It’s been nice to play bass again. I thought after my hiatus that I’d have to re-learn everything, but luckily playing bass is like riding a bike. Okay, that’s not really a good analogy, as the last time I rode my bike I nearly crashed into a moving vehicle. Playing bass has never gotten me hit by a car. Anyway, I digress. I’ve still got a way to go before I’m back into full swing, but I’m getting there.

This is my baby, my Fender Jazz. I bought this bass in 2000 or so. My first bass was a black shortscale Gremlin that I bought in 1995. It never quite sounded the way I had hoped it would, so when finances allowed, I bought the Fender. I love this bass because it’s so versatile. Also, it’s pretty. I want to get a tortoiseshell pick guard for it someday so that it looks like it’s from the 1960s.

This is my other bass, a Luna Pandora. Luna is a company that makes guitars and basses for women (they’re lighter weight). This particular bass is a short-scale, and it really is significantly lighter than my Fender. It’s also bright pink, which is pretty awesome. It doesn’t sound as good as my Fender, but it’s still a fun little bass.

In 2008, I received a pedal board for my birthday. I didn’t have an opportunity to use it until now, and I have to say it’s really nice. I don’t have many pedals. I have a Digitech BP200, which is a pretty snazzy digital bass pedal that has something like 85 presets and a built-in drum machine. It’s crazy. Then, I have an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi, which sounds really great with a bass guitar. It’s growly and distorted, just the way I like it. I also have an Ibanez Powerlead PL5, which is a pretty straightforward guitar distortion pedal that I got from an ex-boyfriend in 1999. It sounds awesome with my bass, because it distorts just enough to give it sort of a fuzzy sound — kind of like a less growly Big Muff. Unfortunately, the foot switch is kind of shorting out on me, so I may have to dig around and see if I can pick one up on eBay or something. Since this photo was taken, I also added my Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner, because the tuner included in the BP200 isn’t as accurate as the Boss. I feel like a proper bassist with my pedal board, now. The only downside is that it’s extremely heavy. Ouch.

I play through an SWR Workingman’s 15, which I think has been discontinued. It’s a shame, too, because I absolutely love this amp. Between the SWR and my Fender, I get such a wonderful warm tone that I’m just crazy about. I’m not sure I’d play through any other amp. I love this one too much.

Now that I’m all set, I just need to get out there and play shows again.