Guitar Player magazine discontinues publication after 58 years

The prominent “axe” magazine finally got the axe. Guitar Player will cease publication after almost 58 years, releasing its last issue on October 15, the last article to hit newsstands will be an interview with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.

The Guitarplayer.com website will continue, with current magazine editor Christopher Scapelliti taking over as the site’s digital editor-in-chief.

Print subscribers’ subscriptions will be transferred to sister publication Guitar World unless they specifically request a refund.

The closure of the print magazine has been rumored for some time, as in September observers noticed that new subscriptions were no longer available. And the fact that its owner, Future, had two guitar magazines in print made it unlikely that either would survive indefinitely in today’s difficult print subscription and advertising environment.

“You witnessed a revolution,” Scapelliti wrote in the final editor’s letter included in the December 2024 issue. “When Guitar Player debuted 58 years ago in 1967, it ushered in a new era for the guitar. For the first time, the instrument was appreciated in a regularly published magazine devoted to the improvement of guitarists, guitar equipment and its creators, and guitar virtuosity. Founder Bud Eastman laid the foundation stone for an empire that would later launch many other magazines – including Bass Player, Frets and Keyboard – publish books, release records and films, and much more. The success of Guitar Player also opened the door to many other titles, including our sister magazine Guitar World, further enriching the lives of guitarists around the world.

Scapelliti continued: “The ‘why’ will be obvious even if you don’t keep each issue on the shelves chronologically. These increasingly small volumes highlight our near-heroic efforts to survive in an age when advertisers are finding greater opportunities on the Internet. Through all these years, ups and downs, we have appreciated the support of readers and advertisers who have kept the print edition of Guitar Player alive.” He said he “looks forward to seeing you on GuitarPlayer.com where we will continue to bring you the best guitar stories, interviews, gear reviews and lessons.”

Guitar World has changed ownership several times since it was founded in the Bay Area by LV “Bud” Eastman. In 2007, it was acquired by NewBay Media in New York, where it joined a portfolio of magazines that included Bass Player, Electronic Musician, Keyboard, Mix and Guitar World.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, in 2018 Guitar World’s monthly circulation was 130,000 copies.

In related gearhead print publication news, AV magazine Sound & Vision – and successor to the vulgar Stereo Review magazine – announced in late September that its current issue would be its last. “I know you’ve heard this before: All good things come to an end. To quote The Doors: “This is the end.” The last printed issue of Sound & Vision magazine has left the printing house,” we read in a note from the magazine’s editor. “We are now a digital-only property…. Many other magazines haven’t made it this far, making this moment both a milestone and a bittersweet farewell. …The print version may be ending, but the sound and the picture live on.”