The SBL Podcast Scott's Bass Lessons

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 Report, Marvin Gaye, and Journey, shedding light on the pivotal bass lines that have significantly influenced his musical path.

Bass guitars are beautiful and they can make anyone look good, but during its 70-year history there have been a few that are gloriously gaudy or just plain ugly (Precision Bass Lyte, anyone?!) In this episode we’ve set out to name and shame some of the ugliest bass guitars of all time! In this episode:Does Ernie Ball make the world’s ugliest bass guitar?Why aren’t Rickenbacker basses more popular?Some history behind Fender’s Antigua finish.Why Scott loves the Ovation Magnum bass.The Spec...

The hate that some bass players have for jazz can transcend space, time, and the laws of nature. We get it. It can feel like your band mates are speaking another language, and you feel kind of left out. But, with practice, learning some jazz can give you musical superpowers. In this episode, we’re here to reveal why you should take the leap!In this episodeScott’s worst EVER audition story.Why all the best musicians play jazz.How it can be a bass player’s best friend.Should non-jazz musicians ...

In today’s video, we asked Michael League to dig into his earliest influences and name the bass lines that helped define his career with four-time Grammy Award Winners Snarky Puppy. There were a few things we agreed on:Bootsy Collins belongs on every top 10 list.Your drummer is your best friend.David Hood is a bass guitar genius.Everything else was up for debate. Well, almost everything…In this episode:Michael names his favorite bass line of all time.And the British rock band he idolized...

A few months back, we got into the argument that all bass players get into – what are the coolest, grooviest bass lines of all time? After hours of heated debate, we decided to get Nick Campbell to help make that decision for us.In today’s podcast, Nick Campbell reels off the bass lines that shaped his sound. It’s the perfect way to introduce yourself to the worlds of Rocco Prestia, Ray Brown, James Jamerson and Colin Greenwood.In this episodeWhy Nick is a huge Radiohead fan.The first time he...

So which is better – a long-scale or a short-scale bass guitar? If you’ve ever wondered which is the right scale length for you, you’ve come to the right place! In today’s episode, we’re taking a closer look at the key differences between short-scale and long-scale basses, the pros and cons of each, and we’ll give you a few recommendations of short-scale basses to check out for yourself. In this episodeWhat is a short scale bass? Who plays one?Which is better, short-scale or long-sc...