The SBL Podcast
If you’re a bassist — you’re in the right place. Join Scott Devine and Ian Allison from SBL as they dissect every aspect to being a bass player - professional or hobbyist - from basses and gear hacks, to musicianship and gig tips, all the way to mental health and what the future might hold for the music industry.
Episodes
314 episodes
177- Record your bass (at home) and get a BADASS sound ($100 - $20K)
It’s never been easier to capture pro bass tones at home without waking up the neighbours. Whether you’re taking your first steps into home recording or planning a multi-layered bass masterpiece, in today’s podcast, we break down some essential...
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52:55
176- Vintage vs Boutique? Don't throw your money AWAY
There's something about playing a bass guitar that’s older than you that just feels incredible. But just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s great. Mojo aside, do vintage basses really sound better than their new counterparts? In today’s episode...
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54:25
175- Our Fav Bass FX Pedals (and Preamps) of 2024
2024 was the year of the HX Stomp, Jad Freer’s Capo, Boss being bosses and more effects than we knew what to do with! We seem to say this every year, but there's been so much competition for your cash in 2024, with the bass effects market bigge...
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49:00
174- The 6 Basses that DEFINED the 1990s (why Fender is ABSENT)
As the hair-metal spandex of the previous decade met its end, the ‘90s ushered in a new breed of bass guitar. From Ken Smith to Lakland, to Spector to Tobias, basses of the '90s packed a memorable punch to the gut. In today’s podcast, we're run...
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57:27
173 - 37 AWESOME gifts for bass players ($1 - $1000)
We get it: bass players are extremely difficult to buy for and everything we want costs a small fortune. Well, you needn’t worry, as we’ve trawled through the Internet to compile a list of bass-friendly gifts that we'd be more than happy to rec...
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1:16:16
172- Let’s talk about P Basses (and my Freddie Washington Obsession)
While Leo Fender will be forever revered for his iconic electric guitar designs, without doubt his greatest contribution to the advancement of popular music was unveiled in October 1951 – the first year of the Fender Precision. Today’s podcast ...
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55:40
171- My Health Scare and the MADNESS that prevailed
If you’ve ever suffered from wrist pain after spending hours perfecting a John Entwistle bass solo, you’ll know that spending extended periods hunched over a bass guitar can cause all kinds of hand and arm problems, back pain, and even nerve da...
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40:17
170 - Our favorite amps & cabs in 2024
You might have an expensive custom shop bass and all the boutique stompboxes in the world, but you’ll still need a great bass amp to achieve your dream tone. In this video, we’re looking at some of the greatest amps, pedals and cabinets of 2024...
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1:01:14
169 - Is the Bass Amp FINALLY DEAD?! (In ear monitor takeover?)
Let’s clear this up from the start – we LOVE bass amps, big stacks of speakers coupled with loud, monstrous amplifier heads. We want to feel the air move as we play! But when you’re a gigging bassist, one of the biggest struggles we face is the...
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57:59
168- Why Headless Basses Suck
Headless basses were two a penny in the 1980s and 1990s, and nowadays they tend to look pretty embarrassing. But we like crazy-looking gear, in case you hadn’t noticed! So, whether you love them or loathe them, if you’ve always dreamed of wield...
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42:18
167 - Dirk Lance: The ICONIC bass lines of early Incubus
We’ve got some good news for you today. Dirk Lance, a co-founding member of platinum rock band Incubus, is here to break down some of his greatest bass lines. We also asked him about his ’65 Jazz Bass and why he went from a Fender P Bass Specia...
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56:59
166- Was G&L Leo Fender’s biggest MISTAKE?
After he sold Fender and exited his collaboration with Music Man, Leo Fender founded a brand-new company that would play host to his final electric guitar and bass innovations. Leo called G&L Guitars the best instruments he ever made – the ...
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46:38
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165-Why learning scales is NOT the answer to knowing your fretboard
Finally, a video that dispels some of the myths about achieving bass guitar fretboard mastery - like having to learn ALL of the notes in the Hungarian minor scale! In this episode, Scott and Ian reveal how they solved their fretboard woes, thei...
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1:01:34
164- Anderson .Paak’s Secret Bass Weapon: Kelsey Gonzalez
In today’s video, we asked Kelsey González to name the bass lines that helped define his career with American singer, drummer, and record producer Anderson Paak. You’ll hear nuances to his bass lines you never noticed before – and probably rus...
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48:17
163 - The Genius Bass Lines of Tony Franklin
In today’s video, we asked Tony Franklin to dig into the fretless bass lines that helped define his long resume of gigs with artists such as Blue Murder, The Firm, and Whitesnake. We asked him about his time with Kate Bush, the history behind h...
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1:18:46
162 - 6-String Basses: Pros and (mostly) CONS?
In this podcast, Ian and Sharon explore the highs and lows of playing a six-string bass, from the extra range it offers to the challenges of controlling those extra strings. They share their favorite models, riffs, and tips for anyone curious a...
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1:13:47
161 - Is Toxicity costing you the gig?
If you’re in any sort of environment that’s become toxic, chances are you’ve been bending and flexing for a while to try to make it work. It’s no different in a band. While the audience might not always see it, the band always feels it. In this...
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1:10:33
160 - The HIDDEN Genius behind Bob Marley’s Bass Lines (6 ICONIC examples)
Throughout the 1970s until Bob Marley’s last sessions and live shows in late 1980, the bass lines of Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett played a primary role in introducing the sound of reggae’s one-drop rhythm to audiences around the world. His full-b...
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1:03:10
159 - The Bassist Behind Blackstar: The Tim Lefebvre Interview
Tim Lefebvre has had a career that Forest Gump would envy. As a bassist, he’s provided the punch for Sting, David Bowie, The Black Crowes, Elvis Costello, Empire of the Sun, Wayne Krantz and Knower.So today we’re diving into the genius o...
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41:58
158 - The Mount Rushmore of SLAP Bass
There are so many cool slap bass players out there, but who are the truly great ones? In this video, we round up some of the best slap bassists to have laid down stone cold grooves and mesmerizing double and triple-slap technique on some of mus...
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1:05:17
157 - Human vs. AI ... is real bass DEAD?!
AI is already here, tempting everyone in music with a previously unimaginable menu of cheat codes. As the potential continues to unfold, Sharon and Ian reveal their newfound love for Logic Pro’s latest AI features.In this episode:
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57:44
156 - I was WRONG?!
Some bass players love to double down on a bad idea. And though we once bristled at the notion that there could ever be such a thing as a wrong musical opinion, we’ve since come to accept that there is such a thing. We know because we had one! ...
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1:03:56
155 - The 5 BIG Mistakes I Made on My Journey Of Bass (it was PAINFUL!)
Whether you’re an established bass player looking to add to your library of skills, a total novice picking up the bass for the first time or you're heading back to school and want to take your four-string skills to another level, there are five...
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51:45
154 - Jon Button breaks down his favorite bass lines
In the episode of "The Bass Lines That Made Me," Jon Button shares enlightening reflections on his early experiences as a bass player. Throughout the episode, Jon delves into the profound impact of iconic musicians such as Miles Davis, Weather ...
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29:33
