Hey Guitar Tricks Give Us A Real Explanation


Bobk42
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Bobk42
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04/12/2023 7:17 pm

I've been a member since 2008 and rarely, if ever, post in the forum.  Likewise I don't regularly check the forum for information so I just learned today that over 300 songs are now gone.  I see that the administrator posted back in early March that the songs were going to be deleted so I'll give him some credit for that, but not for the way GT did it. It could have been handled much differntly, and better.  Not everyone reads the forum.  This isn't the first times songs have been taken away from us but there's never detailed information as to why.  Just saying that a publisher isnt't renewing a license doesn't cut it.  How about giving your customers some real information as to why the licenses arent being renewed?  Is it that they won't renew them or that GT isn't willing to pay what they're charging? Also you never address whether you're working to get the songs back again in the future, you just keep us guessing at what's going on.  I personally have never seen a song come back again, not the one's I liked anyway.


When songs that have been on your site for years suddenly dissappear I think you guys could give us customers better information.  What's to stop this happening again in another month?  I assume that when you have a license for a song you're well aware of the expitation date of the license.  You could easily post that date in the song lesson so that us customers would at least have an idea of how long we could expect to see it.  It's total BS the way you handled this, a simple post in the forum in early March.  Considering you deleted an enormous amount of songs you could have made some sort of announcement on GT's homepage, sent customers an email, Youtube video, something..........anything.  


I honestly don't care about the other features of your site or what your big plans for the future are.  I've stayed a customer because of the song lessons, and always assumed they would be there when I wanted to use them.  While other members may disagree with me I'm just speaking from my own perspective, the other features of of the site may be beneficial to other guitarists but just not to me.


Please GT, give us some real information on why 300 songs are gone and will probably never return.  You owe us that much.


edited
# 1
gymrat5320
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gymrat5320
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04/12/2023 8:26 pm
#1 Originally Posted by: Bobk42

I've been a member since 2008 and rarely, if ever, post in the forum.  Likewise I don't regularly check the forum for information so I just learned today that over 300 songs are now gone.  I see that the administrator posted back in early March that the songs were going to be deleted so I'll give him some credit for that, but not for the way GT did it. It could have been handled much differntly, and better.  Not everyone reads the forum.  This isn't the first times songs have been taken away from us but there's never detailed information as to why.  Just saying that a publisher isnt't renewing a license doesn't cut it.  How about giving your customers some real information as to why the licenses arent being renewed?  Is it that they won't renew them or that GT isn't willing to pay what they're charging? Also you never address whether you're working to get the songs back again in the future, you just keep us guessing at what's going on.  I personally have never seen a song come back again, not the one's I liked anyway.


When songs that have been on your site for years suddenly dissappear I think you guys could give us customers better information.  What's to stop this happening again in another month?  I assume that when you have a license for a song you're well aware of the expitation date of the license.  You could easily post that date in the song lesson so that us customers would at least have an idea of how long we could expect to see it.  It's total BS the way you handled this, a simple post in the forum in early March.  Considering you deleted an enormous amount of songs you could have made some sort of announcement on GT's homepage, sent customers an email, Youtube video, something..........anything.  


I honestly don't care about the other features of your site or what your big plans for the future are.  I've stayed a customer because of the song lessons, and always assumed they would be there when I wanted to use them.  While other members may disagree with me I'm just speaking from my own perspective, the other features of of the site may be beneficial to other guitarists but just not to me.


Please GT, give us some real information on why 300 songs are gone and will probably never return.  You owe us that much.

Yes please explain why the songs were removed.


# 2
Tinpan
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Tinpan
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04/13/2023 7:12 am

Amen to that. Don't owe us any detail? Seems pretty arrogant. Whatg could there possibly be to hide. Front the f up.


 


# 3
W3
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W3
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04/13/2023 2:21 pm

I agree. There were so many great classic rock, in particular, that drew me in. Like Bob, I felt plenty certain they would be there. Heck, there are published tab sites that are filled with MANY of the songs you've dumped but they've still got them. Something doesn't sit right because with so many other factors still at play, I'm not buying it. With no real explanation, it makes me feel like I'm not worthy of an adult explanation. I've read the forum entries of folks that are tickled with the way GT operates, regardless of deleted songs, as long as they can still learn their scales or blues progressions. You could endlessly strip things from your site and they'll be here.  Don't bank on that business model if you want to stay viable.  I recently retired after running my own business for over 40 years and i absolutely understand how important customers are and if I were to pull something away that they in essence have paid for, I'd be called out for being shifty. The oness is on y'all to talk to your very loyal (many years subscribers) customers and let us know the lowdown. 


edited
# 4
Bobk42
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Bobk42
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04/13/2023 2:45 pm

Just want to share this response I got from GT.  Still basically not saying much of anything.GT Response


# 5
JeffSLC
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JeffSLC
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04/13/2023 3:52 pm
#1 Originally Posted by: Bobk42

I've been a member since 2008 and rarely, if ever, post in the forum.  Likewise I don't regularly check the forum for information so I just learned today that over 300 songs are now gone.  I see that the administrator posted back in early March that the songs were going to be deleted so I'll give him some credit for that, but not for the way GT did it. It could have been handled much differntly, and better.  Not everyone reads the forum.  This isn't the first times songs have been taken away from us but there's never detailed information as to why.  Just saying that a publisher isnt't renewing a license doesn't cut it.  How about giving your customers some real information as to why the licenses arent being renewed?  Is it that they won't renew them or that GT isn't willing to pay what they're charging? Also you never address whether you're working to get the songs back again in the future, you just keep us guessing at what's going on.  I personally have never seen a song come back again, not the one's I liked anyway.


When songs that have been on your site for years suddenly dissappear I think you guys could give us customers better information.  What's to stop this happening again in another month?  I assume that when you have a license for a song you're well aware of the expitation date of the license.  You could easily post that date in the song lesson so that us customers would at least have an idea of how long we could expect to see it.  It's total BS the way you handled this, a simple post in the forum in early March.  Considering you deleted an enormous amount of songs you could have made some sort of announcement on GT's homepage, sent customers an email, Youtube video, something..........anything.  


I honestly don't care about the other features of your site or what your big plans for the future are.  I've stayed a customer because of the song lessons, and always assumed they would be there when I wanted to use them.  While other members may disagree with me I'm just speaking from my own perspective, the other features of of the site may be beneficial to other guitarists but just not to me.


Please GT, give us some real information on why 300 songs are gone and will probably never return.  You owe us that much.

Removing songs without notice is equivalent to false advertising.  Subscribers make decision on whether to resubscribe based on content.  


Removing 300+ songs is a material change to GuitarTricks procuct and subscribers should have been notified.   If I buy a any product based on historical usage and subsequently find out when I open this product that only 50% of the historic contents are included -  the chance I buy that product again are reduced drastically unless the price is reduced by 50%.    Does GT plan to reduce their subscription price?  


# 6
Tinpan
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Tinpan
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04/13/2023 11:47 pm

Interesting Bob. Still no detail ..just 'we were not able to'. WTF does that tell us about the process or whether this could happen again tomorrow?


# 7
grumpybear27870
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grumpybear27870
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04/14/2023 12:57 am
#5 Originally Posted by: Bobk42

Just want to share this response I got from GT.  Still basically not saying much of anything.GT Response

That's a form letter-- a cut & paste job.  No one addressed your concern.  It took them all of ten seconds to cut, paste, and click to send the reply.  I signed up for the free lessons, and was thinking, if I like it all, I'll subscribe for more lessons and the list of songs.  This has been... eye opening.


-----------------------------------------------------------


"To hell with the rules. If it sounds right, then it is.”


– Eddie Van Halen

# 8
Bobk42
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Bobk42
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04/14/2023 1:06 am
#7 Originally Posted by: Tinpan

Interesting Bob. Still no detail ..just 'we were not able to'. WTF does that tell us about the process or whether this could happen again tomorrow?

Exactly!  They're not telling us anything useful, just using distraction techniques.  Unfortunately my subscription renewal date is in May and as much as I don't want to renew it I'm almost forced to keep it for another year.  There are songs that I've been working on and can't possibly learn them fluently by May so I'll bite the bullet and grudgingly subscribe for one mor year.  Believe me, if I had six months left to learn the songs I wouldn't resubscribe.  Hopefully they won't delete more of them within that time.  That being said I fully intend to drop my subscription after that.  I refuse to keep paying for something that's so undependable and unpredictable.  And GT refusing to give us some honest answers is the last straw.


# 9
michael@rockon
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michael@rockon
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04/14/2023 11:00 am
#1 Originally Posted by: Bobk42

I've been a member since 2008 and rarely, if ever, post in the forum.  Likewise I don't regularly check the forum for information so I just learned today that over 300 songs are now gone.  I see that the administrator posted back in early March that the songs were going to be deleted so I'll give him some credit for that, but not for the way GT did it. It could have been handled much differntly, and better.  Not everyone reads the forum.  This isn't the first times songs have been taken away from us but there's never detailed information as to why.  Just saying that a publisher isnt't renewing a license doesn't cut it.  How about giving your customers some real information as to why the licenses arent being renewed?  Is it that they won't renew them or that GT isn't willing to pay what they're charging? Also you never address whether you're working to get the songs back again in the future, you just keep us guessing at what's going on.  I personally have never seen a song come back again, not the one's I liked anyway.


When songs that have been on your site for years suddenly dissappear I think you guys could give us customers better information.  What's to stop this happening again in another month?  I assume that when you have a license for a song you're well aware of the expitation date of the license.  You could easily post that date in the song lesson so that us customers would at least have an idea of how long we could expect to see it.  It's total BS the way you handled this, a simple post in the forum in early March.  Considering you deleted an enormous amount of songs you could have made some sort of announcement on GT's homepage, sent customers an email, Youtube video, something..........anything.  


I honestly don't care about the other features of your site or what your big plans for the future are.  I've stayed a customer because of the song lessons, and always assumed they would be there when I wanted to use them.  While other members may disagree with me I'm just speaking from my own perspective, the other features of of the site may be beneficial to other guitarists but just not to me.


Please GT, give us some real information on why 300 songs are gone and will probably never return.  You owe us that much.

This has been very disappointing. I have been very happy with GT until now. This news makes it difficult to trust what comes next. It's not enough to add a song a week after losing over 300 in a day. The answer can't be there is nothing we could do about it. Makes me wonder if the company is experiencing the are financial difficulties.


Long Live Rock!

# 12
W3
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W3
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04/14/2023 1:50 pm

Micheal you bring up some interesting points concerning potential financial problems. Can't help but notice the selection of songs for lessons over the past weeks/months. There have been some good ones but also unusual Stones and other obscure songs. We're told you can request songs to learn and I'd imagine by popular vote, but I don't know anyone who'd request Factory Girl or All I Want Is My Baby, when there are immensely greater songs by the Stones. Things that make you go hmmmm. C'mon GT, don't fail us now. 


# 13
michael@rockon
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michael@rockon
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04/14/2023 6:03 pm
#13 Originally Posted by: W3

Micheal you bring up some interesting points concerning potential financial problems. Can't help but notice the selection of songs for lessons over the past weeks/months. There have been some good ones but also unusual Stones and other obscure songs. We're told you can request songs to learn and I'd imagine by popular vote, but I don't know anyone who'd request Factory Girl or All I Want Is My Baby, when there are immensely greater songs by the Stones. Things that make you go hmmmm. C'mon GT, don't fail us now. 

GT has also have been having much more frequent $99 subscription for the year sales which would be consistent with trying to generate income. Tangentially, FenderPlay has also eliminated some of their more expensive features such as weekly live sessions. This all may part of a post pandemic revenue pull back for the category as people who originally signed up have dropped off and gone back to their old busier lives. Plus as we all know it ain't easy to learn guitar so alot of people who were orignally enthusiastic may have dropped it. Check Reverb to see if there are alot of newer guitars being sold. Just my two cents...which ain't worth much. 


Long Live Rock!

# 14
zsoltjanos.nemeth
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zsoltjanos.nemeth
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04/14/2023 6:51 pm

I am also shocked now. I just wanted to revisit some of my favorite songs and 3/3 are gone. They are not the less popular ones. In a month its time to renew my subscription, now I am thinking on not to do so!


# 14
joemcguitar
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joemcguitar
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04/15/2023 5:22 pm

Yes, this is really a bummer.  Is there anyway to gain access to those songs again?


# 14
Bobk42
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Bobk42
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04/17/2023 10:08 pm
#14 Originally Posted by: joemcguitar

Yes, this is really a bummer.  Is there anyway to gain access to those songs again?

Who Knows?  Guitar Tricks won't even answer a simple question like yours.  They really pick and choose what they respond to.


 


# 15
tim_lauzon
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tim_lauzon
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04/18/2023 11:41 pm
#1 Originally Posted by: Bobk42

I've been a member since 2008 and rarely, if ever, post in the forum.  Likewise I don't regularly check the forum for information so I just learned today that over 300 songs are now gone.  I see that the administrator posted back in early March that the songs were going to be deleted so I'll give him some credit for that, but not for the way GT did it. It could have been handled much differntly, and better.  Not everyone reads the forum.  This isn't the first times songs have been taken away from us but there's never detailed information as to why.  Just saying that a publisher isnt't renewing a license doesn't cut it.  How about giving your customers some real information as to why the licenses arent being renewed?  Is it that they won't renew them or that GT isn't willing to pay what they're charging? Also you never address whether you're working to get the songs back again in the future, you just keep us guessing at what's going on.  I personally have never seen a song come back again, not the one's I liked anyway.


When songs that have been on your site for years suddenly dissappear I think you guys could give us customers better information.  What's to stop this happening again in another month?  I assume that when you have a license for a song you're well aware of the expitation date of the license.  You could easily post that date in the song lesson so that us customers would at least have an idea of how long we could expect to see it.  It's total BS the way you handled this, a simple post in the forum in early March.  Considering you deleted an enormous amount of songs you could have made some sort of announcement on GT's homepage, sent customers an email, Youtube video, something..........anything.  


I honestly don't care about the other features of your site or what your big plans for the future are.  I've stayed a customer because of the song lessons, and always assumed they would be there when I wanted to use them.  While other members may disagree with me I'm just speaking from my own perspective, the other features of of the site may be beneficial to other guitarists but just not to me.


Please GT, give us some real information on why 300 songs are gone and will probably never return.  You owe us that much.

I am just realizing the same thing with some of the songs that I started to learn. Then poof they are gone.  


# 16
tim_lauzon
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tim_lauzon
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04/18/2023 11:43 pm
#1 Originally Posted by: Bobk42

I've been a member since 2008 and rarely, if ever, post in the forum.  Likewise I don't regularly check the forum for information so I just learned today that over 300 songs are now gone.  I see that the administrator posted back in early March that the songs were going to be deleted so I'll give him some credit for that, but not for the way GT did it. It could have been handled much differntly, and better.  Not everyone reads the forum.  This isn't the first times songs have been taken away from us but there's never detailed information as to why.  Just saying that a publisher isnt't renewing a license doesn't cut it.  How about giving your customers some real information as to why the licenses arent being renewed?  Is it that they won't renew them or that GT isn't willing to pay what they're charging? Also you never address whether you're working to get the songs back again in the future, you just keep us guessing at what's going on.  I personally have never seen a song come back again, not the one's I liked anyway.


When songs that have been on your site for years suddenly dissappear I think you guys could give us customers better information.  What's to stop this happening again in another month?  I assume that when you have a license for a song you're well aware of the expitation date of the license.  You could easily post that date in the song lesson so that us customers would at least have an idea of how long we could expect to see it.  It's total BS the way you handled this, a simple post in the forum in early March.  Considering you deleted an enormous amount of songs you could have made some sort of announcement on GT's homepage, sent customers an email, Youtube video, something..........anything.  


I honestly don't care about the other features of your site or what your big plans for the future are.  I've stayed a customer because of the song lessons, and always assumed they would be there when I wanted to use them.  While other members may disagree with me I'm just speaking from my own perspective, the other features of of the site may be beneficial to other guitarists but just not to me.


Please GT, give us some real information on why 300 songs are gone and will probably never return.  You owe us that much.

I am just realizing the same thing with some of the songs that I started to learn. Then poof they are gone.  


# 17
andrew133515
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andrew133515
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04/22/2023 7:29 am
#5 Originally Posted by: Bobk42

Just want to share this response I got from GT.  Still basically not saying much of anything.GT Response

Thats a pretty good explanation to me. The basics of licensing law is that if a producer revokes GT's licences for certain songs they are no longer able to include them on their site legally. It'll come down to finances, or that a competitor paid for the licensing with an exclusivity clause. Meaning that only they can host the songs for a certain period of time. You'll find lessons on multiple other sites but the question is are they hosted legally? Sites like Ultimate Guitar mostly host user created content, so it's just some dude that figured it out showing you how to play a song, rather than a company showing you how to play a song verbatim.


Also, it could be helpful for you to understand that there are multiple legalities involved in GT telling their users 'precisely' what has happened. Things like defamation come to mind should they mention any other companies involvement in the songs being pulled, including the producers. Sometimes you've gotta cop the backlash because redirecting it towards whoever is at fault could lead to massive repercussions.


edited
# 18
Tinpan
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Tinpan
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04/22/2023 11:56 am

Kind of but aren't mike and Anders also just dudes who figure it out? 


# 19
andrew133515
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andrew133515
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04/23/2023 12:45 am
#19 Originally Posted by: Tinpan

Kind of but aren't mike and Anders also just dudes who figure it out? 

You might be right, but they are acting as representatives for a company. So their lessons are published in an 'official capacity'. 


# 20

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