10 Great Guitar Blogs: Effects Bay

By: Dr. Matt Warnock

Gear. Effects Pedals. Amps. Guitarists love their toys. Whether it’s a tricked out Strat, a hot-rodded Marshall amp or the latest effects pedal, most guitarists have a big soft spot when it comes to technology and their instrument. Even classical guitarists, who play unplugged, suffer from the same disease. Don’t think so? Next time you’re hanging out with a classical cat, ask about their footstool or nail files. They’ll regale you with all of the latest developments in sandpaper technology and why you absolutely must use a diamond tipped nail file to get the best tone. See, we’re all part of the same, gear-addicted club.

If you find that you wake up at night wondering what new piece of technology will be released next week, where to find the best deal on a rare, used amp that you just can’t find anywhere, or how some of the best in the business set up their pedal boards, then you might want to check out the very cool website EffectsBay.com.

Run by a self-described gear junky, Hank has grown the site from a small, personal resource into one of the most popular guitar-gear sites on the web today. If you love gear, love to talk about gear and want to hang out with like-minded gear heads, then head on over to EffectsBay. You won’t be disappointed.

Effects Bay founder and publisher Hank recently sat down with Guitar International to talk about the site, it’s formation and give his thoughts on how technology has affected the way people access information on the web.

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Matt: How did you first become interested in running your own guitar website?

Hank: Initially, I started Effects Bay to keep track of my “wish list” of guitar gear that I’d been wanting at the time. That site quickly morphed into a blog about guitar effects. Immediately there was feedback and interest expressed by others so I knew I must have been on the right track.

Sometimes I would talk about pedals that I personally owned, but then the writing grew into my daily G.A.S. (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) and interests. Normally, I would spend a few minutes every day checking out other guitar blogs, clips on YouTube, and prices at Musician’s Friend, etc. I thought, “Why not write about it?” If there’s a pedal that seemed cool, I would write an article about it.

Matt: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as Effects Bay has grown since its inception?

Hank: I think initially it’s all about getting exposed to a wider audience and generating traffic. Talking to yourself on your blog, where you and the Russian spam bot are the only one reading it, isn’t very fun, but we all start that way.

After generating traffic and maintaining an audience, the next difficult step is how to keep it entertaining, informative and useful for others.

Matt: What are some of the innovations in technology that you think have had the biggest impact on Effects Bay and how you reach your audience in today’s internet climate?

Hank: I think YouTube is huge. Videos, especially in the world of guitar gear, are a really important tool. People want to see gear settings and hear how gear sounds, not just read a description of that pedal. I’ve been starting to include reviews which involve videos on YouTube and high quality MP3 clips on SoundCloud.

The other technological area that has had a big impact is social media. Twitter and Facebook are vital for my blog to reach out to others and help drive traffic to my site. Surely as time goes by there will be other platforms that will emerge, but for now those two sites are transforming the social media landscape.

Matt: Where do you see sites like yours moving in the future? Can the current paradigm work or are we in for a big change as far as how content is presented on the internet?

Hank: I think it’ll remain the same, at least in the near term. I think video will be a bigger and bigger part of sites like Effects Bay in the future. I would also like to see more community involvement which might include video and audio submissions from readers and fans. Sites like YouTube and SoundCloud definitely help with this sort of thing.

Matt: Do you think someone has to be a guitarist in order to run their own guitar blog? Can someone who loves the instrument, but may not play, run a site just as well as someone who is accomplished on the instrument?

Hank: I know the “correct” answer to say is no you don’t have to be a guitarist, but I think it would be very difficult to maintain and engage your readers from the view point of a fan of the instrument.

I don’t think you need to be an accomplished guitarist though. I would say I’m a ways away from being an accomplished guitarist myself, and I share and relate that perspective with some of my readers out there.

But being accomplished and having an understanding, desire and respect for the instrument is a little different than a person that has never played but likes guitar. I think that person would be much more suited to a general music related blog that focuses on guitar music and maybe not one that focuses on the guitar itself.

Matt: Is there any topic that you love to write about, a certain genre of music maybe, or a certain artist, or are you drawn to the world of guitar rather than to a specific entity within that realm?

Hank: I obviously love talking about guitar effects, but I also like talking about general guitar nerd stuff like effect pedal building, modifications. I also like to ask questions to the community to gain their perspective on guitar related subjects.

Recently, I had a bad gig experience, and was curious how others prep for shows, etc., and I got some great feedback which I benefited from, and I’m assuming others did as well.

Matt: What have been some of the biggest highlights you’ve experienced, as a writer and guitarist, since you started Effects Bay?

Hank: Frankly, it’s meeting people that have similar musical interests ranging from gear to bands. There’s always a great feeling of camaraderie in the online guitar community. We’re always trying to improve our skill, our tone and grow as guitarists, and we’re all struggling together. It’s nice to hear about other bands, recent gear reviews and techniques from different people around the world.

Matt: What advice do you have for any up and coming guitar bloggers out there?

Hank: I think this could be applied to any blog. not just guitar blogs. It’s important to work hard. You will receive back what you put into it. You want to work hard and try to develop a readership. If you do that, you’ll be rewarded with readers. If not, well you get the point.

Working hard comes down to a few things – promotion to generate traffic, through Twitter and Facebook, etc., and the dedication to write on a regular basis. Consistency can go a long way.

Have dry spells, and you will surely lose readers. Maintain momentum, have fun talking about guitar and you’ll do just fine.