The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #16  
Old 01-20-2019, 05:40 AM
srick's Avatar
srick srick is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 8,177
Default

Personally, I’m quite comfortable with tone, content and cost of “Wood and Steel”. The technique is nothing new, and over my life similar magazines have gotten me drooling over stereos, cars, boats, you name it. So what’s wrong with a little dream? Enjoy the seduction!
__________________
”Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet”
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 01-20-2019, 07:27 AM
MChild62 MChild62 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Florence, Italy
Posts: 499
Default

Not only is W&S enjoyable reading/gazing for those of us who already own Taylors, I would guess many also spend a lot of time on living room coffee tables.
Pretty sharp way to market their guitars in their customers’ homes!
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 01-20-2019, 07:35 AM
Nymuso Nymuso is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,133
Default

I don't see it as a big deal, it's just post-sale reinforcement.
__________________
Some Acoustic Videos
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 01-20-2019, 07:41 AM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 13,538
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gerardo1000 View Post
Let me make it clear from the start: I think that Bob Taylor is possibly the most innovative guitar builder of his generation and that he has conquered a big slice of market with impeccably built and designed guitars that offer a real "alternative" tone to Martins.
I receive periodically the Taylor magazine "Wood & Steel" and every time, as a former advertising creative, I admire the quality of the art direction, the quality of the paper, the beautiful photos and the luxurious presentation. For sure Taylor's marketing is professional and I believe that Bob Taylor does well in investing so much in it. But every time that I read the content, I feel a bit taken aback by what I find an excessive use of superlatives and a big dose of "self-praise". All letters to the magazine by players are an imn to how much Taylor guitars sound like heaven on earth, how much they make the player's life better, how much they are unvaluable.
Every issue of the magazine have at least a long article dedicated to Andy Powers, who is described as a sort of semi-god. And so on. In my forty years of work in marketing and advertising I learned that to promote a product or a brand you have to be positive, creative and smart, but I also learned that excessive superlatives may sound artificial and sometimes that they can get the opposite effect. I am writing this as a very personal opinion and I would be interested in knowing other opinions!

I too worked in Marketing and Advertising in a different industry.
If I learned anything, I learned there is more than one way to self promote and no approach is necessarily right or wrong. It depends on what image you wish to convey and to whom. One person's obnoxious is another person's elite.
We chose to elevate the customer and his needs with our product. It worked very well because our competitors had become complacent and were too reliant on their name. It took about five years of hard work and together with a great product, we unseated our largest competitors. Once we had accomplished that, we let our customers do our bragging for us.
__________________
Nothing bothers me unless I let it.

Martin D18
Gibson J45
Gibson J15
Fender Copperburst Telecaster
Squier CV 50 Stratocaster
Squier CV 50 Telecaster

Last edited by rokdog49; 01-20-2019 at 07:55 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 01-20-2019, 07:55 AM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 43,429
Default

I get it delivered free every month so it's ok by me. Especially the Ask Bob section.

Yep, it's self promotion and self praise but that's its main purpose, same as publications from other manufacturers, whether guitar, automobile, etc. It's a sales tool that I enjoy.
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 01-20-2019, 08:06 AM
VTexan VTexan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 663
Default I had about 34 years of marketing

...in television, and I don't remember ever creating a promo wherein I told our viewers "y'know...we're really not as good as we claim to be..."

"Wood and Steel" is a marketing vehicle. That doesn't make it evil, but it also doesn't make it a vehicle that one can expect to let all sides vent on.
__________________
2014 Gibson J-29 Rosewood
2018 Taylor GS Mini
2012 Taylor 314ce
2015 Martin GPCPA5
2016 Taylor 214ce-Nylon
2015 Ventura VWDONAT
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 01-20-2019, 08:09 AM
s2y s2y is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Somewhere middle America
Posts: 6,594
Lightbulb

I could see this forum not being a fan. It's about Taylor guitars and features Bob Taylor. Neither are particularly on guitar forums.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 01-20-2019, 08:10 AM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 2,941
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gerardo1000 View Post
All letters... Taylor guitars sound like heaven on earth, how much they make the player's life better... Andy Powers, who is described as a sort of semi-god.....
I think you're probably right. Lead the readers to the river, but let them do the drinking.
__________________

2018 Guild F-512 Sunburst -- 2007 Guild F412 Ice Tea burst
2002 Guild JF30-12 Whiskeyburst -- 2011 Guild F-50R Sunburst
2011 Guild GAD D125-12 NT -- 
1972 Epiphone FT-160 12-string
2012 Epiphone Dot CH
 -- 2010 Epiphone Les Paul Standard trans amber 

2013 Yamaha Motif XS7

Cougar's Soundcloud page
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 01-20-2019, 08:48 AM
DetroitDave DetroitDave is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Detroit Area
Posts: 300
Default

Wade Hampton: “Wood & Steel” is guitar porn, pure and simple."

Yes, and I am an addict.
I look forward to each issue, and when I'm done, it's put out in the waiting room at my office.
__________________
I wish I was nearly as good as my guitars are:
1977 Alvarez Yairi DY 57 / 2002 Martin DC-1E/ 2010 The Loar LH-700-VS/ 2012 Taylor Mini GS / 2015 Taylor 150e / 2015 Taylor 324ce SEB / 2018 Taylor 214e DLX / 2020 Taylor AD12e / 2021 Gibson J-185ce / 2022 Martin 000-15M
... and some electrics and such.
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 01-20-2019, 09:04 AM
Kyle76 Kyle76 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,087
Default

If Taylor is paying the freight, they can say whatever they want as long as they keep things interesting and entertaining enough to keep readership. What bothers me infinitely more is the independent magazine whose “reviews” refuse to say anything even mildly critical of an advertiser’s wares. These reviews are pretty much useless because all you’re going to get is usually a rehash of the company’s own marketing materials. Basically, you end up with a picture book.
__________________
Regards,
Jim
Larrivée L-05 Mahogany
Gibson Les Paul Traditional
Fender Stratocaster
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 01-20-2019, 09:32 AM
alnico5 alnico5 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 1,110
Default

I got put on Taylor's mailing list in 1996 when I bought my only Taylor and only acoustic guitar, a 412. I have received Wood and Steel ever since. Of course it is a marketing tool. I do agree with the OP; it is a little heavy on self-praise.
__________________
I don't have a bunch of guitars because they all sound just like me.

1984 Carvin LB-40 bass
1986 Carvin DC-125 two humbucker
1996 Taylor 412
La Patrie Concert
2012 American Standard Telecaster
1981 Carvin DC 100
Harley Benton LP JR DC
Bushman Delta Frost & Suzuki harmonicas
Artley flute
Six-plus decade old vocal apparatus
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 01-20-2019, 09:34 AM
zmf zmf is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 7,671
Default

Bob Taylor once told a reader that "no, there's no difference in tone in minis with different laminated B/S" -- thereby undercutting a vast belief system. After that, I decided to cut "Wood and Steel" some slack.

Sure, W&S is promoting a certain Taylor lifestyle, but so is almost every car commercial. Does Subaru have a copyright on the word "Love" by now? What does Mazda have to do with swimming with humpback whales?
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 01-20-2019, 10:02 AM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Idaho
Posts: 10,982
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
.....Years ago there was more substance and less marketing fluff. They have slowly devolved. Now, of course, they are going to praise their products and highlight their offerings but it's seriously gotten really unpalatable to me - I don't even like it anymore.
Me too - to the point where I am almost ready to call and tell them to stop sending it. I could always grab the PDF version on line if needed. I too have received it since 1996 when I bought my first Taylor. Before I was on the mailing list, I had been picking copies up at the local store, back when it was still on newsprint and not nearly so slick. Or syrupy.

The conservation efforts are laudable, but I generally suffer from "green fatigue". It gets a little old when companies toot their own horn too loudly about how environmentally conscious they are. But I just skip those articles and look at the pretty guitar porn.

Quote:
Originally Posted by frets4fun View Post
...... I guess if it really bothers you, refrain from reading it and pass it along to someone who might enjoy it. Just my opinion, of course.
Well said.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dru Edwards View Post
I get it delivered free every month so it's ok by me. Especially the Ask Bob section.
That's a neat trick Dru - getting a quarterly publication every month! At this point, Wood & Steel is the only guitar "magazine" that I still get.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 01-20-2019, 10:28 AM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Coastal Washington State
Posts: 44,927
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gerardo1000 View Post
Let me make it clear from the start: I think that Bob Taylor is possibly the most innovative guitar builder of his generation and that he has conquered a big slice of market with impeccably built and designed guitars that offer a real "alternative" tone to Martins.
I receive periodically the Taylor magazine "Wood & Steel" and every time, as a former advertising creative, I admire the quality of the art direction, the quality of the paper, the beautiful photos and the luxurious presentation. For sure Taylor's marketing is professional and I believe that Bob Taylor does well in investing so much in it. But every time that I read the content, I feel a bit taken aback by what I find an excessive use of superlatives and a big dose of "self-praise". All letters to the magazine by players are an imn to how much Taylor guitars sound like heaven on earth, how much they make the player's life better, how much they are unvaluable.
Every issue of the magazine have at least a long article dedicated to Andy Powers, who is described as a sort of semi-god. And so on. In my forty years of work in marketing and advertising I learned that to promote a product or a brand you have to be positive, creative and smart, but I also learned that excessive superlatives may sound artificial and sometimes that they can get the opposite effect. I am writing this as a very personal opinion and I would be interested in knowing other opinions!
My first question: what does "imn" mean? I did a search on Google and couldn't get a clear answer.

Second, yes, I agree that "Wood & Steel" is a little over the top on the self aggrandizement, hype scale. I own a couple of Taylor guitars and have owned others (now gone), so I am on their list. I no longer spend much time on the magazine. I look through "Wood & Steel" to see if there is anything new to learn, but the last few copies got recycled within minutes. I suppose if I had not read so much about the new V bracing on the AGF I might have been more interested in their pitch about it in W&S.

I am not at all surprised that W&S is self-serving for Taylor, but like the OP, I have a poor reaction to the over-the-top self-praise.

- Glenn
__________________
My You Tube Channel
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 01-20-2019, 11:00 AM
erhino41 erhino41 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 586
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by J Patrick View Post
...it’s hard to offer respect to a company when you’re criticizing them on a public forum at the same time.....maybe not the best place to do so...as far as the mag goes...I have not read it enough to notice a pattern of marketing behavior but i didn’t notice any more self grandizing than the competitions efforts....
You most certainly can offer criticism on something a company does while still offering respect at the same time. It is not brand bashing to remark on Taylor's effusive use of self praise. This is not news to them. It is their exact aim. As a public forum for guitar players this is the exact place to have such a discussion. I think the OP was spot on.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=