Bass Guitar Magazine

[Roland Rock]

The advert for Fret-King Esprit 4 (issue 62, p.31) describes a bass, and has a picture of a guitar.

The Bass Cellar's ads are always quite shocking e.g. "There is no more need to brake your back"
Do you think they'd appreciate a polite e-mail pointing out typos/spelling/grammar errors for future reference? Really they need a copywriter, but I suppose that's more cost.

I know it's not BGM's responsibility to check their advertisers' content, they have enough to check already.

Overall, I enjoy BGM. It's not perfect, but what alternatives are there?

Edited January 5, 2011 by Roland Rock

[EBS_freak]

Looks like the love for BGM is vanishing again.

Half the fun of getting a new BGM is finding all the errors in it. It's like a high brow "Where's Wally?"

On the bright side, we don't have to deal with the whitterings of Jon Herrera at BP mag now (at least his reviews are generally sound though)

Edited January 5, 2011 by EBS_freak

[Doddy]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='1078523' date='Jan 5 2011, 01:19 PM']On the bright side, we don't have to deal with the whitterings of Jon Herrera at BP mag now (at least his reviews are generally sound though)[/quote]

I don't know,I quite like Jon Herreras articles.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='Sean' post='1077806' date='Jan 4 2011, 08:19 PM']Issue 62, page 70! Alex's column. There's a graph missing with a badly cropped random photo in its place and the graphs that are there don't have their axes labelled. Hopeless. Great column this month though and I'm definitely trying the guitar combo hint this Friday and I know it'll cost me that pint![/quote]

Just got this through the door - aaarghhhh!!! The badly cropped random photo appears to be a cropped enlargement of fig. 4 and thus the real fig. 1 which the article keeps referring to has been omitted. Brilliant. The first plot does say dB on the y-axis but I'd assumed the axes were obvious, so that's my mistake. Here are the correct illustrations before I hop off on the warpath...

[Sean]

[quote name='mep' post='1078050' date='Jan 4 2011, 10:51 PM']To be fair I think it is pretty obvious from Alex's article that the horizontal axis is Hertz and the vertical axis is Decibels?[/quote]

Yes, I agree. I raised this as a lad who works with me, who also has the magazine, asked me what the axes represented. Not everyone is savvy to this stuff and in an article that's meant to educate you can't be too clear.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='1078576' date='Jan 5 2011, 02:13 PM']Just got this through the door - aaarghhhh!!! The badly cropped random photo appears to be a cropped enlargement of fig. 4 and thus the real fig. 1 which the article keeps referring to has been omitted. Brilliant. The first plot does say dB on the y-axis but I'd assumed the axes were obvious, so that's my mistake. Here are the correct illustrations before I hop off on the warpath...[/quote]

Thanks for the graphs, Alex and an article that is practically useful for most gigging bassists.

[Pete Academy]

Still haven't had my copy. They're sending another out. Won't be re-subscribing.

[daz]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='1078576' date='Jan 5 2011, 02:13 PM']Just got this through the door - aaarghhhh!!! The badly cropped random photo appears to be a cropped enlargement of fig. 4 and thus the real fig. 1 which the article keeps referring to has been omitted. Brilliant. The first plot does say dB on the y-axis but I'd assumed the axes were obvious, so that's my mistake. Here are the correct illustrations before I hop off on the warpath...[/quote]


The way they messed up your article is a disgrace. Your articles have been one of the few genuinely informative and interesting things that I have read in a whole year of buying the magazine. Wish you'd been on board from the begining of my readership.


[b]Why is there no checking of the mag before it goes to press? Every month something happens that could have been put right so easily before printing. Have they got anyone who actually speaks english?[/b]

Edited January 5, 2011 by daz

[Rich]

[quote name='Roland Rock' post='1078518' date='Jan 5 2011, 01:14 PM']Overall, I enjoy BGM. It's not perfect, but what alternatives are there?[/quote]
+1. I used to automatically buy Bass Pamphlet, sorry [i]Player[/i] whenever I saw it in Smith's, but last time I flicked through it first and none of the few bits I could see between the adverts appealed in the slightest. So I walked away.
A lack of competition doesn't excuse a lack of care though. I hate to say it, but Bassist was a far more polished product.

[Stuart Clayton]

[quote name='Rich' post='1079465' date='Jan 6 2011, 07:53 AM']+1. I used to automatically buy Bass Pamphlet, sorry [i]Player[/i] whenever I saw it in Smith's, but last time I flicked through it first and none of the few bits I could see between the adverts appealed in the slightest. So I walked away.
A lack of competition doesn't excuse a lack of care though. I hate to say it, but Bassist was a far more polished product.[/quote]

It will undoubtedly seem that I am saying this because I sometimes work for BGM, but do people honestly think that Bassist was a good magazine? I read it (and bought every issue) purely because it was the only UK mag available at the time, and something was better than nothing. However, the blokey, man-in-the-pub writing style was appalling, the reviews were dreadful, the editorial was poor and... well, there was that Burt Reynolds bass cartoon as well wasn't there? I did not miss it when it went.

I think BGM, for all its spellchecking faults is a good mag. There are some great writers there - Mike Flynn being the one who springs to mind - and Nick has done a great job since he took over as editor. After all, taking a bi-monthly magazine to a monthly magazine during a recession can't be the easiest thing in the world to do now can it?!

It's also a shame to see Bass Player US getting slimmer every month and losing staff - I was sad to see Bill Leigh go, and don't feel that Jonathan Herrera was quite good enough to replace him. I'm really hoping they keep it going and don't merge with Guitar Player.

I personally think some of the online bass mags are starting to create some real competition to their printed counterparts.

Stu

[mart]

[quote name='Sean' post='1079083' date='Jan 5 2011, 07:58 PM'].....Thanks for the graphs, Alex and an article that is practically useful for most gigging bassists.[/quote]

+1. Alex's articles have been one of the best reasons for buying BGM lately.

Of course, if Alex had the time to post those columns on [url="http://barefacedbass.com/bgm-columns.htm"]his website[/url] as promised then I wouldn't have to buy the mag

[xilddx]

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='1079507' date='Jan 6 2011, 09:19 AM']It will undoubtedly seem that I am saying this because I sometimes work for BGM, but do people honestly think that Bassist was a good magazine? I read it (and bought every issue) purely because it was the only UK mag available at the time, and something was better than nothing. However, the blokey, man-in-the-pub writing style was appalling, the reviews were dreadful, the editorial was poor and... well, there was that Burt Reynolds bass cartoon as well wasn't there? I did not miss it when it went.

I think BGM, for all its spellchecking faults is a good mag. There are some great writers there - Mike Flynn being the one who springs to mind - and Nick has done a great job since he took over as editor. After all, taking a bi-monthly magazine to a monthly magazine during a recession can't be the easiest thing in the world to do now can it?!

It's also a shame to see Bass Player US getting slimmer every month and losing staff - I was sad to see Bill Leigh go, and don't feel that Jonathan Herrera was quite good enough to replace him. I'm really hoping they keep it going and don't merge with Guitar Player.

[b]I personally think some of the online bass mags are starting to create some real competition to their printed counterparts.[/b]
Stu[/quote]
That's all fine, Stuart, but I don't have an iPad I can read on the khazi

[i]I think BGM, for all its spellchecking faults is a good mag[/i] There are more faults than just spelling and grammar though, like reviewing a different bass to the pictured one, awful ratings systems for reviews, and reviews for cheap basses pitched in the same way as those for £4k basses (does the potential buyer of a £4k bass need a picture of the bridge with the caption "the bridge is adjustable for each individual string"??). Another problem is photos rarely having captions which can be very annoying. Parts of an interview was missing recently and there was no redress in the next issue, despite complaints. Dud information, incorrect transcriptions in the learning section. That awful, awful, pointless scholarship blog. The lack of any challenging editorial that gets players, manufacturers and retailers thinking.

You are right that Mike is an ace interviewer and writer, and I trust his CD reviews too. Mike Brooks however has suddenly started writing like he's been told to "sex things up a bit" or something.

It's not all bad, but it could be so much better with some care and attention, and a more balls.

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='silddx' post='1079583' date='Jan 6 2011, 10:29 AM']does the potential buyer of a £4k bass need a picture of the bridge with the caption "the bridge is adjustable for each individual string"??[/quote]

LOL That never really occurred to me before, but is very true

[Earbrass]

[quote name='silddx' post='1079583' date='Jan 6 2011, 10:29 AM']That's all fine, Stuart, but I don't have an iPad I can read on the khazi [/quote]

Still using a khazi? Get yourself an iPoo - defecate via bluetooth from wherever you are.

[alexclaber]

Here's the full article as it left the editor's desk!

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='1079507' date='Jan 6 2011, 09:19 AM']It will undoubtedly seem that I am saying this because I sometimes work for BGM, but do people honestly think that Bassist was a good magazine?[/quote]
Yes and yes...

[quote]the blokey, man-in-the-pub writing style was appalling[/quote]
Maybe you're more highbrow than me...

[quote]the reviews were dreadful, the editorial was poor[/quote]
I think you've just described BGM rather than Bassist...

[quote]and... well, there was that Burt Reynolds bass cartoon as well wasn't there? I did not miss it when it went.[/quote]
OK I'll agree with you on that...

I think Bassist was vastly superior...

One of the things that annoyed me most about BGM, other than the spelling and layout balls ups, was the constant revisiting of the same topics. I, for one, thought I would scream if I saw another interview with Stanley Clarke...

[Stuart Clayton]

[quote name='silddx' post='1079583' date='Jan 6 2011, 10:29 AM']That's all fine, Stuart, but I don't have an iPad I can read on the khazi

[i]I think BGM, for all its spellchecking faults is a good mag[/i] There are more faults than just spelling and grammar though, like reviewing a different bass to the pictured one, awful ratings systems for reviews, and reviews for cheap basses pitched in the same way as those for £4k basses (does the potential buyer of a £4k bass need a picture of the bridge with the caption "the bridge is adjustable for each individual string"??). Another problem is photos rarely having captions which can be very annoying. Parts of an interview was missing recently and there was no redress in the next issue, despite complaints. Dud information, incorrect transcriptions in the learning section. That awful, awful, pointless scholarship blog. The lack of any challenging editorial that gets players, manufacturers and retailers thinking.

You are right that Mike is an ace interviewer and writer, and I trust his CD reviews too. Mike Brooks however has suddenly started writing like he's been told to "sex things up a bit" or something.

It's not all bad, but it could be so much better with some care and attention, and a more balls.[/quote]

Absolutely, care and attention is the key. The issue as I see it is that there are not enough people proof-reading the material, for whatever reason - presumably a budgetary one. I have offered in the past to help out, as well as check all the music notation and format it to the same size/font/style etc (as it should be). Unfortunately it's not something that I would do for free, and so it hasn't happened.

Stu

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Bigwan' post='1079641' date='Jan 6 2011, 11:23 AM']One of the things that annoyed me most about BGM, other than the spelling and layout balls ups, was the constant revisiting of the same topics. I, for one, thought I would scream if I saw another interview with Stanley Clarke... [/quote]
Guitarist is the same with Gary Moore, I'm sure he must have some compromising polaroids of the Guitarist staff. That bloke starts gurning before he even plays a note, can't stand him & he got such a regular slot I stopped buying the mag full stop; in the days when it had a decent bass section.

[Krysbass]

Has anyone read the copy in the Bass Cellar ad in BGM? - I fell asleep one night just trying to count the spelling and grammatical errors!

I appreciate that the copy of that ad isn't the responsibility of BGM, but maybe the errors in the Bass Cellar ad are infectious?

Seriously though - apart from the odd slip-up, I think the standard has noticeably improved overall in the 3 years I've been a subscriber. Still waiting for the issue that came out on 22nd December though

Edit: I made a grammatical error!

Edited January 6, 2011 by Krysbass

[Cat Burrito]

For those who subscribe, when does the free gift come? I had my first subscribed issue & no gift. I've emailed them last week & in a bid to excell on customer service they've simply ignored it

[TheRockinRoadie]

Mine took a few weeks - Dont worry, they'll turn up!

[Cat Burrito]

Cheers. I thought that might be the case. It's poor they ignored the email but I'm in no hurry. Thanks

[Pete Academy]

New issue is not my favourite, but still a great mag.

[Doddy]

I think the new issue is pretty lame,to be honest.

[ezbass]

I really enjoyed the Overwater feature and the Stu Hamm interview, other than that not a great issue, but still better than nothing (or BP )

[xilddx]

[quote name='ezbass' post='1111728' date='Feb 1 2011, 10:31 PM']I really enjoyed the Overwater feature and the Stu Hamm interview, other than that not a great issue, but still better than nothing (or BP )[/quote]
I really enjoyed the Led Bib interview (never even heard of them) and the Overwater feature.

But by christ I am getting sick and tired of almost all reviews ending in [b]"PLUS: Fantastic bass with great tones and build quality. MINUS: The cost might put some people off! SCORE: 4 out of 5 stars". [/b]It's completely useless to the readers, pointless, damn lazy and bloody irritating.