I just wanted to say how much I truly enjoy Premier Guitar. In fact, I liken my monthly experience to a fine meal at an expensive restaurant. Shawn Hammond serves up a light (but tasty) appetizer. This whets my appetite for a several course dinner: from Dirk Wacker and his bouquet of Strat mods, to Paul Gilbert’s demi-glazed zestiness, to the many gear reviews, nestled in a provocative sauce. My mouth absolutely drools when feasting on the eye candy of Vintage Vault. I cherish each page, which usually takes me all month. The final bite is savored with John Bohlinger’s Last Call. After feasting on such a bountiful plate, I step away from the table, satisfied. My next month’s magazine arrives shortly thereafter, repeating the delight. Thanks for the grub, bub! Bon Appetite!
—Tim Woosley
Lincoln, Nebraska
Thanks for the kind words, Tim. We’re staying busy in the kitchen, testing new recipes and debuting new dishes, so be sure to come back hungry soon!
Online Appreciation
I wanted to thank you all for the great
magazine. I’ve been a [guitar magazine
name] subscriber for years, but more out
of habit at this point than anything else.
Your content is far superior and the way
that you have migrated to the internet is
just awesome. I love the weekly emails and,
even after 26 years of playing, I find that
my playing has improved because of your
magazine. Access to PDF lessons and audio
downloads makes it very easy to learn
something new. It’s like having a month
of guitar lessons for just a few dollars each
month. You guys get it!
All the best,
—Joe in South Carolina
Joe—congrats on continuing to improve your playing after all those years, we’re happy to be a part of it.
My job sucks, but every Tuesday I look forward
to the recent Rig Rundown!
—Steve, via PremierGuitar.com
Hey Steve. Sorry your job is a bummer, but keep powering through the workweek, and we’ll keep rolling out new Rig Rundowns for your enjoyment. Look for new ones from John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, and Yngwie Malmsteen online now!
Inspiration Station
Hi Shawn! Thank you for the “Having Fun
Yet?” piece [Tuning Up, October 2011].
Strange place to find an insight in life. I
have been thinking the same way, only
you’ve gotten further in your thoughts.
I am doing so much better now, and my
friends tell me I look happier. Also, it helps
me to achieve my goals better—I mean the
real ones. And that makes everything easier.
You’re brave. Made my Friday.
Regards & best wishes,
—Mikael
via email
PG editor in chief Shawn Hammond responds: "Thanks so much for your email, Mikael! I'm glad my half-baked musings struck a chord. Congrats on your progress!"
Martin’s Mystery Pickguard
Hi! I am reading your
latest issue and noticed
the Vintage Vault article
on the Martin D-28
[November 2011]. The
photos show a nonstandard
or user-added
pickguard mounted
above the fretboard, but
the article makes no mention of this. It may
seem obvious to seasoned guitar vets, but
a newbie may mistake this for the way all
1937 D-28s should look. You should have
mentioned it or found a different standard
Martin to show in the photos. Thanks!
—Jim Hartway
Varysburg, New York
Laun Braithwaite from Dave’s Guitar Shop responds: “We think the extra pickguard is probably not original, but there is some chance it is. It is made of the same material and beveled the same way as the regular pickguard. Its color and patina also match, but we can’t be 100 percent sure. Because we were unsure, we didn’t mention it. Since these articles are about guitars in Dave’s collection, we don’t always have more than one example to choose from. We thought this guitar was interesting and historically significant, even though it has one questionable feature.”
Great Minds
I met [Premier Guitar director of business
development] Jessica Sullivan at the Seymour
Duncan User Group Day in September and
told her how much I liked your magazine.
She asked me what I would like to see as an
article, and I told her an article on how to
use equipment in different ways—like how
to set up a delay pedal for different [uses].
I have never really owned [a delay] and I
am getting one soon. I just received the
November issue on my Android phone and
saw the article “How to Get the Most out of
Your Delay Pedal.” I look forward to reading
it this afternoon or evening. Keep rockin’!
—Dave Richardson
via email
Hey Dave. What a cool coincidence—when you relayed your request we were already working on that exact article! Enjoy getting the most out of your new purchase.
Corrections
In the November issue Table of Contents
[page 16], we miscredited the issue’s
incredible cover artist, Alan Forbes. Aside
from being a great dude, Forbes is a killer
artist who has illustrated gig posters for
acts like Queens of the Stone Age, Black
Crowes, Faith No More, Dinosaur Jr., the
Mars Volta, High on Fire, and many others.
We highly suggest checking out his
work at secretserpents.com.
In the same issue, we neglected to credit photographer Rob Smith for the shots of Samantha Fish’s gearbox [page 116]. We regret these errors.
