Dean Markley

As a diminutive female, I've often had to overcome stereotypes about bass players. Seems that when people think of bass guitar, they think big. I guess it makes sense, in a way-bigger people probably have an easier time playing a bigger instrument. But I've gotten used to the comments. It no longer bothers me when someone says if I wanted to play a four-stringed instrument, a ukulele would be a better fit. These comments stop when I'm playing, you see.

There's nothing small about my sound. When I lay down a groove, I feel bigger than a Greek goddess. Someone once told me that my bass sounded like a 9-foot grand piano. I just smiled and nodded my head. "A lot easier to carry, too. Lugging that piano around was starting to hurt my back." I think it took him a second to realize I was joking, and then the absurdity of it made him laugh. "Still, it's amazing how someone so little can get such a big sound." Like I said, Im used to it.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," I say a confiding tone. He leans toward me expectantly. I point to the strings, Dean Markley SR2000's. "Taper-wrapping at the bridge allows them to vibrate more freely." He looks crestfallen, as if he expected to discover that I really was a Greek goddess. "You mean it's in the strings?" he asks incredulously.

"Yup."

Dean Markley SR2000. Big sound without the big price.

.027, .047, .067, .087, .107, .127