Florinda4

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Birthday

Dec 16, 1949 (Age: 76)

Location

Overlooking the Salish Sea

Gender

Male

Current Setup

Basses
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- URB "Samantha": 3/4; Rumanian; ~1980; spruce top, maple back, ebony board; nice old (1960?) pernambuco bow, french heel; Evah Pirazzi orch. strings, or Innovation synthetics. (my only bass not named for a cat - I named it after Sammy Nestico's beautiful tune)
- "Eddie" - 1973 Precision - Tomastik-Infeld Jazz flats
- "Taj" - 2006 MusicMan Sterling - TI flats
- "Molly" 2018 Fender Mustang PJ - TI flats - Lindy Fralin pups, 1 stacked V/T knob & 1 pup blend knob. - no mo pup switch. See it here: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/fender-mustang-club.1327751/page-22#post-21397959.
- 1995 Ibanez TRB80 (beater I let visitors and guitar players borrow)
- "Thumper" - modified Jacinto Lemus Reyes guitarron - with four flatwound electric bass strings EADG (the extra two tuners were removed), an extended, raised ebony fingerboard, carved ebony & spruce bridge, custom internal truss for bridge support, and custom-milled 2-piece brass tailpiece. Unsure of age - probably not quite as old as me. You can read Thumper's story and see pics here:
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/guitarron-anyone.285638/page-2#post-20663720

My BGs are named after cats I've loved and lost.

Amps
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- GK MB150S/112 combo
- David Eden WT300 Traveler hybrid head
- MarkBass CMD 102P combo
- GK NEO IV 112 cabinet
- GK 410/8 RBH cabinet

I use the Markbass combo for BG gigs, though my favorite sounding BG rig is the GK RBH cabinet with the Eden amp. But the 4x10 cabinet alone is 100lb. Total weight of the MarkBass combo is 35lb.

URB gets the GK MB150S for small gigs and combos, and in my studio, or the Eden head paired with the GK NEO IV 112 cabinet for big band and medium indoor URB gigs. Yeah, I like GK cabinets.

That Eden hybrid amp has the most bestest damn sound ever IMHO (all of their WT hybrids have that awesome warm presence that just OWNS a space, indoor or outdoor - this 300 is my third). I had to have it serviced once, and the closest guy who knew anything about it is 100 miles away. I use it now with the URB, and the GK NEO IV 112 cabinet, for big band and medium indoor URB gigs.

The GK MB150S/112 is my studio practice amp (headphones mostly), but occasionally comes out for a URB gig, like smaller clubs or a house concert. It has been used outdoors upon occasion, powered by a 32amp 12-volt battery and inverter. It draws only 4 amps, so will go for 4-6 hours. It is still my favorite lightweight amp for use with the acoustic URB.

I only use the 4x10 cabinet outdoors these days, and when I can find someone to help me move it. It's a beast, but like all GK cabinets, it's the best - IMNSHO.

Occupation

Caring for family, making the most of heaven.

Favorite Genres

Pretty much anything played well and not too damn loud. Preference runs to nice instruments played with less electronic bull**it and more fingers, ears, brains and heart.

Heart-of-heart favorite: Big Band and Little Big Band jazz ensembles.

Gigs and Ensembles

They come and they go.

Previously Owned Gear

Many variations of my current inventory. Seems like I've always had a couple of electrics and one URB, and a couple of amps - one smaller, one with more beef.

G.A.S. List

Happy with my current stuff. Could use a better bag for my URB.

Influences and Teachers

- Never really 'studied' with anyone in particular. I played string bass (and learned to read music) in public school and community ensembles (concert band, school orchestras and youth symphonies) from age 8 into college, and bought my first electric bass in 1971 to play in a US Army stage band overseas (32nd AADCOM in K-Town, Germany).

I read a lot of stage band music until I was out of the army on my own, then started learning to play folk and pop music - most of which had no written parts. I'd need to learn some tune for a band and spend hours with a 2-track tape player learning bass parts, playing along by ear.

I still do this, but the technology is way better now (YouTube is the most amazing tool for this), learning doesn't take so long any more - usually - and these days I'm far more interested in the melody/chords/arrangement of the tune than replicating whatever bass line was recorded - unless it's fundamental to the tune, or someone is paying me to recreate it. ;-)

Somewhere in the 80s I began working with a very versatile guitarist and learned to read lead sheets and improvise lines from chord markings - basic theory, then more, etc.

- Influences: too numerous to mention, and besides I don't remember so good no mo. Everybody I ever heard play the electric or upright bass, no doubt - some more than others.

- Teachers: many, but primary credit (or blame) and my undying gratitude goes to Miss Downs, the patient California public circuit music teacher who put a 1/2 size Kay string bass and a Simandl method book in my hands in 1958, showed me the basics of the instrument, and taught me to read music - back in the day when California supported music education in its public schools.

Since high school I've been on my own... me, one bass or another, and my radio/record player/tape player/cd player/HD/internet/space-time continuum/ether. - and often still, written music.

And of course, I've always been heavily - even mostly - influenced by many many other players of all instruments.

Hobbies and Interests

Family, boating, camping, skiing, cats, etc.

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