GEAR REVIEWS section suggestion

Gadget

For the 'Gear Reviews', would it perhaps be sensible to have the reviews appear in alphabetical order, rather than chronologically? It would make reviews easier to find, especially as it starts to expand.

Roland

There are a couple of useful sequences, for example: manufacturer, type (Chorus/OD/wah), pickup type. It's not to difficult to post an index thread and update the index occasionally.

First off we need more reviews.

Everyone seems reticent to write them. I don't know whether that's because people are shy about their writing ability, or concerned about exposing their playing ability. Having worked 12 hour days, and spent 4 nights a week away from home, I understand why people say "I haven't got time". We are not all in that bucket. I know that we read/watch reviews on other sites because we mention it here. I guess that a lot of people are afraid of exposing their views and talent to the risk of criticism.

I did try to test this by posting iPhone quality demos, but no one seemed to pick up on "I can do much better than that".

TTony

I've not included sound/video clips in my reviews, partly because I don't really have the kit (for the latter anyway), or the time to set it up, or the confidence in my own abilities!

So, sound/vid clips are very much optional, although photos of the item in question are (a) much easier to include and (b) shouldn't create any ability discomfort, so I'd like to retain those as far as poss.

The lack of content contribution is disappointing though.  Perhaps we should offer something in return for people putting in the effort to write a review?  Perhaps a "review of the month" award, or highlighting as a sticky, perhaps some sort of small "thanks" token (I've a load of theFB plectrums here!), perhaps a special fret award or membership badge?

I still think that the vast stocks of gear that our membership have gives a site like this a huge edge over the mags in terms of creating valuable content.  Our reviews shouldn't be the advertising-revenue-enhanced slavering over the latest shiny model variation dreamed up by the marketing department - we should be able to generate real-life, real-user, real use, real bought-with-my-own-money critical content.

That was the original thinking behind the "must have owned it for 3 mths before reviewing it" - ie to have the real life, real use perspective - but we relaxed that to 1mth to see if it helped generate content.  Didn't see to though??

So what else is stopping it?

I wonder whether we could have some sort of hook-up with the Guitar Quarterly mag, to get some of the reviews into print in the mag.  Would that encourage more contributions?

stickyfiddle

The main impression I got was that they were necessarily being read. Though I appreciate that's a bit of a chicken/egg situation. 

I'd certainly be happy to write more reviews if people felt they had value.

TTony

stickyfiddle said:

I'd certainly be happy to write more reviews if people felt they had value.

I am people, and I think they'd add value!

As you say, it's very much chicken-and-egg.  The more reviews we have, the more value/use the section has, the more views it will get, the more other people will (hopefully) contribute content ...

So go for it ... review away

Roland

stickyfiddle said:

I'd certainly be happy to write more reviews if people felt they had value.

They add value for me too. I want to read reviews from people who use the item, not magazine reviews which are "a message from our sponsors". 

Gadget

And what about my suggestion that they be alphabetical? I think that would make it easier to use, especially if we do end-up with reviews for 200+ pedals...

monquixote

Gadget said:

And what about my suggestion that they be alphabetical? I think that would make it easier to use, especially if we do end-up with reviews for 200+ pedals...

I think that would be a nice problem to have

TTony

If we did have that problem @monquixote, could we have an alphabetical sorted section?

monquixote

All things are possible

Gadget

I'll be honest and say that I've only just noticed that there even is a reviews category and I suspect that may be the case for many other users who've just got used to only visiting their favourite sections.

Perhaps a sticky at the top of ALL of the forum's categories (there's only one in the Guitar section IIRC) might yield some results?

TTony

Gadget said:

Perhaps a sticky at the top of ALL of the forum's categories (there's only one in the Guitar section IIRC) might yield some results?

We have tried stickies to get people's attention to stuff, but experience suggests that stickies just get ignored as everyone assumes that they're just "boring stuff"!

stickyfiddle

Well that's at least 2 votes for "useful". Will see about writing some more then!

markv

I think there's value in the reviews section. I was hesitant to say much about my Gordon Smith because I don't gig with it, so there's a whole side of the guitar's playing experience that I can't offer any insight into. I also can't offer any useful comparisons between it and similar guitars because I haven't played many. But despite my misgivings, I enjoyed writing a review, just as I enjoyed the discussion that followed.

However, very little else I own is in any way unusual - it's all mainstream stuff. Do we need a review of a Hall Of Fame? Or a Phase 90? (although actually I modded mine because I didn't like it stock, so I suppose I can add something here).

All the suggested reasons why people aren't contributing are, I am sure, valid. How do we get past it? Probably - keep nagging! Maybe go back through NGD posts from 3 months ago and ask how people are getting on - and whether they'd like to write it up? Solicit some of the more prominent members to showcase some of their tastier stuff?

I'll try and do a few more reviews.

TTony

markv said:

I was hesitant to say much about my Gordon Smith because I don't gig with it, 

There's no requirement to gig something to be able to review it.


I'd guess that 90% of guitars, fx & amps ever sold aren't gigged, and it'll be little different here.

markv said:

However, very little else I own is in any way unusual

I don't think that being unusual is a requirement for a review either.  If it's really "unusual" then any review is only going to be of interest to a few ("unusual") people too.  By definition, most people buy the usual stuff and will be interested in opinions of it.



At least, that's my way of thinking ...

Roland

markv said:

I think there's value in the reviews section. .... However, very little else I own is in any way unusual - it's all mainstream stuff. Do we need a review of a Hall Of Fame? Or a Phase 90? (although actually I modded mine because I didn't like it stock, so I suppose I can add something here).

Yes, we do need a review of a Phase 90. How do you use it? What do you like about it? What don't you like - a good one for you because you've modded it.

markv said:

All the suggested reasons why people aren't contributing are, I am sure, valid. How do we get past it? Probably - keep nagging! Maybe go back through NGD posts from 3 months ago and ask how people are getting on - and whether they'd like to write it up? Solicit some of the more prominent members to showcase some of their tastier stuff?

Been there, and I guess a few have been aggravated by my nagging. I've got a list of excuses, topped by "I haven't got the time at the moment", and including "I haven't got it any longer because ...." which is a very good reason why it should be reviewed

Sporky

How about a small monthly prize? Either "best review" by some metric (about which we can all argue ) or just a random selection by one of @TTony 's furry helpers?

Everyone's a sucker for an outside chance at a prize.

TTony

Sporky said:

How about a small monthly prize?

I could get some "I'm a theFB reviewer" t-shirts done perhaps?

Which reminds me, it's time we had another batch of t-shirts done using our new improved logo ...

digitalscream

TTony said:

Sporky said:

How about a small monthly prize?

I could get some "I'm a theFB reviewer" t-shirts done perhaps?

Which reminds me, it's time we had another batch of t-shirts done using our new improved logo ...

...which I also need to figure out how to get into the site.

markv

Roland said:

Yes, we do need a review of a Phase 90. 

OK, I'm on it!