Welcome!


HELLO! I’m Steve, “Britain’s most innovative bassist, no contest”, according to Bass Guitar Magazine – I also teach, write and take photos. I spent most of 2022 dealing with Lymphoma, which I documented through a series of subscriber-only recordings.

Here you’ll find the music, some info and context about what, when, how and why it is made, 22 years of blogging, gig news and links to everywhere else you can find me online. My most recent release (in June 2024) is called I’m Still Here – listen here:

My main way of releasing music is via my Bandcamp Subscription – it’s sort of Steve’s Ever-Expanding Digital Box Set, a rapidly growing collection of music that represents a wholly new way to think about recording and releasing albums. I put out, on average, between 10 and 12 albums a year – every gig I do is recorded, and if it warrants it, gets mixed, mastered and released.
There’s a huge back catalogue of recordings that are slowly being drip-fed into the subscription too – albums are more like episodes in a story you get to be a part of, rather than stand-alone products that require marketing and promo and radio support.


If you’re already familiar with what I do and enjoy it, this is the perfect way to play a significant part in making it possible, and get all of it, to keep for ever. There’s no version of the Spotify/streaming economy where this is viable, not without moving my attention away from this improvised music journey and focusing on trying to land a track on a “music for relaxation” playlist.
Music deserves better than that, so here’s a model that allows for music to be risky and exploratory and not made to someone else’s marketing brief.

Head over to stevelawson.bandcamp.com/subscribe to watch the intro video and read more about what’s on offer...

While you’re here, come and say hi! Find me on Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, FacebookInstagram, or send me an email! I’d love to hear from you.

The Blog/News


Latest Releases


I’m Still Here – Steve Lawson:

In Need Of Friends – Steve Lawson:

Listen and buy on Bandcamp, or find out more about subscribing.

upcoming gigs…


 

Gig coming soon for 2025

Latest Video


This Cover of The Call’s ‘Let The Day Begin’ was recorded for my friend Pip Wilson who died recently. He loved this song and I’ll forever associate it with him:

“The Law of Unintended Consequence” is from a recent subscriber only live album, recorded and filmed in Birmingham

More video available on my YouTube channel.

bass tuition


  • Want to take your bass playing to new places?
  • Struggling for ideas on how (or why!) to practice?
  • Needing inspiration to kickstart your creativity?
  • Just starting out and looking for a way to connect learning the bass to the music you love?
  • Want the inside scoop on how to take your solo playing to the next level?

I CAN HELP…

I currently teach via Zoom though am happy to work with other video tech if needed. Email me now to book a first session. I’ve got a high-def audio set up so you get to hear in good quality, and can advise on the best way to get your bass sound into your computer for the lessons. This also means that you get a video copy of every single lesson included in the price – no need to take notes during the lesson, just review the video afterwards! The video has a significant impact on the amount of information we can get into a lesson to truly maximise the value of the lesson in ways that are even better than face to face lessons.

I’ve been teaching bass since 1992, having taught thousands of students, from total beginners to PhD candidates to globe-hopping rock stars.

I’ve written tuitional columns for Bassist Magazine and Bass Guitar Magazine – I wrote the Beginning Bass column for Bass Player Magazine for many years – and have given bass, improv, looping and performance masterclasses at universities and colleges all over the world. I also teach bass, performing with creative technology, ensemble and solo performance at BIMM Birmingham.

I’ve filmed three courses (Looping, Fretless and Pedals) and also give regular live seminars for the subscribers at scottsbasslessons.com and am the bass specialist at musical-u.com

My approach to teaching is that I’m a ‘creative midwife’ – I’m here to help you find your voice as a musician. That might mean you want to play cover tunes like your heroes, or it might mean you want to write your own music or even improvise on your own for hours on end. It’s your voice that matters, I’m here to help give you the tools, the skills, the practice regime that will get you where you want to be.

Lessons are £60 an hour, payable in advance via Wise, PayPal* or bank transfer.

(*you are responsible for PayPal fees, so please click the ‘buyer pays fee’ button or calculate that when sending)

I (very) occasionally teach a series of bass group-classes in Birmingham, called ‘Beyond Bass Camp’beyondbasscamp.com has more details as well as a series of blog posts about my thoughts on bass teaching.

In the meantime, you might also enjoy the series of blog posts I wrote a while back about my approach to teaching – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

And this podcast from No Treble has some interesting insights:

Gear


The thing I get asked about most: bass gear:

Basses:

BRAND new Elrick Gold Series SLC Mk II Headless fretted 6 string bass, strung with Dunlop Superbright Stainless Steel strings. With Aero dual coil (splittable) pickups.
Fretted and Fretless Elrick Gold Series SLC 6 string custom bassesDunlop  flatwounds on both, and both have Aero single coil pickups, Hipshot hardware and passive electronics.

Fretted and Fretless Modulus custom 6 string basses – both have Dunlop flatwounds, John East preamps, the fretless has Lane Poor pickups and the fretted has Aguilar DCBs.

Fretted Modulus Q4 (refinished in 1999 by Martin Peterson) – with Dunlop Stainless Steel Superbrights, Lane Poor pickups, and a John East preamp.

Rick Turner Renaissance  fretless 5 string.

Nordstrand Acinonyx Mk II fretted 4 string.

Schecter Diamond Series Custom 4.

Amps:
Trickfish Bullhead Mini 500 head + 112-mini cabs (x2 in stereo)
Jule Monique Tube Preamp

Most of the time I just use the MOD DuoX these days, but with a revolving cast of other pedals, such as:

this all goes into a Keith McMillen K-Mix. The main signal from that comes straight back to the K-Mix.

 

One the floor (in order)

  • Dunlop Mini Volume Pedal + MANY expression pedals.
  • Keith McMillen Softstep 3 (controlling the MOD DuoX and, when I’m using it, the Looperlative), with a 2nd Dunlop mini volume for CC control.)
  • MOD Devices Footswitch
  • Audiofront Midi Expression Quattro w/ three expression pedals attached.

 

Drums etc.
Keith McMillen Quneo playing percussion and keyboard sounds hosted in the DuoX (or in Ableton Live when I’m using the Looperlative)

all recorded into Reaper (which also occasionally hosts Ableton Live as a VSTi)

Accessories:
Slickbag Gigbags, Dunlop brass slide, Latchlake anodised slide, eBow+, Dunlop picks, Evidence Audio cables and SIS patch cable system, Aero D-Buz hum-elimination cable, Pedaltrain pedalboards, SKB Rack case, Argos £8 table to put the rack on. 😉

Other pedals (often swapped in on rotation):
MXR Thump Preamp, Bass Overdrive, Bass Distortion, Bass Fuzz, Suboctave Bass Fuzz, Bass Chorus Deluxe, Dunlop Mini Bass Wah, Aguilar Tone Hammer, Agro, Filter Twin, Chorusaurus, Fuzzistor, Octave, Compressor, TC Electronic Flashback Delay, HOF Mini, Seymour Duncan Studio Bass Compressor, Markbass MiniDIST, Pigtronix Infinity Looper, Infinity 2, Philosopher’s Tone, Line 6 DL4, Looperlative LP1 and LP2

© 2008 Steve Lawson and developed by Pretentia. | login

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