L.A. Bass Ace Lynne Davis on the B-DEC™ 30

On DEC: Davis and bass students at the Los Angeles Music Academy. Photos by Neil Zlozower

Los Angeles bassist, session ace and longtime Los Angeles Music Academy instructor Lynne Davis was kind enough to write us recently to tell us why the B-DEC™ 30 Bass Digital Entertainment Center is “the best practice tool for bassists I have ever seen.” She calls it an invaluable tool for teacher and student alike, and she was just so darn nice about it and effusive in her praise that we just had to share it with you. Take it away, Lynne …

The Fender B-DEC 30 has greatly enhanced the ability of my students to understand the role that the bass plays in an ensemble. The bass is largely an ensemble instrument, and the first thing a bassist needs to understand is the close relationship of the bass and the drums in creating a groove. The B-DEC puts a student on the path to learning this most important fact.

The B-DEC 30 helps students learn the differences between various styles of bass playing—the songs built into it cover all the most important styles of music that a bassist should be familiar with, and the method book puts every student on the correct path to playing each style authentically. The B-DEC also gets students more excited about practicing because of the many different bass tones it offers—all my students can find tones they like! It helps keep the student’s interest alive because they can switch from tone to tone so easily. The effects are a nice addition and help teach students the nature of different types of effects used by bassists.

The practice patterns built into the B-DEC 30 can really help a student whip up their technique. The patterns included are the same ones I’ve been teaching students for years—proven for developing a strong technique—and students can play at their own pace using the tempo feature. The ability to transpose the patterns into any key also allows students to practice each exercise in all keys, thus learning each pattern thoroughly.

The B-DEC 30 lets teachers provide students with tailor-made grooves and progressions for specific lesson material. Teachers can load up the students’ amps with MIDI song files and exercises and grooves that they want to teach. Students can practice their assignments at tempos that are appropriate for them, and transpose the assignments to any key for a more thorough understanding of the exercise. The looping feature allows my students to really hear their own sound, and to tailor their own musical ideas for practicing. It encourages students to compose their own musical ideas and bass lines.

The B-DEC 30 is an awesome way to get students motivated to learn the most important skills any bassist should know in a way that’s fun, challenging and continually interesting. The ability to load the B-DEC 30 with custom-tailored exercises and songs make it a teacher’s dream! For entry-level players it’s the only product of its kind, and truly the best educational product I’ve yet seen. In short, this amp is the most happening practice tool for “those about to rock!”