Does Warwick own Bassplayer mag?

[Joe Nerve]

Dang.

I noticed this a couple of months ago. Lots of Warwick ads in every issue. And lots of Warwick pictures from people endorsing other products (which I'm sure doesn't happen by accident). And then a Thumb bass review in the current issue. A thumb bass?!? I'd have liked to have seen that in '97.

I'm a warwick fan. Own 2. But for some reason the overkill makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Who ultimately winds up paying for those ads? Yep, yep, yep... Seems almost desperate to me too, and so uneccessary.

Why do these things bother me? Ill tell you why. Because I have important things I should be doing, that I don't want to do, and this keeps me from doing them.

[Rockmusician]

I think the reason you are seeing so many ads is because Warwick is buying ad space. I stopped subscribing to BP years ago because it seemed like ads were taking over.

[fu22ba55]

Warwick probably bought a HUGE block of ad space that the traffic dept (ad placement) has to work through. It was probably supposed to last them a year or 18 months, but since:

a) that mag is getting thinner and thinner as print becomes more irrelevant... they're are less advertisers to fill the space so warwick seems to own it by comparison

b) Warwick ONLY makes basses... lots of other companies make guitars as well, so Warwick must spend a larger percentage of their ad budget on BP mag than say, fender.

And also... all those product articles are paid for. Product placement baby. It's ADVER-TAINMENT!

[totallyfrozen]

Yeah, BP has changed. I used to subscribe to it back when Ed Friedland was running it (and for a short time after he left). I took a peek at the latest issue yesterday @ Barnes & Noble and it looked like a bunch of advertisements with a 3 page interview with Lemmy tossed in the middle somewhere. I can get my GAS eye candy online now.

I just don't know how a mag like BP is going to make it in the print media.

[rydin4lifebass]

what bass "mags" or sites do you get your info and reading material from? I'm of the same opinion that the magazine is bascially an advertising pamphlet now..

[echoSE7EN]

I've found that most mags out of the UK are far superior to the US counterpart. I think there is one simply called Bass Player Magazine, or Bassist Magazine. It's similar to Guitar Technique magazine (which is filled with useful tips and tutorials). I've seen it at B&N a couple of times --- of course, it goes for around $15 an issue.

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

what bass "mags" or sites do you get your info and reading material from? I'm of the same opinion that the magazine is bascially an advertising pamphlet now..

The difference to me is that rather than paying cash for a BP mag, I can read BP online FREE. There are others too. I don't know ALL of them out there.
Bass Player (USA)
Bass Guitar Magazine (UK)

[Jazzdogg]

Check out BassGear magazine, published by TBer TomBowlus; you can subscribe to a printed version, or download digitally.

The content is strong enough to compensate for the irregular publication schedule and amateurish editing.

[jlane72t]

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

b) Warwick ONLY makes basses... lots of other companies make guitars as well, so Warwick must spend a larger percentage of their ad budget on BP mag than say, fender.

That's kind of the opposite of how media buying actually works. If the magazine is already getting most of your spending (especially due to lack of competition) they already know your dollars are coming to them. But when pitching a company like Fender, you know there's a lot of money that's going elsewhere, so they're aggressively trying to win a bigger percentage.

[Rocker949]

Originally Posted by echoSE7EN

I've found that most mags out of the UK are far superior to the US counterpart. I think there is one simply called Bass Player Magazine, or Bassist Magazine. It's similar to Guitar Technique magazine (which is filled with useful tips and tutorials). I've seen it at B&N a couple of times --- of course, it goes for around $15 an issue.

Although it seems a number of bassists, especially British ones, complain about that one, too, (Bass Guitar) I will agree that it is the best one.

[Musiclogic]

I remember Warwick having a ton of ads back in the late 80's, 97 wouldn't have been much of a surprise. Here is a little marketing understanding to help the OP out. Companies such as Warwick buy blocks of advertising when they have info that their visibility has dropped. The ad blitzes are supposed to help boost visibility and get Warwick back into the minds of the consumer. A lot of companies do that this time of year, as it is the beginning of "playing season". This is when more musicians in the Northern Hemisphere are playing than any other...(spring/summer)>>> and sales of musical instruments dwarfs any other time of year including Christmas. This "could" be the reason, but is only a supposition on my part.

[Peace Cee]

It's because they rule. THEY RULE!! Just kidding. Never played one, but Bootsie does. The Euro mag IS better, but pricey.