Why I joined, and what I'm looking for here

axisus

I joined fairly on, mainly as I liked the old music radar forum.

Good for chat, guitar or otherwise, good for advice, good for buying and quite a lot of laughs - but enough about me ...

thumpingrug

Was on MusicRadar, joined Emps temporary hostel for a while and migrated here when the doors opened.  Im an amateur/bedroom noodler, but I have learnt so much from the people here.  I come for the pics and the banter.  I stay away from the classified as I know it would cost me money I haven't got.  I do like the off topic area and whilst don't always agree have mostly enjoyed listening to others perspectives.  As long as it doesn't get personal I think its ok.    I like the sense of community this place has developed and how it has helped people in need in different ways and at different times.   This is the best forum I have every come across.

Grangousier

I stumbled across the site when I was looking for pickups. I missed out a lot in my guitar education in earlier life. I played a lot of electric guitar when I was a kid, but because I  mainly wanted to make high gain noises rather than jangle (and because I couldn't afford to even look at anything very exciting), I never really learned about anything further afield than different kinds of humbuckers and strat pickups, and I only really experienced the regular flavours of those. 

I mean, I'd see P90s and Filtertrons and so forth in the shop windows on Denmark Street, but I didn't really know what they were, and they tended to be attached to guitars that were so expensive (by my standards) that I was nervous about breathing in their direction, let alone asking to play them. 

After college I didn't really have many opportunities to play electric guitar on stage - most of the playing I've done out for the last twenty-five years or so has been on acoustics, either steel-string or (mostly) nylon string. I was kind of aware that the sound of XTC or early Beatles was Rickenbacker, for example, but as I never played one it was just theoretical.

Since 2002-ish I've been using VG88 and VG99 modellers at home for recording (and sometimes for live). I actually like them a lot, but the experience isn't like playing an actual (for example) Strat through a Marshall, but something that sounds like a recording of that setup. I'm used to it and it doesn't bother me, but I don't really get the nuance and directness that I do with my nylon-string guitars. Of course there are loads of guitars in the VG99 - not just two types of Strat, but also Tele, Rickenbacker and a few others, and I've become interested in finding out about the real life guitars, so I started looking at the websites of companies like Oil City or The Creamery (I'm much more interested in the small companies, I must admit), then googling stuff I didn't understand. Then when I found this forum I started lurking, just to find out about things. It's a very educational site. Then I joined up when I was finally tempted to buy some pedals. Only cheap ones so far, but it's a slippery slope. 

I'm actually embarrassed by how little I knew. I mean, I've spent a lot of time listening to guitars, playing the guitar, and I knew hardly anything, it seems. Still, learning new things is fun. 

The other thing is that I have quite a few guitars that I've left in less than glorious condition, and I've always felt that I'd like to bring as many of them as possible to an at least playable condition, and perhaps put in some of those interesting pickups I've been reading about. Certainly before I buy any more. 

In general, then, I'd like to learn how to do set-up and at least minor repair. As I get older I'd like to be able to tune up, as it were, as much as I knock out of tune.

What that means is that I have a lot of stupid questions. On the whole, it looks like the community is very accepting of even someone as ill-informed as me, so I hope to start asking them soon. 

Kebabkid

I found Musicradar when something I was after come up on a search there in the Classifieds and initially joined to sell something else but stayed because the advice was good and varied and it was somewhere to chat about music and gear. Forumites seemed friendly and I transferred over to here when this place was set up.

I've enjoyed GearFests and the people I've met have been great and can say I have some new mates. On that score, and through PMs, I have regular chats with certain people, who I hope to actually meet one day.
The buying and selling opportunities
The general kindness and support on offer
Links to new music and gear
Moderation has been good and fair
 
I haven't enjoyed the trolling, fights and any nasty elements but then I tend not to go into OT and SC and so I'm pleased people who want to get into that stuff and controversial subjects have "their outlet" but I'd still rather it wasn't on this site and on some other social media platform as an argument on there can follow you onto the regular categories with certain behaviours.

On the basis of this, I joined Basschat and whilst I'm not anywhere near as active over there, I do like their model, the general tone of the place and how respectful and helpful people are. I also went to one of their gear meets and everyone was v.friendly and it was all done superbly. It might be worth looking at them to see if anything there suits/fits our forum and could be beneficial.

Tone71

I joined here following the demise of the Musicradar forum, as a home player with limited abilities but with a huge appreciation and fascination with music and guitars this is the only forum that I frequent.

I like all of the sections, off topic is a regular haunt but I do like to browse the classifieds and have bought and sold in the past, making and modding is a good one and the reviews are excellent for independent opinions.

I do like the idea of a "for trade" section but not sure how successful it would be but it could be interesting. How about MOD for the week/fortnight ?

I don't "want" anything from here, I appreciate all the hard work put in by all (it must be a nightmare and massively time consuming at times with the bickering and falling out that unfortunately occurs) I like the fact that I can read/interact with like minded and knowledgeable folk and also that my lunacy in buying guitars and amps is shared by many others.

Gassage

To use materialism to boost my flagging self esteem.

DiscoStu

I joined because musicradar committed suicide. And because I liked the folks who were on there. And because this site rose from the ashes and was much betterer. 

RocknRollDave

I joined to discuss music and playing, especially playing live (I rarely record and even more rarely buy new gear, so I have little to contribute to conversations regarding either subject)

I stopped contributing a couple of months ago because I got fed up of finding a post about a musician would get maybe three polite replies but a thread about how Americans pronounce things wrong will get 100+ effusive replies over several pages.
Fair enough if people aren't interested in the same music I like, taste in music is subjective after all and that is fine, just felt a bit like people weren't interested in talking about music that much full stop.
I also felt it all became very cliquey and every thread got hijacked by very vocal self-appointed moral guardians.

I don't know what the answer is - The board is open and free for all, which is how it should be, but that just means for me it becomes something that I don't feel I fit into. Maybe it's just me! I do, however, appreciate all the fine work that has gone into it over the years, and continues to go into it.

EricTheWeary

RocknRollDave said:

I joined to discuss music and playing, especially playing live (I rarely record and even more rarely buy new gear, so I have little to contribute to conversations regarding either subject)

I stopped contributing a couple of months ago because I got fed up of finding a post about a musician would get maybe three polite replies but a thread about how Americans pronounce things wrong will get 100+ effusive replies over several pages.
Fair enough if people aren't interested in the same music I like, taste in music is subjective after all and that is fine, just felt a bit like people weren't interested in talking about music that much full stop.
I also felt it all became very cliquey and every thread got hijacked by very vocal self-appointed moral guardians.

I don't know what the answer is - The board is open and free for all, which is how it should be, but that just means for me it becomes something that I don't feel I fit into. Maybe it's just me! I do, however, appreciate all the fine work that has gone into it over the years, and continues to go into it.

Nice to see something from you Dave   It has made me think how much I post on here out of habit ( sat on the loo at work, on a train or what have you) rather than because I find something interesting ( or have anything interesting to say). 
The number of  interesting things said about music and creativity is in the minority here. Even then there are the ' that's shit' type responses ( the recent St Vincent Discussion for example where you had to search through for salient points). I'm not surprised, just a bit disappointed. 

It's still a very good place for some of those Discussions but I'd rather people contributed meaningfully to the on topic stuff a bit more so the balance was better. But as you say open and free for all. 

Alnico

I joined here early in 2014.
I came from Ultimate Guitar and I wanted to join something that was UK based.

In the 3 odd years I've been here I experienced so much more things through this community than I ever thought possible from an internet forum.
It's gone from an information resource online to something that forms a large part of my social life and an outlet for whatever musical ability I have and want to express.
I've watched the forum grow from the 8-month-old, small community it was into what we have now which is frankly astonishing.......are we past 7,000 members yet? We can't be far off!

So I came here looking for info and interesting chat but I got some of the best real-life, long term friends I've ever had (I also found an old school-friend who I hadn't seen for 24 years!), vast amounts more information than I thought you could get access to, so I've learned a *huge* amount and I've got a platform for whatever I can manage to play or create.

Recent 'Turbulence' has been difficult here but the forum is bigger than the sum of its parts and the more useful and helpful some of us are able to make this place for everyone, the more I'm fairly sure we can move away from all that.

There's some really cool stuff happening next year, once we've all got past Christmas.
It's all happening quietly behind the scenes for now but if you liked the Jam sessions, enjoy learning and you enjoy the social meet-up side of this place, you'll love this!..........TBA

CHRISB50

I joined after the MR forum went tits up.

To be honest I never really posted on the MR forum and only joined it to sell an amp and a guitar.

Once I became a member here I started actually contributing a bit. 

Since joining The FB I've spent far more than I ever would have done, had I not been a member. Discovering Coda was particularly dangerous.

However, I've since sold all my gear and am now guitarless / ampless.

I tend stick around Off Topic and BCD now, as I don't really have a great deal of interest in the on topic stuff.

It sounds strange being a member of a guitar forum while not actually owning a guitar, but I think it is testament to the members and community that have been built up here. Plus I love a bit of drama, and there is often that.

thing

I joined because I know there are some good, solid drinkers on here.

Bridgehouse

thing said:

I joined because I know there are some good, solid drinkers on here.

Yesh there arsh. I'm tucking into my 2nd glass of Madeira 

thing

Good man, on my third gin.

Bridgehouse

thing said:

Good man, on my third gin.

Cor, Gin is the hard stuff! I defer to your greater solidity in drinking

thing

Well I been doing it a long time, my liver and I have an understanding.

TTony

You still have a liver?

thing

Well it kind of exists but not in a way that anyone would know.

cruxiform

thing said:

I joined because I know there are some good, solid drinkers on here.

Welcome man! A proper legend  

Why I joined? I was on the intermusic forums then Musicradar and found this forum by chance when googling an old forum user that I wanted to get in touch with and he turned out to be a member here. 

I like the vibe here, most people are friendly and decent. What I want from the forum is simply somewhere to drop in, pass some time and buy/sell gear. I’m not a prolific poster and I don’t read every thread, just the ones that interest me. 

Neill

I joined this forum for a number of reasons, despite my best efforts to escape it the guitar won't leave me alone. I haven't played seriously for maybe five years, since I had a bad accident and for some time lost the use of my left hand.  It was easy to assume I would never play again, and even now there are things I can't do that I could before the accident, it's very frustrating but I've been playing music in various forms since I was at school so I have to come to terms with it. 

I've moved to a remote part of the country during this fallow period and lost touch with folks I used to play with, and I haven't kept up with developments in technology, though that's a love hate thing with me.  The forum is hopefully a way of reconnecting with musicians and engaging with the guitar community. 

I joined the forum with some trepidation.  I have been a member of several other forums, not music or guitar based and I've given up with them mainly because too many threads end up the same way - trading insults and petty points scoring.  So far this forum seems to be free of that.