The SBL Podcast

Latest Episodes:

181 - Lee Sklar: The Working Bass Player Mar 19, 2025

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What’s it like to be one of the most recorded bass players of all time?

In this episode, Scott sits down with session legend Leland Sklar, the bassist behind classic records from Carole King, Phil Collins, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Toto, and Diana Ross—just a glimpse into a career that spans over 2,000 albums. Lee shares unforgettable studio stories, his most memorable moments, and the bass lines that have defined his legendary career.

From decades in the studio to life on the road, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

180 - BIG changes coming to our YouTube channel Mar 03, 2025

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Exciting things are on the way!

Scott and Ian sit down to talk about major updates coming to the SBL YouTube channel, including a brand-new series featuring some of the best bassists in the world. With 12 days of back-to-back sessions in Los Angeles, they’re bringing top-tier talent straight to your screen.

Who’s involved, and what can you expect? Hit play to find out.

179 - Writing 365 Bass Lines in 1 Year?... INSANITY. Feb 24, 2025

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What happens when you commit to writing a brand-new two-bar bass line every single day for a year?

In this episode, Scott sits down with Ian Trusheim to talk about his 365-day bass line challenge. From the creative process to the quality of tracks, they dive into what it takes to craft hundreds of unique grooves. Ian breaks down his approach to feel, pushes his creativity to the limit, and shares his fundamentals of bass playing after a year of nonstop experimentation.

How did he keep the ideas flowing? Hit play to find out.

178- Rating the technique of Bass LEGENDS Feb 03, 2025

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What makes a bass legend? Is it flawless technique or breaking the rules in just the right way? Today, we’re having a raw, unfiltered conversation about bass technique—what works, what doesn’t, and when “bad” technique actually makes a player great.

From Flea’s slap to Geddy Lee’s plucking, Bobby Vega, and more, we’re breaking down the mechanics of legendary players. Plus, if you’ve ever struggled to sound clean and tight, we’ve got some tips that might just change the game for you.

177- Record your bass (at home) and get a BADASS sound ($100 - $20K) Jan 20, 2025

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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 advice that will help you get the best results possible, whatever your budget. Looking to deck out an affordable home recording setup? Let this be your guide!

176- Vintage vs Boutique? Don't throw your money AWAY Jan 13, 2025

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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, we’re delving into some of these key questions that often come along, namely: is the vintage bass you’re thinking of buying likely to be a bargain or a money pit?

175- Our Fav Bass FX Pedals (and Preamps) of 2024 Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

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 bigger and better than ever. Of course, we've got our favorites. In today’s podcast you'll find our handpicked selection of the best bass FX money can buy.

174- The 6 Basses that DEFINED the 1990s (why Fender is ABSENT) Dec 09, 2024

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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 running through the bass guitars that defined the decade.

173 - 37 AWESOME gifts for bass players ($1 - $1000) Dec 02, 2024

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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 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 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.

172- Let’s talk about P Basses (and my Freddie Washington Obsession) Nov 26, 2024

Show notes

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 is a reminder of why the P-Bass has remained the ‘go-to instrument’ for so many bass players, for so long. What can we possibly say about it that you don’t know already?

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