Dear Jonathan Herrera (friendly suggestions for BP)

[John Wentzien]

That's ok... I can learn it by ear as fast as you can read it.

Elitist jerks are... jerks.

Nope!
People that call others "jerks" for stating their honest opinion about something are the real "JERKS" in this world. IMO

 

[Jim C]

I used to subscribe to BP years ago, and gave up on it when it ceased to be a magazine and became a pamphlet. Methinks the reason that there isn't that much advertising revenue coming in is because there's so little CONTENT. How is it that Modern Drummer can be three times the size of BP, when all they are discussing is about hitting things with sticks?

BP's articles aren't deep, nor engaging enough. Gear reviews are FAR too short, have almost no real content that matters, and are far too generous with praise. Modern Drummer can fill a whole page talking about a single cymbal - how is it that BP can't fill 3 paragraphs about a $5000 bass? Interviews and features also aren't long nor interesting enough - ask difficult questions! Get in DEEP! We want to know more about what makes these musicians tick - not only musically, but personally as well. Musician's lives and their musical careers are intertwined - it would be wise to explore this a little better.

BP is far too milquetoast and safe for my tastes these days. Your reviews of gear and music used to have some teeth... now there is rarely a disparaging comment or a sentence with any personality whatsoever. I'd like to see more wit, humor, and sheer bludgeoning when necessary.

A good music magazine CAN exist: check out Modern Drummer and Sound on Sound. I am always impressed at their offerings - surely BP can aspire to the same level of excellence?

I didn't want to be so negative but completely agree with the above. Hate to harp on the gear reviews but that's what made me stop reading. I realize that you can't bite the advertisers hand but you've got to stand up for something. When the little bar graph that measured value, quality, etc disapeared along with the explanation was when BP jumped the shark for me.

On the other hand, many of the interviews are entertaining although they are often times too informal and lacking in depth. Not sure if it's due to the artist or just trying to be the "cool guy" and not ask any hard or deep questions.

Please do your best to bring this publication around as I have saved (and re-read) many of the older issues. Also, thanks for addressing these issues here in this public forum.

 

[JimK]

BP's articles aren't deep, nor engaging enough.
...Get in DEEP! We want to know more about what makes these musicians tick - not only musically, but personally as well. Musician's lives and their musical careers are intertwined - it would be wise to explore this a little better.

I agree 100%.
The MAIN article (typically, the player featured on the cover), especially, should have a lot more meat.
Example: The Peter Cetera article was great...but way too short for someone who has been on the scene since the '60s.
The Esperanza Spaulding article seemed "right".

A standard, IMO, to go by-
The Anthony Jackson article/feature way back in an '80s-era Guitar Player.
...and Jackson wasn't even on the cover (Robert Fripp was the cover boy).

...thanks, JH, for listening & such.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

This was the thread topic and I think we should stick to it. There are plenty of other threads out there flaming BP and sticking to ideas and suggestions for enhancements will do more good that trotting out the same old tired critiques.

 

[joeyl]

maybe because I am getting older but it seemed to me like the early 90s articles were more in depth, like the Jeff Ament interview was a few pages, with everything from bio, gear and touring bits. The gear page was more detailed also, I recall reading for the first time about Ernie Ball Stingrays and it was in the 91 issue with Claypool on the cover. That was a very good detailed review as compared to now where it would be one small paragraph with a tiny picture. So definitely the writing skills need to be brought back to BP.
Also bring Rick Turner back

 

[bongomania]

sticking to ideas and suggestions for enhancements will do more good that trotting out the same old tired critiques.

How about this then: my idea and suggestion for enhancement is that BP put all of those same old tired critiques to bed by actually making those changes! They wouldn't be the "same old tired critiques" if they weren't also direct, obvious paths for improvement that a large number of readers would appreciate.

It's like a restaurant that goes from serving large portions of good food to serving small portions of mediocre food, to save money. The people who used to eat there stop going, and they complain about the portions and quality. The restaurant says "we have to cut back on the portions and quality in order to stay in business" but they choose to ignore that they are driving away their customers. With no customers they won't stay in business either. Over time the portions get even smaller and the food even less appetizing, as the restaurant struggles to pay its bills. People continue to complain over on "TalkRestaurant.com". Then somebody says "quit re-hashing the same old tired critiques."

The thing is, we can tell them how to improve their hollandaise sauce, or we can tell them why people are not coming to the restaurant anymore, and what they can do about it.

 

[budman]

A big shout out and mega-thanks to Jonathan for including the review of multiple products from a certain small-time bass builder in the latest December issue.

 

[John Goldsby]

Jonathan Herrera is a great bass player himself. In fact, most everyone who writes for Bass Player is really just a bass player who likes to write. We are all trying to present the bass in a way that serves the 60,000 or so readers by sharing information, research, hot tips and current trends.

The whole magazine industry is going through changes, but that does not mean that the information in BP is any less valuable today than it was 15 years ago. I've been writing for BP since the first issues in the early '90s. At that time, my Woodshed columns were about 1000 words, and they are still about 1000 words in the recent issues. The current editorial staff even allows me a little more space for musical examples than I had in the early '90s. A main feature for the magazine back then was about 3000 to 5000 words, which is the same length for feature pieces today.

I think my current profile of Scott LaFaro runs about 5000 words, and includes information from a myriad of sources. I also have a funk Woodshed in the current issue profiling some of Herbie Hancock's bassists (Butch Warren, Buster Williams, and Paul Jackson Jr.), and a brief interview with Benny Rietveld. Check those out if you have not already!

If you subscribe, or even just browse the magazine at the newsstand, I would love to hear your comments, constructive complaints, or suggestions.

Let me know what you think.

 

[countshockula]

I used to subscribe to BP years ago, and gave up on it when it ceased to be a magazine and became a pamphlet. Methinks the reason that there isn't that much advertising revenue coming in is because there's so little CONTENT. How is it that Modern Drummer can be three times the size of BP, when all they are discussing is about hitting things with sticks?

BP's articles aren't deep, nor engaging enough. Gear reviews are FAR too short, have almost no real content that matters, and are far too generous with praise. Modern Drummer can fill a whole page talking about a single cymbal - how is it that BP can't fill 3 paragraphs about a $5000 bass? Interviews and features also aren't long nor interesting enough - ask difficult questions! Get in DEEP! We want to know more about what makes these musicians tick - not only musically, but personally as well. Musician's lives and their musical careers are intertwined - it would be wise to explore this a little better.

BP is far too milquetoast and safe for my tastes these days. Your reviews of gear and music used to have some teeth... now there is rarely a disparaging comment or a sentence with any personality whatsoever. I'd like to see more wit, humor, and sheer bludgeoning when necessary.

A good music magazine CAN exist: check out Modern Drummer and Sound on Sound. I am always impressed at their offerings - surely BP can aspire to the same level of excellence?

+1
I'm a subscriber but seriously, I can read the entire magazine on my lunch break. Then I have to wait a Month?

 

[Geddyfleaharris]

How about this then: my idea and suggestion for enhancement is that BP put all of those same old tired critiques to bed by actually making those changes! They wouldn't be the "same old tired critiques" if they weren't also direct, obvious paths for improvement that a large number of readers would appreciate.

It's like a restaurant that goes from serving large portions of good food to serving small portions of mediocre food, to save money. The people who used to eat there stop going, and they complain about the portions and quality. The restaurant says "we have to cut back on the portions and quality in order to stay in business" but they choose to ignore that they are driving away their customers. With no customers they won't stay in business either. Over time the portions get even smaller and the food even less appetizing, as the restaurant struggles to pay its bills. People continue to complain over on "TalkRestaurant.com". Then somebody says "quit re-hashing the same old tired critiques."

The thing is, we can tell them how to improve their hollandaise sauce, or we can tell them why people are not coming to the restaurant anymore, and what they can do about it.

I have to agree with Bongo and go back to and agree with Benjamin Strange's original comments. No sense sugar coating things. I would rather pay a buck or two more for a quality magazine then feel like I am wasting my money. Maybe it's not everyone's way but I believe that you get what you pay for. Quality isn't cheap.

I picked up the last issue and put it back on the rack. There was just not much there to justify buying it. As another poster said, maybe the bass community is only 1/10th the size of the guitar community but BP is the only bass magazine published in North America. They should be able to make BP a "must have" every issue.

I actually buy the British Bass magazine. Its double the cost of BP but I feel like I am getting something for my money. The last couple of issues of BP have been slim to say the least.

 

[fivestringgecko]

I always liked the massive product shootouts, like the "Ultimate 5-string" issue of January 1997...

+1

I'm a gear junkie and would love to see more cool product reviews, particularly non-mainstream stuff (aka higher end, non-Guitar Center stuff).

I still go back to the December '05 issue that had the huge pedal shootout with envelope filters, octavers and overdrives. It'd be awesome to see an issue like that with other categories of pedals... chorus, tremolo, oddities, whatever.

It certainly doesn't have to be every issue of course. I also find the lessons pretty useful too. Technique, transcriptions, even philosophy and approach.

5sg.

 

[drew_bassmore]

Jonathan Herrera is a great bass player himself.

I agree! I had the good fortune of being able to observe Jonathan track with a Guitarist/Composer acquaintance of mine one afternoon. The session was also engineered by another inspiring Bay Area based bass player (Doubler), Dan Feiszli. Dan also tracked some Double Bass on the sessions I was unable to attend.

I think my current profile of Scott LaFaro runs about 5000 words, and includes information from a myriad of sources. I also have a funk Woodshed in the current issue profiling some of Herbie Hancock's bassists (Butch Warren, Buster Williams, and Paul Jackson Jr.), and a brief interview with Benny Rietveld. Check those out if you have not already!

If you subscribe, or even just browse the magazine at the newsstand, I would love to hear your comments, constructive complaints, or suggestions.

Let me know what you think.

I am a recent return to subscribing. I have had an on again, off again relationship with the magazine. Depending on the features, I maintain interest. Although I don't always work through the Lesson Plans (as I am pretty well buried with homework from my DB teacher, Glenn Richman as it is), I do enjoy the insight of folks such as John Goldsby, Ed Freidland, etc.

I also miss the wry humor of Bryan Beller's columns (his website fills the gap), but see that he is writing more feature pieces based on the issue I picked up off the stand this summer.

My hope is that my subscription will be processed in time to receive the above Scott LaFaro issue that John Goldsby mentions.

Also, it would be nice to have access to an archive of previous articles or issues. I looked for a back issue purchase option and couldn't find one. If the articles are kept in some sort of online database, I would be willing to pay a little extra.

I missed the Paul Chambers issue on the news stands, and couldn't find a text version on the BP website (maybe my search skills are limited).

Ultimately, I have noticed several magazines slimming down on content recently (could just be my perception).

I would love more "in-depth" articles with the player/performer's and expanded columns. The quarterly magazine, Jazz Improv, is packed with content for a highly specialized market, and keeps me occupied for weeks. Not that I am suggesting that BP go back to quarterly, but the sheer volume of substantive written word in other music/musician magazines is significantly greater than I've experienced most recently in BP (or Downbeat for that matter).

One magazine that really impressed me last year is Traps Magazine (and I am not a drummer). Every article and feature seemed to be really well presented, and substantive. I can't say that BP has not met that criteria, because I've only been an occasional reader over the past couple of years, but I hope to feel the same about Bass Player in the coming months of my subscription.

If it costs a little more for that type of quality and substance, so be it.

 

[synaesthesia]

I used to subscribe to BP years ago, and gave up on it when it ceased to be a magazine and became a pamphlet. Methinks the reason that there isn't that much advertising revenue coming in is because there's so little CONTENT. How is it that Modern Drummer can be three times the size of BP, when all they are discussing is about hitting things with sticks?

BP's articles aren't deep, nor engaging enough. Gear reviews are FAR too short, have almost no real content that matters, and are far too generous with praise. Modern Drummer can fill a whole page talking about a single cymbal - how is it that BP can't fill 3 paragraphs about a $5000 bass? Interviews and features also aren't long nor interesting enough - ask difficult questions! Get in DEEP! We want to know more about what makes these musicians tick - not only musically, but personally as well. Musician's lives and their musical careers are intertwined - it would be wise to explore this a little better.

BP is far too milquetoast and safe for my tastes these days. Your reviews of gear and music used to have some teeth... now there is rarely a disparaging comment or a sentence with any personality whatsoever. I'd like to see more wit, humor, and sheer bludgeoning when necessary.

A good music magazine CAN exist: check out Modern Drummer and Sound on Sound. I am always impressed at their offerings - surely BP can aspire to the same level of excellence?

++

I think the art of journalism that enlightens, informs and digs deep really needs to surface in this internet age or the print magazine will disappear. The interviews have got really thin, and do not really reveal much. There' a lot of fluff in BP and the median level aimed at is low judging by Bill Leigh's "huh?" sections. Herrara's attempt to write technically is also stuffed with fluff, I recall the opening sentence on the section on capacitors in the tube amp article: "Capacitors are nifty". At that point, I decided it was a waste of money to pay for fluff. Car magazines don't feel the need to explain wing mirrors and carburettors, and I certainly do not need a monthly magazine for the basics. I want it to keep me updated and informed at a level where the writing aims at an experienced bass player, who knows about equipment, playing and music. The beginner needs to buy a book, not a monthly magazine to get started.

 

[Droot]

I would love to see a featured article on MarloweDK / Play Bass Now. http://playbassnow.com/
His stunning skills and well crafted instructional vids have inspired countless members in the bass community.

+100 to that!

 

[Gecko 5]

Someone mentioned "Where are they now". That would be great.

More honest reviews. Come on...rarely do you guys say ANYTHING negative.

Got my most recent BP issue yesterday. Is this thing getting smaller every month????

The Jamerson article was one of the best articles I've read in BP in months.

 

[Sharkman]

Being in a corner of Europe and going to a particular bookstore that gets BP, trying t get there before all are snatched, I actually make an effort to have each issue in my hands.
Unfortunately the subscription in not an option for me as the magazines would get thrashed in my mail.

I pay (apart from gas + parking, etc) 7,80€ for each issue.

All I can say is thank you to all at BP to bring my monthly "reading oxygen" in this boxed world.

Could it improve? Sure! More european players (I was late for the Muse issue!)
Factory/Builder tours, More shootouts and in depth rigorous reviews.
Oh, and why not a "Essential Albums throughout history" section? Not BASS albums, but albums any Bass player should know, for the artist, for the tone, for the song, etc.

I always see the magazine as club membership and buy it with pride and happiness. Thank you Jonathan, for having a I/O interface

 

[ProfGumby]

If I were you this is what I would do to increase revenue.

Make bassplayer TV (or rename it doesn't matter) into a small monthly service and add EVERY article you have ever written searchable. In addition have all the lessons you've ever had searchable with a GOOD search/sort option. Also add special content on this webservice as say a "masterclass" series where you pick different players have them sit down and write as long an article as they want about their playing and what drives them and allow them to make a video to go along if they want. Also your gear reviews would be significantly improved having audio/video to go along with the reviewer's impressions. I'd probably add a user comments section or user rating to all lessons/articles/gear reviews as well.

With a business plan similar to that if done CORRECTLY I'd be willing to pay $5 a month for it. And your overhead for it would be significantly less. In addition you could add far more content making the service more desirable to people who # 1 - don't play jazz or # 2 - get sick of your articles on the same people over and over again. Tablature might be the only issue I would foresee with this, however, it would be made up for with the lessons and special videos.

You could also do a pricing plan that included the physical magazine and the online content.

Just my 2c.

All of this! And that bit I highlighted/bolded above goes for the web interviews as well!

 

[IbanezATK]

Nope!
People that call others "jerks" for stating their honest opinion about something are the real "JERKS" in this world. IMO

Didn't mean to be offensive, but I have a real issue with the elitist attitude that you don't deserve to play if you can't read music. I pay the same for the magazine as you do.

I can compose a really long list of musicians in every genre who can't read a note and are highly acclaimed.

I'll just toss out a few... Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Thom Yorke, Eric Clapton, Lindsay Buckingham... sorry that was more than a few. If you want another hundred or so I'll be glad to type them out for ya

Again, no offense, you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

 

[burk48237]

Johnathan, first I enjoyed meeting you at Summer NAMM, I was the guy shooting photo's for Bass Gear. Anyway, as far as suggestions:

More blasts form the past: I loved the Peter Cetera article, there are a lot of bass players from back in the day that never got the recognition they deserved. He was certainly one of them, Remember us old guys still read magazines.

More transcriptions: I know I'm not the only one, and no complaints on Tab from me.

More features like the Luthiers roundtable you did a few years ago: For example, You could do one with producers on what they look for in a bass player/line. Or custom bass cab manufactures.

 

[bearclaw]

Wowza! I never anticipated so many people responding to my post. It's really great to see that the bass community cares enough to comment on ways to make BP a better mag. Keep it rollin kids.....