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
350 episodes
214- EllenPlaysBass' Favorite Bass Lines
Scott sits down with bassist Ellen Alaverdyan to break down some of her favorite bass lines, from iconic grooves like Money by Pink Floyd to Come On, Come Over and more. Ellen shares what makes these lines stand out, how she learns them, and th...
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19:52
213 - Joe Dart Breaks Down His Favorite Bass Lines
What makes a bass line stick with you for life? Joe Dart sits down with Scott to talk through some of his all time favorite bass lines and the songs that shaped his playing from day one, digging into influences like Sly and the Family Stone, To...
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24:21
212- Bass Players to Watch in 2026
Ian and Sharon start 2026 by putting the focus on bass players you should be paying attention to right now. No throwbacks, no nostalgia, just ten modern players who are shaping the sound of today. They each bring five picks and talk about what ...
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48:27
211- 2025 Bass Gear & Basses in Review – The Best and the Worst
A full year of bass gear, boiled down to what actually ruled and what absolutely missed the mark. Scott and Ian run through the best surprises, the biggest disappointments, and the gear from basses to pedals to the truly questionable ideas of 2...
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1:02:13
210 - The Top 10 Gifts To Get For The Bassist In Your Life
What do bass players actually want for Christmas? Ian and Sharon make it easy (and fun), running through gift ideas by category and taking it all the way from budget friendly to full bougie. In-ears, straps, strings, pedals, amps, gig bags, bas...
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1:21:39
209 - Danny Sapko and THE TRUTH
What really happens when you post a bass video every day for two years? Scott sits down with Danny Sapko to dig into how he picked up the bass, what pushed him onto YouTube, and the honest truth about what worked and what didn’t. Dive in and se...
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25:59
208 - The LEGENDARY Bass Lines of Nathan East
Here it is — the full, uncut conversation between Scott and the one and only Nathan East. Nathan opens up about the sessions and stories that shaped his career, from laying it down for Barry White and Hubert Laws to hitting the road with Phil C...
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1:02:18
207 - The Top 10 Funk Bass Lines (According to Reddit)
Scott and Ian take on Reddit’s picks for the Top 10 Funk Bass Lines. From the undeniable classics to a few surprises they’ve never played before, they dig into what makes these lines so iconic—and whether Reddit really nailed it. Tune in and se...
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1:13:31
205 - The Legendary Bass Lines of Sean Hurley
Scott catches up with the great Sean Hurley to talk all things bass — from the lines that made him a go-to player to the gear behind his unmistakable tone. They chat about studio life, what it takes to craft a bass part that really sticks, and ...
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1:26:36
Have Fender Lost Their Minds?
Scott and Ian dive into the new Adrian Younge Jazz Bass from Fender’s Custom Shop. The build is flashy, the details are cool, but the price? Absolutely outrageous compared to other signature models. So who’s this bass really for—or has Fender c...
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1:04:33
204 -The Fenders that Failed
Scott and Ian plug in for a wild ride through Fender’s weird and wonderful bass history—from the Bass VI that gave us Patsy Cline’s “tic tac” sound and Beatles chaos, to the world’s first five-string Fender Bass V. It’s all about Fender’s bolde...
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1:09:13
203 - Joe Dart and the INCREDIBLE Bass Lines of Vulfpeck
Scott sits down with the one and only Joe Dart to talk all things Vulfpeck. From the iconic grooves that put the band on the map to the lines that fans can’t stop playing, Joe breaks down the stories, ideas, and moments behind his most loved ba...
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1:11:50
202 - MXR Bass Synth: The Bass Pedal that BROKE the internet
What happens when you’re not just handed a brand-new bass pedal, but asked to help design the sounds inside it? That’s where Ian found himself with the MXR Synth Pedal. In this episode, he and Sharon finally spill the story—from the fi...
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58:15
201- We’re Finally Talking About This…
For the past three years, the Blueprint has quietly been helping bass players work through the same hurdles we all face. In this episode, Scott and Ian bring on the coaches who’ve been working one-on-one with students every week to talk about w...
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1:09:00
199- Bass Travel NIGHTMARE… what NOT to do!
Ian and Sharon swap travel horror stories and share their biggest lessons from years of touring and bass travel. From packing light to gate check debates, things get real (and occasionally frustrating). Expect strong opinions, a few surprises, ...
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59:17
198- Our biggest bass struggles - the stuff we felt shame about
Ever felt embarrassed about something you couldn’t do on bass? In this episode, Scott and Ian get real about the things that used to make them cringe, from slap bass fails to technique gaps they kept under wraps. What about you? This o...
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1:07:56
197- Slap Bass Tone (6 Things Everybody Does WRONG)
Think your slap sound is dialed in? Think again. In this episode, Scott and Ian break down six things almost everybody gets wrong when chasing a great slap sound. They dig into the impact of string type, pickup settings, and technique—...
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41:32
196- The Legendary Bass Lines of Ready Freddie Washington
Scott sits down with Ready Freddie Washington to talk about the bass lines that changed the game — starting with the iconic groove on Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen. From Herbie Hancock to Anita Baker, Freddie breaks down th...
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58:38
195- New Bass Day… all the juicy details
Scott’s got his hands on a brand new Lull Jazz Bass—and this one’s custom. In this episode, he and Ian dive into the juicy details: how the idea came together, what makes a signature bass really special, and all the nerdy gear goodness...
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54:02
194-The Darkglass Anagram: Worth the Hype?
Is the Darkglass Anagram really worth the hype? In this episode, Scott and Ian dive into the new analog multi-effects unit and pit it against the ever-popular HX Stomp. Could this be the gear that finally gets Scott to ditch his pedalboard for ...
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52:22
Live Q&A - All your questions answered about our biggest program
Check out the Full Stack Bassist program here 👉 https://sbl.link/3FDuEx8In this episode, Scott and Ian host a live Q&A to answer your most important questions about the Academy’s flagship 1...
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1:04:11
193 - My new program: everything you need to know
What makes a bassist go from stuck and second-guessing… to confident, creative, and finally sounding like themselves? In this episode, Scott and Ian dive into that exact question—sharing stories from the road, Scott’s health scare, and how it a...
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1:00:26
192- I dismissed Pino Palladino (The Truth)
Ever look back and cringe at your early bass choices? Scott and Ian swap stories about the mistakes they made chasing speed and flash — including the time they dismissed players like Pino Palladino, Michael League, and Jonathan Maron as “boring...
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54:32
190- The Dark Side of YouTube
Scott and Ian get real about the ups and downs of learning music on YouTube. It’s one of the most powerful tools available to musicians today, but it also comes with some serious pitfalls. From confusing advice to the pressure of chasing views,...
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1:03:12
189- I took a lesson from a LEGEND (and was disappointed)
Music theory gets thrown around a lot—but what does it really mean? In this episode, Scott and Ian break down why the term is often too broad to be helpful, sharing stories from their own journeys (including lessons with legends) and how those ...
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55:26
