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  • TACiversary Story, sad but true

    Posted by Jesse W on March 29, 2021 at 10:49 am

    Well friends and neighbors, it’s not gonna be as upbeat and shiny as the story I’d originally typed out. A good number of the things I was going to praise about the site and community are gone, wasted in the aftermath of progress. I’ll try to start with the positives, but there’s some much needed (in my opinion) blunt feedback in this post.

    First off, my history with the guitar has been consistent with the typical TAC member. I started playing about 20 years ago. Started off with a bang. Steep learning curve, lots of motivation, played with friends, jam groups, etc … then somewhere along the line I got bored, life got complicated and I picked up the guitar less and less and achieved a pretty phenomenal leveled off plateau for about 17years. On a whim one day last January I searched the local Guitar Center website (something I’d never actually done before) and saw a used Gibson J45 for sale for a reasonable price. This was the guitar that my best friend, who taught me guitar, played when I first picked up learning the instrument. Hence, this is the way the guitar should sound in my head. I went down to the local GC and instantly fell in love, strumming those first few songs I’d learned sitting opposite from this instrument so many years ago.

    Finally, I could sound like the guitar in my head. Now to figure out how to actually play the thing and get over this decade and a half stall. Perusing the interwebs for lessons led me here. Best money I’ve ever spent in the pursuit of learning the instrument. I loved the lessons, the site in general, and the community that the site brought together. I did as I was instructed and introduced myself on the forums. Before I could even leave the page … bam … a welcome note of encouragement from @Brian Pateman. That got me curious and prompted a deep dive into the forums. What a positive place of inspiration for a guitar geek! I was hooked.

    Over the course of my first year, I became a guitar player. I learned more than I could’ve imagined about the instrument. I loved the daily lessons, especially when juxtaposed to a forum with compelling posts made by caring, empathetic people with nothing but support. The daily lessons taught me how to play the instrument. The forums taught me how to LOVE it.

    My TAC membership also changed my relationship with music. I now listen to music entirely differently than I ever had throughout life. That was partly due to the fretboard wizard, which admittedly, I made it only 2/3 of the way through, but also due to the “Share The Music” segment of the forum. You guys exposed me to music I didn’t even know existed. The broad reaching, international makeup of TAC members was a window into music genres and artists I would have never gotten around to finding … and I’m the most eclectic music appreciator I know!

    Now comes the negative critique of the new site. Don’t get me wrong, the old site was sometimes clunky. Occasionally frustrating. But it was a huge net positive and very much worth the occasional 404 error message or the hunt to find the little nooks and crannies that seemed to disappear when I was looking for them. However, the new site has taken away the part of the site that kept me coming back. Sometimes completing the daily lessons seems like homework. But, just like homework, if you get it done, then you can go hang out with your friends. Go see what new music @LC Smith posted, what new song @MartinO has perfected, what’s new with @RickyK’s custom guitar build, check out @JulieI’s homemade guitar build, get some technical or theory advice from @Derrick, listen to @Dmart demo a new guitar, and, most importantly, see what new gem of a guitar some lucky TAC’er just picked up and live vicariously through their GAS. This was guitar geekiness at its best. Shoot, I even remember perusing a thread upon which a TAC member was struggling with a personal medical issue and was offered private help interpreting his labs by a fellow member, who happened to be an MD. You don’t get that type of human connection on any other guitar lesson website. It’s what made TAC stand head and shoulders above the rest

    I’m also a regular consumer of the Acoustic Tuesday show. This is Tony at his best, sharing new music, talking about new products, showing off new guitars, just all in all being the most enthusiastic and supportive guitar geek leader, inspiring all of us to further our journey. I feel like the new site has taken the opportunity to do this away from us as members. Where do we go to scratch this itch for ourselves? Obviously it’s not welcomed here anymore. That’s a jagged pill to swallow.

    I am a veterinarian by profession. It’s a grueling career. I often do not have time to commit even 10 minutes in a day to the lessons. I know Tony doesn’t think that’s possible, but many days, I’m scheduled for 12 hours of procedures and appointments, which leaves me finalizing records and returning phone calls late into the evening. Often times I sit down to my first real meal of the day after 10 pm. That leaves me with the choice of connecting with family or my guitar. I choose my family. If the new format does not allow for people to do these lessons on their own time and make up for the days they miss easily, it will be a great disservice to folks like me. Also, in my line of work, I’ve been encumbered by countless practice management software changes, updates and “improvements” that fundamentally change the way I practice medicine, connect with my patients, and connect with my clients. With the corporatization of veterinary medicine, I’ve witnessed a huge disconnect with the veterinarian-client relationship in the name of streamlining and increasing production. In the past, TAC has been a huge escape for me from the pressures of unsolicited changes in the medical field. It is truly disheartening to see the higher ups at TAC make such drastic changes to alter the experience of the website and community without input from its consumer base. I’ve fought this in my career for the benefit of my patients and am devastated to now see this happen here, at my place of refuge.

    To end on a positive note, the daily lessons should absolutely be celebrated. It’s a great way to interact with your guitar. One of the best feelings in the world is when a series of fretted notes and plucked strings becomes music in your own hands. That is achievable on a daily basis here. It breaks learning down into manageable chunks and is a phenomenal way to learn or improve on the instrument. Here’s hoping that TAC is open to some friendly, but blunt feedback and might consider returning to the down home, welcoming feeling of the prior forums. To be honest, if I’d not just renewed my membership for the year prior to this update, I’d spend my guitar lesson money elsewhere, and that really hurts to admit.

    dr_dave replied 3 years, 10 months ago 16 Members · 20 Replies
  • 20 Replies
  • Michael-K73

    Member
    March 29, 2021 at 12:03 pm

    Congrats on getting guitar back into your life Jesse!

    and cheers to keeping it there!

    🙂

    -M

  • Wendy_D

    Member
    March 29, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    Happy TACiversary, Jesse!!!

    I understand and empathize with your feedback. Change is hard, especially when we were so comfortable with the way we could connect with others and make those human connections so easily. I’m sad that I no longer have access to all the exchanges and posts I made in the old platform. But, I’m hoping we will ultimately have the chance to rebuild those forum connections. Nothing can take away the friendships we’ve made with other TACers. It may just take some time to find each other in this new space. I’m looking forward to that – a bit like being on a scavenger hunt for my guitar geek tribe. 😊

    • Sharon_T

      Member
      March 31, 2021 at 8:29 pm

      👍

    • darcelle

      Member
      April 3, 2021 at 4:27 pm

      👍

  • Beatrice

    Member
    March 29, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    Great TACiversary story Jesse! i feel your pain, and can totally relate to that… However, congrats on your first year and getting that J-45

  • Alfred

    Member
    March 29, 2021 at 6:54 pm

    Congratulations on your guitar journey.

    I will say this for the new site. Despite the fact that it has kind of been downgraded (as far as the forum side of it goes) from a 5 star restaurant to a 4 star, my recent experience with another guitar learning juggernaut as justly compared as being McDondalds to our 4 star restaurant here at TAC.

    I don’t think the user experience is likely where the TAC team wants it to be currently and I am content to let things progress as far as the site goes.

    In the end, as the forums mature, and the bugs are worked out, the Forum content is generated by TACers, so I think the community will survive…

    Now if I can only get notified when someone responds to a thread I have posted in, or determine what is a new thread with no responses easier, I would settle for that as a short term win.

  • was-Dan

    Member
    March 29, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    Maybe a forum called “Let’s Bat the Bull”.

  • Michelle-PSL

    Member
    March 30, 2021 at 5:13 am

    Happy TACiversary Jesse W!!! Congrats! Great story and interesting guitar journey!

    Stay positive, and let’s hope for a some community-directed changes to TAC!

  • DavidScoggins

    Member
    March 30, 2021 at 6:02 am

    Thanks for sharing Jesse and I have to say I agree whole-heartedly with you. Yes, the daily lessons are very good and over the course of two and a bit years have helped make me a much better guitarist. However, TAC is, or at least was, much more than that; it was about a supportive community. Hell, because of the forums on TAC I became friends with many people, notably Daniel Morin, a man twice my age and living on the other side of the world from me. We collaborated together and get along so well that he wrote a song called The Scoggins Blues, and that’s pretty damn special. Julie I, even put photos of our projects, The Fast and The Hairy, on a mug!

    Likewise, sometimes the 10 minutes a day is not possible for those of us with demanding jobs. I work in an international school at vice-principal level, and believe me, that is one hell of a time-consuming and stressful role. The old forums were a great respite from that, and a wonderful place of learning as well. If the only real focus is on the daily lessons, well, I can get good quality lessons for free elsewhere.

    Unfortunately, the money-back period for my recent renewal of annual membership has passed, otherwise I would be cashing that in. I bear no ill will towards anyone working at TAC, but the new philosophy is not for me.

  • Jesse W

    Member
    March 31, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate you folks reading my novel.

  • Jesse W

    Member
    March 31, 2021 at 7:05 pm

    And @was-dan, I’m assuming you mean “bat the bull’s excrement.” As a veterinarian I can not condone batting of the actual bull. 😜

    • was-Dan

      Member
      March 31, 2021 at 8:41 pm

      @Jesse W Yes Sir, Doc. The stinky stuff.

      • This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  was-Dan.
      • Jesse W

        Member
        March 31, 2021 at 8:52 pm

        LOL and Really Truly!

  • Marty73

    Member
    April 2, 2021 at 8:08 am

    Happy TACaversary @Jesse W 🧐😎

  • GrampaPaul

    Member
    April 3, 2021 at 2:42 pm

    Happy TACaversary Jesse W and Thank you for sharing your graceful and poignant review of this wonderful great family of TACers and Tony’s creation that brought us all together and pulled us back into the world of playing and dreaming and enjoying our guitars and the comraderie we all have come to snuggle into here.

    <div>I echo a wholehearted “spot on” to all your comments.</div><div>

    </div>

    I really enjoyed reading your adventure in finding that special guitar and finding the TAC to put you back on the road of playing for fun and relaxation.

    With this team of supporters and leaders I trust that they will tweak this and get it back to the great place to hang out and learn and grow in guitar geekerie.

  • Marty73

    Member
    April 4, 2021 at 8:00 am

    Happy TACiversary @Jesse W 🧐😎

  • Don

    Member
    April 5, 2021 at 5:39 pm

    Excellent TAClife insight and cheers to an amazing career choice. While I can’t relate to the amount of time and devotion and ultimately the sacrifice that must be made to succeed as a Vet, I understand family and the need to retain “You” while giving everything you can to those most important to you. I think this new TAC will afford us a clear path to invest in ourselves on a limited budget of time, yet allow us to connect with members when we choose to allot our time in that manner. Both are very important and I hope after some bug fixes the guitar geeks will reunite!

  • LC_SmithSoLong4Now

    Member
    April 12, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    Congrats on your the TACiversary Jesse! 🌟

    Glad to know that you’ve stayed dedicated to playing guitar, and that the community has kept you moving forward. 💛

    TAC has not only helped many of us learn this beautiful instrument, but it has also helped us come together with a shared love for all things guitar. I can’t think of a better group of folks for guitar geeky vibes. I just re-upped my membership before the roll-out… missing some stuff… meh… It happens.

    I can’t say I like it All but, I will see what the TAC future brings in 2021. Hopefully, it’s all good things.

    In my view, the Official TAC Jam Clubs were definitely a thing, and part of the reason that the member maps were so import to many TAC members (myself not included, since the idea of jams and festivals disappeared by the time I started to get any traction).

    It seems like there were plenty of folks who found those clubs to be a great feature. But, I wonder if some people are confusing the VOM concept with the original location based jam clubs. Note: The VOM’s were not part of the deal due to pre-lockdown conditions.

    However, it was nice to see guitar geeks explore different ways of celebrating the guitar in all of it’s forms. (Great stuff from passionate guitar lovers.)

    There should have been full disclosure on the things that would be going away v.s. new features and offerings. Various frustrations might have been avoided, in some ways, if the stark contrasts where openly shared on a longer timeline, and perhaps with some minimal Q&A — anything to help prepare the member base with upcoming changes. And interestingly enough there are more new things that are still on the way. When?🤷‍♀️ …idk. Waiting for the hints to become reality…

    My new mantra: “The Journey’s The Thing

    ~ Keep The Faith peeps!

  • AttyTJ

    Member
    April 16, 2021 at 1:24 pm

    @jesse W, your professional approach to what you love came out in dealing with guitar, and more power to you. I have thought about what you said for a week now, since reading your story, and HAPPY TACIVERSARY. As for the other, I too hope for internalization, reflection and a positive consumer forcused response, but . . .

    Your dedication is inspiring though, the guitar part as well as the other, and thank you for that. Having a fellow learner like you along for this Journey is wonderful.

    Best always, and “be seeing you.”

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