Tom Hess - my experience as an ex client

Danji

I watched an hour. My first impression is the clue is in the name, EGTIC... Inner Circle? WTAF? Needs an investigation IMO

Philly_Q

I'd never heard of Tom Hess until this thread.  I've tried to watch some of Levi's videos on the subject but I'm afraid they really try my patience... and I find it more than a bit puzzling that he can be bothered spending hours putting them together.

I did have a look at the Tom Hess website.  It reminds me - not in content but in bad design, the overwhelming sense of arrogance and general weirdness - of the old Ed Roman (RIP... I think) website.  Except that was a lot more entertaining and had some nice pictures of guitars.

shrinkwrap

I rarely post here, just lurk.. but had to look at this Hess site.
How's this for one of his videos:
- - - - - - - - -

Guitar Sex Master Class - video series

Here is what you will learn:

• How to translate sexual expression into actual music in your guitar solos so that your guitar playing emotionally captures your listeners and makes them want to hear more and more and love it.

• How to make women feel what you would love to do to them without having to say a word.

• How to make women desperately want you to 'give them' the next note - this is key to make your listeners stay really focused on your guitar playing!

Veganic

shrinkwrap said:

I rarely post here, just lurk.. but had to look at this Hess site.
How's this for one of his videos:
- - - - - - - - -

Guitar Sex Master Class - video series

Here is what you will learn:

• How to translate sexual expression into actual music in your guitar solos so that your guitar playing emotionally captures your listeners and makes them want to hear more and more and love it.

• How to make women feel what you would love to do to them without having to say a word.

• How to make women desperately want you to 'give them' the next note - this is key to make your listeners stay really focused on your guitar playing!

So it's an acoustic singer-songwriter course?

DLM

@Veganic Actually, I think all you get is the first couple of chords to Wonderwall on a PDF...

Vibetronic

nikharrison said:

At some point, we've got to make a choice as to where we stand on important matters and for me, this was important. I was a kid for whom the guitar was an important childhood sanctuary from a number of unpleasant things that I would not like to recount. I can only play what I can play on account of extensive practise (which for me was a massive sanctuary from everything else that was happening in my life).

Tom Hess is directly targeting the same kind of kids today with a very unsavoury approach to 'teaching' them, and he's leading them to believe that his standards are the standards of a community which he has no interest in being a part of, or contributing to, and I take exception to that. Hess' outlook is not consistent with what the guitar community that I know and love is all about.

  

well said Nik. I also thought the points you made on the video were spot on - particularly the part about acting like a professional (with regards to language, talking to/about people etc). You have a very sensible & considered opinion on things you post about (well, I always enjoy reading them anyway!) so good shout by Levi to get you in on this.

nikharrison

Just in response to allegations of 'bullying':

If participating in a video offering criticism to the most successful, richest, and most powerful guitar teacher in the world constitutes 'bullying' then we're using a highly questionable definition of that term... Its certainly not bullying by any definition or any standards that I recognise.

nikharrison

Vibetronic: much appreciated. 

Fortheloveofguitar

It's worth noting that given the evidence supplied this Tom Hess guy isn't a savoury character 

It's also worth noting that Levi Clay is a well known gobshite within the guitar community who likes to run his mouth and publicly slag off other high profile players including his own work colleagues at Lick library. I have seen this first hand on many occasions when he's running his mouth on FB as well as his pathetic ranting youtube videos. so he also has a god like complex thing going on

He's a great player and a good teacher but i wouldn't send anyone to him for lessons as he is also lacking in professionalism

  

  

 

DLM

Phew. Finally got through Levi and Nik's video. Nik, you use some jargon that makes you pretty hard to follow at a couple of points.

PolarityMan said:

Wasnt Levi caught up in some kind of astroturfing scandal years back? Wonder if its a bit pot calling kettle black stuff.

@PolarityMan @guitarfishbay I've had a good look and can't find anything that looks like astroturfing to me. :§ Can you help me out with a link?

stratman3142

I just watched the whole video (whilst practicing my picking).
I had no idea of the methods he resorts to. Quite shocking and educational, plus I've improved my picking in the process as well.

guitarfishbay

DLM said:

Phew. Finally got through Levi and Nik's video. Nik, you use some jargon that makes you pretty hard to follow at a couple of points.

PolarityMan said:

Wasnt Levi caught up in some kind of astroturfing scandal years back? Wonder if its a bit pot calling kettle black stuff.

@PolarityMan @guitarfishbay I've had a good look and can't find anything that looks like astroturfing to me. :§ Can you help me out with a link?

I am not aware of anything relating to astroturfing.

The thread I found related to YouTube and female guitarists, I think this is the one @PolarityMan was referencing in his followup post.

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/820651/#Comment_820651

PolarityMan

DLM said: but

Phew. Finally got through Levi and Nik's video. Nik, you use some jargon that makes you pretty hard to follow at a couple of points.

PolarityMan said:

Wasnt Levi caught up in some kind of astroturfing scandal years back? Wonder if its a bit pot calling kettle black stuff.

@PolarityMan @guitarfishbay I've had a good look and can't find anything that looks like astroturfing to me. :§ Can you help me out with a link?

Yeah, that was the thread I was thinking about. I also have a vague memory of a potential sock puppet who turned up and did nothing but promote Levi but it might have just been an over zealous fan.

PolarityMan

Having watched the leak sections it looks like Hess is a grade A bell end. I just think Levi has prob treated people questionably enough on his way up that he shouldn't really be taking the moral high ground. Rescuing people from big bad Hess is obviously just funelling people into his own (albeit less allegedly exploitative) money making channels.

Veganic

Can't they just have a guitar-duel?

DLM

PolarityMan said: Yeah, that was the thread I was thinking about. I also have a vague memory of a potential sock puppet who turned up and did nothing but promote Levi but it might have just been an over zealous fan.

@guitarfishbay @PolarityMan Oh, I remember the Clay vs Chappers thread: I started it! And I also know all about the Racer X forum: it's where I started doing forums in the first place, in 2001, and I'm one of the few who still post there. I'm "gandalf" on there, everyone at college called me that 'cause I had a beard. I'll leave it to some doxxer with too much time on their hands to see if I ever posted in the "Pictures of Hot Babes" thread in the members-only area, I really can't remember[1]. The RX forum is, of course, where Levi got started with the nick that he still uses on here: Miss Misstreater is an old RX song.

I can't remember any potential sock puppets posting astroturf for Levi.  @Carlos and I have probably posted the most links to Levi's stuff, he's an ex-Levi student, I'm someone who just thinks it's cool that an initially unremarkable kid I ran into online "made it" as a professional musician[2].

[1] I'm sure everyone remembers my Mélissa Theuriau posts in this community. Cor, I'd almost forgotten about her, @Clarky, can I borrow your bayonette again, please?
[2] By which I mean, earns his living from music alone. Who can still do that these days? Even a 4-figure income is well impressive! 

carlos

I've way too many frets here and trades of course to be a sock puppet

mellowsun

PolarityMan said:

Wasnt Levi caught up in some kind of astroturfing scandal years back?

Wait, he's the guy featured on BBC Watchdog the other week? I think he did my neighbours front garden, it was supposed to be top quality stuff but it turned out to be that shite that lines the shelves of greengrocers. The scoundrel!

DLM

@carlos Precisely.

PolarityMan

I think I may have been thinking of Carlos (and therefore wrong) anyway my memory not withstanding I think my overall point stands.