Premier Guitar
Premier Guitar, published by Gearhead Communications, LLC, is a privately held multi-platform media company serving guitarists and bassists worldwide through a website, print and digital magazines, mobile apps, YouTube and Amazon Prime videos, podcasts, and newsletters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersMarion, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Premier Guitar does
Premier Guitar, operated by Gearhead Communications, LLC, is a privately held American media company serving guitarists and bassists through a multi-platform content portfolio. Its core products include a flagship website (premierguitar.com), a print magazine and a digital edition at digital.premierguitar.com, native mobile applications on iOS and Android, a YouTube and Amazon Prime video presence anchored by the Rig Rundown series (which has accumulated over 120 million YouTube views), a portfolio of podcasts (Shred With Shifty, Wong Notes, 100 Guitarists), and email newsletters. The underlying technology is a digital media publishing platform with in-house video production capabilities; content categories span gear reviews (guitars, amps, pedals, acoustic, bass), artist features, lessons organized by skill level and genre, DIY and advice columns, and gear giveaways.
The company monetizes primarily through subscription-based recurring revenue across print and digital magazine subscriptions, mobile app subscriptions, and gear newsletters, supplemented by a recently introduced sponsored content section on the website. It is headquartered in Marion, Iowa, with additional regional offices in Minneapolis, Nashville, and Los Angeles, and claims a global audience of millions of guitarists and bassists. Premier Guitar is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, external investment, acquisition activity, or public funding rounds; the entity operates as an 11-50 employee niche enthusiast media business positioned as an authority in the guitar and bass vertical.
Premier Guitar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Premier Guitar
- Legal name
- Gearhead Communications, LLC
- Website
- https://premierguitar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Premier Guitar, published by Gearhead Communications, LLC, is a privately held multi-platform media company serving guitarists and bassists worldwide through a website, print and digital magazines, mobile apps, YouTube and Amazon Prime videos, podcasts, and newsletters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Premier Guitar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marion
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Premier Guitar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions offered through the shop.premierguitar.com platform
- Mobile Applications: Revenue from iOS and Android mobile applications for Premier Guitar Magazine
- Gear Newsletters: Newsletter subscriptions delivering gear updates and insights to subscribers
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Premier Guitar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Premier Guitar is a multi-platform guitar and bass media brand publishing gear reviews, artist features, lessons, news, podcasts, and Rig Rundown videos through a unified website, a print magazine, a digital magazine, and iOS/Android mobile apps. The brand is supported by gear giveaways and an email newsletter reaching a global audience of musicians. Content is produced by an in-house editorial staff of experienced players and distributed via owned platforms as well as YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.
Product overview
Premier Guitar is a multi-platform media company and the world's foremost authority on guitar and bass content. The portfolio consists of a unified core website delivering gear reviews, artist features, news, video content, lessons, and podcasts, supplemented by a print magazine, a digital magazine (digital.premierguitar.com), and mobile applications for iOS and Android. Key content offerings include the acclaimed Rig Rundown video series (120+ million YouTube views), in-depth gear reviews across categories (guitars, amps, pedals, acoustic, bass), podcasts (Shred With Shifty, Wong Notes, 100 Guitarists), guitar lessons organized by skill level, artist features, and gear giveaways. Content is published by Gearhead Communications, LLC, headquartered in Marion, Iowa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Premier Guitar Magazine (Print) Print edition of Premier Guitar Magazine offering award-winning gear coverage, artist features, lessons, and columns; delivered to subscribers via mail.
- Premier Guitar Digital Magazine Online digital magazine version of Premier Guitar content accessible via digital.premierguitar.com for digital subscribers.
- Premier Guitar Mobile App Mobile applications for iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Market) providing on-the-go access to Premier Guitar Magazine content.
- Rig Rundown Video Series Acclaimed video series featuring detailed walkthroughs of professional guitarists' and bassists' gear and rig setups, distributed on YouTube and Amazon Prime with over 120 million combined views.
- PG Podcasts Audio podcast series including Shred With Shifty, Wong Notes, and 100 Guitarists, featuring artist interviews and discussions about gear and playing.
- PG Shop (E-commerce Storefront) Online storefront at shop.premierguitar.com selling magazine subscriptions, back issues, and merchandise.
- PG Giveaways Gear giveaway and contest program offering equipment from partner brands to members of the Premier Guitar community.
Companies that use Premier Guitar
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Premier Guitar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Premier Guitar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Premier Guitar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- TrueFire: Online guitar lessons platform offering video courses across skill levels and genres. Overlaps with Premier Guitar's lessons vertical; subscription-based model addresses the same player-development use case.
- JamPlay: Subscription-based online guitar lesson platform with structured curricula, instructors, and live content. Direct overlap with PG's lessons category and competing for the same "skill development" attention of guitarists.
Direct peers
- Guitar World: Long-running US/UK guitar-focused media brand (print, digital, video) covering gear reviews, artist features, and lessons. The most direct direct competitor to Premier Guitar in the guitar enthusiast media space.
- Guitar.com: UK-based guitar-focused digital media outlet producing gear reviews, artist interviews, and news. Direct product overlap with Premier Guitar, especially on videos and gear coverage, but serves primarily UK/EU audience.
- Bass Magazine: Specialty publication dedicated to bass guitars, gear reviews, and bass artist profiles. Direct competitor within Premier Guitar's adjacent bass content vertical, sharing the same niche media business model.
- Guitar Player: Historic US guitar magazine now operating as a digital-only property under former ownership transitions, covering gear reviews, transcriptions, and artist features. The legacy direct competitor in the guitar enthusiast magazine space alongside Premier Guitar.
Broad incumbents
- MusicRadar: Larger music gear and instruments content property covering guitars, drums, synths, and production gear with reviews and videos. Wider scope than PG but overlapping audience and editorial model, backed by Future plc media portfolio scale.
- Sweetwater: Largest US music gear retailer with significant content marketing, in-house video production (Sweetwater Studios, demos), and educational resources. Adjacent in audience and gear-review content strategy though primary business is retail rather than publishing.
- Reverb: Major online marketplace for music gear that also operates editorial content, video reviews, and artist features. Comparable in audience overlap (gear-buying musicians) but distinct business model (transactions vs subscriptions).
Regional players
- Total Guitar: UK-based guitar magazine (Future plc) covering gear, lessons, and artist content. Comparable product offering to Premier Guitar but UK/European geographic focus limits direct competition in the US market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Premier Guitar social profiles
Digital presencePremier Guitar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Premier Guitar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Premier Guitar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Premier Guitar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Premier Guitar
What does Premier Guitar do?
Premier Guitar is a multi-platform guitar and bass media brand publishing gear reviews, artist features, lessons, news, podcasts, and Rig Rundown videos through a unified website, a print magazine, a digital magazine, and iOS/Android mobile apps. The brand is supported by gear giveaways and an email newsletter reaching a global audience of musicians. Content is produced by an in-house editorial staff of experienced players and distributed via owned platforms as well as YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.
Is Premier Guitar a public or private company?
Premier Guitar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Premier Guitar founded?
Premier Guitar was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Premier Guitar based?
Premier Guitar is headquartered in Marion, United States, in the North America region.
How does Premier Guitar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are mobile Applications and gear Newsletters.
Who are Premier Guitar's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are TrueFire and JamPlay. Direct peers are Guitar World, Guitar.com, Bass Magazine and Guitar Player. Broad incumbents are MusicRadar, Sweetwater and Reverb. Total Guitar is listed as a regional player.
Does Premier Guitar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Premier Guitar.