From the Gibson Editor: What do you want to read?

[GarpJarp]

Hey Guys,

 

I'm the Editor for Gibson.com, in particular our Lifestyle site.

 

Would you mind taking a minute to tell me what you like about our Lifestyle site and what you'd like to change? What do you want to read more about, what do you want to read less about?

 

Be as general or specific as you like. Just don't be surprised if you see your ideas reflected on our site right away!

 

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

Ellen Mallernee

[djroge1]

Thanks for asking. I'm going to think about this a little before giving an answer. Again thanks for asking.

[ChanMan]

Thanks for asking. I'm going to think about this a little before giving an answer. Again thanks for asking.

 

+1.

[SGman94]

may I ask y are you a newbie if you are the editor for the lifestyle section? Shouldn't you be an admin?

[RichCI]

The forums are a separate entity from the main web site. As an editor for part of the main web site, he probably has nothing to do with the forums at all.

[Homz]

Thanks for asking.

I would like to see some profiles on average garage bands. After all we actually buy the guitars. The big stars get them free. The hobbyists, bar bands, even just guys sitting in their living room using a loop recorder.

 

Perhaps you could ask for pics and MP3 files and ask us who do do the garage band stuff for their story. I've got a band in mind.

 

Have your target bands fill out some sort of interview like questions.

 

Something like this.

 

 

What is your favorite color? I enjoy a wide spectrum of colors

 

What is your favorite movie? Anything by Mel Brooks or Monty Python

 

What is your favorite musician/ group? Singularities are so pensive, especially in music; but, if I must pick only one it would be The Pink Floyd

 

Are you in love? One becomes accustomed to the stimuli of one or more people and that is recognized on the emotional level as love. I love my family, that is to say I have become accustomed to the stimuli of them.

 

Shoe size? Glove size? Ahhh, finally a question with only one answer. But, to be precise I would be remiss not to point out that shoe sizes vary with manufacturers. Having that said and allowing for varying manufacturers the simple answer is 12. As for glove size; anyone who actually knows their glove size is a dweeb.

 

What is your favorite vacation spot? Room service. Anywhere, while watching a Mel Brooks film on Spectra vision with the stimulating inputs of my family and preparing for a concert outing to see The Pink Floyd.

 

If you could be anyone else, who would that be? My dog, the little bastard has it made.

 

What is your favorite prehistoric animal? Either the mood ring or the pet rock. Of coarse parachute pants were in the running but lost in the final due to their propensity for gathering moisture. You see unlike cotton, which can breathe, and release the sweat, parachute pants were made of polyester and really reeked after a short time. Unless you didn’t sweat.

 

What is your favorite food? Flan. Few Americans know the joy that is flan. A caramelized glaze covering quiche topped with strawberries. Best enjoyed as part of the answer for the above favorite vacation spot question.

 

What type of underwear do you wear? Underwear do you wear, seems a bit redundant. Maybe it should be underwhat or underwho. Second base.

 

What do you collect? Double entendres. Masterfully collected via answering single entandra questionnaires. (btw I know I spelled it wrong; perhaps it was no accident, or is it that the spell checker had no idea what the hell I was trying to write; you figure it out)

 

Have you ever shot anyone? No, never, no matter what they say. And I don’t want to talk about it. That’s right I don’t want to talk about something I never did. That’s my answer and I’m sticking with it.

 

Do you have any piercings? If so, where and what’s your favorite? My wit and use of sarcasm are quite piercing, or so many have said. Or did they say grading or annoying. Ahh, **** em if they can’t take a joke.

 

 

Do you have any tattoos? How many? For legal reasons my lawyer has advised me to not divulge any distinguishing body art that I may or may not have. Or for that matter to answer any questions directly. With exceptions to the shoe size question which I think you will agree was actually answered.

 

How old were you when you lost your virginity? The third trimester of my third leap year. You do the math.

 

How old was she? I was in a rut or must and it was a dark foggy night. The moon hung in hallows and shadow was the lay of the land. She was beautiful and full in the bosom like a ripe concord grape hanging from the vine for my picking. 20 something.

How old were you when you got your first French kiss? See above romance novel answer and add a few more tawdry lines.

 

Can you cook? What’s your favorite thing to make? “ I was cutting a rug in a place called The Jug with a girl named Linda Lu. “ How’s that for cooking; now I’m cooking with gas. Sorry, the cooking with gas reference ala 1922 speak-easy, may have been lost on many of you youngsters.

 

What breast size do you prefer? I have plagiarized a poem for just such a question.

 

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all convictions, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

 

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again; but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

 

What hair color do you prefer? Will the questions ever end? I pray for the relief that only death can bring.

 

Leather? Lace? Silk? (panties) Do you have anything in a mesh? (Stripes)

 

What’s your favorite restaurant? Saporro Japanese Steak house, there that makes two I have answered. Or was it three? The shoe size and emmm….

 

What is your favorite brand of instrument? I prefer a single malt. Those poly malts somethings are just a bastardization of the time honored traditions of our for fathers and an insult to the bard in us all.

 

What instruments do you have? Scientific lab stuff, mostly used in my alchemy work. You see if you add just the right amount of protons to a lead atom you can make gold. Problem is it takes a supercollider and I am fresh out.

 

What is your favorite song to perform? Pachelbel’s Cannon in D, oh and anything by Hall and Oates. (don’t forget my piercing sarcasm)

If you could live anywhere where would that be? I hear Antarctica is beautiful in the spring. Which would actually be fall here in Indiana. Lots of sun and all the penguins you can eat.

[BlueLightWas]

I just bought an SG and would love to know more about them. I've been playing for 32 years. I owned an S1 a long time ago when I was around 17. I just bought the SG becaus I finally found them affordable. I'd love more info on the specs. How closely does the SG special match the specs of the other classics. For example mine has a fat neck. But I hear Angus Young has a slim neck. Which years/models had what types of necks. Which stars played the fat neck that came with my SG special ? Also what about the pickups. Mine has 490R/T DId they always have these or were these put in later in the 60's

 

Love the arcitle one how to get Eric Clapton's Woman tone. Can you do more like those. Also, I use a Fender blues junior (I'm sure a lot of folks do). Can we get tips on how to get great tone with GGs and other amps?

[Steven Tari]

I'm interested in how your pick up's were first invented and how you updated them and figured how to add them to the different guitars thru time.

I'd also like to hear the story on how and why you have made the cheaper brands of guitars over time. Like a KG-2 first edition. Then changing over to the SG style.

[James Allen]

I really like the stories about the history of an instrument or a band. When you have stories like that, I feel that I've learned something interesting. It makes for good conversation at supper with the other musicians in my family.

 

I also love the stories where the artists themselves are explaining their craft. I don't care about an artist's favorite color, etc. I am curious about how they carved out a career, a sound, a style for themselves.

 

More stories like these, I'm a keeper!

[solacematt]

I really like the stories about the history of an instrument or a band. When you have stories like that' date=' I feel that I've learned something interesting. It makes for good conversation at supper with the other musicians in my family.

 

I also love the stories where the artists themselves are explaining their craft. I don't care about an artist's favorite color, etc. I am curious about how they carved out a career, a sound, a style for themselves.

 

More stories like these, I'm a keeper![/quote']

 

 

Here here! Agreed with all of that. Once upon a time even the players in the bigger bands were just joe shmoes like the rest of us here and it would be cool to reador see a more in-depth interview with them talking about their progression. I remember reading an interview with Billy Corgan in EQ magazine last year where he said how much he loathed interviews but loved talking about gear, playing, songwriting and the like and wished more interviews that were with music magazines were like that instead of talking about tours and what kind of guitar did you use on such and such song. Get more in depth. You used this guitar instead of this kind with this amp becuase you found that this amp had a nicer clean or more growling distortion or used two amps together for this aspect of one and this in another. Those kind of interviews really give insight in the kind of creative process that really goes on.

[MikeRom]

The lifestyle section is terrific. Losts of stories on performers young and old, new product introductions ... lessons!

 

Definitly the lessons are great. Arlen is a great instructor.

 

The video's inbedded with the artist articals, also really great.

 

Shout outs to the forum would be cool. Maybe run a picture of someones new ax when they get one .. like my new autumn burst ;-)

 

Only thing I realy don't care about cube base/garage band type things. Not interested.

 

And the tips articles, keep those coming. Very interesting very educational.

 

I like how the content changes often. Always something fresh.

 

I don't know if you already have this but links to an archive of past articles would be great.

[BIGBENDS]

I agree with these guys who'd like to read about artists and their gear, but I think it would be interesting to also read about the artists daily happenings on the road. Maybe some artists would agree to keep a daily "road" journal about everything; the show, the hotel, the food, the mishaps, the fans, the gear, the weather, and the aches and pains of the touring life.

[RudyH]

I don't mind a bit of advertising as long as I get some good info in return. I'd like to know more about the following specifically, but you can see the general pattern of what I'd like to read:

 

1) More about the Dark Fire. Perhaps cool things that have been done with it since its release. I'd like some sound examples to go with the text.

 

2) Getting the most out of my ES 335. For example, why the tone knobs and pickup selector work the way they do, and suggestions for some cool combinations for rock, jazz, country and blues. Some amp settings of compatible Gibson Amps to go with it.

 

3) Some cross selling info, like if I'm contemplating buying a Les Paul, what do I get with the basic Epiphone model?, then compare that with the next model up the line for Epiphone, and continuing up to the top of the Gibson line.

 

4) An article on Gibson strings. I love them. I didn't even know Gibson sold strings over the counter until I stumbled onto them. Compare the different kinds and what they are used for, like flat wounds, nickel vintage, etc.

 

6) How to find a Gibson repair shop, and periodic maintenance to consider.

 

7) Some other cross selling info, like why an electric guitar player might want to try a mandolin or acoustic guitar.

 

8) Suggestions for setting up a playing area at home, including guitar stands, amp, digital stuff, recorders, mics, etc.

 

9) In short, make the guitar I play more interesting to me, then expand my horizons a bit.

 

10) Insights into Gibson's design and manufacturing philosophy. I always enjoy reading about how passionate people can be about their work and why they think their work is the best.

[Rocky4]

I don't really enjoy the How To Get So and Sos Tone section. I'd like to hear players views on playing. What do they have trouble with, do they get into slumps and how do they get out, do they practice, who do they actually listen to, etc

[Californiaman]

Love the Lessons, especially Arlen Roth's.

Would love more interaction between you guys and us guys.

We "Buy" them, often at incredible prices compared to other musicians, who get them for free or next to nothing.

Why didn't you guys pick up the idea that we were doing a Calender. No one from Gibson would help us, answer our emails, return our phone calls. We even had an independent company, Premier Guitar Magazine, select the top Gibson Guitars! We got no response from corporate.

What a joke.

Why don't you have special webcasts with big stars or have them answer some of our questions from the Forums and "Then" write an article.

As a former journalist, I'd say that there is a lot more you could be doing.

I mean it took what six months since I suggested on the forum that you guys should have a line of clothing. Then you finally get it up and running and no one can afford Gibson's cork-sniffer prices. Come on.

Read the forums now and again and get a clue.

[Californiaman]

I agree with these guys who'd like to read about artists and their gear' date=' but I think it would be interesting to also read about the artists daily happenings on the road. Maybe some artists would agree to keep a daily "road" journal about everything; the show, the hotel, the food, the mishaps, the fans, the gear, the weather, and the aches and pains of the touring life.[/quote']

 

Yeah, +1 on that idea.

Good one.

[lespaul2]

How about the a New ad for the Jimmy Page #2 from the 2009 Namm show.. that's a great start for me

[whoobla]

I like gear discussion, like what overdrives people use and there experience with the the gear.ie your web page how you feel about them, I was looking at a blackstone but your feedback may change that for me, and yeah the mxr + is fuzzy at low settings. Gear settings/amps gtrs/pick ups / set up /pedal boards.

[loneguitar]

More history of the discontinued models, Lord knows that there's a mess of them.

Designers corner perhaps, interviews with some of the minds behind the magic.

Also would like to see a more in depth Gibson factory tour video.

How about a my Gibson and me photo section for all of us proud Gibson owners.....

[RichCI]

I think what a lot of the stuff people are asking for is already out there on the web and can be found easily with a little Googling. What I'd like to see is content that you can't find anywhere else.

 

Random points:

 

In depth specs about Gibson products really don't belong in the Lifestyle section, they belong in the products section.

 

Any "review" of Gibson products on the Gibson web site are immediately suspect whether warranted or not. There are already tons of other reviews and discussions out there about various guitars (for better or worse, Harmony Central has around 2 useful reviews out of 50 for any given product but those 2 are usually very good).

 

Discussions about gear (and, specifically, Gibson gear) are available right here on the forums.

 

Articles about vintage Gibson instruments would be nice, but I don't know how effective they would be towards helping Gibson sell new instruments - and, let's face it, selling products is the reason any corporate web site exists in the first place. Articles like that might have some benefit in regard to just general promotion of the brand or giving someone just that extra nudge towards purchasing some sort of reissue though. All that aside, there is already TONS of info on other web sites about Gibson guitars; here's a great one: http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson.html

 

Like Rocky4, I think the How to Get so-and-so's tone is useless but maybe not to someone who has the Gibson modeling software which I don't own and have no plans to purchase. Even then, I always think to myself, "Why would I want to sound like someone else rather than myself?" Might be just me being cranky though.

 

What I'd like to see and others have noted:

 

Interviews with artists who use Gibson products where they discuss why they use them and what they like and don't like about them. I don't mean some sort of standard interview or fluff piece where they talk about their new album unless they talk about which guitars they used on certain tracks, why they used them and what other gear they used with those guitars.

 

Homz's idea about interviewing small bands (not rock stars) is a really good one. It could be done weekly or monthly or however often you want to do it. For that matter, maybe you could do sort of an online, band version of American Idol where you post an interview and sound and/or video clips of each contestant. Then, let web site visitors vote for their favorite every six months or whatever and award the winning band some guitars or some other prize. It'd be a lot of work up front to whittle down who you want to feature, but I'll bet it'd be a great promotional tool.

[TheLiveSoundGuy]

The forums are a separate entity from the main web site. As an editor for part of the main web site' date=' he probably has nothing to do with the forums at all.

[/quote']

 

 

Uhhh...Just for the record his name is:

 

Ellen Mallernee

[ksdaddy]

My vote is to profile the employees. Just at random, not in any pecking order, names drawn from a hat. Doesn't matter if they fit necks to bodies or install the tuners or glue the kerfing on. It would give everyone a little insight into the amount of work that goes into building a guitar. We don't need full names and all that, just a first name, what they do in an average day, what makes a good day, what makes a bad day, maybe even an anecdote of something that occurred in their workday.

[TheLiveSoundGuy]

I really like the above suggestion. Plus...

 

Promote the forums more by giving something away to advanced forum members for quality posts.

By making it for advanced members, it cuts down on newbies coming in just for the giveaways.

It also promotes longevity, and better posts.

Cheap stuff...coffee travel mugs, shirts, hats/caps, key chains, strings, picks, accessories, you know..trinkets.

 

More downloads. Not just mp3 files. More quality Gibson wallpapers.

You build instruments that are beautiful to behold, so why not show them off!

 

More lessons, tips, and techniques. Not just electric. Acoustic, mandolin, and banjo would also be cool.

More Gibson history

More Gibson event info.

More Gibson artist tour info.

 

 

The Lifestyle section is pretty cool already as it is.

So how do you make something already good even better?

 

Thanks for asking Ellen.

[RichCI]

 

 

Uhhh...Just for the record his name is:

 

Ellen Mallernee

 

 

My bad. I'm from the old school who believed that there are no real women on the internet.

[DaHooomie]

No matter what you do, make sure it's possible for Mac and iPhone users to read it.