Janek Gwizdala Podcast

Today’s episode isn’t all doom and gloom, although some aspects of our industry do get pretty dark at times. Especially when it comes to the transparency of companies, channels, and gear videos.

I’m using an unlikely example to highlight where I’m at in the journey of creating these videos for YouTube, and as part of the episode will be doing a pretty tasty giveaway. Just make sure you leave a comment on the YouTube video to be entered to win, and I’ll pick a winner on the next episode of the podcast. It’s totally free and I’ll ship the giveaway anywhere in the world so anyone can enter!

If you want to be one of the first people to own the new book "The Bassist's Book of Scales and Arpeggios", get your signed pre-sale copy now:

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More soon,

Janek

Time is something we can't buy any more of, and the better we manage it while we're here, the more productive, fulfilling, and happy a life we can lead as musicians.

Just remember, always give the day more credit for the amount of time it offers.

If you want to be one of the first people to own the new book "The Bassist's Book of Scales and Arpeggios", get your signed pre-sale copy now:

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More soon,

Janek

I've been wanting to make this video for quite sometime, if only to satisfy my own curiosity and fill in some gaps in my memory of pedals I haven't used in a while.

Welcome to a walk down the memory lane of bass octave pedals, where I started, how I started, what I use now, and why I even had all these pedals out on the desk in the first place.

If you want to be one of the first people to own the new book "The Bassist's Book of Scales and Arpeggios", get your signed pre-sale copy now:

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Janek

I was psyched to dust off a few pedals that have been with me for many years and put them in a signal chain with a pedal that, while not new to the market, is new to me.

A friend of mine in Europe who is visiting soon ordered this to my house, so while I wait for him to pick it up I get to put the pedal through its paces and share the results with you.

From Stevie Wonder to Nine Inch Nails, the Doom 2 from 3leaf kind of has you covered for fuzz and synth bass sounds. I'm using my original 3leaf Octabvre and a vintage Pearl OC-07 for octaves, the Doom 2 in "Safety Orange", an Iron Ether Xerograph Deluxe, the Avalanche Run from Earthquaker Devices, and a pair of Teletronix TDIs to record in stereo.

If you want to be one of the first people to own the new book "The Bassist's Book of Scales and Arpeggios", get your signed pre-sale copy now:

Domestic Shipping (USA)

International Shipping (Outside of the U.S.)

More soon,

Janek

I think we all have a range of things on the emotional side of music that could benefit from a little TLC. This week's episode of the podcast takes a look at how I tackle a lack of confidence in my playing ahead of a really special gig.

Check out the episode, get some ideas for your practice routine, and if you want to be one of the first people to own the new book "The Bassist's Book of Scales and Arpeggios", get your signed pre-sale copy now:

Domestic Shipping (USA)

International Shipping (Outside of the U.S.)

More soon,

Janek

When you think about it from sound quality alone there is no question that new bass on my first album from 2004, Mystery To Me, will enhance the listening experience in a lot of ways.

The real question is: Do I have a moral obligation to leave it the way it is for the 20th anniversary re-mix/re-master edition we're putting out in a couple of months?

Get in the comments wherever you’re watching or streaming and let me know your thoughts.

And don’t forget the pre-sale for the new book, The Bassist’s Book of Scales and Arpeggios, is happening right now!

Get both a signed physical copy and a digital version in this unique pre-sale bundle through November 26th.

Click here for domestic shipping in the U.S.

Click here for Internationals shipping outside the U.S.

More soon,

Janek

P.S. I know international shipping for the signed copies of the book is sometimes more than the cost of a single book, but that’s just the reality of the USPS here in America. They absolutely hammer us on shipping costs overseas.

All books are available at Amazon.com, and the new one will be no exception when it launches.

This week was quite the whirlwind trip to Germany for the 2024 Guitar Summit in Mannheim. I met some amazing people, was treated to a fantastic audience and set of questions at my clinic, and made some awesome new friends.

Big announcement coming in a couple of days, so stay tuned for that!

More soon,

Janek

We somehow made it to 300 episodes of the podcast since 2006 or 2007. It's so long ago, I don't actually remember exactly when I hit upload on podbean for the first time.

To celebrate, I answered as many questions you all submitted as I could, and it was awesome to hear from you and a challenge to think about the answers. Here's to 300 more! 🎊

Janek

We get into the weeds on the latest pedalboard build, and talk about what a disaster these projects can start life as. I'm getting ready to go to Europe to give a clinic on pedals, so this board has a little bit more pressure on it as it'll be heavily scrutinized by the audience.

If you end up watching this on YouTube, the video cut out a few minutes in and I didn't notice until about the 10 minute mark. I shot some b-roll after the fact to go along with what I was talking about, and I do eventually notice and figure it out in time to save the episode.

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Janek

I think the short answer to the question is yes!

It's totally possible to be a recording artist, but the bigger question is how?

As my debut album Mystery To Me turns 20 this year, I have a little bit of experience in this area to share, and today we get into exactly what it means to be a recording artist in 2024 and beyond.

I’m very excited to have found the sessions from two decades ago and will be remixing, remastering, and for the first time in my career pressing vinyl for this 20th anniversary release.

There will be new artwork and packaging, as well as two bonus tracks of takes we did after the audience had left the studio. Yes, this was a live album! Live in the studio, but live none the less. A small audience assembled on November 4th 2004, and we played the album from top to bottom in one take.

Check out the episode, drop some comments on the youtube video to both give me feedback on the vinyl thing, and of course to help the algorithm.

More soon,

Janek