Recent content by Monkey

Same with me. My CMD121P combo, which I bought used for $600, has been a great rig for me. It is light (a little less than 30lbs) and really loud. It has great clean tone and takes pedals well. I add a little tube preamp (Sushi Box Space Heater) saturation and it sounds full and rich. When...

Definitive statements like this frustrate me. I've been playing fretless exclusively since the '80s and have experienced fingerboard gouges. For many years in the early 90's, I played a Carvin 5-string fretless that had an ebony board. I was playing about 120-140 gigs a year for a while and...

I have "short-scale" TIs on two of my basses. One is a 30-inch fretless and the other is a 32-inch fretless. They sound great. The E-string on the short-scale is a bit thicker than on the long scales, but I think the others are same gauge. I was worried about them being too floppy, but it...

I have a matching pair of 12/6s that I played for years. One was built by an authorized dealer and I built the second one with a flat pack. They sound great and pack a serious punch. I rarely played both except at outdoor festivals, which I was playing more often back then. I was playing a...

My wife and I have been married 18 years. I'm the luckiest man on the planet. 1. how supportive are they of you as a bass player? She is very supportive and encouraging. She loves that I have a passion and enjoys the music, events, and people that my passion brings. 2. do you have to go...

I have no problem getting nice mwah on my 30-inch fretless with low-tension strings (either TI flats or Labella LTFs).

So sad to hear of his passing. I also saw him in the 80s and was impressed by his energy and engagement with the audience. Thank you, Jimmy, and rest in peace!

So sad to hear this news. What an amazing person and musician. I played in a fusion band a while back and we learned "Guy Lafleur" from Steve Kahn's "Eyewitness" album. It increased my respect and admiration even more to try to learn from his parts and approach. Love and respect, Anthony!

This is my story, as well. When I was in high school (late '70s), I was a huge fan of Chris and Geddy. I saved money from my grocery store job after school and bought a brand new blue Rick in 1978. I loved the sound, but the ergonomics were horrible for me. In college, I started getting more...

I use the Markbass CMD 121 combo and have gigged it successfully in many different situations. Lightweight, great tone, takes pedals well, and I can add my NY121 extension cab (only 30 lbs) if I need more firepower.

I play passive fretless with TI flats (usually 5-string, sometimes a medium-scale 4). I usually play with volume and tone at 100%, but often roll of some or all of the tone depending on the song. I play a lot of reggae, so I roll of more treble there, again depending on the song. I'm...

I strongly prefer narrow spacing, too. My first experience with a 5-string was a bass with a 19mm spacing (although I didn't realize it at the time), and it felt very uncomfortable. I thought that 5-string might not be a good fit for me, but then I played a narrow-spaced one. It was hard at...

I agree! I've tried them a couple of times and while I didn't hate the sound, they made the tips of my fingers hurt after playing a set. TI Flats and LaBella LTFs are more my speed.

I've been using a Markbass CMD 121P 1x12 combo that I bought used for $600 a couple of years ago and I love it. I have a NY121 extension cab which I add for bigger gigs. I've played many gigs with just the combo on a stand to get it near my ears. With FOH support, it makes a great monitor and...

I played a 4 for many years before trying a 5 and it took me a while to feel comfortable. Not long after getting my sea legs on the 5, I got a 6 and I never really made the that transition successfully. The wide neck, muting problems, and frequently getting lost just didn't seem to go away...