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Bass Player magazine

#61
edfriedland said:
The decision to shut down Guitar World's Bass Guitar Magazine hit the staff very suddenly. As in - no notice. One day you have a job, next day, see ya! It came as a result of the declining sales in the magazine trade in general, not so much as a response to our sales. Within our market, we were doing well, but there are just less bass players in the world than say.... guitar players. GW also closed Guitar One, and Acoustic Guitar mags at the same time, so we had company.

It has become increasingly expensive to produce magazines in paper format, and with the internet being a free source of high quality (*cough*) information (*cough*), it's hard to compete. Most online mags fold up after not too long because 1) it costs money too 2) attracting advertisers is still the key to your survival 3) without money, you can't get the best content 4) without good content, it will suck hard and no one will read.


I feel bad for Bass Player, as you may know, I wrote for them for around 14 years. I left to pursue the gig at GWBG, (and got canned two years later) though most likely I wouldn't have survived at BP since the whole reason I pursued GWBG was because BP was going to cut my pay and contributions due to budget concerns.

That's what happens, it's corporate crap that has nothing to do with the content of the product. It's only about "how cheaply can we produce SOMETHING to sell". The staff at BP is trying to work with the budget they get, but look what happens - the corporate dicks fired Bill Leigh. Why? He was too expensive to keep around.

The corporate model is the problem, when you make a product only with the shareholder's profit in mind, and not the end user's satisfaction - that's what happens.

That is one of the reasons I like Bass Gear, it's run by people, (well... bass players actually). They are concerned with quality and content primarily. Of course, they want to be profitable too, but they stand a better chance of it because they are not a top-heavy organization that is trying to support a bunch of fat cats living a lifestyle. And they are not trying to appease stockholders. They have a unique approach to reviewing and I'm happy to be writing for them.
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Ed,
I liked GWBG when it came out. It's nice that BP features a lot of upright players and obscure fusion folks, but I'm a meat and potatoes bassist. I'd rather read interviews about techniques used by Geezer Butler, Ian Hill, and Tim Commerford. I know BP has also done articles on these folks, but GWBG focused more on rock. If I had my way, I'd still have both mags coming to my door. Lots of great toilet reading time for me!
 
#62
J. Herra (sp?) writes like a corporate fan-boy. Look back at his contributions when Bill Leigh was still on top. VANILLA to say the least. Once Bill left this publication fell off, and I mean waaayyy off. Count how many pages of ad's vs. content. (Usually about 1/2) Then consider the "content". Usually, there's an interview or 2 with people pushing a product ala Nicki Sixx, or some new MTV product band. More or less it effectively turned from a publication for us by us (bass players), to pay us so we can ship you adds and fill your mental space with the superficial "polished turds" that this great Corporate Oligarchy is now fueled by. No thanks, I came here to TB as a reaction to the decline of the integrity of that publication as ushered in by the Herra era (I couldn't resist)
 
#63
JimK said:
...still, it's a Jamerson-jammed issue.
One of the better "main" features they have ever done.
I'm a major fan of Bass Player (I grew up in the time when no "bass mag" existed; so don't take it for granted)...on occasion, I sound off, too...in this case, "less may be more".
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Nah, in this case less is definitely less.

Despite being almost half the size it used to be, the ad content seems to have increased. I know that they have to pay the bills, but the articles are hardly even worth reading now, they're so skimpy. If they continue the way they're going, pretty soon it'll be: "here's a picture of bass player X, now back to our regularly scheduled ads..."

I was with Bass Player from the beginning—dating right back to the first one that came out in Guitar Player Magazine—and it just seems to me that in the last few months (since Bill was canned) that the quality of the content has gone down hill. There are tons of typos and errors that are getting through, so either they don't know or don't care to fix it. Either way I don't buy it any more. I can read it pretty much from cover to cover standing in the store.
 
#65
I've read all the BP-related threads with great interest, and am taking the constructive criticism to heart. I've described the significant challenges that BP--and all print magazines--face in this economic climate in other posts, so I won't be redundant here.

I appreciate that some of you are frustrated with the magazine or with me specifically. All I can say is that I'm doing the very best I can under difficult circumstances with less resources than ever before, but there is always room for improvement. Despite this, I feel Bass Player has done some very cool stuff over the past year.

I've been at Bass Player for almost 8 years. When someone says, "J. Herra (sp?) writes like a corporate fan-boy," they are of course entitled to their opinion, but I do feel strongly that I've contributed significantly to our community that I love so passionately, and I can point to hundreds of articles to back this up. I don't need adulation, but it does seem that in the rush to bash BP, some lose a bit of historical perspective. I, like you, am a player who loves bass, and I try to bring that to bear in everything I write for BP.

Things like the magazine's page count, ad:edit ratio, and circulation are completely out of my hands, although I am a persistent advocate for positive change in those areas. Putting out a magazine involves many facets of a corporation working collectively; the editorial content is only one of these facets.

That said, the editorial staff (which is shockingly small these days) is constantly working to improve our content. I do hope you stay engaged with the magazine to see the results, and continue to offer your suggestions.

Thanks...happy holidays!

Best,
Jonathan Herrera
Senior Editor
BASS PLAYER
 
#66
Jonathan,

Not much love for BP here, but I think you're a stand up guy to jump in and give your perspective on this issue.

My "day job" is commercial photography and I know how tough the economic environment is for magazines. Unless you are tapped in to the seemingless endless obsession for celebrity worship it's hard to get advertising and circulation for ANY subject area these days.

I still subscribe to BP, I have my gripes too, but will continue to support it in hopes that things will get better and you'll have more resources to take things to the next level.

Best of luck, and if you can't afford Paul Haggard, let's talk :)
 
#68
Jonathan Herrera said:
I've read all the BP-related threads with great interest, and am taking the constructive criticism to heart. I've described the significant challenges that BP--and all print magazines--face in this economic climate in other posts, so I won't be redundant here.

I appreciate that some of you are frustrated with the magazine or with me specifically. All I can say is that I'm doing the very best I can under difficult circumstances with less resources than ever before, but there is always room for improvement. Despite this, I feel Bass Player has done some very cool stuff over the past year.

I've been at Bass Player for almost 8 years. When someone says, "J. Herra (sp?) writes like a corporate fan-boy," they are of course entitled to their opinion, but I do feel strongly that I've contributed significantly to our community that I love so passionately, and I can point to hundreds of articles to back this up. I don't need adulation, but it does seem that in the rush to bash BP, some lose a bit of historical perspective. I, like you, am a player who loves bass, and I try to bring that to bear in everything I write for BP.

Things like the magazine's page count, ad:edit ratio, and circulation are completely out of my hands, although I am a persistent advocate for positive change in those areas. Putting out a magazine involves many facets of a corporation working collectively; the editorial content is only one of these facets.

That said, the editorial staff (which is shockingly small these days) is constantly working to improve our content. I do hope you stay engaged with the magazine to see the results, and continue to offer your suggestions.

Thanks...happy holidays!

Best,
Jonathan Herrera
Senior Editor
BASS PLAYER
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still does not address the many different criticisms....that last line is like saying you are working hard for world peace.....does it mean that you go to all the rallies and work at it full time or does it mean you donate five bucks every christmas......what will you do specifically to improve the mag is the question...."constantly working to improve" content is one of those catch all lines that tell us nothing
 
#69
I am a fairly new bass player and started reading the mag about a year ago. I think it is a good mag. About 2 months ago I saw a guy selling his collection of BP on ebay. I got all but 2 issues from Jan 99 to Dec 04 (for $110.00 shipped) Boy has that mag changed! I love the old ones! The Woodshed articles had something from total beginner to very advanced. The Glenn Letsch articles are my favorite (being a novice). I will keep my subscription, but I pour over the old ones.
 
#70
Jim,

Although I value the Talkbass community's perspectives greatly, I don't necessarily feel a responsibility to delineate a line-by-line response to the innumerable ideas outlined in this and other threads. What I do want to do, however, is help the community of readers (of which Talkbass members are only a part) understand what's happening at the magazine and acknowledge the challenges we face.

I don't agree with every criticism, and there's a diversity of opinion out there as to BP's quality. Regardless, I see many ways BP can continue to evolve to better serve the community. It's a matter of doing this within the confines of 36-39 pages of editorial with less staff, as opposed to 55-60 with twice as many editors, as in previous, more flush years.

Please continue to read, if you desire. Here's a sneak peak at a few cool things upcoming: A massive feature on the bassists of Michael Jackson, with transcriptions of many killer grooves; Gary Peacock feature; Robert Trujillo full-song (Infectious Grooves); John Paul Jones feature; the reintroduction of "Introduce Yourself," now called "The Real World," a killer Jaco style study related to previously unreleased material; Retrorama's move to the back page, a full-on metal issue, and much much more.

Thanks.

Jonathan
 
#73
I want to thank Jonathan for coming on and filling us in on what's happening at the magazine. I think he's in a tough spot and is doing his level best as is the case for many of us these days.

I've been a subscriber since day one also, still have every issue on my shelf. I'm not real happy that there is less substance between the covers either but I'm actually happy that there are a lot of ads. That means those companies are still in business, still able to pay for advertising, and think the people who buy the magazine might be able to buy their products. And more companies and more products means more stuff for us to choose from, and so on...

Just looking back at a couple recent issues I have the Scott Lafaro feature, really fantastic article. And in the same issue the piece with Matt Rubano is also excellent. Also fun to hear from Ready Freddy since I just saw Steely Dan. In October the Jimmy Johnson transcription from Holdsworth's Panic Station is amazing. That took some work. That issue also had great stuff from John Pattitucci and a short on Miroslav Vitous. And the Jamerson issue is incredible. And July had Gary Willis, Mike Gordon, and Alan Spenner with the transcription from Jesus Christ Superstar.

And probably my all time favorite writer and teacher John Goldsby continues to contribute amazing articles and transcriptions.

For the couple bucks I pay as a subscriber for each issue, I think it's a pretty good deal, and I will continue to subscribe. Yes, I hope things improve. I would love to see them hire Bill Leigh back, though I believe that Jonathan is stepping up his game and doing the best he can.

I'd like to see more transcriptions, more education columns. I know it would take some money but how about bringing Ed Friedland back into the mix? How about a classical column with Lynn Seaton? Maybe Gary Willis or Anthony Jackson or John Pattitucci would be able to contribute some educational material. How about Rich Appleman or other Berklee faculty?
For reviews it's nice to see the pictures and details and a professional writeup but we'll get the real world low down on how the product rates here or on harmony central's reviews.

I know I won't change some of your minds about the current state of the magazine but I too remember when there was no bass magazine. And I still like getting a physical copy though if they went online only I would still subscribe if they kept up with quality content.

Bottom line for me is for about the price of a cup of fancy coffee I get something that gives me transcriptions that I would not have time to do myself, hips me to new (or old) players that I might never know about otherwise, and educates me. I'd rather have the magazine and skip the cappucino.
 
#74
Paul262 said:
Originally Posted by bassgod76
The only reason I subscribe to BP is because I need reading material while doing a number 2.

Originally Posted by Paul262
That is a 100% legitimate answer, no, I'm not being sarcastic! There is a lot of down-time when sitting on the can!
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Yeah, I solved that problem by drinking more water and eating more fiber. Of course, now I don't have time to read anything at all...so I'm getting dumber.

So now I'm just a regular dummy. :eyebrow:

I've been a BP subscriber off and on for over a decade. I recently let my subscription lapse and have failed to renew it yet, but I probably will. I enjoy the articles, the "how-to" stuff, the "how'd the professional do it" stuff, and the gear porn.
 
#75
rms2 said:
Just looking back at a couple recent issues I have the Scott Lafaro feature, really fantastic article.

And probably my all time favorite writer and teacher John Goldsby continues to contribute amazing articles and transcriptions.
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I'm glad you enjoyed the Scott LaFaro article. I had a ball researching it and writing it . . . not to mention getting to chat with Eddie Gomez, Steve Swallow, Larry Grenadier, Stanley Clarke, Steve Kuhn, Chuck Israels, Phil Palombi, Scott's sister Helene, and all of the great people who had something to say about LaFaro. Thanks for checking out my other columns and articles over the years.

I've been writing for Bass Player off and on since the early '90s. I've worked with fantastic editors like Jim Roberts, Karl Coryat, Richard Johnston, Bill Leigh, and now Jonathan Herrera. Every time there was a change of editor at the magazine, there were letters about "bring back the other guy," and "the magazine is going downhill." I think that is normal, and now that the internet is available for everyone to spout out their thoughts to the world in real time, the grumbling is even more public.

When I was coming up as a bassist in the '70s, I subscribed to Guitar Player because there was no bass magazine at that time (except for occasional journals about double bass from the ISB). Every once in awhile there was a bass guitar article in Guitar Player, and I always wondered when bassists would get their own magazine. When BP started, it was only 4 times a year. At that point, no bass player was saying "the magazine is too thin," or "it's full of ads!" We were enjoying someone making the effort to put out a magazine for us. Then BP went to 8 issues per year, and finally to 12.

IMO, Bass Player still does a great job appealing to all kinds of readers and interest groups: young players who have bought their first instrument who do not know where a Db is on the neck, to hard-core jazzers, hard-core funksters, rockers, players just starting their brilliant solo careers, players winding up their legendary career, tech-heads, weekend warriors, people building bass products, people buying bass products, and thousands of people with a mild to overly-passionate interest in the bass. It is a tricky job to appeal to all of those readers in one magazine that is 70 - 90 pages, but I think the current editorial staff is doing a good job holding their own.

I know Jonathan is checking out everyone's suggestions with great interest. That does not mean that every suggestion will show up in the next issue. But the suggestions are being read. If you make a reasonable, thoughtful suggestion, then it just might show up in three months in your print copy of BP.

In the meantime, you can go check out Jonathan Herrera at Invalid Link Removed playing a lot of examples from various woodshed columns here. He's a great player, and you might enjoy what you find there.
 
#77
One suggestion that was made in one of the other BP threads deserves to be mentioned here (I didn't make the suggestion, BTW, but thought it was a good idea...) which is to release digital (either CD or data DVD) copies of the back issues of BP. A lot of us don't have access to back issues, and there are only a few people selling their collections of old issues. Even if it was just done by scanning the pages of each old issue and burning them to CD - perhaps one CD for each year of publication? You could price them at $10 to $15 a pop and would probably sell pretty well...and would certainly be of interest to folks like me who would like to read them.
 
#78
Lady Kayri said:
One suggestion that was made in one of the other BP threads deserves to be mentioned here (I didn't make the suggestion, BTW, but thought it was a good idea...) which is to release digital (either CD or data DVD) copies of the back issues of BP. A lot of us don't have access to back issues, and there are only a few people selling their collections of old issues. Even if it was just done by scanning the pages of each old issue and burning them to CD - perhaps one CD for each year of publication? You could price them at $10 to $15 a pop and would probably sell pretty well...and would certainly be of interest to folks like me who would like to read them.
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Great idea but they should do it for FREE. Thrasher Skateboard magazine has done this with their back issues starting from the first one in 1981. Just scanned each page and put them up on the website for FREE. It's great to read those issues that only come up on eBay for highly inflated prices! Bass Player should do the same.

I'm fortunate that I have a couple of boxes of back issues of BP. I love going back and reading them.

BP has gotten much thinner but then again, so has my wallet! It's tough times these days to publish. I'll continue to support BP and hang in there through this time. I was there from the first issue with Geddy on the cover. :bassist:
 
#79
When I first saw a Bass Player magazine at Fred Meyers, I was surprised and happy because I had never seen a bass only magazine EVER. Bass was rarely mentioned in rock magazines or anything with a guitar focus. I've been playing bass since 1966 and I really enjoy every article in Bass Player.

Our Time and Newsweek magazines are also noticeably slimmer with much less content than they used to have.
 

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