When life happens and what you actually need to be doing to get ready for recording, performances, or clinics gets put on the back burner, it can feel a little hectic and out of control.

I found myself waking up today, the day before leaving for Europe, and feeling very underprepared with my playing.

Today’s episode takes a look at the idea I’m using to inject some confidence and stamina back into my playing, so I can hit the ground running in Germany and play to the best of my ability.

The final few tickets for our Bass Bash event in London on June 1st are AVAILABLE HERE, as is a mint-condition Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge that is flying out of the pedal library this week to make room for something new.

I was also given a couple of fun new toys by Tosin Abasi yesterday, so we take a quick look at them towards the end of the episode.

More soon,

Janek

📚 Bass Books

👕 Merch

🌎 My Website

💿 CDs and Vinyl

📅 Tour Dates

🎧 Stream My Music

SUBSCRIBE OR I'LL CHAGE ALL THE SETTINGS ON YOUR PEDALS

It's not clickbait, it's not a hack, it's not a shortcut, and there is no avoiding the work.

This is literally how you get better faster than you’re doing it now.

Laser focus on small pieces of information for as much time as you can during your practice sessions, will help give you the freedom to play without thinking when it comes to be onstage.

More soon,

Janek

P.S. There are crazy delays on the Mystery to Me Anniversary Vinyl, and I must apologize to everyone who pre-ordered the album. I was expecting to ship in mid-April, and that is already a month gone. The latest from Discmakers is May 15th-Jun 4th as a delivery window. As soon as they’re here, they’ll be on the way to you!

📚 Bass Books

👕 Merch

🌎 My Website

💿 CDs and Vinyl

📅 Tour Dates

🎧 Stream My Music

SUBSCRIBE OR I'LL CHAGE ALL THE SETTINGS ON YOUR PEDALS

In this no-holds-barred episode, we (yes, my wife is finally back on an episode!) react to the recent storm surrounding Danny Sapko's exposé of Giacomo Turra, who’s been accused of stealing musical content and passing it off as his own. The controversy triggered widespread conversation across the online music world—drawing in heavyweights like Adam Neely and Rick Beato. But here’s the twist: we don’t agree with most of what they had to say.

🎧 Inside this episode:

* A breakdown of Sapko’s claims and what they reveal about the culture of borrowed clout

* Our critical take on Neely and Beato’s responses—and where we feel they missed the mark

* How social media rewards performance over process, illusion over integrity

* The damaging effect this has on real musicians who spend years learning, practicing, and creating

* Why defending the process—not just the product—matters now more than ever

This isn’t a takedown. It’s a deep reflection on how we define musical value in an era where faking it can get you followers, brand deals, and a career.

More soon,

Janek

We’re into a harmony deep-dive in today’s episode that, towards the end of the epsiode, becomes somewhat of an “internet musician” deep rant.

Thankfully I’m not 21 anymore, and I think we pose some important and positive questions before the episode is over.

Get in the comments below the YouTube video to chime in with your thoughts.

More soon,

Janek

Just a quick note to let you know that, besides today’s episode of the podcast dropping, we’re getting really close to being able to announce the London clinic with myself and Ian Martin Allison on June 1st.

In today’s episode, I take a crack at sharing my latest harmonic curiosity: Neo-Riemannian Triadic Theory. It’s a bit of a mouthful for something that’s essentially just major and minor triads—in all their inversions—and how you can connect them using (amongst others) relative, parallel, and leading-tone transformations.

It’s fascinating, kind of nerdy, but surprisingly good for your bass playing!

You don’t ever have to actually play the ideas as chords on the bass—but the information you’re armed with, having studied the concept, gives you so many more options when it comes to note-choice and supporting the musicians around you in the band.

More soon!

Janek

A quick emergency episode of the podcast to let you know that Bass Day Europe has been cancelled a the last-minute, and that Ian Martin Allison and myself are going to try and do something in London together in its place.

Comments on the video with suggestions are already pouring in which I really appreciate, but we can’t have too many ideas. So put your thinking caps on and let’s see what the best option ends up being. Since posting the video just a few hours ago it’s looking totally doable.

I have been fielding dozens of questions about whether or not it was happening or was potentially a scam. Now we know.

The writing seemed like it might already be on the wall when this was posted a couple of months back, but I was trying to be optimistic and going on the facts not the rumors as I had indeed been booked ad confirmed to play.

I’m also really sorry to hear about people who have paid for tickets and haven’t had any direct communication from the organizers. That’s really not cool and there will be more in-depth video about this when I get back home from touring next week.

More soon,

Janek

I've been looking for the perfect touring pedalboard case my entire career, and even though I think I've come pretty close with this latest setup, only time on the road over the next two weeks will tell.

We start our tour here at home in LA for four nights, but once we leave for the airport it's 14 flights in 10 days.

I'll be sure to report back on all the wins and losses for the board when the tour is over.

More soon,

Janek

It's incredible what can be staring you in the face for so long, and you just can't see it no matter how hard you look.

My discovery this week, of a function on a pedal I've owned for over 5 years, changed the way I'm able to play, to write, and to enjoy music.

The pedalboard has now been cannibalized as a result, and is being totally rebuilt before touring starts next week. As a result, some pedals are on the way out to make room for new stuff.

Check them out!

I’ve mentioned in the past that some of the books we get from the factory don’t make it to us in perfect condition, and as a result of not being able to sell them, they’ve been piling up here. We’re now offering these units for sale with a massive discount. The defects are purely cosmetic of course, and the content in the books is still 100% sound. There are only a few available, so grab yours now!

More soon,

Janek

A bass arrived yesterday that I'm holding onto for a friend before I deliver it to him, and I get to share it with you on the channel while It's in my studio. It’s always interesting to see what other builders are doing, and what other people are playing.

It’s definitely not my particular flavor, but still a fun and challenging exercise to play a strange instrument and try and sound like yourself right away.

In today’s episode I also get to a new gadget for touring, and an exercise I've been using to get me ready for touring season which starts in just a couple of weeks here on the West Coast of the US.

More soon,

Janek

Today's episode of the podcast takes a quick look into the new "medium" stereo pedalboard build, a dive into the epic 10th anniversary version of the JHS Colorbox, and some lo-fi exploration with the Vibrato Coral from EQ Circuitos.

More soon,

Janek