Janek Gwizdala Podcast

Bass tone isn't just in the fingers and the pedals... There's the key ingredient of who you work with, both live and in the studio, and how they capture your sound. In this week’s episode we take a deep dive into my journey as a recording artist and highlight some of the engineers and moments along the way that have helped shape my sound to where it is today. Make sure you take advantage of our fi...

Boutique is an often misused term for our instrument, and in this episode I'm going to try and get to the bottom of what makes something "boutique" in the bass world, and shed some light on the process of choosing the right bass. As mentioned in the episode I have a couple of pedals available for sale at the website. It’s something I almost never do, and it’s rare for a pedal to be on its way out...

Having played the new bass live and spent some time in the studio with it, the verdict is in! It's always interesting getting to know a new instrument and figure out where it sits in the lineup. I've found some cool use cases for it, and am getting more comfortable with the preamp and controls each day. There are minor details that need adjusting, but the prototype plays incredible well and pretty...

The new bass from RKM is here. At least the first prototype is, and I’m really excited to be able to share it with you in this episode of the podcast. Check out the video on YouTube to get a close-up look at this beautiful instrument, and drop a comment below the video with your thoughts on 5-strings, high C tuning, double reversed P pickups, and all the other stuff we’ve included in this build th...

It is now my quest, in the most respectful way possible of course, to prove Rick Beato wrong on one of his recent uploads about successful musical output occurring when an artist is in their 20's. I don't actually think Rick is wrong at all, I just hope that I can prove him wrong about me and still make music for the rest of my life that leaves my fulfilled by the process. Watch Rick's video here:...

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 com...

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: Domestic S...

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...

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 Do...

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 an...

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...

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 Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe

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 Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekg...

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 minut...

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...

I thought this would be one of the easiest Epsisodes/videos to make. Rock up to my computer, import Ian’s presets, play music, talk, done. The reality was actually quite different. There was real pressure to “get it right” for want of a better phrase. This was meant to be my take on the sounds, my opinion for whatever it’s worth, and just some fun seeing where the presets would take me. But shortl...

It is both an amazing feeling to find something new in the learning process, and a kick in the gut when you realize you should have been doing it for 30 years already. I recently started exploring a new approach for learning music that seems to be working better than anything I've tried in the past, allowing me to add vocabulary to my language faster than before, and most importantly embed it deep...

Bass players of the world, It is with great joy that I get to share my latest round of HX Stomp presets with you, and I cannot wait to hear what you do with them. With options for everything from film score to funk , there’s a little something for every player. The biggest challenge in putting them together was trying to take myself out of the equation and think about how people from all walks of...

Just in case you thought I’d come up with some formula that allows you to spend hardly any time with your instrument and become a monster player… I didn’t. By practicing less I mean practicing less ideas at any given time. There is still no substitute for time spent with the instrument, and as I explain what it is I’m working on in this episode, it might come as a surprise to you as to how basic s...

For pedal fans and signal chain nerds, mono vs stereo is going to come up once in a while and it's a tough call to make when you consider the incredible options available today to widen your sound. From reverbs and delays to all kinds of modulation and panning effects, there is an almost infinite library to draw inspiration from. The more real-life questions for gigging musicians are: * Do you rea...

This episode of the podcast gives an in-depth look into the new mini touring bass pedalboard for my show in Morocco with the Brecker Brothers next week. It's small but mighty, and ended up being something completely different from what I imagined it would be. The signal chain includes the MXR Vintage Bass Octave, MXR Bass Envelope Filter, Line6 HX Stomp and MXR Bass Preamp. It’s all mounted on a s...

The time has finally come to build the smallest bass pedalboard possible as I need something to stash in my checked luggage for a trip to Morocco in a couple of weeks with The Brecker Brothers Reunion Band. I'll be using the HX Stomp as the brains of the board, but the other pedals that will accompany it are still a mystery right now. I'd love to have a DI and maybe an octave pedal, but beyond tha...

It’s time for a report on the JHS Colour Box and how it held up for me on tour in Asia for the past few weeks. It was my pick for the touring board after my recent DI shootout video, and I’m excited to share the results with you. I also have some big news on the Teletronix TDI sale that is coming in the next few days, but before we get to that, there is a 10% discount on all signed physical copies...

This is an interview from last year with the founder of Noble, Jack Roan. It went up on my separate youtube podcast channel, but that has long since been abandoned, and with the recent release of my DI shootout video, it seemed fitting to release it on the main channel so a wider audience might hear the story behind Noble. Enjoy, Janek Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substac...

Print media is not dead! Not only isn’t it dead, it’s actually representing the bass community in very high quality format with the launch of Bass Review Magazine in the UK. I thought the chance of being on the cover of a physical magazine had long since passed, but here we are in 2024 with it happening again. I wish BRM great success in this endeavor, and look forward to reading about our little...