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As the hair-metal spandex of the previous decade met its end, the â90s 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 todayâs podcast, we're running through the bass guitars that defined the decade.
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We get it: bass players are extremely difficult to buy for and everything we want costs a small fortune. Well, you neednât worry, as weâve trawled through the Internet to compile a list of bass-friendly gifts that we'd be more than happy to receive ourselves on Christmas day.
So, let us extend an olive branch, as we offer up some killer gift ideas that should have real appeal to the bass player in your life.
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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 â the first year of the Fender Precision. Todayâs podcast is a reminder of why the P-Bass has remained the âgo-to instrumentâ for so many bass players, for so long. What can we possibly say about it that you donât know already?
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If youâve ever suffered from wrist pain after spending hours perfecting a John Entwistle bass solo, youâll know that spending extended periods hunched over a bass guitar can cause all kinds of hand and arm problems, back pain, and even nerve damage. In this podcast, we talk through Scottâs recent health scare and share some advice to ensure that your âbass faceâ is a grimace of ecstasy rather than agony!
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You might have an expensive custom shop bass and all the boutique stompboxes in the world, but youâll still need a great bass amp to achieve your dream tone. In this video, weâre looking at some of the greatest amps, pedals and cabinets of 2024, handpicked by the SBL team â including tube, solid-state and preamp pedals!
Hereâs what we think are the best bass guitar amps on the market right now.
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Letâs clear this up from the start â 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 youâre a gigging bassist, one of the biggest struggles we face is the endless battle with the onstage sound. In this podcast, weâre asking if thereâs a future for bass amplifiers?
If you had to ditch anything from your signal chain, would you really wave goodbye to your bass amp? -
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 hadnât noticed! So, whether you love them or loathe them, if youâve always dreamed of wielding a headless bass, then we urge you to watch todayâs video!
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Weâve 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 â65 Jazz Bass and why he went from a Fender P Bass Special to a Warwick 10-string! It's the ultimate inspiration to pick up your bass this week.
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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 â the problem was that by the time he formed his new line of instruments, his accomplishments in the music industry were already etched in the history books. Could G&L Guitars REALLY compete with Fender?
In this podcast, Ian and Sharon explore the history of G&L Guitars, compare some of the companyâs most popular models, and take a look behind the scenes of Leoâs private workshop in Fullerton, California!
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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, their newfound love for headless basses, and the simple steps you can take to elevate your own bass playing.
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In todayâs video, we asked Kelsey GonzaÌlez to name the bass lines that helped define his career with American singer, drummer, and record producer Anderson Paak. Youâll hear nuances to his bass lines you never noticed before â and probably rush home to grab your bass!
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In todayâs 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 his allegiance to the Fender Precision and why he feels "liberatedâ playing an unlined fretless bass.
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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 about diving into six-string territory. Curious about why they think every bassist should try one? Tune in to find out.
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If youâre in any sort of environment thatâs become toxic, chances are youâve been bending and flexing for a while to try to make it work. Itâs no different in a band. While the audience might not always see it, the band always feels it. In this video, Sharon and Ian talk through some of the common pitfalls to avoid.
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Throughout the 1970s until Bob Marleyâs last sessions and live shows in late 1980, the bass lines of Aston âFamily Manâ Barrett played a primary role in introducing the sound of reggaeâs one-drop rhythm to audiences around the world. His full-bodied bass tone was a signature part of the Wailers sound!
From Get Up Stand Up, to One Drop and beyond, in todayâs video weâre taking a look at the 6 Aston âFamily Manâ Barrett bass lines you must have in your collection! -
Tim Lefebvre has had a career that Forest Gump would envy. As a bassist, heâs provided the punch for Sting, David Bowie, The Black Crowes, Elvis Costello, Empire of the Sun, Wayne Krantz and Knower.
So today weâre diving into the genius of Tim Lefebvre, what makes his bass playing so iconic and how you can bottle a little bit of that magic for yourself â Tim even breaks down a few licks you can try out.
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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 music's biggest and best loved tracks.
In this episode:
Who invented slap bass?What's the best ever slap bass song?Why Flea's slap style is a great place to start.How Marcus Miller carved his name into slap bass history.Who has the weirdest slap sound?And much more. -
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 Proâs latest AI features.
In this episode:
Is AI a genuine threat to real bass players?Logic Pro 11 AI Session Players: Love, or Hate?Can AI trigger a scrunched up bass face?Is AI really the future of music?And much more. -
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, weâve since come to accept that there is such a thing. We know because we had one! Scott was colossally wrong about the Fender Precision AND slap bass!
Who is Pierre Brock?Scottâs new F Bass - love it or hate it?How Ian found the perfect monitor engineer.Is slap bass still cool?Should you put reverb on bass?Where are you on the midwit meme?And much, much more!
In this episode, Scott and Ian reveal their newfound love for Robert Palmer, and the big things theyâve changed their minds about, or wish theyâd known sooner.
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Whether youâre 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 common mistakes that nearly every bassist will make on their learning journey. In todayâs episode Scott walks through some of his own key mistakes (and how he overcame them).In this episode
What held Scott back as a beginning bassist.How do you know when youâre playing too fast?Why jamming with other musicians is a must.Why are bassists so obsessed with gear?Why you should check out the SBL Beginner Journey.And much, much more! - Se mer