Bill Leigh: Editor, Bass Player Magazine...GONE?!

JimK · #1 03-05-2009, 03:41 PM

Just cracked up the April Bass Player...apparently, Bill Leigh's gig as Editor has been eliminated "in a wake of a company-wide restructuring due to the shrinking US economy".
Honestly, I was in shock...then I checked the month of this issue-
Yep, APRIL. In the past, Bass Player used to pull an April Fool's thing...after reading Jonathan Herrera's columun twice...I think this is the real deal.
Too bad.
IMO, Bill did a great job.

Herrera also mentions the "magazine will evolve"...starting with an all-new look next month.

Oh, boy.

Jim Carr · #2 03-05-2009, 03:58 PM

Can't forget the power cable thaang...Dumb and dumber...and I still subscribe...why?

DaveDeVille · #3 03-05-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

...apparently, Bill Leigh's gig as Editor has been eliminated
"in a wake of a company-wide restructuring due to the shrinking US economy".
...
Too bad.
IMO, Bill did a great job.

woah , if it's true , and not an April Fool joke ,
this news is major suckage .

i've always enjoy reading his columns , and he is /was
one of the main reasons i stay subscribed to the rag ...

Fett · #4 03-05-2009, 04:43 PM

He just posted a thread in Miscellaneous and at the top he said he no longer works for BP.

JimK · #5 03-05-2009, 05:54 PM

Yeah, I saw.
The last time I was this shocked from a music magazine was in the '70s...it was a Circus magazine-
I opened it up & saw that Gillan & Glover were dumped by Deep Purple.

bottomzone · #6 03-05-2009, 07:15 PM

My first reaction was WHAT??????? Too bad.......Bill seemed like a cool and intelligent guy.

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

bongomania · #7 03-05-2009, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Can't forget the power cable thaang...Dumb and dumber...and I still subscribe...why?

No kidding. Sometimes these types of decisions compound one upon the next.

JimK · #8 03-06-2009, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Can't forget the power cable thaang...Dumb and dumber...and I still subscribe...why?

See...I missed that. Why? Because I do not read (i.e. very, very rarely) anything gear-related in Bass Player.

Let me guess-
Is it a boutique 120VAC power cord that increases output or tone? If so, I agree with you...my stock power cord works just fine with the amp's Volume & Bass knobs.

Fett · #9 03-06-2009, 11:10 AM

...a $130 power cable......smells fishy.....

JimK · #10 03-06-2009, 12:22 PM

Sounds like something for the Gear-obsessed yahoos here at TB.

Joe Nerve · #11 03-06-2009, 12:27 PM

Sad news.

Marley's Ghost · #12 03-08-2009, 06:40 PM

Very sad. He was a major influence there. He followed this forum and resolved BP subscription issues on several occasions.

Ironically, Jonathan Herrera, the author of the controversial $130 power cable review, is the new Editor.

fretlessguy · #13 03-09-2009, 09:15 AM

That's a crying shame. Like all of us, he may have made a boo-boo from time to time. This I know..during his reign at BP the mag grew in its scope. There was more diversity in the bassists covered and the genres they played. He tried to make it more than a magazine that just had articles between those pages and pages of adds.

My hat is off to him, and I hope his future is a bright one.

FG

Bob Lee (QSC) · #14 03-09-2009, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marley's Ghost

Very sad. He was a major influence there. He followed this forum and resolved BP subscription issues on several occasions.

Ironically, Jonathan Herrera, the author of the controversial $130 power cable review, is the new Editor.

Maybe the company is angling for more ad revenue through fluffy reviews.

KJung · #15 03-09-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fretlessguy

That's a crying shame. Like all of us, he may have made a boo-boo from time to time. This I know..during his reaign at BP the mag grew in its scope. There was more diversity in the bassists covered and the genres they played. He tried to make it more than a magazine that just had articles between those pages and pages of adds.

My hat is off to him, and I hope his future is a bight one.

FG

+1 I thought he did a good job.

KJung · #16 03-09-2009, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Lee (QSC)

Maybe the company is angling for more ad revenue through fluffy reviews.

Reviewing gear in an ad based magazine is a tough thing. I agree that almost all reviews are 'positive'. I see the same thing in the new Bass Gear Magazine (lot's of great technical info in there though). That's why I like Talkbass

. With at least most of us not having any ties to a manufacturer (or those ties clearly stated as in your case), as long as you don't mind being called a jerk every once in a while for 'telling the truth as you see it', TB is a MUCH better place for trying to offer and get true opinions of gear versus a magazine that depends on ad revenue.

That being said, I chuckled that when BP finally did put out a reasonably negative (and IMO accurate) review on some of the Accugroove cabs, it ignited a fire storm on Talkbass, and many posted that BP was 'out to get' Accugroove. Sheesh. It's a no win game it seems

Everyone wants 'accurate' reviews except if it results in anything negative about the gear you personally like! I feel for these guys, actually.

While I enjoy all these magazines and subscribe to them, I'll continue to peruse TB to get the real scoop

jambassist · #17 03-09-2009, 10:37 AM

Yeah, Bill seemed like a good guy. Sound like it was a matter of economics. All print media is hurting right now. Personally, I stopped subscribing years ago as the content was no longer interesting enough to warrant the cost. If there's an interesting issue, I'll pick it up or get my friend to save it for me when they return the unsold ones to the distributor

froglips · #18 03-09-2009, 11:19 AM

There's a Bass players mag out there too?
Wow, you do learn something new every day!

BRB, going to store to see if they have it!

Barkless Dog · #19 03-09-2009, 11:31 AM

The mag has dwindled to to a shell of itself. It keeps arriving thinner and less content every month.

I fear the end is near.

India_Sierra · #20 03-09-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

The mag has dwindled to to a shell of itself. It keeps arriving thinner and less content every month.

I fear the end is near.

It wouldn't surprise me. I only used to buy it (when I could get hold of it) if it had something really interesting in it. I definitely wouldn't subscribe because a lot of it just didn't interest me (not least of all the double bass coverage). It was just reams and reams of ads...