.  I checked his channel and he gets a fair few views and a lot of people appear to have taken his advice.

I like Brett Kingman a lot, even with him though I know that he is never going to give a less than sparkling review to any Catalinbread product.  That much is clear when he tells you about the bits they sent him.

Sporky

JayGee said:

 if a new arrival makes himself obnoxious (or in the unlikely event of any of the current lot turning feral) that would constitute being a dick and I'm sure our esteemed mods would act accordingly... :-)

Indeed. Though I'd like to make it clear that "act accordingly" starts off very gently indeed. We are very much opposed to banning anyone if there is any opportunity for them to become a useful contributor to the forum.

The only summary bannings will be for genuine spambots and street teamers. Self promoters will, I imagine, either sink naturally (if their stuff is rubbish but they don't come back) or be mocked mercillessly (if their stuff is rubbish and they do come back). If what they're offering is any good then why put them off?

People will be gently encouraged to contribute to the forum as a whole though, as all the business types here currently do.

If a "business only" section is going to be useful to the potential users then I've no objection to it - hopefully that'll encourage them to play and offer expertise elsewhere on the site.

monquixote

randomhandclaps said:

In fairness though it's quite rare to find any 'Reviewer' who is given stuff for free or effectively contributing to their wages to give a completely fair opinion.  We were approached by one of the multitude of Youtube reviewers - who's channel makes him appear as a guy in his room trying out his new toys - promising us an amazing review in return for free gear.  I checked his channel and he gets a fair few views and a lot of people appear to have taken his advice.

I like Brett Kingman a lot, even with him though I know that he is never going to give a less than sparkling review to any Catalinbread product.  That much is clear when he tells you about the bits they sent him.

I don't mind so much with internet reviews. You know Chappers and PGS Andy are there to sell you stuff, but you can't hide how good something sounds, or doesn't sound.

daveyh

monquixote said:

I don't mind so much with internet reviews. You know Chappers and PGS Andy are there to sell you stuff, but you can't hide how good something sounds, or doesn't sound.

Considering what YouTube does to sound, it's not so much hide as 'sound completely unrepresentative of real life'.

randomhandclaps

monquixote said:

I don't mind so much with internet reviews. You know Chappers and PGS Andy are there to sell you stuff, but you can't hide how good something sounds, or doesn't sound.

It's just that any 'review' should be taken with at least a small dose scepticism. .

We've all seen folks who have shelled out huge amount on something, tell you it's the mutts nuts, then flip it a few months later.

Chappers can hide how something sounds if it's not orientated towards blues-based rock twiddling!!;)  Plus you can easily get distracted from the product by Lee's erection.

[Deleted User]

randomhandclaps;15253" said:

It's just that any 'review' should be taken with at least a small dose scepticism. 

Very true. The fact is, regardless of how impartial the reviewer is, they can only comment with any authority on things which are objective, like what materials a guitar is made of, etc.

Issues of taste sit with the buyer....

andypwudtone

moved to http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/1663/wudtone#latest

andypwudtone

can anyone help me understand how to edit a post , and my last post seems to have gone for approval, any ideas where?

 

andypwudtone

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/1663/wudtone#latest

monquixote

andypwudtone said:

can anyone help me understand how to edit a post , and my last post seems to have gone for approval, any ideas where?

 

It fell foul of our spam filter. 

Fixed now.

andypwudtone

can I get the system to email me when this thread has new contributions? sorry if I'm being a dick!