Fender Mustang (PJ) Bass (2017)

Not sure what it is about being bedridden with a bad cold, but I tend to make large purchases when I'm in bed for long periods of time (once in a blue moon). This last month was no exception. A new issue of Bass Player magazine came in and flipping through its pages, I came across a review of the new Fender Mustang bass (with PJ pickup configuration). Since I bought my Gibson SG bass, I've been stuck on short-scale basses. I've had several Fender basses before and I have to admit that after playing them for a while, I always decided to sell them in favor of basses more comfortable to my smaller hands. Hence, the short scale bass. Until I read the review in BP magazine, I hadn't realized Fender made any short scale basses. After watching a few video reviews on the newer model of the Fender Mustang bass, I got on Reverb and ordered one. The following Saturday, it arrived, and after slapping some flat wound strings on it (I only play flat wounds these days), it was ready to go. As much as I love my Gibson, I have to say that this bass is a little more comfortable to play, neck-wise. It sounds great, especially with the toggle set in the middle to activate both jazz and p-bass pickups. It weighs a bit less than my Gibson too, so it has become my go-to if I'm just practicing at home.

Fender Mustang Bass PJ (2017) in Olympic white w/mint green pickguard

Fender Mustang Bass PJ (2017) in Olympic white w/mint green pickguard

Fender Mustang Bass PJ (2017) in Olympic white w/mint green pickguard

Read more about it from Fender.


Here's a little video of me messing around on it with Brad. (I'm running it through my Ampeg Micro-CL 100-watt amp).

Gold Tone Microbass (fretless) acoustic/electric

Years ago, I bought an Ibanez acoustic/electric bass and an Ibanez electric fretless bass. Neither one gave me quite the sound I was looking for in either an acoustic or a fretless bass guitar. Last year, I tried an ESP LTD fretless electric bass and it wasn't bad, but I just couldn't fall in love with it the way I wanted to love with a fretless bass. An upright bass was out (I'd had one of those before too) because of limited space issues and I'm not quite ready to try an upright stick bass yet (next on my list, though). Last spring, I bought a Gold Tone Irish tenor banjo (4-string) and loved it, so when I saw that Gold Tone made an acoustic/electric fretless micro bass (23" scale length), I was over the moon. The strings are Aquila high-tension polymer (looks and feels like rubber) which gives it an upright sound--another bonus feature of this little bass. And, best of all, it's perfect for travel. 

Read more about it here from Gold Tone. 

Here's a little video clip of me jammin' on it a few days after it arrived. (I'm playing through an Ampeg Micro-CL 100-watt amp).

Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi fuzz/distortion pedal (Bass version)

A few years after I started playing, I came across Muse's "Hysteria," and like every ambitious player, I just had to learn the bass line. Looking into Chris Wolstenholme's gear, I found that he had used an Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi pedal (the older guitar version) for that particular song. So, naturally, I bought one. It worked okay, but I wasn't really getting the low end that I wanted, so a year or so later, I sold the pedal and forgot about it. This Christmas, however, my husband surprised me with the bass version of the Big Muff Pi pedal and after relearning the "Hysteria" bass line, I found that I liked this pedal much better. I'm experimenting with the pedal on some original tunes, so hopefully, I will get a lot of use out of this one!

Christmas Day 2016 and my new Big Muff Pi pedal

Gibson SG bass guitar

Since 2015 was the last year Gibson made the Gibson SG bass*, I decided to bite the bullet and get one (last October) before they were gone. I think this is my favorite bass of all time (and I've had a few basses throughout the years). The width of the neck took a little adjusting to (I'm so used to my Ibanez SDGR neck), but boy is it FAST!! With a little minor tweaking out of the box and new D'Addario flatwound strings, my new hellboy was ready to rock. And, I'm not sure why, but this bass smells like a cherry tootsie pop (seriously). Every time I take it out of the case, I want to take a lick. If you can get your hands on one of these basses--DO IT! You won't regret it.

*update: Gibson is now making these basses again as of 2018

Ibanez SRT805DX

I bought the Ibanez SRT805DX back a few months ago, and although it's an incredible sounding bass, the neck was a little too chunky for me. The EMG pickups are growly, and the neck through construction allows for excellent sustain. The color of the SRT805 is more of a reddish color than the brownish color shown in the pictures, but I liked it better that way.

I decided to order a 4 string version of this bass (SRT800DX) in the amber finish, and it is awesome. The neck is a tad thicker than my SR500, but hey, what can you do? It sounds incredible, just like the SRT805DX, and I can't get over the EMG pickups. I'm lovin' it.

Both basses were playable right out of the box, but I put flatwounds on both of mine, and it made a huge difference. It went from good to awesome. Flatwounds really make the EMG's growl...or that's my opinion.

Both basses can be purchased from American Musical Supply and are both over $300 cheaper than buying this bass anywhere else, including Musician's Friend and Guitar Center. Plus, AMS has a payment plan that charges 0% interest. So, if you're interested in buying this bass, you definitely want to get it from AMS...or have another store match their price.

Poppin' and Slappin': Is It Necessary?

Scanning through youtube videos, I found that almost every decent girl bassist is poppin' and slappin'. And don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for that style of playing, but it seems like many bassists do it all the time.

I don't know if these players just prefer that style of playing, or if they have other motivations. Perhaps they think it makes them sound like an awesome bassist. Personally, I think it's overdone. I don't pop and slap, not because I can't or don't like the style. I don't pop and slap because every other player is doing it to death, especially female bassists on youtube.

I feel that the most important thing with playing bass is versatility. To be able to play a large array of styles is better than only being able to pop and slap...even if it does sound cool.

Just a thought.

BassBrites string cleaner

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