The BGRA was created in 1995. Yes, 1995. I had gone on a buying spree that year and bought 3 new basses. I though, "there should be a place where people can go and review their gear." You see, back then, there weren't many sites where users could stop in, read some reviews, and maybe write a few of their own. But then, I don't seem to recall there being as much porn on the web back then. Things have changed, haven't they?

Over the years, the site has been a great success. It's had its ups and downs. In the beginning all the editing and programming was done by hand. Eventually, people really started digging in and writing lots of reviews. The whole "by-hand" ethos was tested.

But we, as a community, figured it out. I got some volunteers to help me with the reviews. I had one volunteer get fed up with my system and quit! Luckily, PHP came on the scene and I was able to write some editing tools and that seemed to help with volunteer editor retention.

Through the years, the basic philosophy of the BGRA -- that people can come in, read some reviews, and maybe write a few -- has held up. The great reviews you read here are still submitted by the friendly internet bass-playing community. The reviews are still read and edited by generous volunteers. The site is and has been banner-free since its inception. It is generously underwritten by Dave King and has been since 2000.

Thanks for visiting, and remember: if you ever bump into one of the BGRA volunteers, buy him a beer!

Happy Hunting,
Matt