Now I've offended someone at the UMGF

[ParlourMan]

Nice Post Anthony...Could Only Have Been Improved By More Use Of Capitalization.

 

Flatters, I'm half a world away and I wish I wasn't. You my friend are a man I'd kick around with……

[NevadaPic]

I no longer post on the UMGF. There is a total lack of tolerance to anything that remotely criticizes Martin which is weird considering the forum is not run by Martin. I used get the vibes of an uptight golf club house if I spent too long there. Yeah there are some knowledgeable people there, but whenever anyone has a problem with Martin this is what happens.

For better or for worse, I can't agree more. The vibes are more like those of East Coast preppies however. Constructive criticism is not tolerated. God help you if your comments are critical of certain individuals, the surrogates will punish you severely before you are banned. It's too bad that the UMGF and others cannot offer a venue for critique w/in their own systems instead of members having to resort to other forums to air their grievances.

[ParlourMan]

For better or for worse, I can't agree more. The vibes are more like those of East Coast preppies however. Constructive criticism is not tolerated. God help you if your comments are critical of certain individuals, the surrogates will punish you severely before you are banned. It's too bad that the UMGF and others cannot offer a venue for critique w/in their own systems instead of members having to resort to other forums to air their grievances.

 

The government must be very worried… imagine someone else using their own model……

[Jerry K]

For better or for worse, I can't agree more. The vibes are more like those of East Coast preppies however. Constructive criticism is not tolerated. God help you if your comments are critical of certain individuals, the surrogates will punish you severely before you are banned. It's too bad that the UMGF and others cannot offer a venue for critique w/in their own systems instead of members having to resort to other forums to air their grievances.

 

I don't follow this. There have been humongous threads that went on for months and 20-30 pages or more before being closed, criticizing Martin. Last I looked there were still, even now, open threads where crybabies whined about whisker crack finish issues. The old threads are still there.

 

And just to be clear, these are people who in most cases owned the guitar for a few years before the checking began. When people patiently point out that checking is inevitable and resistance is futile, the response is: but not so soon, and now I may lose money on resale! This is the crux of the issue - they 'lost value' on a piece of equipment that somebody should tell them is a musical instrument, not a forking shiny fetish object / trophy. They should be buying diamonds, not guitars, because that is what they are looking for. I'm sorry, but I am totally turned off to this whole monetary, commercial, accounting approach to musical instruments and I find the complaints of censorship disingenuous, given the power-play schemes of some disgruntled players consumers.

[ParlourMan]

I don't follow this. There have been humongous threads that went on for months and 20-30 pages or more before being closed, criticizing Martin. Last I looked there were still, even now, open threads where crybabies whined about whisker crack finish issues. The old threads are still there.

 

And just to be clear, these are people who in most cases owned the guitar for a few years before the checking began. When people patiently point out that checking is inevitable and resistance is futile, the response is: but not so soon, and now I may lose money on resale! This is the crux of the issue - they 'lost value' on a piece of equipment that somebody should tell them is a musical instrument, not a forking shiny fetish object / trophy. They should be buying diamonds, not guitars, because that is what they are looking for. I'm sorry, but I am totally turned off to this whole monetary, commercial, accounting approach to musical instruments and I find the complaints of censorship disingenuous, given the power-play schemes of some disgruntled players consumers.

 

One might say he's turning up his nose at it…..

[PrairieSchooner]

Guess I don't understand the issue. I've been posting there for years; haven't found the forum to be any better or worse than any other. Why all the ill will?

[blindboygrunt]

Flatters, I'm half a world away and I wish I wasn't. You my friend are a man I'd kick around with……

 

Can I come too?

[J-1854Me]

Guess I don't understand the issue. I've been posting there for years; haven't found the forum to be any better or worse than any other. Why all the ill will?

 

If anything, I've found it to be better than many. So I'd agree with you.

[Lefty55]

For better or for worse, I can't agree more. The vibes are more like those of East Coast preppies however. Constructive criticism is not tolerated. God help you if your comments are critical of certain individuals, the surrogates will punish you severely before you are banned.

[JimB1]

If anything, I've found it to be better than many. So I'd agree with you.

 

+1 I've been a member there for 5 years or so and learned a lot. I've met a lot of players from that board personally here and there and made a few new friends.

 

I've read on a few other boards how "stuck up" the UMGF is but I've never seen it and suspect that people just read (or in some cases start) one or two of the more augmentative threads and go by that. They just aren't into controversy and want to talk about guitars. When I first started there I had a low end Taylor and they still welcomed me with open arms and gave me a lot of tips to get the most from it. There is a constant back and forth about D-18 vs J-45 and it's about a 50/50 split as to which people there like better so the Martin bias, while strong, does not over-ride personal preference. They just like to talk about Martin more. The favorite brand to get down on from what I've seen is Taylor but there are a lot of proponents of Taylor there too (me for one) so sometime those discussions get pretty vocal too.

 

The moderators there have pretty strong personal ties to a lot of folks at the Martin factory (not necessarily management but line folks and such) so sometimes they do like to tone down the "Martin Sucks" rhetoric that some people come on there with, but I've never seen them shut down a thread that is a valid discussion of concerns or issues and I have seen Martin employees respond directly to folks with issues on the board to try and help with some things.

 

So basically, it's all good.

JMHO

 

-Jim

[bobouz]

I've read on a few other boards how "stuck up" the UMGF is but I've never seen it and suspect that people just read (or in some cases start) one or two of the more augmentative threads and go by that. They just aren't into controversy and want to talk about guitars. When I first started there I had a low end Taylor and they still welcomed me with open arms and gave me a lot of tips to get the most from it. There is a constant back and forth about D-18 vs J-45 and it's about a 50/50 split as to which people there like better so the Martin bias, while strong, does not over-ride personal preference. They just like to talk about Martin more. The favorite brand to get down on from what I've seen is Taylor but there are a lot of proponents of Taylor there too (me for one) so sometime those discussions get pretty vocal too.

 

The moderators there have pretty strong personal ties to a lot of folks at the Martin factory (not necessarily management but line folks and such) so sometimes they do like to tone down the "Martin Sucks" rhetoric that some people come on there with, but I've never seen them shut down a thread that is a valid discussion of concerns or issues and I have seen Martin employees respond directly to folks with issues on the board to try and help with some things.

Jim, I see that you're new to this board, and I think if you stick around, you'll find the same kind of scenarios playing out here as over at the UMGF. Maybe with slightly different twists, but basically similar dynamics.

 

There will always be a few heavy brand defenders (or self-appointed experts) who from time to time will attempt to stifle reasonable discussion, but overall, a lot of useful information gets shared here.

 

I used to participate regularly on the old Acoustic Guitar Magazine forum, as well as the UMGF. These days, I only post here on a frequent basis, as my primary interest is in Gibsons. These forums all appear to have a high degree of similarity, as much as we'd like to think there are major differences.

 

Hope you stay with us, and will look forward to your future contributions!

[JimB1]

Jim, I see that you're new to this board, and I think if you stick around, you'll find the same kind of scenarios playing out here as over at the UMGF. Maybe with slightly different twists, but basically similar dynamics.

 

There will always be a few heavy brand defenders (or self-appointed experts) who from time to time will attempt to stifle reasonable discussion, but overall, a lot of useful information gets shared here.

 

I used to participate regularly on the old Acoustic Guitar Magazine forum, as well as the UMGF. These days, I only post here on a frequent basis, as my primary interest is in Gibsons. These forums all appear to have a high degree of similarity, as much as we'd like to think there are major differences.

 

Hope you stay with us, and will look forward to your future contributions!

 

Thanks for the welcome :)

 

I kind of figured, people are the same all over and anyway, what fun would it be if we all had the same opinion?

 

 

Just figured I'd put in my two cents on the UMGF since I am pretty active there.

-Jim

[ParlourMan]

Every guitar forum will always have detractors AGF is too BIG! UMGF is heavily censored.. Gibson forum is full of Taylor haters! - That kind of stuff is evident here, there and everywhere else too. Some people find a community that works for them and stick at it… other people have different motivations.

 

Forums are a great way to present the fact that tone is not in the fingers after all, it's in the vocal chord, half the stuff that gets said would be taken different in conversation as it is in written exchanges. Hence smilies.. :D :D the 'look guys, this is what I mean' indicators. It's a sad day that it has come to using silly looking yellow icons to express where you're headed. RIP the written word I cry!

 

Large audience discussions attract a large audience variety of personality types. Some folk are just abrasive, some are uppity, some are a bit delicate, some not so much. Some just want everybody to get along and others just want to know what everybody's wearing….. Forums are like playing online video games, most folk want to be the lead character!

[Jerry K]

Jim, I see that you're new to this board, and I think if you stick around, you'll find the same kind of scenarios playing out here as over at the UMGF. Maybe with slightly different twists, but basically similar dynamics.

 

There will always be a few heavy brand defenders (or self-appointed experts) who from time to time will attempt to stifle reasonable discussion, but overall, a lot of useful information gets shared here.

 

[snip]

 

I really had to laugh when I read this, since the dynamic over here is the exact opposite of UMGF: people whose first reaction to any controversy is to whip out a gun and fire a few rounds at Gibson just to be on the safe side - they form the majority here. Anyone who dares to think Gibson may be in the right is regularly shouted down, branded "Gibson apologist", "gang of four" etc and it's these so-called apologists who have been hounded out and have in considerable number left. The people on the UMGF who are tight with the factory form the in-crowd there. Over here they are a persecuted minority which the "consumer is always right" crowd attempt to suppress.

 

There is one guy here who is a factory insider, a freaking world expert on these instruments, somebody whose name is mentioned in the preface of the more significant books on this subject, a real mine of information. There are regular attempts here to chase him away. Heck, he contradicts people when they are wrong and who wants that? This is the very cat somebody calls 'self appointed expert'.

[ParlourMan]

Like I say, some folk are just abrasive…..

[Yggdrasil]

all I wanna know is: what happened to the Frankie Boyle clip post?

 

and who's the "factory insider"?

 

I don't mind UMGF, even though the mods are a bit ____ (fill-in the blank)

[Jerry K]

 

 

and who's the "factory insider"?

 

 

 

Hogeye

[Yggdrasil]

Hogeye

 

yeah - I miss that guy - great contributions.

 

I was MIA when he departed, so have no idea why, but definitely a loss to the forum, whether one agreed with him or not.

[Jerry K]

He's still around, I think. Just doesn't post much. There may be more Gibson content on UMGF these days than here. This is turning into a club for buskers.

[blindboygrunt]

He's still around, I think. Just doesn't post much. There may be more Gibson content on UMGF these days than here. This is turning into a club for buskers.

 

And not one of them busked silent night

[Jerry K]

And not one of them busked jingle bells

I practiced it the other day but never got around to recording. It was one of the first melodies I learned to fingerpick around 1968.

[blindboygrunt]

I practiced it the other day but never got around to recording. It was one of the first melodies I learned to fingerpick around 1968.

 

You were too fast jerry. I realised I'd typed jingle bells instead of your requested silent night. Edited the post but you got there before I fixed it.