Is bass player mag still alive?

threshar · #1 08-05-2009, 10:24 AM

While sitting apon my throne reading another magazine I realized it has been quite a while since a BP showed up in my mailbox.

So I hopped over to the site (which was running quite slow) and it seems pretty stale over there, the subscribe link goes to a page with nothing on it (figuring I'd make sure my subscription was still good, which I am pretty positive it is - plus you only get about 20,000 warning postcards starting about 20 minutes after you renew reminding you to renew)

So, anybody else getting new issues?

mstott25 · #2 08-05-2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threshar

While sitting apon my throne reading another magazine I realized it has been quite a while since a BP showed up in my mailbox.

So I hopped over to the site (which was running quite slow) and it seems pretty stale over there, the subscribe link goes to a page with nothing on it (figuring I'd make sure my subscription was still good, which I am pretty positive it is - plus you only get about 20,000 warning postcards starting about 20 minutes after you renew reminding you to renew)

So, anybody else getting new issues?

Just got the issue with Christian McBride. Jonathan Herrera doing his thing in the editor's box...talking about Marcus Miller's big birthday bash at Catalina's.
I really like Jonathan Herrera, I'm glad he's the senior editor (or whatever his title is now). The magazine has to appeal to everybody so they gotta have their share of the different genres of music but I still owe many thanks to that magazine for introducing me to all the guys I needed to know about when I was starting out. I'll always subscribe...so I hope the magazine is doing well!

JTE · #3 08-05-2009, 12:18 PM

I just exchanged e-mails last week with Jonathan and some people in subscription fulfillment (which is probabably an out-sourced service). I never got a July issue, got the August issue around July 16 and the September issue on July 24.

So, at least last week they were still there...

jte

Jazz Ad · #4 08-05-2009, 12:30 PM

That would be a shame. People like to criticize it but it is still the best bass mag around.

Rocker949 · #5 08-05-2009, 09:36 PM

I also hope it survives.

Jimmy Bones · #6 08-06-2009, 03:25 AM

Me too, i was planning on subscribing to it since I don't ever see it on the shelves out here.

line6bassist · #7 08-06-2009, 03:45 AM

Right now im very disappointed with Bass Player Mag

i had many, many issues with them missing ,Damage, issues coming in late,etc...... i try contacting them by email and still havent recieve an answer back....i love the magazine but im just hating the service right now. for sure im not going to renew!

Ill just better off doing my research by internet or Talkbass

....im better off that way for now..

Jimmy Bones · #8 08-06-2009, 05:20 AM

Send me your old copies?

CincyBassMan · #9 08-06-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

I just exchanged e-mails last week with Jonathan and some people in subscription fulfillment (which is probabably an out-sourced service). I never got a July issue, got the August issue around July 16 and the September issue on July 24.

So, at least last week they were still there...

jte

I didn't get the July issue either!

I wasn't going to try to get them to send me one, but maybe I will now!

Russ

JTE · #10 08-06-2009, 09:43 AM

Well, the subscription people SAID they'd send the July issue, and extended my subscription one month, but I haven't seen the July issue yet. We'll see...

Thing is that as Jonathan said, subscription fulfillment is something that affects his job, but he's got no or very little control. He works for BP, which is owned by Music Player Group, which hires someone else to take care of subscriptions. Moreover, every time I've tried to deal directly with the subscription folks, I've gotten sub Wal-Mart level service. No responses, un-kept promises, no records of previous contacts, etc. Abysmal.

John

ubado · #11 08-06-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

I never got a July issue, got the August issue around July 16 and the September issue on July 24.

I got my July, and August ... still waiting on my September.
Hope I don't miss a month ... it's always a happy day when the latest BP Mag arrives! (it's the only mag I get that I read cover to cover ... and I get a lot of mags

)

I truly hope that BP doesn't fall off the grid ... I've been getting it for the past few years, and will be saddened when it does (especially since I've got a subscription thru next year).

threshar · #12 08-06-2009, 11:05 AM

the last one I got was july (mike gordon).

Maybe I'll PM them...

Jeff K · #13 08-06-2009, 02:29 PM

Wow. I've been a subscriber since early '95. I haven't had a need to contact them for several years; but in the past, they were always VERY responsive in making things right if an issue didn't show up. (I used to suspect that my mailman might be a bass player!)

I second the opinion that Jonathan Herrera seems like a great guy. I'm sure I'd enjoy tipping a few brews with him. Here's hoping that everything is okay in BP Land...

mstott25 · #14 08-07-2009, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff K

I second the opinion that Jonathan Herrera seems like a great guy. I'm sure I'd enjoy tipping a few brews with him. Here's hoping that everything is okay in BP Land...

Yeah, Herrera is the man. He's a great player, great writer and very articulate, I have no idea how he comes up with all of those adjectives when doing bass/gear reviews.
I'm pretty sure he's in the San Francisco area and he strikes me as the kind of guy you could chat with in between sets.
I always wonder what bass he plays most, I seem to mostly see him with Fender Jazz basses. I mean the guy not only gets to try everything out, but he has manufacturers scrambling to send him the creme de la creme of their work. Not bad for a day gig.

rustynuts · #15 08-09-2009, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CincyBassMan

I didn't get the July issue either!

I wasn't going to try to get them to send me one, but maybe I will now!

Russ

I never received July either, and only got the August issue about a week ago. Sad to say, but I'm considering dropping my subscription. I've received more "renewal notifications" from them than I have issues of the magazine. That's highly annoying.

I'd hate to see BP drop off the map, but if I buy it off the news stand at least I know I'll get each issue and that it won't look like it's been run through the shredder first.

whoatherechunk · #16 08-10-2009, 04:25 PM

bummer.

Jonathan Herrera · #17 08-21-2009, 02:41 PM

Hi everybody.

As JTE ably communicated, our subscription fulfillment service is totally outside my control, and clearly doing a poor job for some of you. I hound them as much I can...I hate that we put all this work into the magazine, only to have it be undermined by a third-party. Sucks. John, as for your issue...I check into it a few days ago. Apparently it was mailed USPS...I hope you get it soon.

I'd love to hang with any and all of you. I do live in San Francisco...I gig frequently, so come out and join me sometime. A couple of cool things upcoming: Sept. 12 I'm the MD for the Guitar Superstar Competition @ Guitar Player Live...Oct. 1 playing w/ the Oz Noy Trio @ Coda...Oct. 3 playing with Eric Levy and Alan Hertz (Garaj Mahal/Scott Henderson) in our new trio Levy's Love Lounge @ the Connecticut Yankee. Check out myspace.com/jhebass

How's that for self-promotion? As for basses I play...it varies pretty significantly, especially b/c I'm always testing stuff for BP. Of those I own, I play my '75 J-Bass, my F-Bass BN5, a very Marcus-ish Nordy VJ5, my '79 P, and a Citron Swallow bass most often, depending on the situation.

Hamrhed · #18 08-21-2009, 05:42 PM

Hi Jon

I havent missed any issues... and you guys certainly are on the ball w/ renewal notices as I got one in the mail today

keep up the great work, and thanks for touching base!

Jimmy Bones · #19 08-21-2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan Herrera

Hi everybody.

As JTE ably communicated, our subscription fulfillment service is totally outside my control, and clearly doing a poor job for some of you. I hound them as much I can...I hate that we put all this work into the magazine, only to have it be undermined by a third-party. Sucks. John, as for your issue...I check into it a few days ago. Apparently it was mailed USPS...I hope you get it soon.

I'd love to hang with any and all of you. I do live in San Francisco...I gig frequently, so come out and join me sometime. A couple of cool things upcoming: Sept. 12 I'm the MD for the Guitar Superstar Competition @ Guitar Player Live...Oct. 1 playing w/ the Oz Noy Trio @ Coda...Oct. 3 playing with Eric Levy and Alan Hertz (Garaj Mahal/Scott Henderson) in our new trio Levy's Love Lounge @ the Connecticut Yankee. Check out myspace.com/jhebass

How's that for self-promotion? As for basses I play...it varies pretty significantly, especially b/c I'm always testing stuff for BP. Of those I own, I play my '75 J-Bass, my F-Bass BN5, a very Marcus-ish Nordy VJ5, my '79 P, and a Citron Swallow bass most often, depending on the situation.

I can't resubscribe if I can't even subscribe in the first place.

xgator4u · #20 08-21-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan Herrera

Hi everybody.

As JTE ably communicated, our subscription fulfillment service is totally outside my control, and clearly doing a poor job for some of you. I hound them as much I can...I hate that we put all this work into the magazine, only to have it be undermined by a third-party. Sucks.

^ That IS too bad Jonathan. Too bad that third party is going to cost you your circulation, your readers, and subsequently your advertisers. Perhaps you should re-consider who is handling the circulation of your magazine. I ( my wife) got me a subscription for Fathers day, as a surprise. I had been reading the magazine for many many years, and as of late err, not so much. Well anyway, as I said this was for FATHERS day. she ordered it on line several weeks before, got confirmation, and an email that it would be sent out in time for me to get the first issue before Fathers day. Well, that did not happen, so following several e-mails, and telephone calls, and getting a different story each time, I have YET to get a frigging magazine.
So I called to cancel, and was told 4-6 weeks for them to credit back my bank card. It took them 4-6 seconds to debit the card. AND then I get a magazine called " IN STYLE" which I did not ask for, nor subscribe too, and when I called them I found out the outfit that handles the circulation cluster Fu@* at your magazine, sold them my subscription information. NOW, I realize that none of this is your fault, but I assure you, it IS your problem.