Musicman Sterling Bass

There is a bass out there. That has my name on it. Literally. It's right there on the head of the bass. Sterling. Yesterday, for the first time I got to lay my hands on this bass, and it was everything I'd hoped it would be.

The bass is built for funk slap and popping. It begs to release it's funky potential. The controls on it were incredibly versatile, though I didn't have time to figure much of it out, all I know is that it has the potential for a wide array of sounds.

I found one that I liked, and played away for about ten minutes in the Guitar Center. A local brother came up to me and asked me for advice on how to strengthen the fingers in his left hand and help with individual control of the fingers, because he liked the way I played. I was more than flattered. A black guy was asking me, white bread man, for tips on how to play the bass. From what I understand that is like their native instrument. Whenever you see a black dude playing the bass, he's always awesome. That's not stereotypical, it's more like a law of nature. Like how they can spit lyrics so fast when they're busting a rhyme. Yo. I digress.

I showed him a little warmup I do on the bass to improve both things he inquired of, he gave me a smile, and walked off. I felt like I may actually be good at this instrument now.

On to the bass. I've always wondered why nothing I played ever sounded really that cool or professional. It's all in the bass. I plugged into a 100watt Ampeg amp nearby (the same amp I've mentioned in previous posts) and played away. I sounded like a pro. The neck on the bass is short and fast, and rather narrow. Perfect for what I do. I'm also a big fan of humbucker pickups, as they produce a fat rich tone with tons of punch to boot.

Oh yes, and Kathy's dad bought me a djembe for my birthday. I love it. I'm going to learn how to play it well, too. I may not be able to master a complete drumset, but dang it I'm going to rock out on that djembe.