I'm letting my Bass Player subscription lapse.

[stringtapper]

I actually just recently got the digital app subscription, which marks the first time I've bought an issue of BP in many years. I wanted the Nick Movshon transcription that was in the last issue.

The transcriptions and lessons were pretty much the only reason I ever looked at it.

 

[Fletz]

Did a LONG time ago when their ad content started becoming bloated compared to actual content of useful bass playing information.

And clearly drove positive and negative reviews.

 

[Afc70]

Il agree, after Jim Roberts left, it seemed the quality started going downhill fast. I lost interest shortly thereafter- Ahh.... the good ol days
Edit- I used to love those funny April fool's reviews- they were hilarious! Anybody remember the review of the fictional "Wesco penetrator bass" ? It was hysterical...

 

[Afc70]

Wasn't the Billy Sheehan cover issue #2, with Geddy lee being the cover on Issue #1? Anyway, I have all the issues beginning with #2 until I let my subscription lapse last fall. The magazine no longer addressed any of my interests, and it kept getting smaller and smaller with more white space on the pages.

, Geddy was on the first issue in 88, (I don't have that copy) then they released "the art of soloing"in 89.. (I have it) then the 1990 Billy Sheehan cover issue was #3... Geddy had shorter hair in the picture.

 

[jerry]

I'm still happy when it's in my mailbox, I still buy CDs too. I'm old!

 

[Kukulkan61]

I dumped it because it was always about the same bass players, they really never ventured out to the great underrated bass players that are out there, me being one of them..no not really jus kiddin...

 

[pudge]

My bird died

 

[Afc70]

I have 2 issues before that one. Nov/Dec 88 with Geddy and Sep/Oct 89 that featured 8 on the front, and covered the art of soloing. Both of those were only supposed to be "one-off" in nature.

I stopped my subscription back in 1997, and along the same lines as having TB, but it was a daily newsletter of sorts for bassists that was on the web. I'm getting old, I can't remember the exact name.

I've got the art of soloing edition of bp from 89, I didn't buy the first edition with Geddy on the cover.. it was so neat back then- we no longer had to read the occasionally rare articles on bass (in the guitar mags) but were no longer marginalized, we finally had our own magazine!

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I had a subscription for about 10 years - then I noticed they were recycling ads and never featuring players I wanted to read about. So I let it go.

Besides - there really aren't THAT many new things to write about in the bass playing world.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Let it die

My fave game on the PS4:

I literally haven't been subscribed to a magazine since last century & that was one of Larry Flynt's publications

 

[waynobass]

Don't we need constant affirmation that "it's all about the groove"? And info on the latest offerings from FMIC, their main sponsor?

Nope.

 

[jd-ns]

Can anyone really ever tire of hearing about Rob Trujillo?

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I still have a subscription, but agree that it has gone way downhill since the early days. The writing style/format has become predictable and there is less material. I don't mind ads, but there has to be enough content too.

I didn't like the switch to the larger format and I still don't like it. There is too much white space and it doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than having larger ads.

I used to get excited every time I got an issue and read it back to front. Now it varies.

I think a lot of it has to do with the information being readily available on the internet or other places. By the time they review a new piece of gear, it's no longer new and you can get multi reviews here. I used to really like the shootouts they did. Now, the best you get is a "roundup", which gives you no preference on what is the best (or favourite). I understand it. I am sure it's a big deal to manufacturers (and more importantly, advertisers) if they're product gets panned or is not considered one of the best, so they have to walk a fine line between giving the magazine buyers good and honest opinions while appeasing their advertisers.

But, as some others have said, for the low subscription price, I still think it's worth it.

 

[PMagers]

It's not great, but it's worth the buck-fifty a month for me to see the pretty pictures. Now cable TV, on the other hand...

 

[Kitsapbass]

I still subscribe. Every so often they'll have an article which catches my eye, and makes it worth it IMO. The cover story with Oskar Cartaya is the most recent issue I've received, and it's worth it to me. That being said, it doesn't even come close to comparing to what Guitar Player and Guitar World used to do back in the 80s. Almost every issue of GP had an article about a bassist, and GW wasn't too far behind. I remember an issue that had Rush, and also a story on Will Lee that was definitely worth reading...

 

[Watchootognbout]

I let my subscription end last June.
It got to the point where I would page through the magazine,put it down,AND NEVER PICK IT UP AGAIN!
They officially lost me when the stopped running the readers comments.
Printing less sheet music and bass reviews was the final straw.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

When BP began I used to praise it for being unlike GP. GP at the time had this "if you don't have the newest thing you..."
BP was mature.
Then the reviews started being less than critical.
Then the articles and covers kept repeating. How many times are you going to have Charlie Haden and Flea on the cover before we'd notice?
I loved the inclusion of bassists of every genre. But it all got tired. No one wanted my back issues, they got recycled.

You forgot the part where Flea is on the back cover every other month.

 

[Big Hoss]

I never subscribed although I would use buying bass player magazine as an excuse to go into Danny Ds at least once a month.

It seems like they went downhill quite a long time ago and I lost interest in the magazine itself. I might consider a digital subscription if it got to be a better magazine but I won't ever go back to paper.

 

[Guiseppe]

It seems to me that I remember another thread here that Jim Roberts (?) got in on and told about how the publisher didn't really give a rat's patoot about the mag and that even though Jim tried, he got no support on.

 

[irjason]

I actually started back with a subscription last year after letting it lapse for 5 years or so. It certainly hasn't gotten any better, but for $15 a year I don't mind reading parts of each issue.

I just skip the "reviews" anymore. They're totally useless. They really should be called "Product Announcements" or something.