should we give "our guys" a platform

FelineGuitars · August 2013

It would be good to draw in more UK pros as well as more players too .

As far as the show goes it's a nice idea.

the London show used to be ace till it all got a bit too corporate and the magic was lost

Guitar Nation was good from what I saw but it cancelled a couple of times.

I exhibited at a Music live at the NEC and whilst it was fun - it was almost painful in a way being confronted with the lack of disposable income in the West Midlands - constantly being told you were having a laugh asking that much for a guitar.

But what was good was that they had quite a selection of UK makers showing off the wares in a hall where the stands didn't cost so much

OilCityPickups · August 2013

There are far more affordable venues in London now than there used to be ... I have pretty first hand experience in this as my missus is a freelance production manager, both for live music and for big 'shows' at venues like the O2, the Royal Albert hall etc. It's far more competitive that it used to be, and venues are now 'hunting' new business. Certainly a small London based show, (connected to FB or not) is more doable these days than it would have been a couple of years ago. Perhaps something to think about for the future.
I never cease to be amazed by the industry talent we have in this country ... we can produce work that stands right up next to the prestige US brands quality wise ... yet still some people still treat us - and in particular the luthiers - almost as 'eccentrics'. The reason top flight UK built guitars don't tend to hold their price like Gibson or fender is entirely down to public perception ... not quality.
(Starts humming Rule Britannia under breath) ....

Jalapeno · August 2013

Evilmags said:

Maybe a page of links to small guys websites and a photogallery.

All for it - How would people be eligible to join posts/nominations/frets ? Needs a debate.

nickp · August 2013

Jalapeno said:

Evilmags said:

Maybe a page of links to small guys websites and a photogallery.

All for it - How would people be eligible to join posts/nominations/frets ? Needs a debate.

as others have said - all for it - I have great pickups by the weasel. the danger is that we then have guys joining the forum just to promote their goods rather than being all round good guys and trusted suppliers which could become a ball-ache

Jalapeno · August 2013

nickp said:

as others have said - all for it - I have great pickups by the weasel. the danger is that we then have guys joining the forum just to promote their goods rather than being all round good guys and trusted suppliers which could become a ball-ache

Exactly .....

ChristophEar · August 2013

Not to derail the conversation from builders - but I'd like to suggest there might be other small UK music businesses that would benefit from having a business-owners discussion board, and/or some way to share what they're doing without it being spammy/overly-promotional.

For my part, I'd love to offer a discount on any of my company's stuff to FB members, or let the guitar teachers on the site know about our free stuff for teachers - but I've been unsure how to do that without it just seeming like advertising so I haven't

Evilmags · August 2013

Well we know who our current lot are. When new builders arrive they should be ankle to register as a builder then post for a month. If after that month they are deemed to have contributed by the mods then they are in.

jaygtr · August 2013

On another forum I visit landyzone , you have to have posted 50 "useful" comments before you can do much. They work on the basis that you have to put something in before you can get anything out.

monquixote · August 2013

I don't really want to put any artificial limits in.

I expect people with commercial interests to put something in if they want to get something out. (as all the people in this thread are doing). If you don't do that the mods will banhammer you however many posts you have.

TTony · August 2013

I think it'll work well enough with natural selection.

Those "pros" who contribute will become known and trusted.

Those who just pitch up to show their wares may get the odd "wow" vote, but they're unlikely to build the sort of relationship with potential buyers that's needed to persuade the buyer to part with £2k (or more) for a custom guitar.

IanSavage · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

How about a plinth?

TTony · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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] · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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

andypwudtone · August 2013

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

andypwudtone · August 2013

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

monquixote · August 2013

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 · August 2013

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

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should we give "our guys" a platform

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